Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here is a picture of a Bell's Hingeback.

And this is a Spek's Hingeback.

I'm relatively sure on the id of these two... as sure as I can be. What's hard to see is the flatter carapace on the Spek's. It has been commonly described as a Bell's that has been stepped on. That is the most distinguishing character between the two (now) species. I found that toe count, and all, cannot be relied upon to tell the difference.

-----
Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

I think they can be tough to tell apart too. Speke's tend to have a dull brown carapace with darker dull brown concentric rings though right? Also, Speke's are smaller on the average than Bell's. It seems that most Bell's hingebacks imported in years past were more boldly marked with radiating pattern on the carapace. Some were really quite pretty.

The individual in the upper photograph is kind of nice looking but it could be a Speke's too.

I made the bad asumption that I would see that girl again and didn't get any pictures side by side. If you saw them side by side you could see that there is a very distinct difference. I have one old male Spek's that could be tough to tell next to a bell's. The majority of the Bell's that were imported in the past were 'dogs' but I did see quite a few like that female and was just in the process of hunting down a group when they closed the doors.
-----
Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Thats a shame. I too have 'lost' animals like that.
I had a belliana that was alleged to have come from South Africa and he was of the very boldly marked type with radiating lines and a yellowish carapace.
I also had a male when I was in high school that was solid yellow (like one of Matt Js hatchling elongata at the Expo)and he was personality plus too. What a great tortoise he was.
Gave him to a 'friend' and never saw it again as the guy sold him!

That's the deal I'm talkin' about... the 'friend'.
Talk about adding insult to injury.
-----
Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care