New member ☺️ Hingeback tortoise

[Athertt12!!]

Hello !!!

Hi I’m heather ! My friend from work and I were talking about turtles and tortoises the other day and I told her that I love turtles and she said she had one that she wanted to rehome and asked if I wanted it so
I immediately said yes !
She said this a hingeback tortoise but I have no clue about what sort of care to give to him.
She said he’s a rescue and honestly I don’t think she was giving him good care either. He has a small cut on his cheek and seemed dehydrated but he’s eating and basking under his light. He had a little of a runny nose so I hope it goes away. I have increased the temps and I’m soaking him.
My questions are what kind of hingeback is he? And what care, foods should he be receiving ??
Thank you !!

 

[Bambam1989]

Hello and welcome!
I'm still fairly new to identify the types of hingebacks. But I believe that this is a Spekes hingeback.
Hingebacks are omnivorous. So foods like earthworms, slugs, snails, crickets, safe mushrooms, leafy greens and safe weeds, veggies such as squash, grated carrot, bell peppers, fruits such as papaya, types of berries etc (I would personally avoid citrus fruits) variety is important.

 

[Bambam1989]

@Will may be able to advise on temps and setups.
Can you describe your current enclosure setup? Temps, humidity, lights?

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. I know nothing about the Hingebacks.
@tortadise @Jacqui may also be able to help.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[Athertt12!!]

Welcome to the Forum!

Thank you

 

[Athertt12!!]

Hello and welcome!
I'm still fairly new to identify the types of hingebacks. But I believe that this is a Spekes hingeback.
Hingebacks are omnivorous. So foods like earthworms, slugs, snails, crickets, safe mushrooms, leafy greens and safe weeds, veggies such as squash, grated carrot, bell peppers, fruits such as papaya, types of berries etc (I would personally avoid citrus fruits) variety is important.

Thank you !!!! I appreciate all the help

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

The short care advise is to treat him (and yes a "him") like an Eastern box turtle, diet, lighting, humidity, cover/shelter, the whole of it. My species identification with some hingebacks is poor, so Maybe @tortadise can offer his assessment. It is what at one time would have been thought of as the K. bellinana group, but that has been split up into whole species now.

Nice looking tortoise. I really like hingebacks, they are the awkward tortoise in the room, but they show many great behavior (personality) traits that I like much. Too bad for the common name having a dis-ability sound to it. "African Box Tortoise" sound more cool and is more apt

 

[Jacqui]

He does have beautiful color. Be careful on the heat. Unlike tortoises like leopards, to much heat and these guys go inactive. The runny nose was hopefully mainly a stress thing.

 

[Athertt12!!]

The short care advise is to treat him (and yes a "him") like an Eastern box turtle, diet, lighting, humidity, cover/shelter, the whole of it. My species identification with some hingebacks is poor, so Maybe @tortadise can offer his assessment. It is what at one time would have been thought of as the K. bellinana group, but that has been split up into whole species now.

Nice looking tortoise. I really like hingebacks, they are the awkward tortoise in the room, but they show many great behavior (personality) traits that I like much. Too bad for the common name having a dis-ability sound to it. "African Box Tortoise" sound more cool and is more apt

That’s

He does have beautiful color. Be careful on the heat. Unlike tortoises like leopards, to much heat and these guys go inactive. The runny nose was hopefully mainly a stress thing.

thanks Jackie !!! I will check on my heat lamp once I get Home !!!!

 

[Athertt12!!]

T

The short care advise is to treat him (and yes a "him") like an Eastern box turtle, diet, lighting, humidity, cover/shelter, the whole of it. My species identification with some hingebacks is poor, so Maybe @tortadise can offer his assessment. It is what at one time would have been thought of as the K. bellinana group, but that has been split up into whole species now.

Nice looking tortoise. I really like hingebacks, they are the awkward tortoise in the room, but they show many great behavior (personality) traits that I like much. Too bad for the common name having a dis-ability sound to it. "African Box Tortoise" sound more cool and is more apt

thank you !! I will make sure to get him some snails and more worms
So he’s a hingeback. Kinixys belliana ?

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

T

thank you !! I will make sure to get him some snails and more worms
So he’s a hingeback. Kinixys belliana ?

It was at one time not too long ago, the species were

• K. b. belliana - Bell's hinge-back
• K. b. domerguei - Madagascan hinge-back
• K. b. nogeuyi - Western hinge-back
• K. b. zombensis - Southeastern hinge-back

So it's one of these that are now considered full species, IDK which one.

 

[CarolM]

He is a beautiful tort. I must admit that the picture of his face looks like he is not a very happy tort. Lol but I am sure that with great care that will change. His beak looked a little long to me, but not sure if that is normal for his species. Hopefully eating off a tile will change that. If you don't have one in his enclosure put one in so that he can file his own beak naturally while eating. And good luck. I would love to see some pics of his enclosure. As I love seeing how everybody does theirs.

 

[2turtletom]

Welcome! I left you a message in the hingeback forum. I''knew here as well but have been keeping to western hingebacks, Kinixys nogueyi, for over 20 years. I see the abrasion on its skin- once my hingeback got something like that in the same place and I treated it with a very tiny dab of neosporin antibiotic ointment.

Hank you for rescuing and working with his animal! Do you know if this animal was advertised in the Racine/Janesville Craigslist about a week ago? It looks mighty similar to that animal. I contacted the owner as I am actively seeking out a male Western hingeback to pair with my females. Unfortunately, since I am out of state, I don't think the owner thought I was serious about traveling from Ohio...

As far as ID goes, does it have four or five claws on its front feet? That will help narrow things down as far as the ID. It appears to have 5 on one front foot. If so, that would eliminate Kinixys nogueyi as a possibility.

-Tom

 

[2turtletom]

Also, the Kinixys conservation blueprint is a must read for all Kinixys enthusiasts! Good luck Heather!

http://www.asianturtleprogram.org/p...4/Kinixys Conservation Blueprint HRM 2014.pdf