Whats my tortoise sub species?

[Aspirerite]

Hi everyone Today I purchased a spur-thighed tortoise from the pet shop and I'm a bit confused as to the sub species it is. I asked the pet shop assistant what it was and she said it was not a sub species so the conversation ended there. On the papers it just says Testudo graeca and that its origin is Turkey and it is a captive born and bred here in the UK. Is there anything I should look for on the papers that would tell me? It is 2 years old and about six inches long back to front of shell.

 

[tortadise]

Going to have to see pictures top and bottom for proper ID. I believe there are more than one subspecies of testudo in turkey. @HermanniChris would know more on this. But work on the photos for us.

 

[Aspirerite]

Going to have to see pictures top and bottom for proper ID. I believe there are more than one subspecies of testudo in turkey. @HermanniChris would know more on this. But work on the photos for us.

OK ill take a few pics but my Phone doesnt take the best quality pics Ill do my best

 

[Aspirerite]

Are these pics any good? There not very good quality but there about the best I could get

 

[juli11]

In turkey live two subspecies. Testudo gracea Ibera and testudo gracea anamurensis. And sub population of Ibera calls "Anatolian giant". So Ibera live in the hole turkey and anamurensis only live in a small region at the south coast near the city Belek. Because of that I think you've got Ibera. Can you safer a picture of the head? Also to identify gracea subspecies is really difficult.
But most time it is Ibera.

 

[Aspirerite]

Thanx I just took these pics there not too good lol

 

[juli11]

Ok yes I think it's Ibera. The yellow strips on the head are often typical for Ibera.

 

[Aspirerite]

Ok yes I think it's Ibera. The yellow strips on the head are often typical for Ibera.

Thank-you I was thinking that it maybe Ibera. He or she seems quite large for two years old. Is it typical of Ibera to be that large at this age?

 

[juli11]

I don't know but Ibera is the biggest kind of gracea.

 

[HermanniChris]

It's an ibera and yes everything about it is typical including the yellow head probably from a more southern region.

 

[Aspirerite]

It's an ibera and yes everything about it is typical including the yellow head probably from a more southern region.

Thanx The yellow isn't as deep as the pic shows but I think your right its an Ibera. Is there any way of knowing the sex at this age the girl at the pet shop said a female but she didn't seem to know much about this tortoise breed. its settling in nice now it knows all the best basking spots and seems to be regulating its temperature fine. It hasn't eaten much but it has eaten. I gave it a soak for 10 mins yesterday then it had something to eat. It had a little to eat today but not much I don't think so ill give it another bath. How often should I mist the enclosure down? I'm using a mix of play sand and top soil from the garden center and the enclosure is about 2ft by 4ft. I have a 160w Powersun mercury vapor self ballasted bulb and a 75w blue night glow bulb. I noticed the temperature on the cool end hit 26c today on the cold side and was wondering if that was too warm as many care sheets advise to aim about 22c on the cool end but it is hot today where I am. Should I try to keep it cooler than that or is that ok for a few days until it cools off a little? the temperature only hit 23 on the cool end yesterday