Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've noticed that most of you have really nice looking box turtles. Where did you get them from?

Also, if you find CB babies- Can you kind of tell if they will have certain color and patterns? When does the color and patterns develope?

I don't post here much, but because I recently got (0.0.2) CB baby 3-toed Box Turtles I plan on visiting more often.

Thanks

Can't be mine you were looking at. lol
Most of mine are battered & beaten up looking.
All of mine were rescued one way or another. I've never bought a box turtle but I think the prettiest ones you could find would most likely be captive bred pets.
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PHRatz

OK, yours are not the best example, but streamwalker's are.
I've noticed box turtles are individuals in many ways. That's kind of why I am asking about color and patterns. Some of the most ornate looking one can be plain ugly and others not so ornate, can be the cutest things.

Kakes

Most easterns and three-toeds have typical appearances, with one out of every so many becoming really pretty.

Floridas (same species as above two) are black and yellow, some with more detailed patterning than others. Babies are extremely pretty. Ornates (different species) have a similar theme, often with wider yellow stripes, but their legs and heads can be much more colorful than those of Floridas. Baby ornates are not so busily patterned as Floridas.

Since box turtles can take many years to develop their colors, eventual colors and patterns are tough to predict. That doesn't stop some sellers from posting a picture of one really pretty turtle, as though every baby hatched from the pen containing that animal will be just as pretty.

I've had some hatchlings (three-toeds) develop great color at a couple years age, only to lose it a couple years later. I recently had some hatchings (three-toeds) look very contrasting right out of the eggs. More time will tell on that. Many three-toeds are produced from Texas, where most seem to be brown. Many ornates come from the same state, and are the most colorful box turtles you'll find.

I have a group of six Gulf Coasts and another group of four Floridas. They were purchased as babies from local breeders. The Gulf Coasts are approaching 7 years of age, and it's amazing how variable they are, as well as how some developed markings over time, while others have remained quite "plain" looking.

I imagine that the Floridas won't change much (other than getting bigger). It would seem that Easterns are the most variable in color and pattern.

At any rate, I've never seen a box turtle that I'd call "ugly!"

Tim

Third Eye

I got 2 of my 3 adult three toes from pet stores, one was shutting down the other has yet to get more box turtles so I certainly did no add to the supply and demand with wild caughts, my large female came from a hobbyist down in TX that was thinning his population.

my male is relatively colorful with a black and white chin a few orange spots on his arms and very dark grey skin, my small female is brown/grey and my large female is ivory with bronze skin and orange/black spotted chin, my male and large female produced a normal looking hatchling, a bronze/ivory with orange chin hatchling and a colorful hatchling, it'll be some time before I know for sure how much color they will retain though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/rouenduck/grifftheia.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/rouenduck/froth.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/rouenduck/stinky.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/rouenduck/striped1.jpg

Tim-
About "ugly"- All women are beautiful, but some are more attractive than others. Sometimes the patterns can be too much and not attractive. A lot of the time, they make up in other area.

Rouen-
In the first picture on the left- NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All-
I guess I offically got mine by "rescue". I received (0.2) Easterns and (1.0) 3-toed from another person. I picked out all three by pictures and got one I picked. The two easterns were shipped without bags so the styrofoam was ripped up and the heat pack was touching the top of their shells. And the 3-toed has an ear infection!!

>>All-
>> I guess I offically got mine by "rescue". I received (0.2) Easterns and (1.0) 3-toed from another person. I picked out all three by pictures and got one I picked. The two easterns were shipped without bags so the styrofoam was ripped up and the heat pack was touching the top of their shells. And the 3-toed has an ear infection!!

Oh no!! Have you seen a vet about that ear infection? I had one I took in from a vet who'd been treated for the ear infection by the vet.. after treatment she recovered up very very quickly.

On the subject of ugly... I've had people tell me some of mine are ugly but it really is true they make up for it in other ways.
Chip, the most battered one I have was so close to death when I got him but he had such a will to live, & he's done so well in his recovery that does make him beautiful to me.
Janie is the one I call my beauty queen.. she's the only one who's beautifully marked and doesn't have any type of battle scars or disfigurment.
We found her when we almost ran her over then 6 more cars did the same before we could turn around to pick her up. I started to just put her on the side of the road but thought about the many box turtles I've found dead on that same road.
I brought her home,wasn't going to keep her but we had to leave town for a funeral & when we got back she was still here...she wouldn't leave.. then I realized she wasn't behaving like any other wild one I've encountered before. I think she was a lost or dumped pet.

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PHRatz

I cleaned out the 3-toed's ear today. It seemed to go well. We shall see how well in a few days when it closes up and starts to heal.

So you'll have to keep us up to date on your turtle's progress. Is he able to feed at this point?

While boxies have an amazing ability to heal; it seems their immune system is compromised in captivity. Naturally after an injury they would gravitate towards a higher than normal heated area to simulate an induced fever similar to mammals fighting an infection.

Consider offering a very warm area to induce a fever that can fight off infection.

Many antibiotics can be purchased from tropical fish stores. Just a thought.

Ric K.

"Is he able to feed at this point?"

Yes, he is eating. I've fed him worms twice today.

