# Want to ID my tortoise



## Slick6669 (Jun 17, 2010)

So iv had this one for going on 17 years but never knew what species of tortoise it is or if it's a tortoise or turtle here's a picture to












and another picture


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## Chelsea (Jun 17, 2010)

Definately a tortoise! Turtles can't swallow unless they're under water, so i'm guessing it wouldn't have lasted those 17 years!  Not sure what type it is though... How have you been keeping it? It looks real healthy so I think you can narrow the species down by that, seeing as how different species need different care.


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## Stephanie Logan (Jun 17, 2010)

California Desert Tortoise!

My completely uneducated guess.


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## Tom (Jun 17, 2010)

Chelsea said:


> Definately a tortoise! Turtles can't swallow unless they're under water, so i'm guessing it wouldn't have lasted those 17 years!



Don't want to be a party pooper, but yes they can.


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## cuppidsarrows (Jun 17, 2010)

it looks like my California deserts


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## Tom (Jun 17, 2010)

Captive raised CDT. The shell is interesting. It almost looks sulcata-ish. Where did you get him? I'd love to hear the back story.


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## Maggie Cummings (Jun 17, 2010)

Tom said:


> Captive raised CDT. The shell is interesting. It almost looks sulcata-ish. Where did you get him? I'd love to hear the back story.



Tom my friend...water turtles can only eat underwater. Now I know you are seriously trying to change the way we have care for Sulcata for years, but I think you are off the mark on this one. They may swallow not being underwater, but they really can only eat underwater...
The tortoise is a desert tortoise


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## harris (Jun 17, 2010)

Both the Blanding's turtle and North American Wood turtle can both swallow out of water. I believe those are the only two species capable of this; correct me if I'm wrong Danny.


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## Slick6669 (Jun 17, 2010)

thanks for the responses, at first we had him in a huge enclosure like a 100 gallon but then my dad decided we should let it roam the backyard so hes been king of the backyard for about 12 years, he sleeps in the dog house and the dogs sleep outside the dog house lol, but yeah hes been healthy never had any type of issues he was given to me when i was a kid. 

and yeah i agree the shell is a little different more like a sulcata because its not as round as the CDT. 

the lady that gave it to me is a friend of my dads she was a frequent shopper at his store and i think hes so healthy because he gets a huge variety of veggies and fruit because my dad brings all kinds of stuff since he works in the produce department but back to the lady she was a breeder, she gave us about 4 sulcatas but this was again when i was a kid they were only a year or two old and we didnt have a heat lamp so they died

oh i forgot to add during there hibernation period usually from august or september to march. him and our other tortoise sleep in our garage

funny story, i believe tortoises have some of the best memory, we had lost our turtle for almost all of its hibernation period we thought someone stole him we didnt see him for months! and randomly one day when we were working on our yard a neighbor down the street walks towards our house and said hey isnt that your turtle walking down the street by the time she finishes explaining where it was it was already walking up our driveway towards our house.


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## Kristina (Jun 17, 2010)

harris said:


> Both the Blanding's turtle and North American Wood turtle can both swallow out of water. I believe those are the only two species capable of this; correct me if I'm wrong Danny.



Um, Box turtles too, silly


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## harris (Jun 17, 2010)

harris said:


> Both the Blanding's turtle and North American Wood turtle can both swallow out of water. I believe those are the only two species capable of this; correct me if I'm wrong Danny.



PS...I meant eat out of water.


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## egyptiandan (Jun 17, 2010)

I agree  You have a Desert tortoise, _Gopherus agassizii_.

Danny


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## Candy (Jun 17, 2010)

Danny isn't it a Texas DT?


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## terryo (Jun 17, 2010)

maggie3fan said:


> Tom said:
> 
> 
> > Captive raised CDT. The shell is interesting. It almost looks sulcata-ish. Where did you get him? I'd love to hear the back story.
> ...



Water turtles do not have salivary glands or pulmonary muscles to swallow.....this is what I always thought.
That is one beautiful tort. Welcome!


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## Itort (Jun 17, 2010)

kyryah said:


> harris said:
> 
> 
> > Both the Blanding's turtle and North American Wood turtle can both swallow out of water. I believe those are the only two species capable of this; correct me if I'm wrong Danny.
> ...


There are a number of turtles that can eat out of water but the majority need water to eat, so until observed otherwise it's best to feed in water. As has been pointed out blandings, north american woods,and box turtles do and I would add neotropical wood turtles and reeves.


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## egyptiandan (Jun 17, 2010)

No it's not a Texas tortoise, Candy 

Danny


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## Yvonne G (Jun 17, 2010)

Tom said:


> Chelsea said:
> 
> 
> > Definately a tortoise! Turtles can't swallow unless they're under water, so i'm guessing it wouldn't have lasted those 17 years!
> ...



Tom: Are you saying that water turtles CAN swallow out of the water? I was also under the same impression as Chelsea...that they had to have water in order to eat. I've seen RES go out of the water and grab a worm and then head back to the water to eat it. And none of my water turtles can eat out of the water either (RES, pond, soft shell, side neck) I put one of each in the Aldabra pen and gave them a bite of chicken. They just ran around on the grass with it in their mouth and not swallowing it.


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## Slick6669 (Jun 17, 2010)

So we can agree that it's a California desert tortoise?? Thanks again everyone being new to this forum I'm glad I got responses but now hopeully someone can help me ID my other tortoise it was more of a rescue then oh I want this one(but now we love her) an old friend found it onthe train tracks after he seen some kids poking at it and a possible dog tryin to bite it..it has the scars onthe shell to prove it 






I know it's a female because she's laid eggs twice third time was yeterday.
So I "washed" with water her shell because of how dirty it was from doggin lately


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## Tom (Jun 18, 2010)

emysemys said:


> Tom said:
> 
> 
> > Chelsea said:
> ...



You bunch of silly wabbits. She didn't say "WATER" turtles. She just said "TURTLES". I was just being a silly nit-wit and thinking primarily of Box Turtles. Sorry. That's just my OCD kicking in. Its like when people talk about "poisonous" snakes. I just can't help myself. I have to chime in with "No such thing. You can eat any species of snake in the world. None of them are poisonous." (At least none that I'm aware of.) Now, VENOMOUS snakes are a different story.


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## latshki (Jun 18, 2010)

^ tom I do the same thing with "poisonous snakes" people always give me a weird look or walk away lol


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## egyptiandan (Jun 18, 2010)

Your second tortoise is also a Desert tortoise, _Gopherus agassizii_.

Danny


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