Age and sex of a pirate
 

Hello everyone, i've got other questions for you. Look at this one, can you guess the age? It's a thb and has a plastron that measure only 6 cm long despite the ring on the shell suggest 4 years old. there is a reason for this or i'm wrong with age?

Next, sex, too young to say, probably male?

And you probably noticed its left foot, missing. is this a kind of congenital agenesis isn't it?


http://s33.postimg.org/nalomyp9r/IMG...604_165029.jpg
http://s33.postimg.org/d4e06q2r3/IMG...604_165217.jpg
http://s33.postimg.org/h1erisnlb/IMG...604_165238.jpg

I think this tort is a male but otherwise I can't help. Personally I wouldnt rely on the shell growth as an indicator of age.
Hopefully someone else will be along in a while to answer your other questions.

thinking Male and thinking older but small for age. Lovely little thing. CB

Male and I would say five to six years old maybe.

could this tortoise be a hybrid?
As the first picture is not a typical hermans colouring or marking.
But the tail says hermans.

I thought Ibera from the shell. As you say, unusual markings.
I've not seen a tort with a missing foot before. Presumably it doesn't stop him getting about?
I also thought that the tail was slightly 'puffy' at the top for a Hermanns, but that might just be me.

what do you mean about the tail? is there a difference between subspecies? because i don't think this could be an hybrid between species, color also seems normal to me. plastron is typically boettgeri. unfortunately i don't know his past since a friend found it, it surely comes from a breeder due to the mark painted the shell (has no chip though)

About age i said 4 counting as one the two pair of ring most close, it's 6 centimeters long, how could it be 6 yo?

Tomorrow i'll take another picture of the shell after cleaning dirt away to show you clearly the markings. i admit i'm not familiar with patterns but couldn't be the unusual growing that is apparently altering the pattern?

As you say, it may be just the photo, but I noted the tail as I have a cross-breed THBxHerc and he has a slightly deformed tail. It's fatter at the top than the rest of my males and this looks a little bit similar. I didn't want to alarm you, I was just making a observation.

How long have you had him?

No alarm at all, what he is don't really change anything, just to know ;) My friend found him yesterday so i know nothing about him. if you are suggesting a cross breed between subspecies then it could be, even if neither pattern neither scutes proportions made me think about it.

i'll post a new clear photo as soon as possible, thanks for help ;)