What type of tortoise do I have? (Graeca)

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Hello tortoise lovers alike!

I have been trying to figure out what type of tortoise I have since I got her in November 2014. I know there's tons of threads and all the forums are a little overwhelming but I get a lot of good info from this forum so I decided to join. :) I got Pebbles from a very uneducated family that had no idea how to take care of a tortoise. There are several things wrong with her but she is doing ten thousand times better than when I first got her. Because of this poor treatment she is disfigured and discolored. She has mild pyramiding, a very bad hunch back, wonky legs, and a couple chips in her shell. There all getting much much better I have even stopped a couple problems completely. She used to cough a lot when we first got her due to her being on very fine sand and constantly breathing it in. That however has subsided. She had a hard time adjusting to the right foods because all they ever fed her was sandy iceberg lettuce and tortoise pellets. She is now a great eater and has a hearty appetite for how little she is. When we first brought her home we gave her a soak and noticed a big clump of sand on her Plastron that wouldn't come off. I started picking at it with my fingernail and it was a huge wad of sandy bubble gum! These people we're just so uneducated about tortoise care and never did there research they provided her with a terrible home and thought they had done a good job. I have been nursing her back to health. She will never be 100% but I can strive for as close as I can get. I've done tons of research and believe I am doing a great job for a first time tortoise owner especially with all the progress we have made with her. Now I just have one more thing I'm not sure about and that's what kind of tortoise she is. The man I got her from told me she was a Russian tortoise but upon further research I'm just not sure. She's really discolored so it's hard to tell. I'm almost positive she's a desert tortoise I'm just not sure which. Hermann's, Medditeranian, Greek, maybe he is right and she is a Russian? I just don't know. I've tried emailing professionals with no reply. I've taken her to different pet stores and people can only give me guesses and I just wanna know if there's anyone out there who can give me a definite answer. Please help.
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teresaf

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Doesn't look Russian to me. But Russians, leopards and Sulcatas are pretty much the only ones I can identify. I'm sure someone will be along to help you out. in the meantime you might want to post more pictureS from different angles from the top and from the belly especially. I'm certain you'll have your answer soon and we have dedicated care sheets for each type of tortoise so your care instructions will probably change A bit. don't be surprised. @Yvonne G and @HermanniChris may be able to point out your thread to somebody who would know
 
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Oh I know the reason I want to find out so bad is because I want to be able to take the best care of her as possible. If I knew what type she was specifically I could fine tune my care regime. I will post more pictures she is just out in the garden right now and I didn't wanna bug her haha. But thank you that is helpful. :)
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Yvonne G

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It looks like a desert tortoise to me, but I'll need to see better pictures. Take a shot looking straight down at the tortoise, like this:

11-1-11 emmie.jpg

Then turn it over and show the plastron, like this:

9-7-12 rescue b.jpg
 

Yvonne G

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Let's ask @HermanniChris . The color of the plastron is not right for desert tortoise or Texas tortoise. It looks like Tidgy's Dad may win the prize, but to be sure let's wait for Chris to respond to this thread.
 

HermanniChris

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You 100% without a doubt have a Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca). It appears to be of middle eastern decent and may be a mix between 2 different subspecies.
 
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Wow thanks I'm glad someone could give me a definite answer. Especially when I have three people telling me the same thing. Thanks guys I'll look up the care for Greeks and pebbles and I should have a long lived friendship! I'm glad I joined the forum I should have a long time ago! :)
 

Tidgy's Dad

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I was right, it seems.:)
I've already posted the Greek tortoise care sheet for you above, so hopefully that will help you a lot.
If you look at the Greek tortoise section under Mediterranean tortoises in our Species specific section you should find lots of wonderful information.
My girl is a Greek and many others here keep Greek tortoises so don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions whatsoever.
 

teresaf

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;)
I was right, it seems.:)
I've already posted the Greek tortoise care sheet for you above, so hopefully that will help you a lot.
If you look at the Greek tortoise section under Mediterranean tortoises in our Species specific section you should find lots of wonderful information.
My girl is a Greek and many others here keep Greek tortoises so don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions whatsoever.
Braggart....;):D:tort:
 

bouaboua

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Wow thanks I'm glad someone could give me a definite answer. Especially when I have three people telling me the same thing. Thanks guys I'll look up the care for Greeks and pebbles and I should have a long lived friendship! I'm glad I joined the forum I should have a long time ago! :)
Hello and welcome to the forum. I believe you already found out this is a great place to learn and share.

Welcome.
 
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Hello and welcome to the forum. I believe you already found out this is a great place to learn and share.

Welcome.
Yes, I used to get info just as a guest then I figured I'd benefit from actually joining. I'm sure glad I did thanks and a big hello coming from Salt Lake City Utah to all that have helped me out so far.
 

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