Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Since it is coming to the end of the season for finding boxies, and I have to kill two hours before the eagles game here are some box turtles from about a 1/5 of a mile of woods in southern jersey. Some I've posted before, the variation always amazes me.
















Ken I know you asked me to post photos before of one with all black carapaces this is the only one I've ever found in jersey that is all black. She was old and healthy, and looked like someone just polished and buffed her shell, it was incredibly smooth. I would post in field herping, but you guys on here seem to appreciate boxies more. Enjoy

Thanks for the photos. I love the males with the red faces and the dark shells. Quite a contrast. THe yellow one was neat also. So glad you posted them as I never get to see them in the wild here. They are supposed to be found here, but I've never seen them. When I was a kid in Maryland I always saw them. I miss that, but at least I have my own. Maybe one day I can get my own EBT to add to my collection.

Very Impressive photos! And the variety is truly amazing. That yellow speckled shell with the bright orange legs, wow! Thanks for sharing those pics.

What kind of camera are you using? Nice job.

Ric K.

Thanks for sharing those FANTASTIC photos. I am esp. biased towards NJ Easterns!! : )
All of those turtles within that small area?! That is a nice healthy population, and I hope it stays that way!
I have never seen a black plastron here in NJ, although I have a shell I found many years ago in the PA poconos with a black plastron. Incredible variation!

I am in south/central NJ. I have a female with a very dark shell and totally black plasteron. I've had her for 3 years now and she layed eggs this year and I have 2 hatchlings from her, one being very dark.
Phil

The camera is a canon eos rebel xt. All the box turtles are found in an area about 1/5 of a mile and about 300 yards wide. I have come across 13 adults in this patch with a good mix of male and female. I think I could have came across maybe a few dozen more but I only ventured out once in the rain. On that occassion I found 6 in a half hour. And most of my spring herping trips were focused on spotted turtles and pine snakes. The pop. at this 2300 acre site, I suspect is very large based on the amount of raided box turtle nest I have seen. Of the thirteen adults I came across all had four limbs, intact tales and no signs of poor health. I'm hoping for one more humid rainy day to photograph some more, but at this time of year even that doesn't stir them up sometimes, not like the spring. Thanks
chris

Chris,
Thanks for sharing the pics. I remember most of them, and I really like that old male with the splotchy yellow carapace. Also, I noticed that most of the females have a high degree of color on their skin and bright eyes. That is pretty uncommon in most areas. Every time you post pics it gets me all hyped up to photograph wild box turtles. Unfortunately, at this point in my life, virtually all of my photography work would be on the side of a highway. This can make for a very dangerous scenario. How's that old spotted turtle holding up?

Steph, don't you think that the male I'm referring to looks like the male in your headstart program?

Ken, she is doing fine, I think that was me just being super concerned over any signs or problems. That male you guys are talking about was, out of all the ones I found very unusual. Most show similarities to other ones but that one was totally different, an outlier i guess. This is the one you guys are talking about right?

This one was my favorite, he was attempting to swim across a old gravel pit, until he realized it was too deep and swam back to me.

The variation in box turtle is incredible, but so is the variation in different kinds of turtles. I have come across 8 different, but I suspect both soft-shell and diamonbacks are also there.
A mud,

The queen spotter,

Paint,

A musk,

A juvie snapper,

An uguly red belly,

Boy you seem to be in Turtle Paradise! I'm a bit envious; while living in south Jersey as a kid; I didn't see nearly as many turtles.

Yep that irregular patterned yellow box with the ultra bright orange forelegs is my favorite.!

Ric K.

"Steph, don't you think that the male I'm referring to looks like the male in your headstart program?"

His shell does show the same aging quality that you and I had talked about, yes.