Help identifying a young tortoise

Cheekumz

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Hi everyone, last night we were rather randomly gifted a young tortoise who I took on primarily because I was concerned what would happen to it if I hadn't. Lots of experience with unusual pets but none with tortoises specifically, and based in internet pics I'm struggling to figure out exactly what he/she is. Hoping someone here can help me as I'm a firm believer in providing the best care for anything I look after and from what I gather from my research, habitats and diets can vary pretty greatly across species. Anyways, if anyone could help I'd massively appreciate it. Thanks In advance.
 

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wellington

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My guess would be Egyptian.
Was this tortoise found and taken from the wild? What species are native to your area?
If it was taken from the wild and it is native to your area it needs to be placed back where it was found.
 

Tom

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Hi everyone, last night we were rather randomly gifted a young tortoise who I took on primarily because I was concerned what would happen to it if I hadn't. Lots of experience with unusual pets but none with tortoises specifically, and based in internet pics I'm struggling to figure out exactly what he/she is. Hoping someone here can help me as I'm a firm believer in providing the best care for anything I look after and from what I gather from my research, habitats and diets can vary pretty greatly across species. Anyways, if anyone could help I'd massively appreciate it. Thanks In advance.
You have one of the greek tortoise subspecies. Testudo graeca. Most of the care info you find online and from pet shops will be all wrong. Here is the correct care info:

Questions are welcome.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome!

May we please see more pictures? A side view and a bottom view? Thanks. I was going to say one of the Kinixys species, but I need more views.
 

Cheekumz

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Hi guys and thanks for the info.

@wellington. He/She, wasn't taken from the wild no, but a local pet shop that was shutting down was basically giving them away and for some reason an acquaintance of mine decided to take a few. I decided I thought I'd be a better home ;)

@Yvonne G Sure, please see attached, thanks :)

@Tom Yeah, so the person who gave the tortoise to me said the Pet Shop owner had told him that it was a Syrian Tortoise, but google wasn't really giving me back anything based on that other than potentially a subspecies of Greek. Which i must admit the more pics i see of them, the more convinced i became that was likely what it is. Thanks for the link, loads of great info there! and looking forward to getting his new home set up. The climate here seems pretty great for them tbh, hot and humid all year round.

Trying to determine how healthy he is as well, should I take him to a vet for a little check up? Is there value in that? Just knowing the state of your average pet shop here I wouldn't imagine he's had the best care thus far.

Appreciate everyone, thanks.
 

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wellington

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Personally I would never take a tortoise to a vet unless there was a reason. Just a check up could turn bad for a tortoise as too many vets know nothing about them.
Set him up right, follow the caresheet on the forum and feed him the best diet possible and he should do fine.
 

Tom

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Trying to determine how healthy he is as well, should I take him to a vet for a little check up? Is there value in that? Just knowing the state of your average pet shop here I wouldn't imagine he's had the best care thus far.
I agree with @wellington

No need for a vet at this point. If you want to go meet and establish a relationship with a local reptile vet, there is no harm in that, as long as they don't try to give your tortoise unnecessary meds or "vitamin injections".
 

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