While turtles and tortoises have many things in common and scientifically come from the same classification, there are some differences. Tortoises are a kind of turtle but turtles are not all tortoises. Most tortoises live in hot, dry environments. Unlike turtles, they do not need to live near a water source such as stream or pond. They would easily drown if they were in deeper water due to their weight and lack of webbed feet. Their stump-like feet allow them to walk on land and rocky areas and dig burrows, which they go into when it is too hot for them. They have a thicker skin with overlapping scales that help prevent evaporation of fluids. While they do not take in fluids through their skin they are hydrated by the food they eat and some take in water through their cloaca, the vent under their tail. They eat grasses, shrubs, cacti and hays.
Sulcata Tortoises, African Spurred Tortoises, are one of the most popular tortoises in the pet trade. Much has been published about them as well as a large number of web sites. Because of their size, dietary needs, and proper habitation, it is very important to research this species of tortoise before bringing one home. Reptile rescues are contacted very frequently to take in unwanted pet Sulcata's. Very often, people who purchase or acquire a Sulcata are not properly educated in their needs. Being native to Africa, a hot, dry environment is required. Often referred to as 'the eating machine' consuming large amounts of food, their diet consists of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables but mainly grasses and weeds that are free of chemicals. Calcium is a very important nutrient they require for proper shell growth.
Sulcatas grow to be over 100lbs. Spurs are located on their back legs. Their thick skin prevents evaporation of fluids. They like to move around and need a large area to roam in. They are capable of digging deep burrows to dig in to hide and cool down. Sulcatas do not bask in open sunlight but prefer groups of plants to hide under. As you can see from the photo on the left, this Sulcata is pyramided, showing a bumpy carapace rather than a smooth surface.
Redfoot Tortoise: These are a popular tortoise kept as pets. They are from South America and acquired their name due to the bright reddish colored scales on their front legs. They are often thought to be Yellowfooted tortoises, which have yellowish-orange colored scales instead of red on their front legs. These are large tortoises with their carapaces measuring up to 20". Males are peanut-shaped with a large concavity to their plastrons. They eat fruit, vegetables, flowers, greens and some insects and worms. When mating, males are very vocal. A clutch of eggs is typically 3 to 5 eggs, approximately a bit larger than a ping-pong ball. Incubation is from 150 to 175 days.
Russian Tortoise: Russian tortoises are unfortunately being taken from their native environment to be popular tortoises in the pet trade. By the time they reach the pet retail industry, they are often sick, parasite infested and sometimes deceased. These tortoises are from areas of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. The environment is dry, barren and rocky but they may be in well-watered grasslands. They are burrowers using their tunnels to keep cool in the high heat. They do hibernate in the winter. Their diets consist of weeds, greens and succulents such as cactus.
They average a carapace length of 7 to 8 inches. Males have long, thick tails with a spur-type horn at the tip. Females have much shorter tails. Russian tortoises have unusual habits such as head-bobbing during courting and can emit a high pitched squeal while mating. Males can be aggressive, banging into each other to show dominance.
Like other tortoise species, Russian tortoises have thick scales and long nail, thick nails for digging.
These tortoises can have variations in dark and light colors.
Male showing large tail with end spur.
Female with much smaller tail.
Greek Tortoise: These tortoises are commonly confused with the Russian tortoise. It is also called as the Spur-Thighed Tortoise. It is named Greek not because of the native location, but because of its markings. They are from Eastern Europe, living a vast range of climates from sea level to mountainous areas. Their diet consists of greens and some vegetables such as carrots and yams. They are 6 to 8 inches in length with no horny tip at the end of the tail but have 2 spurs on the thighs.
