does anyone know anything about a Ridgeback Tortoise?

Hello,

I went into a Pet Store yesterday, and put 20% down on this really strange looking Tortoise. I ask a lot of questions, but the owner didn't have any information for me at all. I ask him what kind of environment the Tortoise needed, he didn't know, i ask him what he ate, he said he Iguana Bites. He had them mashed up on a plate for him. Iguana Bites for a Tortoise, just doesn't sound right to me. I also ask him if this Tortoise could live with a Sulcata. He said he didn't know what a Sulcata was. I told him it was a Tortoise. The owner said, oh yeah, he will be fine with any other Tortoises. I told him mine was only 6 months old, and i ask him how old the Ridge back was, he said, no idea why? What does he mean why???? What is wrong with this owner of a Pet store? I just don't understand how anyone, with little or no knowledge at all, get's to sell animals to the public. He was even selling his Guinea Pigs he had for Pets, as food for Snakes. Well guys, if someone out there with some smart's please help me.

I think the tortoise you are referring to would be a hingeback tortoise, unfortunately almost all hingebacks are wild caught which also means they usually have parasites which will need to be treated by a vet. Here is a link for hingeback tortoises, I hope it helps http://www.geocities.com/hiramtom/tortindex.html

If it is a hingeback (any of the several species), two things apply:

(1) You shouldtake it to a REPTILE vet immediately.(your general dog/cat cow/horse vet will almost surely not be qualified to treat this species) These turtles are notoriously difficult to care for. They arrrive in pet stores as wild caught animals and they seem to suffer greatly during transit.
They are always riddled with parasaites (or so i am told).
It would be amazing if you could keep it alive a year without competent veterinary intervention if you are not a long time Hingeback keeper.

(2) Keep it as far from your sulcata as possible.
If it is ill you don't want to risk it infecting your sulcata and hingebacks hail from semi -arid to very high humidty environments, not at all like the desert and dry grasslands from where sulcatas live. These would NOT be compatible.
(there is one exception, Bell's Hingeback, Kinixys belliana, which is found in some grassland environments, but even it will require at least some moist area in its enclousre)

Don't expect pet store people to know a whole lot about what they are selling. (they should but in 9 out of 10 stores, they don't)

Don't take my word for it about hingebacks:

Hingebacks (Kinixys) on the web

Don't listen to all the naysayers. I agree that you shoul keep him away from you Sulcata for atleast 1 month. I also agree that he needs to be treated for parasites. Following proper treatment, they can be kept together. Wild caught hingebacks can do very well in captivity.