"Naturally after an injury they would gravitate towards a higher than normal heated area to simulate an induced fever similar to mammals fighting an infection."

He has spent most of his time in the warm area- before and after the surgery. And he soaks alot.

Thanks-

Kevin

Kevin,

I did get the pics you emailed me. Nice looking boxie! Beautiful orange red markings.

Nice job taking those pics.

I could see the incision clearly. All looks fine except the slight bulge in the left eye. Some drainage may be accounting for that; although it could be pressure from gas produced via bacteria. Make sure you monitor your boxie closely and that the amount of eye protrusion stays constant ...hopefully starts to recede.

Ric K.

I don't like to stir anything up & I hesitate now to post this.. but I feel I should because it's info. People can take it or leave it, everyone has their own choice of course.

I don't like to contradict people or argue because I know there are many different ways to do pet keeping the right way. Not everyone does things exactly the same way but that doesn't make only one person right... but OTC meds were brought up & I wanted to pass this along just for FYI purposes.
I know I have an easier time getting my hands on meds than some people do because of my profession and sometimes people have to do things differently than I do.
I just wanted to toss this in as food for thought, even though it's written about birds it mentions reptiles too.
OTC meds

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PHRatz

Good Post!

And thanks for the info.

The meds I was referring to ;I have been using for near 15 years. I should have been more clear on that to prevent any misconceptions. Kevin and I have been emailing each other regarding his boxies's ear surgery over the week with much longer, detailed info. But from this post; the reader would not have known that.

I wouldn't use mixed antibiotics for fish on reptiles. I do use with great results, the Tetracycline's and the metrodiazole- flagyl..which is also sold through reptile supply sites-LLLreptile and The Bean Farm under the exact same name brand and exact packaging only for a lot more money. Time and experience has proved them safe on my boxies.

I also use some meds found at feed and farm stores that are stated safe by the FDA.

I think the concept here is to use as with any drug; caution. Some vets have prescribed for my husky; drugs which made him very very ill.. Two herp friends f had taken their herps into a vet that prescribed meds in the wrong concentration due to the fact that they were inexperienced with reptiles. Those animals died as a result of toxicity. There is no recourse when a vet errs and your pet dies as a result.

Another friend that has and sells very expensive geckoes took in-- part of her collection to a local vet that claimed he was familiar with reptiles, treated the geckoes and they ALL died. The remainder of her herps I have treated and with excellent results. But prior to having boxies; I had hundreds of reps for many years.

I guess, I stating all that we do with respect to being caretakers is to make decisions based on groundwork and common sense. I research very thoroughly before administering a drug and have a library of vet manuals and have been doing so for many years. That may not be everyone's cup of tea.

I 'm not anti vet ..I have found one out of twenty that admits he is willing to learn about boxies and we have learned together. The other vets had' t a clue when questioned as to boxie care; yet were prepared to treat them and charge me exorbitant fees.

Thanks again for the link and info. I 'm always in need of more information and appreciate it.

Ric K.

Ric once again you did not disappoint me.
You are the most knowlegeable person I have ever "met" who doesn't have formal training. I've always known that some people can & do learn correct ways to do things on their own through reading & experience. You are the proof of that.

I was afraid that you were talking about the fish stuff, but at the same time I had a gut feeling that you were not doing that.

I am aware that real medications not the junk can be bought without prescription in my own local feed stores & I am not above running in one of those stores to buy it IF I am sure it'll work.
I'm glad I was right that I was wrong ::grin:: but on the other hand I really like that article I posted & I think it's very helpful to many people. In fact because I've had so many vet-tech students who haven't yet taken pharmacology when my lab animal class rolls around each fall.. I print that out & make them read it because they often aren't aware that they shouldn't use the cheap junk (like hamster OTC meds) when they haven't yet studied what they need to study.

Anyway I like to put info out there if it can help so that's one reason why I did that.
Carry on
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PHRatz

That is a very diplomatic way of stating it. I agree, wholeheartedly.

Wanda

I work at a petstore and one day someone came in with a box turtle and said they didn't want it anymore (a lot of people dump pets at petstores). They were going to let it go. Since I live in the northeast and the box turtle was from texas we felt guilted into taking it. Not to mention that releasing ltc animals is not always a great idea. So my manager at the time gave them $6 for him and got info on him. We put him in the back room. His beak was very overgrown and a bit crooked and all his nails were curling back towards his feet. The next day I bought him for $6.

He had lived in a 10 gallon tank all his life, he was 5 years old and was fed only pellet food and sometimes some lettuce. Suprisingly he isn't really deformed at all, his beak doesn't line up right though. I've had him for I think 4 years now, but I'm not sure. Ratz probably knows better than I do how long I've had him, haha.

pic (hopefully)

My computer crashed a few months ago & I lost a lot of stuff but a year or so ago DH put all my photos on CD. I wonder if that date of download for Mikey's picture is on the CD? I'll have to see if I can find that & find out.
I just looked it up, I took in Shell E in May 2001, didn't you get Mikey the next year? I think you have had him for 4 years now.
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PHRatz

Yes I think I got Mikey a year after you got Shell E.

Thanks