What species is my tortoise? Please help I was sold as a bells hinge back but I'm not so sure

[Stacey265]

Please help he's now 10 years old and was sold him as a bells hinge back African species .
As he has grown no hinge developed, I recently went to the zoo only to find he looks nothing like the the hing backs they had there..... How can I tell what he is ?

 

[Stacey265]

I'll post more photos tomorrow to help

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Stacey:

Without seeing more pictures - side view, bottom view, I can only offer a 'guess.' It looks sort of like a Chaco tortoise, but no...they're pretty rare in the pet trade.

 

[Stacey265]

Thanks ill post more photos tomorrow . When we got him we we're told he was very rare and was td he was a hinged back .... Please take a look tomorrow when I post the photos . He's had a fall today he escaped from his tank and fell two foot, my partner got home to find him wondering round our kitchen . I've not seen him yet and will be checking him over tonight but my partner says his shell is all intact and no damage to him... That's one strong boy. Vets have suggested just keeping an eye on him. Very worried mummy

 

[Stacey265]

Hi please take a look at the photos I'm posting. I hope you can help

 

[Stacey265]

More photos

 

[Stacey265]

And more

 

[Stacey265]

&

 

[Stacey265]

Hope these all help, I really would like to get him a mate . I was also told he was male

 

[bouaboua]

It is the very rare one. Chaco tortoise will be my guess too. If it is, you are a very lucky new owner of this rare specie.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, I THINK I see a bit of a hinge over the back legs. Let's give @tortadise and @Jacqui a shout out. They both keep hingebacks.

 

[Stacey265]

Really wow.... Thanks for the input, I thought that a hing back could close it's hinge and cover it's tail and back legs but my tortoise can't .
Please get back to me with any further info you have

 

[Yvonne G]

The hinge develops later in life, sort of when the tortoise is getting sexually mature. You're might just be a bit young yet.

the picture on the right in post #5 shows a bit of an indentation right in front of each back leg. I'm thinking this is the developing hinge.

 

[mikeh]

It looks like hinge back. Side view photo would help.

 

[Stacey265]

We got him in 2007 and was told he was 4 or 5 so makes him 11 or 12 what age would he be mature ?.
I'll post more hoots tomorrow I'll give him a good bath so show his colour better too

 

[Stacey265]

He's had a bath new photos being added today

 

[Stacey265]

He's had a bath new photos being added today

 

[Stacey265]

Do we think this is early stages of a hing ?

 

[Stacey265]

More underbelly

 

[Stacey265]

Can I post more than one pic at a time this takes forever