Reptile & Amphibian Forums

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They were collected on the road and released.

Were you conducting a census?
I just take pictures where they're found and let them continue on their way: no risk of replacing any in the wrong territory, less stress on the turtle, etc.
Stephanie

Would you be willing to sell those or any other boxes? i have some Three toeds but i want to get some other box turtles.

Please use the classifieds to transact business!
You could also probably benefit from familiarizing yourself with legal issues surrounding box turtle sale/purchases in general. Unless the poster had a permit, he/she shouldn't even have collected the turtles to begin with, due to their protected status in NJ.

The box turtles in the photo were all picked up off my road one morning this past June. They were the lucky ones that were not smashed. They were all released after the photo was taken. I do not keep,collect or sell any wild herps. becase of the reasons stated in the previous post.

You came across some good looking ones...Hopefully you'll get to see them again in years to come!
Thanks for posting the photo. One of these days I'll post some pix, too.
Stephanie

Sorry i didn't read the rest of the thread so I didn't know they were wildcaughts.

i remember with great joy, collecting only two easterns in my boyhood,... i have'nt seen any in about two decades. are they still seen in southeastern ny?, and what are the legalities involved in keeping (or not keeping) these beautiful turtles?

I can't tell you if they are still found there... tens of thousands were collected in the 90's to satisfy the global exotic pet trade, and it is now illegal to export box turtles, period.
Specifically in the state of New York, its illegal to posess, sell, collect or harm ALL North American box turtle species, as they are protected.
Check with your state fish & wildlife people about the details.
Stephanie

None should have been collected there in the 90's as they were protected by the state in the late 80's i think. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen. They are largely extirpated from many parts of their range in eastern new york. Further north a repatriation program is on going (near Albany/Schenectady/Troy)

Southeastern New York is well known for its unusual diversity (for the north east) of turtles and in lots of places there are on going mark/re-capture studies there. sadly i think the eastern box turtle population is (along with blanding's spotted, wood, and bog) in decline. As far south east as you could go in New York, on Long Island the box turtle is in terrible trouble.

I should add that, if I'm not mistaken, Eastern box turtles have been protected in NY for nearly a century.
Stephanie

Actually they were very common in NY pet shops in the 1980's

I guess I didn't word that very well, but my understanding is that Eastern box turtles had been given a measure of protection under the law since the early 1900's: whether that meant that collection/sale was restricted to some degree, I don't know. I may have garbled my information.
Certainly suburban sprawl is a major contributor to the problem (so think about that when you buy a house).
I also realize that I shouldn't have implied that turtles were collected for the pet trade exclusively from NY, which wouldn't be accurate, but law or not, I'm sure some were collected from NY.
Stephanie

If you are in NY and you are serious about persuing this contact me off list and I'll try to help fix you up.
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Ed
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Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care