Russian Tortoise age

[Wanell P]

How old do you think this tortoise is? I am so new to this. When we got her in July, the pet store indicated she was around a year old. She has not eaten for an extended period of time and then stopped pooping so she is at the exotic vet right now. They are force feeding her to try to get a sample to test for parasites. Anyway, the vet indicates she is around 20 years old!!! Can anyone shed any light on this? I don't really care her age and I am totally in love with her! She is 4 1/2" and weighs 240 grams.

 

[Yvonne G]

She looks to be about 7 or 8 years. The russian tortoise is a small species and in order for them to be the necessary, legal 4" front to back, they've been around for longer than 6 or 7 years.

 

[RainsOn]

My exotic vet showed me to count the rings around a section on the top of the shell - like you count the age of a cut tree by the rings around it. Am I being clear? The pet store estimated my tort to be about ten years when I bought him about 5 years ago. He was a little more than the 4". The vet says he is now about 13 which is in line with Yvonne's comment.