Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Found this girl crossing the raod. She has obviously had a rough time of it with many old injuries. Since we were in a drought, I decided to give her a good soak and some food until the drought broke. I am in NW Florida, and wondered what she was. She has 4 toes on the back feet, and hopefully the pics will give you the other info you need.

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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

looks like a female eastern box turtle.
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My Site
1.2.1 Terrapene Carolina Triunguis
0.1 Nymphicus hollandicus
1.1 Melopsittacus undulatus
1.0 American Cocker Spaniels
1.0 American Short Hair? Cat
1.1 Rouen Ducks

Looks like an eastern box to me, but some gulf coast box turtles can have a pattern just like a nice eastern box.

What a pretty turtle!
Being that the only box I've seen in the wild are ornate & the occasional 3 toed when I am away from this area.. based on photos I've seen I'd have guessed Eastern.
Good luck with her.
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PHRatz

ITs a eastern box turtle, if it was a 3 toed i would have to say one colorful 3 toed, lol, JK, its a eastern all the way.

three toes are usually lighter in shell base color, somewhere along the lines of eggshell to a pale brown or olive, easterns tend to have a dark caramel to black base color, gulf coasts are more likely to be larger than easterns or three toes, but tend to have a much larger range in base color.
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My Site
1.2.1 Terrapene Carolina Triunguis
0.1 Nymphicus hollandicus
1.1 Melopsittacus undulatus
1.0 American Cocker Spaniels
1.0 American Short Hair? Cat
1.1 Rouen Ducks

Looks like she could be a colorful gulf coast box turtle. nice pix.

I believe she is an intergrade from a Gulf Coast and a Florida boxie.

Both are found in NW florida. It would account for her carapace color, smaller size than a standard Gulf Coast, and the unusual long linear spots / some actual lines at the very back of her shell. Most pure bred gulf coast boxies have a more flattened keeled carapace are usually dull colored and have obvious flared marginals.

Combine the above traits with a Florida Boxie common to that area with it's high domed carapace and radiating linear pattern along with much smaller size and it may account for the boxie you have pictured. I think what swayed me from an eastern was the plastron color, the face pattern and the definite yellow lines at the very back of her carapace. Intergrades of Gulf and Florida are also common in that area. Great pics and a really neat looking BOXIE!
Ric

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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

Great pics!

Those lines on the side of her carapace and also on the front carapace along with the white patches on her face and light plastron nail her as an intergrade. I still believe she's Gulf Coast and Bauri (Florida Box). The male above appears to be typical eastern. The area you live as previously stated contains several subspecies of box turtles. It's common to find intergrades in such a situation.

Sometimes there can be several generations of intergrades which can reflect the phenotype of the most dominant genes. As such where several subspecies live natural hybridization of subspecies occur all the time. Consequently what we are seeing may all be intergrades with some boxies having the outward appearances of an eastern and another having the outward appearance of another subspecies or mixed. There is no 100% per cent way of knowing the exact genetic makeup (or exact subspecies) when several subspecies exist in your area; other than try and see what outward traits are most obvious. It's neat to have such an unusual habitat. I'll bet if you keep looking you'll find boxies that resemble the other subspecies native to your area!
Looking at it another way; mathematically the chances of finding an intergrade........ in an area which has three subspecies is higher than finding a true pureblood.

Keep us posted and thanks for the great pics.
Ric

T.c. bauri below aka The Bowery Boiz