Possible Tunisian?

[Bexxia]

Hi everyone,

We are about to embark on our tortoise-keeping journey and have reserved an adorable little girl/guy hatched July 2024. We know it's a Greek and were originally thinking Ibera, but having looked at loads of websites and photos think it may actually be a Tunisian and are aware this is not ideal for newbies. We don't want to make the wrong decision and provide inadequate care for this little one, so would really appreciate some expert advice.

Stupidly, I forgot to take a photo of the plastron - my husband is considering going back to get some more photos today, but this is what we currently have. The last photo is a screen grab from a video I took - the different colour is due to the lighting. The yellow markings on the head are particularly distinctive and may be a dead giveaway to you knowledgeable folks!

Thank you so much for any help.

 

[RandyTortoise]

Hi everyone,

We are about to embark on our tortoise-keeping journey and have reserved an adorable little girl/guy hatched July 2024. We know it's a Greek and were originally thinking Ibera, but having looked at loads of websites and photos think it may actually be a Tunisian and are aware this is not ideal for newbies. We don't want to make the wrong decision and provide inadequate care for this little one, so would really appreciate some expert advice.

Stupidly, I forgot to take a photo of the plastron - my husband is considering going back to get some more photos today, but this is what we currently have. The last photo is a screen grab from a video I took - the different colour is due to the lighting. The yellow markings on the head are particularly distinctive and may be a dead giveaway to you knowledgeable folks!

Thank you so much for any help.

View attachment 392245View attachment 392246View attachment 392247

I personally don’t know which type of Greek tortoise he is. I just want to say, that is a super cute hatchling. I can see why you want him.
I have leopard tortoises and also in the 90s had red/yellow foots as well as a pancake tortoise. Loved them all! I am sure you will love this little guy! Good luck

 

[Bexxia]

I personally don’t know which type of Greek tortoise he is. I just want to say, that is a super cute hatchling. I can see why you want him.
I have leopard tortoises and also in the 90s had red/yellow foots as well as a pancake tortoise. Loved them all! I am sure you will love this little guy! Good luck

Aww thank you, I fell in love as soon as I saw him/her.

Leopards are gorgeous! I do particularly like the African species, but we could never have such big ones lol.

 

[RandyTortoise]

Aww thank you, I fell in love as soon as I saw him/her.

Leopards are gorgeous! I do particularly like the African species, but we could never have such big ones lol.

Leopards take a long time to get big. Not like a sulcata where three years in, you think, wow!, what have I done? Not so with a leopard. Just a little bit of that

 

[RandyTortoise]

Aww thank you, I fell in love as soon as I saw him/her.

Leopards are gorgeous! I do particularly like the African species, but we could never have such big ones lol.

Here is a photo of our youngest leopards. We bought them as hatchlings a few days sold and four years later this is them!

They are each now 6 and 7 pounds and we just moved them outside this summer!

 

[Bexxia]

Here is a photo of our youngest leopards. We bought them as hatchlings a few days sold and four years later this is them!

They are each now 6 and 7 pounds and we just moved them outside this summer!

Oh they are lovely. Such beautiful markings and it's fascinating to see how they change as they age.

Our little one only weighs 120g at the moment, it's hard to image having one 20+ times that much!

 

[turtlesteve]

You can’t accurately visually identify the Greek tortoise subspecies in most cases. However I am sure this is not a Tunisian and doesn’t look like any of the North African lineages to me. It looks more like ibera visually, but could be a different Asian subspecies.

 

[Bexxia]

You can’t accurately visually identify the Greek tortoise subspecies in most cases. However I am sure this is not a Tunisian and doesn’t look like any of the North African lineages to me. It looks more like ibera visually, but could be a different Asian subspecies.

Thank you, may I ask what stands out for you as making it noticeably not Tunisian?

I have now got a photo of the plastron.

 

[turtlesteve]

Thank you, may I ask what stands out for you as making it noticeably not Tunisian?

I have now got a photo of the plastron.

Mostly the coloration on the head and legs. Usually Tunisians are colored in yellow/black and the pattern is crisp. Ibera are more tan and gray and the pattern is less crisp; the colors blend together where they meet.

If the tortoise is captive bred it could also be a mix between two or more subspecies. Most breeders have no idea what they’ve got, unless they’ve verified by dna testing.

 

[Bexxia]

Mostly the coloration on the head and legs. Usually Tunisians are colored in yellow/black and the pattern is crisp. Ibera are more tan and gray and the pattern is less crisp; the colors blend together where they meet.

If the tortoise is captive bred it could also be a mix between two or more subspecies. Most breeders have no idea what they’ve got, unless they’ve verified by dna testing.

That's very interesting, thank you again. We would certainly prefer an Ibera, if only because this is a subspecies better suited for beginners.

 

[TylerStewart]

I'd agree with TurtleSteve, looks like a typical Ibera or Ibera mixed with anything. Tunisians have a very unique look, only really confused occasionally with Libyan cyrenaica (which are much larger). Additionally, being and appearing captive bred, there's almost nobody breeding Tunisians in any significant numbers, it would be pretty impossible for one to end up at a pet shop.