Hello from Cyprus!

[michael.thrasou]

Dear forum members,

hello from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus! My family has recently got bigger with the introduction of 2 small (6 month old) tortoises. The problem is that we have no idea what is best for them but we are willing to learn and provide anything they need. Firstly, we need to know what kind of tortoise they are so that we can make a targeted study. Could anyone help us determine the species? Attached are photos of Paddy and Sulley (obviously we don't know their sex, could we find that out as well?).

thanks and happy to be part of this forum!
Mike

 

[nicoleann2214]

Dear forum members,

hello from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus! My family has recently got bigger with the introduction of 2 small (6 month old) tortoises. The problem is that we have no idea what is best for them but we are willing to learn and provide anything they need. Firstly, we need to know what kind of tortoise they are so that we can make a targeted study. Could anyone help us determine the species? Attached are photos of Paddy and Sulley (obviously we don't know their sex, could we find that out as well?).

thanks and happy to be part of this forum!
Mike

@Tom

 

[Maro2Bear]

Take a look here to ID and for good care info.

➡️➡️ https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/which-baby-tortoise-do-i-have-a-pictorial-guide.115331/

 

[Tom]

Dear forum members,

hello from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus! My family has recently got bigger with the introduction of 2 small (6 month old) tortoises. The problem is that we have no idea what is best for them but we are willing to learn and provide anything they need. Firstly, we need to know what kind of tortoise they are so that we can make a targeted study. Could anyone help us determine the species? Attached are photos of Paddy and Sulley (obviously we don't know their sex, could we find that out as well?).

thanks and happy to be part of this forum!
Mike

Hello and welcome. Those are little Testudo tortoises. Either Testudo graeca or Testudo hermanni.

The first thing is to separate them. Tortoises should never live in pairs. That is bad for both of them. Groups of juveniles can usually get along, but not pairs.

Second thing is to get rid of the ramped water bowl ASAP. Just remove it right now. Those things are literally death traps for our hard shelled tortoises. Use a terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate for water.

Third issue I see is the fake grass. I would not let the tortoises walk on that or have access to it. They are very likely to eat it and get impacted.

Here is the care info for you:

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

 

[michael.thrasou]

Take a look here to ID and for good care info.

➡➡ https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/which-baby-tortoise-do-i-have-a-pictorial-guide.115331/

Dear Maro2Bear,

thanks a lot! I believe this guide has been useful. My understanding is that my tortoises are Greek!

Talk soon!
Mike

 

[michael.thrasou]

Hello and welcome. Those are little Testudo tortoises. Either Testudo graeca or Testudo hermanni.

The first thing is to separate them. Tortoises should never live in pairs. That is bad for both of them. Groups of juveniles can usually get along, but not pairs.

Second thing is to get rid of the ramped water bowl ASAP. Just remove it right now. Those things are literally death traps for our hard shelled tortoises. Use a terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate for water.

Third issue I see is the fake grass. I would not let the tortoises walk on that or have access to it. They are very likely to eat it and get impacted.

Here is the care info for you:

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

Dear Tom,

thanks for the reply and guidance. I shall study both Testudo (graeca and hermanni) and raise my tortoises accordingly. I shall follow your advice, the one i find difficult to act upon is separating them. Should i have 2 enclosures, one for each? Or a relatively spacious one would suffice and they can stay apart? Retrospectively, should we had owned only one tortoise?

The ramped water bowl will go, although i made sure the water was 1/2 inch depth only...

Fake grass walks stop! Will put them on soil for their walks!

Thanks a lot,
talk soon!
Mike

 

[Tom]

Dear Tom,

thanks for the reply and guidance. I shall study both Testudo (graeca and hermanni) and raise my tortoises accordingly. I shall follow your advice, the one i find difficult to act upon is separating them. Should i have 2 enclosures, one for each? Or a relatively spacious one would suffice and they can stay apart? Retrospectively, should we had owned only one tortoise?

The ramped water bowl will go, although i made sure the water was 1/2 inch depth only...

Fake grass walks stop! Will put them on soil for their walks!

Thanks a lot,
talk soon!
Mike

They should each gave their own enclosures.

 

[Yvonne G]

Weldome!

 

[lmichaels_22]

They are fun tortoises to watch and learn about. Really nice people here with THE most recent GOOD information. Read, study and follow the information given by long term members and your babies will be good. Thanks for joining us! Enjoy!!!