And of course as soon as I write the post about being unable to find Greek tortoises in Madison for two years they get them in stock! Reptile Rapture has some baby Golden Greeks right now, in addition to an even larger selection of other torts, so that would definitely be a good place to look!
Welcome! I'm a little late to this post, but I'm from Madison as well! Greeks are a phenomenal species (I have two myself!), but I'm afraid they are very difficult to find in our area unless you are comfortable with shipping. There is an awesome reptile only pet store in Monona called Reptile...
There are actually a few lost tortoise ads on the Milwaukee and Madison craigslist pages so this may be one who escaped. Like Yvonne suggested I would ask for a description and a picture if possible from those people to make sure this is their tortoise. If I recall there was just one posted...
Hey All,
I know I've posted about this once or twice before, but upon carefully inspecting my adult male Greek tortoise today I noticed some discoloration in his scales I could have sworn was not there before, particularly the ones at the top of his head and around his front limbs. Just...
Yep that's it, looks like a little curved horn.
Now back to the identification. One of the darkest Greeks I've ever seen, maybe T. Graeca Buxtoni? Again, not terribly familiar with the various subspecies but they seem to be that dark brown color.
RE: Early pyramiding ?
scubaMO, please see Tom's thread on raising Sulcata tortoises. He has done extensive research on the subject, and has found that high humidity is very important to growth without pyramiding. While it is true these tortoises hail from a desert like climate, small Sulcata...
Cute tortoise, easy way to confirm it is a Greek is the presence of spurs on the thigh.
In terms of subspecies if it is a Greek, I'm stumped. Maybe a dark Golden Greek? Hopefully some other members have a better idea.
Sorry for your loss, beautiful tortoise. I am from Wisconsin as well, so I always keep an eye on Craigslist for tortoises in need of a home. There are two redfoot tortoises in Walworth, near the Illinois border. If you are unfamiliar, redfoot tortoises are an intermediate size, not growing...
May I ask what substrate you are using? I can't tell from the pics that well but it seems to be sand or the bare bottom of the enclosure. Many keepers on the forum prefer to use coco coir, which can be found at the pet store or a home improvement store. Relatively high humidity is also...
RE: HELP!!!
Typically 5-8", but this varies across the different subspecies. I have an adult male Ibera that is about 7.5", I believe 7-8" is most common. However, females tend to get a little larger than males and I think there are some up to 11" out there.
Thanks for the responses! I just get nervous sometimes as this is my first hatchling and I know it's a lot easier to screw them up early on.
Tom, I don't have a great profile shot right now, but I think this one should work. I can take another one if needed.
Thanks again!
I have a few hermit crabs as well, although I'll admit I use them as a cleaning crew. I put them in with my adult Greek tortoise and they help keep his home clean. Although the conditions are not ideal for the crabs, I make sure there is enough moisture for them in the bottom so they just...