WHAT AGE. HELP.

[rostykochergen]

Hi!
Just rescued this Russian tortoise and I can’t seem to identify if it’s a male/female as well as the age?? The place I rescued it from said it was about 2 years old... but the tortoise seems way older and bigger.


Any help on the sex and age of this little one?

 

[iAmCentrochelys sulcata]

We can’t tell... it does look pretty young.

Why are you in such a Urge to find out?

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

The gender is male. Most Russian tortoises that are in captivity are wild caught specimens, and to determine their age is impossible. I have two captive born Russians that are are about two years old and are considerably smaller than your tort.

 

[rostykochergen]

The gender is male. Most Russian tortoises that are in captivity are wild caught specimens, and to determine their age is impossible. I have two captive born Russians that are are about two years old and are considerably smaller than your tort.

Thank you! I’m assuming he’s a male since the tail is bigger.. and I figured he was about 3 years old... thanks!

 

[Toddrickfl1]

It's a male but there's no way to know the age.

 

[rostykochergen]

We can’t tell... it does look pretty young.
At this size we can’t tell if it’s a Male/Female or how old the tortoise is.
Why are you in such a Urge to find out?

I like to weigh my tortoises each month to make sure they are the healthy weight for their age... thanks though!

 

[KarenSoCal]

In the USA it is illegal to sell any tortoise under 4" long.

At 2-2.5", a Russian is about 2 years old. It takes several more years to hit 4".

If he came from a pet store originally, which is likely, they don't collect wild ones til they reach 4". The pet stores don't want to house them and wait while they grow.

So, your tortoise is probably more than 8 years old, possibly 10-20. There is no way to be sure exactly.

I see dings and dents, but to me they don't look like a long hard life in the wild. Maybe that puts him on the younger end of the timeline.

We'll see if anyone else offers an opinion.

 

[Yvonne G]

I would guess the tortoise's age at about seven or eight years of age, almost full grown, but not quite. And yes, male.

 

[rostykochergen]

In the USA it is illegal to sell any tortoise under 4" long.

At 2-2.5", a Russian is about 2 years old. It takes several more years to hit 4".

If he came from a pet store originally, which is likely, they don't collect wild ones til they reach 4". The pet stores don't want to house them and wait while they grow.

So, your tortoise is probably more than 8 years old, possibly 10-20. There is no way to be sure exactly.

I see dings and dents, but to me they don't look like a long hard life in the wild. Maybe that puts him on the younger end of the timeline.

We'll see if anyone else offers an opinion.

thank you! I have a hatchling Greek right now and I was assuming more than 5 years because of his shell.... he was in such a tiny area at the pet store and as much as I hate buying from stores like that... I couldn’t let this guy sit in a tiny 10 gal tank. I’ll agree that I think he’s probably more than 5 years old... under 10 maybe.

 

[KarenSoCal]

thank you! I have a hatchling Greek right now and I was assuming more than 5 years because of his shell.... he was in such a tiny area at the pet store and as much as I hate buying from stores like that... I couldn’t let this guy sit in a tiny 10 gal tank. I’ll agree that I think he’s probably more than 5 years old... under 10 maybe.

Well, breeders are permitted to sell hatchlings. I should have added that in my post. I don't know the laws specifically, but I know pet stores cannot sell less than 4".
So you have a young Greek, not a hatchling, right?

Whatever he is, I wish you well with him!

 

[rostykochergen]

Well, breeders are permitted to sell hatchlings. I should have added that in my post. I don't know the laws specifically, but I know pet stores cannot sell less than 4".
So you have a young Greek, not a hatchling, right?

Whatever he is, I wish you well with him!

Sorry - I didn’t make that clear. I have a hatchling Greek right now as well the rescued adult Russian tortoise (pictured above) - I was just referencing it for size because the Russian is much larger than even a hatchling, so I assumed he was 5+ years old! Thanks again for the help

 

[KarenSoCal]

Sorry - I didn’t make that clear. I have a hatchling Greek right now as well the rescued adult Russian tortoise (pictured above) - I was just referencing it for size because the Russian is much larger than even a hatchling, so I assumed he was 5+ years old! Thanks again for the help

You are welcome! But Yvonne is much better at ages than I am. Go by her guess.