Baby zagros mountain greek

[rltwaddle]

I am in the process of getting a baby zagros mountain Greek. Any helpful info from other Greek hatchling owners would be grateful. Anyone that might have some good info on the zagros mountain Greeks would also be helpful.

Also I would like to keep him in my previous tort box that I had my Russian tort in. I'm in the process of building him a 6ft by 3.5ft tort table. Was wondering if anyone else had success with keeping a young baby in a tort box? My main concern is keeping the temp and humidity up, which I read from everyone else is basically essential for a hatchling. It's an open box, 16in high walls, and 2.5x3.5ft?

Would it be better to keep him in a plastic storage container, a glass tank (already know the downfalls for the most part), or the tort box?

 

[wellington]

The glass tank is no longer a bad idea, as it was in the old days. Actually helps really well to keep humidity. That said, your table would be fine, just cover half of it with a lid to help with temps and humidity, or the rubber tub is fine also. Post pics when your new friend arrives.

 

[bigred]

I am in the process of getting a baby zagros mountain Greek. Any helpful info from other Greek hatchling owners would be grateful. Anyone that might have some good info on the zagros mountain Greeks would also be helpful.

Also I would like to keep him in my previous tort box that I had my Russian tort in. I'm in the process of building him a 6ft by 3.5ft tort table. Was wondering if anyone else had success with keeping a young baby in a tort box? My main concern is keeping the temp and humidity up, which I read from everyone else is basically essential for a hatchling. It's an open box, 16in high walls, and 2.5x3.5ft?

Would it be better to keep him in a plastic storage container, a glass tank (already know the downfalls for the most part), or the tort box?

I think the majority will tell you to try to cover the top of the box or table to keep the heat and humidity in

 

[rltwaddle]

I figured I needed to cover the top of the box, want to try and make it so I can hang the lights inside the enclosure too. Any cheap innovative ways to cover the entire enclosure? Ideas? I have a few but more would be helpful.

I also heard the vivarium is good for the glass tank, which I have a screened top for, but it has like a three or four inch gap at the top on the short side of the tank. I could cover it with a piece of wood, but would the heat and humidity escape from the screened top to much? Also was worried about him pacing the tank, would need to put up an outside visual barrier.

Read a few really good threads from this guy on here about hatchlings, and pyramiding, and hydration, soakings, and high humidity. Pretty much what I knew, had an idea of, but it was really informative and helpful.

 

[bigred]

I figured I needed to cover the top of the box, want to try and make it so I can hang the lights inside the enclosure too. Any cheap innovative ways to cover the entire enclosure? Ideas? I have a few but more would be helpful.

I also heard the vivarium is good for the glass tank, which I have a screened top for, but it has like a three or four inch gap at the top on the short side of the tank. I could cover it with a piece of wood, but would the heat and humidity escape from the screened top to much? Also was worried about him pacing the tank, would need to put up an outside visual barrier.

Read a few really good threads from this guy on here about hatchlings, and pyramiding, and hydration, soakings, and high humidity. Pretty much what I knew, had an idea of, but it was really informative and helpful.

I had my hatchlings in a glass aquarium with plywood on one side with a hole cut in it for the heat source and a pc. of cardboard on the other side. The lamp anchored down so it wont start a fire. Sphagnum moss for humidity. It did not look very nice but it worked well.

 

[rltwaddle]

Kind of got me confused with how you would've done that. My tank is only like a 29 gallon or something to that sort. The heat lamp would have to sit on top or make a way to have it hang, wouldn't be able to sit down in the enclosure. Would you happen to have a pic? Or a better explanation? Lol

 

[bigred]

Kind of got me confused with how you would've done that. My tank is only like a 29 gallon or something to that sort. The heat lamp would have to sit on top or make a way to have it hang, wouldn't be able to sit down in the enclosure. Would you happen to have a pic? Or a better explanation? Lol

Im going to to post a pic in a minute

---

Kind of got me confused with how you would've done that. My tank is only like a 29 gallon or something to that sort. The heat lamp would have to sit on top or make a way to have it hang, wouldn't be able to sit down in the enclosure. Would you happen to have a pic? Or a better explanation? Lol

Im going to to post a pic in a minute

OK camera is dead, charging camera

 

[colatoise]

I have 2 zagros mountain Greeks that are about 5 months old now. PM me for any questions anytime.

