Unsure of breed

[LewisR]

Hi all, new to this
I’m just after a bit of info on a tortoise we’ve had in the family for years.
My dad has the tortoise given to him when he was a boy, and 45 years on we still have him... or so we thought it was a him lol. “Touché” the tortoise has lived in the garden all his life, and digs his hole deep in the grass when hibernating.

now we’ve dug up his hole after “he” has come out of hibernation to find 8 eggs tucked up.
So touché is now touchètt

can anyone give me some info on what breed she is, what age maturity is for laying eggs. And any other info

 

[Shirley's Uncle]

Hi. Welcome to the board. I'm new here as well. I'm sure someone will be along who can answer your questions. Yours looks kind of like mine---and she has also been in the family for about 40 years. Mine is apparently a California Desert Tortoise...but I'll let someone else with more knowledge identify yours. I just wanted to say hello.

CHEERS!

 

[LewisR]

Hi. Welcome to the board. I'm new here as well. I'm sure someone will be along who can answer your questions. Yours looks kind of like mine---and she has also been in the family for about 40 years. Mine is apparently a California Desert Tortoise...but I'll let someone else with more knowledge identify yours. I just wanted to say hello.

CHEERS!

aw hello to you too. We’re all so surprised by the eggs. To think all this time we thought it was a boy lol

 

[iAmCentrochelys sulcata]

Hi. Welcome to the board. I'm new here as well. I'm sure someone will be along who can answer your questions. Yours looks kind of like mine---and she has also been in the family for about 40 years. Mine is apparently a California Desert Tortoise...but I'll let someone else with more knowledge identify yours. I just wanted to say hello.

CHEERS!

i’m pretty sure it’s no a california Desert tortoise, it looks like a greek tortoise. or some kind of Testudo (genus)

 

[Yvonne G]

It's either a greek or a hermanns. If you'll post pictures of the bottom shell (plastron) we can tell you for sure. Are there large spurs on each back thigh?

 

[iAmCentrochelys sulcata]

It's either a greek or a hermanns. If you'll post pictures of the bottom shell (plastron) we can tell you for sure. Are there large spurs on each back thigh?

It's either a greek or a hermanns. If you'll post pictures of the bottom shell (plastron) we can tell you for sure. Are there large spurs on each back thigh?

i was thinking the same thing, that’s one big tortoise.

 

[LewisR]

It's either a greek or a hermanns. If you'll post pictures of the bottom shell (plastron) we can tell you for sure. Are there large spurs on each back thigh?

Thanks for your reply she’s gone to sleep now so il grab a picture of the underneath and update tomorrow. To be honest I haven’t noticed large spurs on the back thighs. Her back legs look just like her front ones, only on the back haha. Sorry this is not much info to go by. Il get some pictures when she’s awake tomorrow

 

[LewisR]

Hi all. I’m back with some updates

 

[Yvonne G]

Those two great big nodules (spurs) on his back legs are a dead giveaway - mediterranean spur thigh, otherwise known as Greek tortoise.

 

[LewisR]

Those two great big nodules (spurs) on his back legs are a dead giveaway - mediterranean spur thigh, otherwise known as Greek tortoise.

thank you very much for that great to finally know what she is haha.
At a guess we would say she’s 50/60years old, potentially even older but only now we’ve known her to lay eggs?

she’s lived in the garden all her life, and digs down anywhere between 1 feet - 5 feed depending on what sort of winter we get.

 

[Yvonne G]

The don't necessarily have to have been with a male to lay eggs. It might be that she's been laying them down in the ground and they have never been discovered. She's a lovely tortoise and you are very lucky to have her.

 

[LewisR]

The don't necessarily have to have been with a male to lay eggs. It might be that she's been laying them down in the ground and they have never been discovered. She's a lovely tortoise and you are very lucky to have her.

Ah right, after a little research online they all seem quite small compared to mine?

 

[Yvonne G]

Depends upon the sub species.