Tortoise ID Help!

[Stinkiray]

Ok you got the oposite, the brigther coloreted one its the indian, the other its the burmese. Sorry to tell you this but the diet your giving them its totaly inadequate, they arent supose to be given neither carrots or fruit both are too high in phosporus, low in fiber, high in water and low in calcium, and the larger one its already showing some severe signs of pyramidism wich is caused mainly by the bad diet. This turtles need a basicly grassland tortoise diet, mainly conposed by grasses and dark leaf vegetables. You need to act NOW and correct their diet or else they will become really badly deformed. Do they have uv ligth or sun expossure? Also at the least the burmese as I already told you its a really rare and endangered tortoise that its on the inminent risk of being wiped out of the face of the earth, if you cant or dont want to breed them you really should give it to someone that can like a zoo. Also this kind of animal shouldnt be ofered for sale at all if not cb, you should call the autoritys on the people that selled them to you.

Ooops my bad my bad. But then... I think I'm seeing them everywhere! I mean, not locally but they're quite common in other pet shops around Malaysia.

Speaking of dark leaf vegetables, I do feed them water spinach, and they love it! And yes, they're housed in a pen outdoors(under a shade though) and occasionally let loose to move about in a small field.

And I'm not sure how to put it but... I think I'll do a better job than the local zoo(not that there's one in my state anyway).

 

[ptillett]

I didn't read every post on this thread, so forgive me if I repeat here.

I have turtles. There is a ton of good info at this forum. They have helped me a lot!

http://www.turtleforum.com/forum/upload/index.php?act=idx

 

[uting]

You have likely 2 diferent species there, the brigther coloreted one is defenetly a indian star tortoise Geochelone elegans and the other its very likely a burmese star tortoise Geochelone platynota. Any plans to bred them? The first its endangered in much of its range and the second makes part of the 30 list of most endangered turtle and tortoise species on this planet, it is on inminent danger of becoming extinct in the wild and nowadays its to rare to simply keep as a pet. Also in wich condicions do you have them, what do you feed them and what is their origin?

rare?????? I always see them. they are no being captive bred by many here in the Philippines. In fact they are much cheaper than a sulcata the are only about 604 while a sulcata is about 140$

 

[coura]

I get it I get it... one more thing, which one did you say was one of the 30 critically endangered tortoise species?

Ok Im back and got some good news your second less brigther coloreted ones isnt a burmese star is simply a darker phase indian, here is how a true burmese should look like

Notice the rounder shell conpared to the indian star and the less brighter yellow of the stripes compared to a normal indian (like your bigger, I knew it had something to do with the color). However that doesant mean you should put any less efort in caring for them and some edges defenetly need to put in order. Also it is very inportant for you to know exacly the origin of any animal you purchase. It wouldnt be hard probably for you to get a pure burmese because unfornatly huge numbers are smugled out of their contry every year and that is the reason why they are criticly endangered. Its not enough for the seller to say:"they are cb" get to the botom of that, the ideal is to purchase any animals directly from a breeder (and that reptiles, birds,whatever) and that way you get to see condicions and to know mom, dad,etc. Unfornatly cb burmese are very hard to come buy and outside zoos and conservacion institucions there is currently no cb activity in asia so all burmese are wild cauth

 

[coura]

Ooops my bad my bad. But then... I think I'm seeing them everywhere! I mean, not locally but they're quite common in other pet shops around Malaysia.

Speaking of dark leaf vegetables, I do feed them water spinach, and they love it! And yes, they're housed in a pen outdoors(under a shade though) and occasionally let loose to move about in a small field.

And I'm not sure how to put it but... I think I'll do a better job than the local zoo(not that there's one in my state anyway).

Ok now that I know that your toises are plenty enough to be on pet status we can beggin from there Here http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-startortoise.htm
However all details in diet, care,etc, you should have researched before you actualy brough the toises and also dont know if have any previous toise experience but this are by no means easy toises to deal with, 20 years ago it was very hard to find people even on the main zoos that had acomplished long term survival let alone breeding on them, not to discorage you, this are owesame torts, but you really have to push really hard to fullfill their needs including climate and specialy food wich is the main thing bugging there and that has already deformed one of them but its not to late to correct it and this guys cernatly deserve all the atencion you can give them And no spinach is a no for food.
Read the care sheet and any doubts you know were to post them

 

[coura]

rare?????? I always see them. they are no being captive bred by many here in the Philippines. In fact they are much cheaper than a sulcata the are only about 604 while a sulcata is about 140$

If thouse are burmese or indians its not surprise because both species are being smuggled in by the thousands and all the burmese are wild cauth (that is in fact the main reason why they are so endangered). Also dont confuse breeder with dealer, many guys smuggle them in and then say they bred them. Sulcatas being expensier its no surprise because in asia they are noveltys and they really are cb because its cheaper to cb them in places like the states then to go to africa and cach them were is totaly forbiten, why would people want to face penaltys for a toise that costs like 30 in a pet store? They are so expensive because people are willing to pay that value for them. And even if cb sulcatas are plentifull they cant compete with the sheer numbers of ilegal imports and so their market value increases.

 

[Stinkiray]

Didn't realize that I was wrong about so many things. Thanks for the information coura! Those two are going to be well taken of now.

 

[coura]

Didn't realize that I was wrong about so many things. Thanks for the information coura! Those two are going to be well taken of now.

Remenbar these are dry grass land tortoises, the keys are a really high calcium and fiber diet, a kind of dry envoirement and plenty of sunshine with shade avaible. You need to find the ideal food plants and grow them at home if need be. Mulberry trees are plentyfull in asia and are one of the greatest foods you can use as are hibiscus, grape vine and spineless Opuncia. Make shure you get all food from a quemical free sorce like far from bussy roads,etc

 

[jimmychu]

tortoise

 

[coura]