Pls help identify and aid my mothers pet tortoises - zimbabwe

[shanojo]

Hi
Kept as pets in Zimbabwe.
They have a great enclosure, and seem happy.
They eat a huge variety of greenery, from the grass, to spinach, carrots, lettuce and until recently (until i started researching) - potato leaves!

1. Pls help identify these tortoises.
2. How do we tell male from female?
3. Confirm potato leaves are not good for them (even though they love them)
4. conditions for breeding? They seem to mount often - but have never seen any hutch or eggs.
How can we encourage laying>?

Thanks soo much for help

---

Sorry - struggling to upload pic

 

[coreyc]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Torty Mom]

Welcome to TFO

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Shanojo:

Welcome to the forum!! May we know your name and are you also in Zimbabwe?

Here's a link to picture loading:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-to-post-pictures-in-your-forum-posts--5245#axzz1DNjWrujp

I'll be better able to answer your questions after I see pictures of your tortoises.

 

[shanojo]

Torts in Zim to ID PLs - take 2

Hi
Kept as pets in Zimbabwe.
They have a great enclosure, and seem happy.
They eat a huge variety of greenery, from the grass, to spinach, carrots, lettuce and until recently (until i started researching) - potato leaves!

1. Pls help identify these tortoises.
2. How do we tell male from female?
3. Confirm potato leaves are not good for them (even though they love them)
4. conditions for breeding? They seem to mount often - but have never seen any nest or eggs.
How can we encourage laying>?

Thanks soo much for help

 

[coreyc]

RE: Torts in Zim to ID PLs - take 2

They are leopard tortoises can you take a pic of their plastron (belly) ?

 

[shanojo]

RE: Torts in Zim to ID PLs - take 2

We have 5. 3 smaller ones, 2 larger. Both he larger ones are slightly lighter in colour.
I do have pics of their bellies.will upload shortly now that the function is working
thanks

---

Hi
Kept as pets in Zimbabwe.
They have a great enclosure, and seem happy.
They eat a huge variety of greenery, from the grass, to spinach, carrots, lettuce and until recently (until i started researching) - potato leaves!

1. Pls help identify these tortoises.
2. How do we tell male from female?
3. Confirm potato leaves are not good for them (even though they love them)
4. conditions for breeding? They seem to mount often - but have never seen any nest or eggs.
How can we encourage laying>?

Thanks soo much for help

 

[Az tortoise compound]

RE: Torts in Zim to ID PLs - take 2

They are all male leopard tortoises. That's why no nests
I do not know about potato leaves, we have never fed them.

 

[franeich]

RE: Torts in Zim to ID PLs - take 2

5 males bummer

 

[yagyujubei]

RE: Torts in Zim to ID PLs - take 2

I think that the last one is a female.

 

[Kristina]

RE: Torts in Zim to ID PLs - take 2

Last one looks female to me as well.

If she is living with four males, however, she may be overly stressed from all the mounting and that is why she isn't nesting.

Based on the size of the hand in the third pic, they may not be big enough.

 

[yagyujubei]

From what I could find out, potato leaves ARE poisonous. So you may want to omit them from the menu.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[HLogic]

If the potato to which you refer is that which is shown in the first two pictures of the first group uploaded, those are sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batata) otherwise known as yam - mbambaira in Shona, I think.

The tortoises love them because they are good for them! Very nutrutious and not poisonous as is the white potato (Solanum tuberosum) of South American origin.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on a quintet of lovely Leopards!

 

[yagyujubei]

If the potato to which you refer is that which is shown in the first two pictures of the first group uploaded, those are sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batata) otherwise known as yam - mbambaira in Shona, I think.

The tortoises love them because they are good for them! Very nutrutious and not poisonous as is the white potato (Solanum tuberosum) of South American origin.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on a quintet of lovely Leopards!

Very good. I didn't catch that.