Gender

Status
Not open for further replies.

teva

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2011
Messages
3
Hey all

I just found a tortoise couple a weeks ago, which was in very bad shape. Took it home and now it's all better. But i don't know much about tortoise so first i want to know gender. I think it's female (i read how to identify) but not sure. Can you help from this blurry image :) ?

I also noticed that tortoise made a hole in the ground with it's back legs (about 4cm deep), after i came back few hours later, hole was covered with earth. Was this eggs hatching or did it just want to make hole for it self?

Thanks all

2011-07-05_15-29-12_444.jpg

francek.jpg
 

bikerchicspain

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
1,316
Location (City and/or State)
spain
Looks female but would need better pics of the tail, looks like a greek, but not a 100%. She could of been making a nest, if you find the spot where she was digging and slowly with a spoon or paint brush move the earth to see if there are any eggs.

Could you send better pics of plastron, and the back part of his shell?
 

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
You found A Hermann's tortoises, more specifically what appears to be a Western Hermann's tortoise, Testudo hermanni hermanni, possibly a Western/Dalmatian hybrid. At some point this was someones pet that must have escaped. They are native only to a few of the Southern Mediterranean countries that border on the norther shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

Yes it is a female and yes, that hole that she dug probably has eggs in it!
 

teva

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2011
Messages
3
Great...thanks.

How long till the eggs hatch?

I see her frequently sitting on the same spot she dug hole. Is it safe to take brush and remove the earth a bit to make sure eggs are in?
 

bikerchicspain

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
1,316
Location (City and/or State)
spain
GBtortoises said:
You found A Hermann's tortoises, more specifically what appears to be a Western Hermann's tortoise, Testudo hermanni hermanni, possibly a Western/Dalmatian hybrid. At some point this was someones pet that must have escaped. They are native only to a few of the Southern Mediterranean countries that border on the norther shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

Yes it is a female and yes, that hole that she dug probably has eggs in it!


Sorry to hijack the thread, a quick question for you GB i have 2 hermans i am not sure if they are hemanni boettgeri. or a hermanni hercegovinensis or a Herma peleponnesica, although not proven as an actual sub species yet, i will try and post some pics to you.
 

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
Under optimum conditions the eggs will hatch in about 52-55 days. That depends very much on the climate where you live. They may or may not develop and hatch in the ground for you. To ensure sucess (assuming the eggs are fertile), it would be better to carefully dig them up and incubate them artificially in an incubator.

She may just be sitting in the same area because it may be the best basking spot for her. Hermann's tortoises don't guard their nests or show any regard for the nest, eggs or young once they're done nesting. At 4cm, what you probably saw was near the top of the nest, the total depth is probably around 10cm. The eggs will be sitting on the bottom and upward from that.

There is also a chance that there are no eggs in the nest. Some tortoises will dig false nests. Also depending upon how long she has been on her own, the eggs may not be fertile. But it's a good idea to always assume that any eggs are fertile and incubate them. Sometimes you're pleasantly suprised!


" i have 2 hermans i am not sure if they are hemanni boettgeri. or a hermanni hercegovinensis or a Herma peleponnesica, although not proven as an actual sub species yet, i will try and post some pics to you. "

Yvonne, I'd love to see them! You can either post them here or if you want send them to my email if there are a lot of them. Best photos to identify with are: Full plastron (straight on), full carapace (straight down), head from the top or side. Also with Hermann's it's beneficial to have a good shot of the area in front of their rear legs, the bridge where the carapace meets the plastron.

Gary B
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Hi teva:

Welcome to the forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

If you are in the U.S., this isn't a native tortoise. It would be a good idea to put up signs around the area where the tortoise was found and try to find its owner. Also, "found" ads are usually free in the newspaper. You can also advertise it on Craig's list, etc. I know that if one of my beautiful tortoises somehow got away from his habitat I would be worried sick.
 

teva

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2011
Messages
3
emysemys: Thanks, i'm from Europe, Slovenia (near dalmatia) so this is a native tortoise to us. We were on vacation when we found her on the road. She had a wound on her head and few bumps on the shell. We gave her salad and water to dip in. She eat for almost an hour and put her whole head in the water for almost a minute and just drank. After that she just fell asleep in the case. So we took her home.
We have her outside, below the tree, where i dug a hole in the ground and put some stones on the top and some dried grass and pieces of bark mixed with soft earth. She instantly went inside :) I also made her a pool about 7cm deep where she takes bath every morning. Late in the afternoon i let her go in the garden where she crawls for few hours and then goes back to her hole. She likes dandelions (our lawn is full of it) and i feed her with green salad. How much does she need to eat?

Any more advices on how to handle her?

GB: Thanks, will google for incubator and see if i can handle this.
 

egyptiandan

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,788
Location (City and/or State)
USA
She looks all Dalmation Hermanns, Testudo hermanni hercegovinensis, to me. :D

Danny
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top