Tortoise evaluation

[CrocOdali]

Hi,
I came upon two tortoises that I think are sulcatas (correct me if I'm wrong) and I was wondering if any of you can help me with age approximation and condition of these tortoises. There isn't a vet is the area so it makes checking on them in the immediate future a bit difficult. I have attached a few pictures and my concerns are as following:
- their age approximation
- health check (as far as the pics can tell)
- the female is light in color as well as its shell so is it normal?
- I noticed the bottom part of the females belly (from underneath) towards the legs is more lose and flexible the the male, is it normal and is it because it's a female tortoise?
- yesterday when I was cleaning them and inspecting them I noticed two tiny beetle like insects stuck above the thigh of the female and it took some effort to remove them so does anyone know anything about that?

Thank you in advance for your help and time.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

These are not sulcatas but Testudo tortoises (Greeks, I think?). Very different care than sulcatas.

Health is hard to say anything about via photos alone, but they look fine. Maybe a bit skinny of back leg for the male.

Was it a tick attached to the tortoise? What part of the world are you in?

 

[JoesMum]

Viewing on my phone and it's not playing nicely. I agree with Testudo.

Age - impossible to tell as they all grow at different rates

Shell "looseness " - The plastron on a female is more flexible to allow her to lay eggs

Colour variations are normal

I'm bothered that
1) They're being kept on sand. This sticks to food and is easily eaten. Sand doesn't pass through the gut easily and can become impacted leading to a very sick tort

2) They're being kept as a pair. It is likely the male will bother the female to the point where she becomes withdrawn and stops eating. Pairs of torts rarely work well for long, even the females can be bullies. Be prepared to separate them - probably permanently.

Can you post some photos of their enclosure and tell us what their diet is so we can help you give best care.

Hopefully @Yvonne G can move this thread to the correct forum for the species

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Those "BEETLES" sound like ticks. They are great for passing around diseases.
I imagine they would also be quite common in some areas when tortoises are kept out doors.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. All good info given. @HermanniChris may be able to confirm for sure what they are, however, they are for sure not sulcata's.

 

[JoesMum]

Where the confusion often arises is the spurs.

African Spurred Tortoise = Sulcata

Mediterranean Spur Thighed Tortoise = Greek (Testudo)

The two species require quite different care - whichever Testudo these two are, however, the diet is basically leafy greens - ideally weeds (pesticide free). They cannot digest sugars properly, so fruit, carrot and bell pepper should be fed only infrequently. Banana is completely off limits!

 

[CrocOdali]

Thank you all for the replies.
I was told they are African tortoises so I guessed sulcatas but I guess I was wrong.
I currently feed them lettuce and other green leafs (but mainly lettuce).
About the ticks (insects), I noticed them the same day I got them and removed them so hopefully they won't be back.
There is sand in their enclosure but I keep their food on a cardboard box.

 

[HermanniChris]

They are 100% Greek tortoises and appear to derive from Lebanon based on their phenotypic traits. They do not resemble any of the African subspecies of Greek tortoise.

 

[JoesMum]

With that confirmation, here is the care sheet for your tortoises. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/

Please be aware that pairs of Greeks frequently don't live together nicely. Bullying (physical or mental) is common and you may well have to separate them permanently. Look out for one becoming withdrawn and not eating. The are loners in the wild, meeting up to mate and moving on.They don't get lonely and don't want or need company.

You need to give them better quality greens than lettuce. Weeds are ideal as long as they are pesticide-free and cost nothing! Look up the plants that grow around you and the ones that you can buy in the grocery store for suitability in The Tortoise Table Plant Database and the Tortoise Table Plant ID Booklet

The sand does need to go. Orchid bark, cypress mulch, spagnhum moss, coco coir and even clean, pesticide-free dirt from the garden are all better for your tortoises.

What type of lamp(s) do you have to provide basking heat and UVB light for these tortoises?

Please could you post some pictures of your enclosure and we will help you to get that set up so that it is the best it can be for your tortoises.

 

[CrocOdali]

Thanks for the info everyone, I've traveled abroad so I'll try to post some pics once I return.

 

[CrocOdali]

Hi, I kept the tortoises at a family members garden since I travelled. Attached is a picture of one of the areas I have in my backyard. I live in a sandy area so I try to put rocks wherever I can so that they climb on them. The male seems to prefer the sand while the female spend most of her time on stone. I can semi cover the areas with cut grass and hay if it may make things better?

 

[Tom]

Living as a pair, and living on sand is very likely to kill these tortoises. Grass and hay will only make a mess and will not solve the problem.

I hope that we can convince you to make some changes before it is too late.

 

[CrocOdali]

I can get pebble stone what do you think?

 

[Yvonne G]

Temporarily, keep the tortoises in separate plastic bins. While they are in temporary quarters, dig out about 3" of the sand, and add about 6" of top soil or other garden dirt. Turn it over with a shovel until you have it all mixed together well. Then buy some seeds. Either grass or veggie seeds. You can buy tortoise food seeds on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ProRep-KPT...05387&sr=8-2&keywords=seeds+for+tortoise+food

At any rate, plant something in this new dirt to grow and cover the dirt. It serves two purposes - 1. it gives the tortoises something to browse on and 2. it keeps the dirt off their food.

You'll have to keep the tortoises in their temporary plastic tubs until the plants are growing well, more than likely the rest of the summer and until next spring, but if you set them up correctly, they won't be unhappy in their temporary homes.

 

[CrocOdali]

Thanks, seems like good advice. I'll try to do something similar