Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just thought I'd share a pleasing encounter I recently had. I used to visit a section of land in southern NM to observe box turtles. Since moving away a couple years ago I barely ever get down to this area. I was in the region recently and decided to make a quick trip to check things out. Temperatures weren't optimal, but at least rain had fallen recently. Despite the rain, the area looks the worse I've ever seen it. Not much vegetation, and much of the existing vegetation sparsely leafed, if at all. Herp activity was sparse. The usual assortment of small desert lizards were few and far between. I encountered a small female box turtle foraging at the base of a saltbush. Looked closer and by gosh it looked familar to me! It turns out that this female was one I first saw 4 or 5 years ago. At that time she was a juvenile. It was great to see that animal. She was about 400m or so from where she was first found. Also saw an old male, I think he may be one I've seen before, but I gotta compare pictures. Found a perfectly intact, no sign of injury, large female, completely dried out. Guess she succumbed to the dearth of rainfall. She was sitting on bare ground near a system of kangaroo rat burrows that I've seen box turtles using before. Also found a turtle nest depredated by badger. ARG! Thanks for reading.
-ian

How cool that you saw the same female!
You've reminded me to make sure my camera is charged up & ready to go. We'll be traveling through SE NM next week and heading north a little ways. I'll be on the lookout for boxies & will get pics if I find any.
I haven't been over there since 2001..I don't get over there very often either.
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PHRatz

good luck with the traveling. there have been lots of scattered rains, the turtles are definitely out. if you have time stop in some sandy areas down there, you can usually find turtle tracks, and sometimes track em down. the turtles can be really dense down there.
-ian

>>good luck with the traveling. there have been lots of scattered rains, the turtles are definitely out. if you have time stop in some sandy areas down there, you can usually find turtle tracks, and sometimes track em down. the turtles can be really dense down there.
>>-ian

I'm keeping it in mind this time.. I am always taken aback by how poor the highway system in NM is compared to TX but the good thing about that is we'll be in areas like you describe, sandy desolate, a perfect turtle habitat.
In fact last time we were in that state we went to Carlsbad for a tarantula society seminar of all things lol.
On the tiny highway we were on we found a male crossing the road so we stopped to help him all the way across. I didn't have a good camera then.. so with my luck now that I do have a good camera I won't see a turtle :-x.
I will try to find at least one to photograph.
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PHRatz

Please DO photograph wild desert box turtles! They are one of the less frequently photographed box turtle species in the US. I think that they are just absolutely beautiful! Unfortunately, the only photos of wild specimens that I get to see are in the classified section. I'd love to see any pics that people can get...I'd even give my email to anyone who doesn't want to go through the trouble of posting them on this site. Good luck in NM Ratz!

Here's a CB yearling Desert Box.

Ken,
I am absolutely going to be on the lookout for them & will take pics of any I see if I see any.
I have these photos in my album
http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/index.php?user=81788&cat=500&subcat=1414

I have other photos of wild boxes taken on the old camera & stored on a CD somewhere around here. I hadn't thought about how seldom they're photographed but come to think of it, you have a point.
Every time I've tried to look up articles on them, see a magazine or book with supposed photos of them. I'll see a turtle labeled luteola then another ornata & I wonder how did they come to that conclusion because they don't really look different to me.
I'm talking mostly about the ancient TFH publications though.
I do hope I see a few on this trip over there, I'll get pics of any other herps I might happen to see as well.
This is going to be fun I hope! Now that we can manage to get away after all this extreme heat we've been living in we're having all this rain lol.
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PHRatz