Deformed scutes with diff coloration

checkout the scutes on this male, coloration looks a lot lighter I’m guessing he’s a yellow foot cross. Any suggestions?

Let's have a look at the plastron. Looks like a redfoot to me.
What's his history. Wild Caught?

Had the tort for about a year not sure as to if it’s wild caught or not, not 100% sure if it’s a male or female but the plastron shows some cancavity.

Looks like a wild caught redfoot to me.

@domalle. Is it possible for a tortoise with such a complex split scutes configuration to be wild caught?

I have some RFs with large yellow areoles. Yours is not that light,not like mocha brown. It has a single rostral scale where yellow foots have a split rostral scale. Some see non symmetrical scutes as a defect. I think it looks mosaically cool, unique but still pure redfoot.

Anyfoot said:

Looks like a wild caught redfoot to me.

@domalle. Is it possible for a tortoise with such a complex split scutes configuration to be wild caught?

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Don't usually see wild caught redfoots with such extensive zippering of the vertebral scutes but supernumerary scutes and other scute design anomalies are known to occur in the wild. Scute aberrations and variations from the norm are seen more frequently due to artificial incubation in captivity.
However, due to the overall form and condition of the animal in question, I agree with you it is probably a recent wild capture. The tortoise on the right in the plastron picture is an experienced old female probably loaded with eggs. I am assuming the animal in that picture with the anomalous scute pattern is on the left.

@Christiaan
Is the redfoot with the zipping scutes the one on the right in the plastron photo?

Sorry to jump in, is the one showing the plastron on the left a mix with cherryhead? Seems to have some marbling. Is it the one with irregular scutes?

I thought the one on the right in the plastron photo was the same tortoise as the one with irregular scutes.

But I agree with domalle that the right one looks old and worn and the irregular scute photo does not look old and worn.

Both look northern.

manuetaaz said:

Sorry to jump in, is the one showing the plastron on the left a mix with cherryhead? Seems to have some marbling. Is it the one with irregular scutes?

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Within the past few years a number of wild caught redfoot imports arrived from unspecified locations in northern SA with the traditional northern all dark plastron symbols on the mid-abdominal and femoral scutes but 'broken up' in 'marbled' patterns.

But that 'marbling' is always confined to within the borders of the traditional geometric northern redfoot plastral patterns as displayed on the animal pictured on the left.

They are a subset of northern redfoots with pronounced, almost exaggerated, male and female sexual characteristics at relatively small size (under nine-ten inches).

The animal is small enough to meet the criterion of these recent arrivals and is not necessarily a northern/cherryhead mix.

A close inspection at firsthand is of course always the preferred method of making these conjectures about provenance.

domalle said:

Within the past few years a number of wild caught redfoot imports arrived from unspecified locations in northern SA with the traditional northern all dark plastron symbols on the mid-abdominal and femoral scutes but 'broken up' in 'marbled' patterns.

But that 'marbling' is always confined to within the borders of the traditional geometric northern redfoot plastral patterns as displayed on the animal pictured on the left.

They are a subset of northern redfoots with pronounced, almost exaggerated, male and female sexual characteristics at relatively small size (under nine-ten inches).

The animal is small enough to meet the criterion of these recent arrivals and is not necessarily a northern/cherryhead mix.

A close inspection at firsthand is of course always the preferred method of making these conjectures about provenance.

Click to expand...

So northern redfoots males don't always have a wasp waist? Or is it still too young to have it? (Or is it a female ^^'?)
Sorry, just trying to learn

manuetaaz said:

So northern redfoots males don't always have a wasp waist? Or is it still too young to have it? (Or is it a female ^^'?)
Sorry, just trying to learn

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That's OK. We are still trying to determine which plastron shot is the one with the irregular scutes. But they both look female.