Quick ID

[tortoise5643]

was wondering if anyone could confirm that this is a Burmese mountain tortoise? I just really don't think it is. Looks like a desert tortoise of sorts to me.

 

[wellington]

I don't see many Browns. But the ones I have seen don't look like this. I think your guess of a desert is correct.

 

[Yvonne G]

Desert tortoise and illegal to sell. Please contact this seller and in a kind and humble voice, not accusatory, let him know that he can't be selling this tortoise. If the Department of fish and wildlife read his ad he might be subject to a $10,000 fine.

 

[Yvonne G]

It doesn't matter that the tortoise is in Texas. The law covers all the states where Gopherus tortoises exist, and Texas has the Gopherus berlandieri.

 

[tortoise5643]

Okay. I contacted him inquiring before I saw talks response and he said he already sold it. I'll tell him now that it's illegal though.

 

[tortoise5643]

He said he got it from a well known breeder at lone star reptile expo and i was wrong.

 

[Berkeley]

It looks to me like a Burmese Brown. I'm not seeing much that made me think it was a Desert tortoise. The head shape is all wrong for Gopherus. I think it was legit.
--Berkeley

 

[Yvonne G]

It looks to me like a Burmese Brown. I'm not seeing much that made me think it was a Desert tortoise. The head shape is all wrong for Gopherus. I think it was legit.
--Berkeley

Take a look at those back legs. The Manouria tortoise is sometimes referred to as an 8 legged tortoise because of the very large and pointy spurs on their back legs.

 

[Millerlite]

Looks like.a burmses brown mountain tortoise. Or Burmese tortoise . i had a guy looked almost exactly like that one.

Kyle

 

[Berkeley]

Take a look at those back legs. The Manouria tortoise is sometimes referred to as an 8 legged tortoise because of the very large and pointy spurs on their back legs.

Right, but those spurs are under the rear marginals. We wouldn't be able to see them very well even if that picture showing the hind legs was clear. The shape of the shell and the head shape, even the shape of the carapacial scutes, are all wrong for it to be a Gopherus. I still say it was a Manouria.

--Berkeley

 

[Yvonne G]

Wrong. They are clearly visible at all times. I have Mee here...one about that same size. I'll go get a picture for you.

 

[Yvonne G]

They were not interested in cooperating. It's still on the cool side this a.m. But I hope you can clearly see the very large spur in the second picture just to the left of that bit of white dirt. It points straight out towards the camera. And in the last picture, the other tortoise's hind leg spur is clearly visible in the retracted state.

 

[Yvonne G]

Besides the back leg spurs, look at the OP's picture of the front legs. Manouria leg spurs on the front legs are much bigger than that tortoise's spurs are.

 

[Yvonne G]

I went back and re-read the OP's narative and I'm willing to admit I may have been wrong, since he states he bought the tortoise from a reputable dealer. It's a bit hard to see the tortoise clearly in those pictures and I may have jumped to an incorrect conclusion.

 

[Millerlite]

Right, but those spurs are under the rear marginals. We wouldn't be able to see them very well even if that picture showing the hind legs was clear. The shape of the shell and the head shape, even the shape of the carapacial scutes, are all wrong for it to be a Gopherus. I still say it was a Manouria.

--Berkeley

A underside picture would confirm it 100 percent. I still lean toward mt. Tort.