# RUSSIAN TORTOISE?



## Carol S (Apr 9, 2014)

I was told she was around 62-64 years old when she was given to me. She was given to me by a friend's boyfriend who had him for many,many years. She was given to him by a friend whose boys had him for many, many years. When the boys grew up they gave him to my friend's boyfriend. Anyway, I have had her for around 5 years. She was my second Russian tortoise and my first adult. 

I find her shell to be different looking than my other adult Russian tortoises that I now have. She has a pretty golden color on her neck. Is she a Russian tortoise or perhaps mixed? 

Any feedback would be appreciated.


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## Cowboy_Ken (Apr 9, 2014)

Carol, can you post a picture?


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## Carol S (Apr 9, 2014)

Cowboy_Ken said:


> Carol, can you post a picture?






Sorry I forgot to attach the picture. Here it is.


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## Cowboy_Ken (Apr 9, 2014)

Looks very yellow for a Russian. Maybe a Greek? Let's see what others say.


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## T33's Torts (Apr 9, 2014)

I concur with the Cowboy. But I can't tell what species.


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## Tom (Apr 9, 2014)

Hi Carol. We need more pics I think.


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## prc93 (Apr 9, 2014)

I'd guess Greek, you can tell if there are small spurs on the back portions of her thighs


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## naturalman91 (Apr 9, 2014)

i'm not sure of the speices but that is no russian


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## Carol S (Apr 9, 2014)

Here are more pictures. In the pictures she is wet so that brings out the color more. The lightest part of each scute has a greenish hue. I do not see any spurs on her thighs.


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## salacassta (Apr 11, 2014)

In China, if u feed a Russian tortoise in home, you will be punishment for 4years...... But lucky, you can bird policemen lol


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## T33's Torts (Apr 11, 2014)

I'm stumped.


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## Cowboy_Ken (Apr 11, 2014)

salacassta said:


> In China, if u feed a Russian tortoise in home, you will be punishment for 4years...... But lucky, you can bird policemen lol



Bribe?


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## T33's Torts (Apr 11, 2014)

Ken I'm thinking more like "flip 'em the bird".


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## kanalomele (Apr 11, 2014)

My largest and oldest Female Russian still has some of her pattern. I will try to attach pics. This one doesn't have any pattern remaining and now looks more like a Gopher to me. Do we have a SCL? That might help.


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## Yvonne G (Apr 11, 2014)

I think it's a desert tortoise. I have a Gopherus agazissii that is this same color and I've always assumed it was leucistic. We talked about it here on the Forum before, but I can't remember what we came up with. Anyway, its a Gopherus species and they are protected by law. You need a permit to keep it. And depending upon what state you live in, you may not be able to keep it at all.


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## Dorrie Siu (Apr 11, 2014)

What's the shell length?


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## Carol S (Apr 11, 2014)

The man who gave her to me had multiple male desert tortoises and one female desert tortoise. He said that the desert tortoises ignored her. If she is a desert tortoise wouldn't the male desert tortoises have tried to mate with her?


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## Dorrie Siu (Apr 11, 2014)

Carol when you get a chance will you please measure the length of the plastron please? Also a picture of the underside would be helpful.


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## Carol S (Apr 11, 2014)

Dorrie Siu said:


> Carol when you get a chance will you please measure the length of the plastron please? Also a picture of the underside would be helpful.



On my day off this coming week I will measure her plastron and take a picture of her underside.


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## Team Gomberg (Apr 19, 2014)

While we wait for measurements, how about an estimate? Dinner plate size? Childs plate size? Need 2 hands to carry her around or fits in the palm of one hand?

Looks gopher-ish to me too


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## Carol S (Apr 24, 2014)

Here are the photos of Pearl.


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## Carol S (Apr 24, 2014)

If more pictures are needed let me know.


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## Tom (Apr 24, 2014)

I can't say definitively what it is, but the leg scales are not right to be a CDT. None of us are used to seeing russians that are that old and weathered, and I think that may be contributing to the uncertainty. Can we get some head on pics? We've now seen the top and bottom, but how about some head on pics?

Did I see this one while I was there, or was she one of the ones hidden in the night box? I don't recall any of your russians looking un-russian like in person.


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## T33's Torts (Apr 24, 2014)

Give me like 60 years, and I'll let you know how my batch look.


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## Tom (Apr 24, 2014)

Is she the mother of any of mine? Sometimes looking at the offspring can offer a clue too.

Russians have a large range and its possible that 68 years ago they were imported from an area that they are no longer imported from. This and the age might account for the different appearance.


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