# New Addition



## nate.mann (Sep 27, 2013)

i was given the opportunity to take in a Sonoran Desert Tortoise, due to the owners financial situation (i took it). i think that because it was a CB tortoise and she was gifted to me, that there were no laws broken. here in AZ shelters for DT's are so full, i doubt they would have a problem with this? but im not too sure, the way the laws are written its hard to get a definitive answer by looking them up. anyways..here is Esmarelda. tomorrow i will post size and weight.





0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## sibi (Sep 27, 2013)

Nice tortoise! She looks great too. Good gift.


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 27, 2013)

yeah, some lady text me this morning asking if i could take the tortoise for them and my first thought was 'hell yeah!' then when she sent a picture i was worried i would have to decline, but when i told her selling is illegal she opted to gift it. haha


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## sibi (Sep 27, 2013)

That's great. If it was a gift, and not a sale, there's no law broken. Great deal for you, cause you got a beauty there.


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 27, 2013)

sweet, i was concerned i would have to give her up. tomorrow i will post better pictures for a second opinion as to the sex. 


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 27, 2013)

A most excellent gift! : )

Breaks my heart to hear about the ones in the shelters. There are so many possible owners out there, with education and outreach, they could all have good homes. Three digit millions to protect the desert tortoises with laws like what you said above and no sustainability programs to be sure ALL desert tortoises are protected. Government disappoints.


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 27, 2013)

i couldnt agree more Bee. its sad. 


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 27, 2013)

Well, one of them found a great home. Check. : )


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 27, 2013)

haha aw yee


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## Jabuticaba (Sep 28, 2013)

Beautiful!! Esmeralda was my female
Hermanni's name. I changed it to Darwin, when I adopted her. 


May[TURTLE]
Hermannis: Darwin & Wallace
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 28, 2013)

well here are some pictures to try and figure out a sex. the plastron looks to be not completely flat, and the back is more forked than rounded.





0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## ascott (Sep 28, 2013)

May we see a pic of his chin (profile and under chin) and may we see a pic of the gular horn?

It is hard to judge his shell size, is he around 10 inches or so long?


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 28, 2013)

the gular horn is a good size. and yes hes about 10-11 inches. havent been able to find a tape measure so im not sure




0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## ascott (Sep 28, 2013)

Does the tortoise have glands on the chin that you can readily see?


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 28, 2013)

no i dont see anything noticeable 


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## ascott (Sep 28, 2013)

There will eventually be an obvious difference...but with a 10 inch tort or you should already see the gular clearly as male or female...


Here are a couple other good pics to give you a point to refer to ....also with this species...the male is really outgoing and forward, tenacious and somewhat fearless....not that the females don't carry these traits...but the males truly are more outward...


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 28, 2013)

thanks, i saw that too, im kind of leaning towards female as the features developed are not nearly as dramatic as in the pictures for a male. we'll just have to see i guess. she weighs 8 pounds, still havent found a tape measure though. 


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## ascott (Sep 28, 2013)

The gular horn is imperative for the male...these guys are gladiators and they use this horn to hook under the opponents shell and they essentially plant their back legs firmly and begin to "walk up" one another and this action is the flip....the stronger male...not always the larger....will be the successful flipper...they will tuck their heads in and use that horn to ram one another...the will extend their head out only as far as the horn will lend cover so that they literally run at each other and bammmm....

The glands will swell a couple times a year during the prime weather for mating (which should not be encouraged in captivity)....

I have one male here that his glands swell so much that he has clear fluid that will come out if the glands are pressed against something---and he is very assertive during this time....


As your tort pictures here, I would presently guess female....a rarity if so...


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 28, 2013)

i know that, ive read a lot about this species. how big is your guy? i appreciate your help. 


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## ascott (Sep 28, 2013)

There are four adult men folk here....two at or over 14 inches and the other two closer to 11-12 inches....I started a thread here for another member so she could see them...the thread is named " Candy ".


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 28, 2013)

oh you were the OP of that thread..i posted on there. those are some good-looking fellas there. 


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
1.0.0 Blue Nose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 28, 2013)

Those were awesome pictures to look at Angela. Thanks for sharing! : )
nate.mann, congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl! : )


----------



## thatrebecca (Sep 28, 2013)

Esmeralda sure is pretty. How is she settling in to her new home?


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 28, 2013)

BeeBee*BeeLeaves said:


> Those were awesome pictures to look at Angela. Thanks for sharing! : )
> nate.mann, congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl! : )



thank you very much, yeah shes a beauty. haha




thatrebecca said:


> Esmeralda sure is pretty. How is she settling in to her new home?



shes doing great, eating well, very active, and just an overall healthy lady (from what i can see). claws arent overgrown, beak is nice and short, clear alert eyes, no difficulty breathing, and her shell is all good. its nice bringing in a healthy tortoise. with the Leopard (Squirt) i rescued, every time i thought about him i found myself worrying because of his bad condition.


----------



## nate.mann (Sep 29, 2013)

took Esmerelda out front to eat. she almost finished a pile of greens and grazed a bit. 


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## nate.mann (Oct 3, 2013)

i finally got around to looking for a tape measure to get an actual length of Esmerelda, and found out shes actually just over 12 inches in plastron length, not 10. 


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## sunshine_hugs (Oct 3, 2013)

I love the newest pictures. The 4th one is my favourite! She's such a beauty!!


----------



## nate.mann (Oct 3, 2013)

thanks. haha. yeah those first two pictures were rough but she had just been stuck in a car for about an hour and i didnt wanna stress her out with a bright flash. 


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## nate.mann (Oct 4, 2013)

View attachment 57770
'im going to sprouts dad, be back in three days.'


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## thatrebecca (Oct 4, 2013)

Haha! All Esmerelda needs in that last pick is a little stick with a bindle, like a cartoon hobo hittin the road.


----------



## nate.mann (Oct 4, 2013)

thatrebecca said:


> Haha! All Esmerelda needs in that last pick is a little stick with a bindle, like a cartoon hobo hittin the road.



haha i thought the same thing


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pit/American Bulldog


----------



## nate.mann (Oct 10, 2013)

you called my name..what do you want?


0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
0.0.1 Leopard Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pitbull/American Bulldog


----------



## thatrebecca (Oct 10, 2013)

Great looking hide she has there!


----------



## nate.mann (Oct 10, 2013)

thatrebecca said:


> Great looking hide she has there!



haha she loves it, especially climbing on top of it. 


0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
0.0.1 Leopard Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pitbull/American Bulldog


----------



## nate.mann (Oct 14, 2013)

0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
0.0.1 Leopard Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pitbull/American Bulldog


----------

