I'm in western Oregon. Someone found this turtle in a semi-residential area in the road and brought it to me. It is really big, compared to my box turtles, very strong, and appears to be extremely healthy. I had a local veterinary student who is into reptiles and such come and look at it and she couldn't ID it for me, but she says it's not native.

It is about 6" in diameter, with a more prominent flair at the egdes of its shell over its back legs compared to my box turtles. It is also a fair amount flatter than my box turtles. Perhaps its toes are shorter and its feet webbier, but I've looked thru lots and lots of pictures or aquatic turtles and it doesn't really look like any of them. It has no stripes on it's neck, head, or face--rather it has a uniform, small, mottled skin pattern.

Is it a water turtle or something else? Someone told me that water turtles are illegal to keep in Oregon? Help!

http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/483

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