CONFUSED, HELP ME PLEASE

Status
Not open for further replies.

BELLAKINNS

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
19
I AM COMING TO THE CONCLUSION BORIS IS NOT A RUSSIAN BUT IS GREEK
I LOVE HIM NO MATTER WHAT HE IS, MY CONCERN IS I HAVE BEEN RAISING HIM AS A RUSSIAN, HIGH HUMIDITY AND ALL. NOW I READ THAT GREEKS LIKE HOT DRY, I AM SO VERY CONFUSED, PLEASE POINT ME IN THE RUGHT DIRECTION FOR HIS CARE EX: TEMP, HUMIDITY, DIET I BELIEVE IS THE SAME FOR BOTH?
I CANT BELIEVE THIS HAS HAPPENED BUT NOW I SHALL KNOW I AM DOING RIGHT
IF YOUR ABLE I HAVE PICTURES OF HIM ON THE PICTURE THREAD
ANY THOUGHTS ON HIS BREED? RUSSIAN OR GREEK
THANK YOU
 

webskipper

Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Messages
641
Location (City and/or State)
AZ
Can you take another pic of him from the top and bottom. Try laying off the coffee or use a tripod. Also, avoid using the zoom function so you can get a clear pic. Phones with cameras are phones not cameras.

High humidity is not a bad thing according to the "Mediterranean Tort" book by our EJ. It is said that hatchlings hide in burrows most of the day so that earth is going to have good moisture, just not mud. Good humidity is going to keep his shell smooth and handsome. It's like moisturizer for your skin.

Go get a the book and read up on Mediterranean Tortoises.
 

GBtortoises

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 27, 2009
Messages
3,618
Location (City and/or State)
The Catskill Mountains of New York State
Russians don't necessarily require high humidity. Not in the same sense as tropical tortoises. Russians require a certain degree of moisture in their substrate, especially when young. So do "Greek" tortoises (Northern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern & North African). Generally speaking, all young tortoises do better and grow more correctly if they have some amount of moisture in their substrate. Moisture content is what determines how damp or dry the substate is. Humidity is the measure of moisture or dampness in the ambient air. You can have a moist substrate and still have a dry air. Not all Greek tortoises require the same amount of humidity level in the air and their temperature requirements can be different depending upon what geographical area they're from. So it is important to know what subspecies you have or at least the general geographical climate that it is from.

It would help greatly if you can provide clear photos. Then maybe someone here can pinpoint the subspecies for you.
 

BELLAKINNS

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
19
webskipper said:
Can you take another pic of him from the top and bottom. Try laying off the coffee or use a tripod. Also, avoid using the zoom function so you can get a clear pic. Phones with cameras are phones not cameras.

High humidity is not a bad thing according to the "Mediterranean Tort" book by our EJ. It is said that hatchlings hide in burrows most of the day so that earth is going to have good moisture, just not mud. Good humidity is going to keep his shell smooth and handsome. It's like moisturizer for your skin.

Go get a the book and read up on Mediterranean Tortoises.

hope these pics are better, with russians they said keep there substrate moist, not with greeks?
i read they like dry hot?
thank you i will get the book as soon as i know 100 % what type he is.

Photo-0011.jpegPhoto-0012.jpeg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

GBtortoises

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 27, 2009
Messages
3,618
Location (City and/or State)
The Catskill Mountains of New York State
It's a bit difficult to tell from the photos, they're blurry, but your tortoise appears to be a Greek Ibera tortoise Testudo gracea ibera which are from the Northern Mediterranean. It can be kept very much like you were doing for a Russian tortoise. Ibera prefer a more humid air than Russians but as young should both have a semi-moist substrate. They should be kept well hydrated. Their diet in captivity can basically be the same. The only difference being that Ibera do like to graze on dry hay more than Russians. Everything else, light, temperature, calcium needs and other requirements are the same.
 

egyptiandan

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,788
Location (City and/or State)
USA
I agree it does look like a Testudo graeca ibera :)

Danny
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top