Re: Tortoise Shell

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Posted by Leslie on July 13, 2000 at 13:53:47:

In Reply to: Re: Tortoise Shell posted by Eric T. on July 13, 2000 at 12:47:50:

From all of the pictures I have seen, he looks like a Russian and that is what the Pet store labeled him as a russian.
The plastron - what is that? the top?
Carapace ??
Since I am REAAALLY NEW AT THIS Can someone tell me what these terms mean?
Spurs? What do they look like?

I know I sound stupid (cause I am about this) but humor me please!

I am going home for lunch and I will count his toes. I will get back to after....

His shell is a little curved at the back - but not much. And the black spots (what ever those are) are slightly raised.... ever so slightly.

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: : The marginal scutes around the head and rump sometimes flair a little bit. But the marginals on the sides, the ones that connect to the plastron do not curve up. it is a pretty smooth transition from carapace to plastron.
: This may seem like a strange question.. Are you sure that you have a Russian tortoise? Our distributors in Portland don't always know the differences between Russians and the rest of their family. More than once we've recieved a shipment of Russiand just to find out that some were Greeks and once we recieved a tortoise that looked like a Marginated tortoise (the back of the shell flaired out and made the tortoise look bigger)
: So count the toes (Russians have four toes on all the feet), and check the back legs, right about where the legs and the body meet, for spurs.
: I don't think Russians ever have them.

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Comments:
: From all of the pictures I have seen, he looks like a Russian and that is what the Pet store labeled him as a russian. : The plastron - what is that? the top? : Carapace ?? : Since I am REAAALLY NEW AT THIS Can someone tell me what these terms mean? : Spurs? What do they look like? : I know I sound stupid (cause I am about this) but humor me please! : I am going home for lunch and I will count his toes. I will get back to after.... : His shell is a little curved at the back - but not much. And the black spots (what ever those are) are slightly raised.... ever so slightly. : ----------------------------------------------- : : : The marginal scutes around the head and rump sometimes flair a little bit. But the marginals on the sides, the ones that connect to the plastron do not curve up. it is a pretty smooth transition from carapace to plastron. : : This may seem like a strange question.. Are you sure that you have a Russian tortoise? Our distributors in Portland don't always know the differences between Russians and the rest of their family. More than once we've recieved a shipment of Russiand just to find out that some were Greeks and once we recieved a tortoise that looked like a Marginated tortoise (the back of the shell flaired out and made the tortoise look bigger) : : So count the toes (Russians have four toes on all the feet), and check the back legs, right about where the legs and the body meet, for spurs. : : I don't think Russians ever have them.

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