# What's the difference?



## drgnfly2265 (Aug 16, 2011)

What is the difference visually between a galapagos and an aldabra? I know the size difference that the galapagos is bigger, but what is another thing that helps tell the difference?


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## Yvonne G (Aug 16, 2011)

It has to do with eye/nostril placement. On the aldab, the eyes are above and behind the nostrils. On the Galops, the eyes are behind, but in line with the nostrils. Most Aldabs have a nuchal scute while all galaps don't.

galop notice the eyes on the same line as the nostrils:







Aldab nostrils below eyes:


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## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 16, 2011)

emysemys said:


> It has to do with eye/nostril placement. On the aldab, the eyes are above and behind the nostrils. On the Galops, the eyes are behind, but in line with the nostrils. Most Aldabs have a nuchal scute while all galaps don't.
> 
> galop notice the eyes on the same line as the nostrils:
> 
> ...



Outstanding emysemys, very nice photo's.


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## dmarcus (Aug 16, 2011)

I enjoy learning new stuff on this forum..Yvonne thats cool, I didn't know the eye's can tell so much...


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## drgnfly2265 (Aug 17, 2011)

emysemys said:


> It has to do with eye/nostril placement. On the aldab, the eyes are above and behind the nostrils. On the Galops, the eyes are behind, but in line with the nostrils. Most Aldabs have a nuchal scute while all galaps don't.
> 
> galop notice the eyes on the same line as the nostrils:
> 
> ...



Cool, ty so much emysemys  I have always got stumped on those two for some reason. That helps a lot!


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## CtTortoiseMom (Aug 17, 2011)

Those are the sweetest faces!


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## drgnfly2265 (Aug 18, 2011)

Ok, I have another one for you since you helped me so much with my first question  

What is the visual difference between the Russian and Greek tortoise? I go into a pet store and see what I think looks like a Russian and it turns out is a Greek  If there is anyway to point out the difference in the two that would be great! 

Please help...... again


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## Yvonne G (Aug 18, 2011)

I'm not good with the Mediterranean tortoises. You'll have to get this answer from someone else, sorry. I am able to I.D. them for myself, but I'm not able to describe the differences for anyone else. To me Russian tortoises always look a little beat up, rougher than a Greek. Young Greeks are shiny and pretty while Russians look rough and beat up. Not much for you to go by, huh...sorry.


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## TonkaLuv (Aug 18, 2011)

My husband and I recently went to the National Zoo in DC. They have a few Adab's there. I could not believe how big they were!!!!! I mean wow!!!!! They had one there that was quite large, and another that looked, well, a bit like a volks wagon! We couldn't believe the size. I look at my baby redfoot Tonka and think "Boy am I glad you won't get that big!" lol. Although.....having a tort I could ride _would _ be pretty cool!


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## TurtleTortoise (Aug 18, 2011)

I think greeks are usually lighter in color but some are not.


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## matt41gb (Aug 18, 2011)

I always look for a nuchal scute on the Aldabra, it's missing on a Galapagos. 

-Matt


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## Yvonne G (Aug 18, 2011)

matt41gb said:


> I always look for a nuchal scute on the Aldabra, it's missing on a Galapagos.
> 
> -Matt



Not all aldabrans have one though. Of my two boys, one has a nuchal scute and the other one doesn't.


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## Iliketuwtles (Aug 18, 2011)

Very interesting! Learning the difference between the similar species/subspecies has become a goal of mine. I like to be that person that knows random facts about random things. Interested in hearing about the greeks/russians.


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## TonkaLuv (Aug 18, 2011)

matt41gb said:


> I always look for a nuchal scute on the Aldabra, it's missing on a Galapagos.
> 
> -Matt




Dumb Newbie question: What is a nuchal scute? :


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## Terry Allan Hall (Aug 19, 2011)

drgnfly2265 said:


> Ok, I have another one for you since you helped me so much with my first question
> 
> What is the visual difference between the Russian and Greek tortoise? I go into a pet store and see what I think looks like a Russian and it turns out is a Greek  If there is anyway to point out the difference in the two that would be great!
> 
> Please help...... again



All of the Meds look very similar as babies, but as adults, they're easier to tell apart...Russians tend to be very round, when viewed from above, and flatter, when viewd from the side, and don't get as large as Greeks, Hermann's, and, especially, Marginateds, but will get a bit larger than Egyptians:






Greeks vary in color a lot:


















and tend to be more or less oval-shaped, as do Marginateds and Harmenn's tortoises.

Marginateds look like WWII German helmets and are the largest of the Meds:






Hermann's look kinda similar to some Greeks:






but can be easily distinguished by the fact that Greeks have one or, occasionally, two spurs on the back of their thighs, while the Hermann's tortoise has a spur on the end of it's tail.

Finally, the Egyptian tortoise can vary somewhat in coloring, but is the smallest of the Meds:














Hope this helps a little.


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## matt41gb (Aug 19, 2011)

emysemys said:


> matt41gb said:
> 
> 
> > I always look for a nuchal scute on the Aldabra, it's missing on a Galapagos.
> ...



Interesting! Thanks for clearing that up for me. 

-Matt



TonkaLuv said:


> matt41gb said:
> 
> 
> > I always look for a nuchal scute on the Aldabra, it's missing on a Galapagos.
> ...



Scutes are the rings that make up the tortoise's shell. The nuchal scute is the tiny ring that sits just above the neck of some turtle and tortoise species. Aldabras usually have one. 

-Matt


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