 

[rltwaddle]

Will do, did you get them off of Tim/robin?

 

[Jacob]

I Have my sulcata in a 40 gallon terrierium, with the mvb 12 inches from the substrate which is coco fiber.
I Spray my whole enclosure even my tortoise multiple times daily with water to create humidity and then i cover the top of his enclsore with card board, theres plently of room for air escape and come in, works great for me.

 

[CactusVinnie]

Zagros Mts.? It should be Testudo ibera perses! That means temperate, high, dry, bright, temperature swings! As for most "ibera" taxons, he does not need much humidity, as hermanns, for instance! Can you keep him outdoors? It would be the best for him!
I doubt it is a perses, but anyway it is an Ibera- most of Ibera habitats are quite dry, not desert, but rather dry. And their burrows have not by far 80% humidity, as it is wrongly assumed, and that explaining the neat carapaces!

 

[Tim/Robin]

Zagros Mts.? It should be Testudo ibera perses! I doubt it is a perses

Why would one doubt it without ever even seeing photos? Strange?? They actually should be Testudo graeca perses, but since that subspecies was not "officially" differentiated from the Testudo graeca buxtoni group they are lumped in that subspecies.

 

[colatoise]

Listen to Tim.

 

[CactusVinnie]

Tim,
Hmmm... Only extreme SE-Turkey, troubled zone (Kurdistan), and W-Iran highlands... I know a single breeder of these, Michael Reimann- lots of Turkey ecotypes that he breeds in Izmir. Yep, he took enough breeding adults- with legal approval- from the wild... he should have sold enough babies. Just in doubt, but not impossible- for instance, he has about 160 breeders from "East Anatolian Giant", and they breed abundantly. Maybe his perses/buxtoni group, even if not that big, already hit the market with babies.
If not from Reimann's farm, I would be very curious about the source.

Colatoise,
can you track down the origin of your perses?

 

[Tim/Robin]

Tim,
Hmmm... Only extreme SE-Turkey, troubled zone (Kurdistan), and W-Iran highlands... I know a single breeder of these, Michael Reimann- lots of Turkey ecotypes that he breeds in Izmir. Yep, he took enough breeding adults- with legal approval- from the wild... he should have sold enough babies. Just in doubt, but not impossible- for instance, he has about 160 breeders from "East Anatolian Giant", and they breed abundantly. Maybe his perses/buxtoni group, even if not that big, already hit the market with babies.
If not from Reimann's farm, I would be very curious about the source.

Colatoise,
can you track down the origin of your perses?

CV: The OP got his young T graeca buxtoni from my WC adults. Of course in the US it is nearly impossible to know the exact location of where the tortoises originated or even where they were collected. My calling them Zagros Mountain tortoises, T g buxtoni, are a result of them being identified as such by a very knowledgeable keeper of Mediterranean tortoises and agreed upon by others. There is no way to be 100% sure of their origin.

The origin of Colatoise's perses/buxtoni is the same as above, from my WC adults.

 

[CactusVinnie]

Tim, can you please post some pictures of your WC perses? Not much of them on the net... I wish to go someday to that farm in Izmir...
Thanks!

 

[Tim/Robin]

Tim, can you please post some pictures of your WC perses? Not much of them on the net... I wish to go someday to that farm in Izmir...
Thanks!

You bet!! Here you go...... http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...uxtoni-Zagros-Mountain-Tortoise#axzz1wJjZvxSX

 

[colatoise]

Thanks for the pics!

 

[CactusVinnie]

Thanks, Tim!
Yep... they are so distinct from other Ibera! And very beautiful animals!
I saw a material from some Turkish study (if I recall correctly) and they seem to be similar- warm coloured, splendid reddish/brown hues. Observed on rolling plains on Hakkari- Yuksekova road, and they took about 3 pairs (?) for captive breeding. Harsh winters, like in Romanian Ibera habitat.
Although Ibera is a very variable species (just to see them in Romania only!), they are clearily distinct from Romanian individuals and from other origins, including Turkish ones (pictures from forums). Not for no reason did they placed Ibera from variety to species rank, and var.racovitzai for Balkan and w-Turkey ones, separating them from other Ibera taxons.
Can you post plastron pics as well? It gets so interesting!