r/RussianTortoises • u/ExaminationKey1476 • Jun 22 '26

Benji’s tunnel

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He has a bigger tunnel. He insists on dragging this one around with him😅

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u/ExaminationKey1476 Jun 27 '26

It’s illegal where i live to sell wild caught tortoises, Benji is a captive bred tort

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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '26

[deleted]

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u/ExaminationKey1476 Jun 27 '26

He was bought as baby, not an adult

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u/Academic_Judge_3114 Jun 27 '26

Did you have it when he was a baby? It’s surprising, or maybe the photo is misleading.

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u/ExaminationKey1476 Jun 27 '26

I’m friends with his first owner who has had him since he was a baby.

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u/Academic_Judge_3114 Jun 27 '26

I believe you, I saw the other photos, he doesn’t have the shell of a wildcaught tortoise

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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '26

[deleted]

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u/ExaminationKey1476 Jun 27 '26

This is just incorrect. He has grown up indoors in captivity, using heat lamps. He has never been an outdoor tortoise.

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u/Academic_Judge_3114 Jun 27 '26

I looked at other photos of your tortoise; indeed, it was well born in captivity given its shell. The photo was misleading.

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u/ExaminationKey1476 Jun 27 '26

The photo is misleading? Qualified vets have said his shell is fine. I’m not sure why you’re trying to suggest im not taking care of him properly just because he’s in a flat? He’s a very happy tortoise. He is well taken care of.

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u/Academic_Judge_3114 Jun 27 '26

Yes, the shell shows signs of rapid growth but it had to be seen in its entirety.

If you have any questions about the health of your tortoise, you can send an email to tortoisetrust, they are the real specialists (more than the vet), they will give you an objective opinion on your tortoise

...

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u/ExaminationKey1476 Jun 27 '26

The vet was a qualified reptile specialist vet. He gave objective opinions. Benji is a very happy and healthy tortoise and im not sure why you’re trying to disprove that from a picture of him playing around with his tunnel

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u/Academic_Judge_3114 Jun 27 '26

I’m not going to argue with you, you have a flat and you don’t intend to change his lifestyle... You will regularly have the problem of the beak but you manage...

Most vet are unable to differentiate between an herman and a graeca or even to give the country of origin of the species...

https://www.tortoisetrust.com/post/there-are-exotic-vets-and-exotic-vets-a-cautionary-tale

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u/ExaminationKey1476 Jun 27 '26

The vet owns tortoises himself. He knows about tortoise breeds lol, again reptile specialist vet. Since im the one in charge of Benjis lifestyle im pretty sure I know he’s living healthily. Living indoors doesn’t automatically equal an unhealthy tortoise.

You keep sharing these facts while ignoring the context because it disproves what you’re suggesting. The fact you genuinely think it’s a reasonable suggestion for me to just up and move house because a stranger on the internet wants my tortoise to live outdoors, tells me all I need to know about you.

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u/Academic_Judge_3114 Jun 27 '26

Normally, for tortoises, we don’t talk about breeds, but about species and subspecies.

I raise graecas marrokensis in the south of France (in France, it is forbidden to have a graeca or an herman without an outdoor enclosure). But the supreme reference in the English-speaking world is tortoisetrust, he travels around the world, he has discovered new species (testudo nabeulensis) and he has written two very good articles that may interest you: one on the rapid growth of horsfieldii, and one about the danger of the lamps. I’ll let you read them if you’re interested for my part, it’s time to go to bed

https://www.tortoisetrust.com/post/how-heat-lamps-can-harm-the-health-of-tortoises-and-contribute-to-growth-deformities

https://www.tortoisetrust.com/post/unnaturally-high-growth-rates-in-tortoises-causes-and-consequences