Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When I look at pictures of Russian tortoises I see some with dark, very defined blotches and others with lighter, less prominent blotches on their shells. Does this have anything to do with thier sex? For example, are the males generally darker in color with fuller, dark areas? I'd like to know before buying/ordering one so I'll have a better idea of what he/she will look like.

Fred

Dear Fred, I have several and have produced hatchlings. I see wide variation within the same clutch of siblings. Some dark, some light, some intermediate. A. horsefieldi is found in an enormous range in central Asia, with wide variations in elevation and habitat. Not surprisingly, populations vary in color, some dark with black markings on the dorsal scutes, others almost green with minimal black (I have some like that). Also, there are some recognized subspecies within the horsefieldi complex, and color may vary between subspecies as well as between different populations. I see no correllation between colors and sex. What do others say? They are collected over such a wide range and most of us do not know the geographical source...but some are dark and others lighter. Sex in adults is easily determined by tail length.

Like Victort, I see a lot of variation within a batch of siblings.

As for gender differences, my most prolific pair of tortoises look like clones of each other, with shell size and tail length being the only differences.

just so we're clear on this...

vic and brad and now matt all agree (three out of three tortoise breeders agree) no correlation between sex and shell color or color pattern.

in addition, many torts change quite drastically as they grow.

another piece of advice, buy a captive bred tortoise, it'll save you money in the long run.

matt

Wow you guys are full of great information! That certainly answers my questions about the different coloring/shading and how it's not related to gender but rather location and just mother nature. I really do want to get a captive bred and my enclosure is all setup but it's taking time to find the right tort whether I order online or get lucky locally. I'm still considering Hermanns also. This forum is absolutely incredible for amateurs like me trying to get everything setup right and in choosing a good pet.

Thanks again,

Fred