Breed identification

[GWilson123]

Hi,

We are soon to inherit a tortoise from an elderly relative and wanting help identifying what breed it is. Joey has been in the family 50+ years, lives in the garden during summertime and is hardy.

Thanks
Georgina

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome. "Breed" denotes a type of domesticated animal, like poodle or Great Dane, which are both the same species. Canis familiaris.. Reptiles have not been domesticated and are still denoted by species. This one looks like Testudo hermani. Comparing this tortoise species to another tortoise species would be like comparing a dog and a cat. Both are carnivores with four legs, claws, and fur, but they are two different species. In the same way, a Herman's tortoise is similar in some ways to a Horsefield's tortoise, but they are different species like the dog and the cat.

Here is the care info. I leave this here because there is a lot of incorrect, old, outdated care info in the world. If your routine has worked for 50 years, you probably don't need to make any drastic changes, but its good info to have an understand none the less.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Maggie3fan]

Hi,

We are soon to inherit a tortoise from an elderly relative and wanting help identifying what breed it is. Joey has been in the family 50+ years, lives in the garden during summertime and is hardy.

Thanks
Georgina

fyi...dogs come in breeds...turtles/tortoises come in species...I'm guessing that tort is a greek species...but I really am only guessing...an expert will be by soon and help you out...welcome and how much fun you are about to have!

 

[TammyJ]

Welcome to you and the fabulous looking tortoise, Joey! Lovely photos. Please post a picture of the plastron, that is, the under shell, so we can tell if Joey is a boy? May be female.

 

[TammyJ]

fyi...dogs come in breeds...turtles/tortoises come in species...I'm guessing that tort is a greek species...but I really am only guessing...an expert will be by soon and help you out...welcome and how much fun you are about to have!

I thought Greek too... we'll soon know for sure! Any ideas, @TeamZissou

 

[Maggie3fan]

I thought Greek too... we'll soon know for sure! Any ideas, @TeamZissou

When it comes to species id, I am generally wrong...lol

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

I'd have to see the underside of the tortoise to know if it's a Greek or a Hermanns. But I'm moving the thread to the Hermanns section until someone who knows better lets us know for sure. @TeamZissou

 

[Markw84]

Looks like an old Hermann's to me. Divided supracaudal.

 

[Blackdog1714]

What an awesome hand me down!