# What is the Most Beautiful Tortoise Species



## mctlong (Jul 26, 2012)

Okay, so today I was looking at a picture of a beautiful adult sulcata. These torts are so common, that its easy to forget how gorgeous they are. 

 That got me wondering, which type of tortoise do you think is the most beautiful? Why?


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## CourtneyAndCarl (Jul 26, 2012)

I really like the look of the Indian star tortoises.

But really, a full grown sulcata that was obviously well cared for its entire life (not an ounce of pyramiding, etc) is gorgeous


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## dmmj (Jul 26, 2012)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.


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## StudentoftheReptile (Jul 26, 2012)

MINE!


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## wellington (Jul 26, 2012)

I think the Rads are the most beautiful . However I love the leopards


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## mctlong (Jul 26, 2012)

dmmj said:


> Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.



Absolutely! What do your eyes tell you is the most beautiful species?


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## Tom (Jul 26, 2012)

Each of them has their own special charm. And different things appeal to different people. I think it would be difficult to argue against a nice leopard, star or radiated, as physically beautiful.


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## CLMoss (Jul 26, 2012)

Can I vote for three?


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## mctlong (Jul 26, 2012)

Tom said:


> Each of them has their own special charm. And different things appeal to different people. I think it would be difficult to argue against a nice leopard, star or radiated, as physically beautiful.



Very diplomatic. 

I agree, leopards, stars, and radiated are all beautiful animals. Which appeals to you most? 



CLMoss said:


> Can I vote for three?



I tried to set it up for multiple votes, but I must've done something wrong because it didn't work. 

Which 3?


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## Jacqui (Jul 26, 2012)

I always tend to think the most beautiful one, is the one I am currently observing or looking at a picture of. 

Each tortoise has beauty. Some of it obvious like perhaps the often stunning pattern on a radiated shell, while some is more subtle like the near fine wood shading on a hingeback's. It could be a tortoise with a horrible shell, but once you look into the eyes, often then you see an entirely new and intriguing beauty. Even ugly has it's own beauty.


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## AustinASU (Jul 26, 2012)

Aldabras, radiated, and ploughshares


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## StudentoftheReptile (Jul 26, 2012)

Multiple voting worked for me.


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## DeanS (Jul 26, 2012)

HMMMMMMMMMM! I think we all know the answer to that! And, so does Aladar...now 23" and 60lbs! He'll be 10 in a couple of weeks!


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## Neal (Jul 26, 2012)

Yeah baby, leopards are #1 so far!

It's really hard to beat a leopard that has been raised properly.


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## yagyujubei (Jul 26, 2012)

I have seen pictures of Leopards that'll knock your socks off. Radiated a close second.


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## tyguy35 (Jul 26, 2012)

Leopards Woot lol


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## CLMoss (Jul 26, 2012)

mctlong said:


> Tom said:
> 
> 
> > Each of them has their own special charm. And different things appeal to different people. I think it would be difficult to argue against a nice leopard, star or radiated, as physically beautiful.
> ...





It would be the Stars! Indian & SL Stars, Bermese and Raditated. They just take my breath away! But, the leopards are beautiful also. Just get too big for the city. ~C


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## RonHays (Jul 26, 2012)

Tom said:


> Each of them has their own special charm. And different things appeal to different people. I think it would be difficult to argue against a nice leopard, star or radiated, as physically beautiful.



My thoughts exactly.


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## GeoTerraTestudo (Jul 26, 2012)

Every tortoise species has amazing behavior, morphology, and patterning, but for sheer eye-popping color, my vote goes to the redfoot tortoise.

BTW - If you include all terrestrial chelonians, I'd say it's the Carolina box turtle!


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## Eweezyfosheezy (Jul 26, 2012)

I'd say on average the most beautiful tortoise is the Radiated.


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## Nixxy (Jul 27, 2012)

I'm quite biased, I guess..But I honestly am quite a fan of Red Foots.


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## harris (Jul 27, 2012)

Any of the Manouria. Their prehistoric look is unmatched by any other tortoise in my eyes.


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## blafiriravt (Jul 27, 2012)

I am really drawn to Leopards. I LOVE the giants(Galaps, aldabras). I really love the patterns of Sri stars too.


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## tortadise (Jul 27, 2012)

Pssamabates take the cake for me. Not common at all in captivity but I seeing a tent or geometric tortoise and being able to touch it is just indescribable. I suppose like tom said they all have unique features. Like the burmese star and plough share being so endangered adds a huge percentage of being beautiful because the possibility of being taken off the planet by our ignorance and lack of respect to nature as humans. So psychologically it plays a role in our minds that th most endangered are the prettiest. What we cant have or have difficulty obtaining as people are drawn closer in attraction to.


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## Tom (Jul 27, 2012)

mctlong said:


> Tom said:
> 
> 
> > Each of them has their own special charm. And different things appeal to different people. I think it would be difficult to argue against a nice leopard, star or radiated, as physically beautiful.
> ...





I really can't pick just one... so many criterion. For shell color and pattern, I really like the above three. I might even want to add the hermanni to that group. I really love the head color on the hermanni and the radiated. And don't forget those high yellow russians, like Nelson, in this group too. For actual color, nothing beats one of those high red redfooted tortoises with the bright red splotches all over the head, neck and legs. For size, shape and over all "cool" appearance, I think the sulcata and Galopagos are in a class by themselves. Something so "majestic" about these two. For dome shape and color, I love the ploughshare. There is just something very "eye-pleasing" about that species when you look at it.

I'm basing the above only on appearance and ignoring all the practicalities of all these species.


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## bigred (Jul 27, 2012)

I think it would have to be radiated, I also think that the orange box turtles are very beautiful


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## TortoiseBoy1999 (Jul 29, 2012)

The Indian star tortoise all the way!!!!!


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jul 30, 2012)

Visually, the Star Tortoise.

In all other ways, the Hermann's.


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## Edna (Jul 30, 2012)

At any given time, whichever tortoise I'm looking at is the most beautiful. There aren't any unappealing torts, box or wood turtles


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## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 2, 2012)

AustinASU said:


> Aldabras, radiated, and ploughshares



 +  +


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## jerry the tortoise (Aug 5, 2012)

Red footed tortoises and Indian starred torts


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## Yvonne G (Aug 5, 2012)

Its not a choice up there, but my vote goes to Allegra's bright red-headed carbonarias.


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## feline8 (Aug 5, 2012)

I think red footed tortoises are the most beautiful because of their vibrant reds/oranges. Second is the pancake tortoise; they're just so cute !


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## DesertGrandma (Aug 5, 2012)

It's got to be the leopards for me!!


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