# Russian tortoise with white skin on head and legs.



## PucklesðŸ¢ (May 22, 2013)

So since around January my tortoise has had white scales, one on top of his head and some down on his front legs and some on his back legs. I remember coming home from work one day and he was on his back I'n his waterbowl shaking around, was when I noticed he had a bunch of white flakes. I hardly ever hear this happen to tortoises and websites have been pretty vague on my problem. He lives in a tank (I know it's bad for them but I'm getting a table in the month of June.


----------



## wellington (May 22, 2013)

Hello and Welcome  If you could post picture of the tort and the spots your talking about, that would help us alot to help you.


----------



## PucklesðŸ¢ (May 22, 2013)

Yeah sure, here's a link http://m1282.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/aquapower21/image_zps65c0f0d5.jpg.html?o=0&newest=1


----------



## Yvonne G (May 22, 2013)

I don't know why that portion of his head is white, however, I do know that he is NOT a russian tortoise. Maybe a Hermann's or a Greek.


----------



## GeoTerraTestudo (May 22, 2013)

LOL ... yeah, that would be scary on a Russian, but perfectly normal for your southern Greek tortoise.


----------



## PucklesðŸ¢ (May 22, 2013)

What!!! Lol are you sure!?!? The pet store told me he was a russian, I only noticed this a couple months after I got him. I'm sure there can be a possibility but....it's just really hard for me to believe right now....


----------



## GeoTerraTestudo (May 22, 2013)

PucklesðŸ¢ said:


> What!!! Lol are you sure!?!? The pet store told me he was a russian, I only noticed this a couple months after I got him. I'm sure there can be a possibility but....it's just really hard for me to believe right now....



Wouldn't be the first time a pet store misidentified an animal.  Judging by that photo, the shell seems narrow and high, more like a Greek or Hermann than a Russian, and the patterning seems most like that of a southern subspecies of Greek to me. I'm almost certain it's not a Russian, but please show us some more pix from other angles so we can see more.

PS - Might even be a marginated tortoise, so like I say, we need to see more pix to determine the species, and hopefully subspecies!


----------



## PucklesðŸ¢ (May 22, 2013)

Okay, here's another link of his sides http://m1282.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/aquapower21/3r/image_zpsc3b269e5.jpg.html?o=0&newest=1


----------



## GeoTerraTestudo (May 22, 2013)

PucklesðŸ¢ said:


> Okay, here's another link of his sides http://m1282.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/aquapower21/3r/image_zpsc3b269e5.jpg.html?o=0&newest=1



Yeah, that's no Russian. Not a Hermann or marginated, either. It's a Greek tortoise (_Testudo graeca_). I don't think it's from a northern subspecies, either, but rather from the southern _T. graeca floweri_ (now synonymous with _T. graeca terrestris_). If so, then it is native to the Levant (Israel and Jordan), and therefore less cold-tolerant and more humidity-loving than its cousins to the north, including the Russian tortoise. They don't dig as much as Russians, either. Otherwise, care is very similar (except they don't really hibernate), and the diet is essentially the same.

Our resident expert on Testudos is GBTortoises. I hope he chimes in on this thread. If not, you might want to PM him and see if he can identify which subspecies of Greek this individual belongs to with more certainty. Congrats!


----------



## PucklesðŸ¢ (May 22, 2013)

GeoTerraTestudo said:


> PucklesðŸ¢ said:
> 
> 
> > Okay, here's another link of his sides http://m1282.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/aquapower21/3r/image_zpsc3b269e5.jpg.html?o=0&newest=1
> ...



Thanks so much!!! My tortoise is healthy! And now I don't have to worry about hibernating


----------

