Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Wondering if anyone can post some info on Hingebacks.. I found what appears to be an excellent deal on one, but don't know much about them.

I looked at the animal and it appears to be healthy and alert.

How big do these guys get, are they fast or slow growers.. in tortoise terms... Are they prone to carry specific diseases.. You know the typical stuff that might not be readily available on the net, but people that hang out here might know.

Also, is it legal to buy Egyptian Torts? If so, anyone here know a good breeder?

Thanks for your time,
-Kory

I don't have any hingeback experience.
However everything I have been told & read mentions that almost all hingebacks on the market are wild caught & carry all the parasites & diseases a wild hingeback would carry. Many in the past died quickly because the new owners did not know how to care for them nor did they take them to a vet to be checked for parasites. Be safe and buy only captive born babies.

Captive born Egyptians are legal to buy & sell within the USA. Few people offer the babies but at least 2 individuals advertised babies on Kingsnake this past season.

Wild caught Egyptians are now CITESI animals and therefore can not cross a countries borders without the proper paperwork that almost no one can produce.

Hello Kory. There is a good Care Sheet for Hingebacks at: http://www.tortoisetrust.org/care/ckinixys.html
You didn't mention the species which you are trying to purchase. There are basically two types of Hingebacks, the "forest type" which are from rainforests and like loads of heat and humidity and the more "dry habitat type" which like less of both of the above and inhabit more open areas.

These are not really great tortoises for beginners, just to warn others about them. I see your posts here so know you have some experience. The forest type are very inactive in the daytime, and in fact are almost nocturnal. This is obvious when you look at the size of their eyes (very large). They also produce quite loose stools and are messy ones to keep. These love eating worms, fish, and bugs more than normal tortoise fare also. I haven't kept the drier habitat species personally, so cannot comment much about them.

It is legal to buy and sell Egyptian Tortoises in the US. If they are WC adults, you should ask the seller for his proof that they were legally imported before going on CITES (which I believe happened in April 1995). I know a good breeder of Egyptians who has legal animals. If you email me off this list, I will give you his info.

Thanks for the info. I believe that the Hingeback is the forest type, but am not too sure. He is only $30 at the store, and is about 5" overall length.

I'll probably pass on him after reading a lot of fairly negative info about keeping them as a pet. Although, I do like the more nocturnal habits as I am not usually home from work until 8:00-9:00 at night.

I currently have a M.E. Phayrei and love the little guy. He is shy, but warming up to me quite a bit. I love his little throaty clicks and calls when I mist him, and when he feeds.

I have really just gotten back into reptiles within the last year, and am very interested in many different types of tortoises. I have my sights set on Aldabras and Galapagos in a few years, but also would like to learn and keep some of the smaller types as well... Hence Egyptians!! How much on average would/should an Egyptian cost?

I am also very anxious to get on to the Desert Tortoise adoption list. I currently rent a house and do not have the space, but am planning to buy within a year.

Thanks again for the help,
-Kory

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Hello Kory. There is a good Care Sheet for Hingebacks at: http://www.tortoisetrust.org/care/ckinixys.html
You didn't mention the species which you are trying to purchase. There are basically two types of Hingebacks, the "forest type" which are from rainforests and like loads of heat and humidity and the more "dry habitat type" which like less of both of the above and inhabit more open areas.

These are not really great tortoises for beginners, just to warn others about them. I see your posts here so know you have some experience. The forest type are very inactive in the daytime, and in fact are almost nocturnal. This is obvious when you look at the size of their eyes (very large). They also produce quite loose stools and are messy ones to keep. These love eating worms, fish, and bugs more than normal tortoise fare also. I haven't kept the drier habitat species personally, so cannot comment much about them.

It is legal to buy and sell Egyptian Tortoises in the US. If they are WC adults, you should ask the seller for his proof that they were legally imported before going on CITES (which I believe happened in April 1995). I know a good breeder of Egyptians who has legal animals. If you email me off this list, I will give you his info.

Hi Kory. Egyptians are another species which are somewhat difficult to maintain. You should look into their habitat and husbandry requirements pretty closely before getting one simply based on their size. A legal CB youngster would go for about $500 from the breeder I know. His email address is:
billdaboymail-reptiles@yahoo.com

Although they are pretty similar to eachother in captive care both K. erosa and K.homeana are refered to as forest hingebacks. I have seen a lot more homeana for sale recently than erosa. The best way to differentiate these tortoises is by looking at the fifth carapacial vertebral scute. Homeana have a sudden dropoff while erosa do not. K. erosa prefers temperatures between 25-30 degrees celsius while homeana prefers temps from 26-32. K. erosa are more forgiving of keeper error and are easier to acclimate. Unfortunately you are probably looking at Kinixys homeanarather than Kinixys erosa. If you can find an erosa i've found that they make great pets and are more responsive and curious than the homeana, plus they are larger at 32 centimeters rather than 20.