Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Please help me identify this box turtle. It is not indeginous to michigan. I brought it back from brink of starvation.

Looks like a Desert Box Turtle. Do you have a pic of its plastron (bottom shell)?
Chris
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Hey whats up, I'm Chris and I currently have 1.0 Softy, 0.0.1 Midland Painted, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

I's say it's a desert box turtle,
Terrapene ornata luteola.
The characteristic is the number of radiations on the carapacial scutes. It has more than one would see in T o ornata.

definatly an ornate, there are two sub-breeds it think, the eastern and western. there may be more. they are great turtles that are fearless and have wonderful outgoing personalities. they like security when they eat so get some fake plants in your tank around the oursides. if they are secure, they will eat up a storm.

Here is a pic of the plastron. Also if anyone could advise on where a desert box turtle is indigenous too and what they may eat. This one currently eats canned cat food and chopped bannanas.

Yeah it's a Desert Boxie. Is the white stuff in there substrate fertalizer? You need to make sure you get potting soil free of all fertalizers.

They live in dry arid areas in the south-western part of the US. You can try feeding him more fruits like strawberries, blue berries, grapes, and anything else you got around the house. Just try and see waht he likes.
Chris
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Hey whats up, I'm Chris and I currently have 1.0 Softy, 0.0.1 Midland Painted, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

Thank you for the ID. Actually the white stuff in the photo is vermiculate. I now let my spotteds lay eggs on their own in the enclosure. I keep the soil moist with a constant temp of 77. I have been unsuccessful with the lasttwo clutches of spotted eggs with my homemade incubator. The embryos matured to about 3/4 full but must have died somehow but im not sure how

Good luck with the luteola, WC individuals make difficult captives. I kept a few up here in Gaylord for three summers and they just got a to be too much work. I love that little insculpta hatchling in the pic!

Andrew

Please do not mix species from different areas, even if for brief times. You've just exposed some very nice, critical species to an animal that comes from a drasticly different climate and geographical location. There is a serious risk of contaminating your wood and spotted turtle to whatever pathogens (including viral) that might be natural for that box turtle - and whatever else that box turtle was exposed to while it went through the pet trade (the collector, wholesaler, pet store, and any previous owners). Of course, you could also be exposing the box turtle to pathogens native to your spotted and woods. Since the animals are from different areas, they might have something that the other has never been exposed to before, and cannot tolerate.

Make sure you practive good hygiene between turtles and their enclosures so that you don't cross-contaminate pathogens.

Just wanted to make you aware of the problem so that it can be avoided in the future.

Katrina

Terrepene ornata ornata - Called Ornate box and Western Box. I do not think it is a luteola. It is a male. Easy on the fruit - it should be a small part of the diet. At lest 50% protein based foods. Especially fond of live food - earthworms good. Care of box turtles, link included, applies
Link

it looks like a 'textbook' T.o.luteola to me. ornata ornata typically will have a plastron with a dark colored background, with yellow streaks. the luteola often(not always)has a light colored plastron with dark markings. this specimen fits the latter case. also it looks like a female, check out that tiny tail, and of course the eye color points to female as well.

either way, its a nice animal. i agree on the diet, could be expanded. banana is great as a small part of the diet, but they will eat other fruits, although they really love all sorts of insects. you might vary the canned catfood with soaked troutchow also.

keep a close eye on it with that tiny wood turtle. it could get crushed, or even possibly injured by the larger turtle. i have seen several adult luteolas approach hatchlings as if they were food items, and had one small juvenile luteola literally ripped to shreds, apparently by a larger one.

good luck, ian

Thank you for information. This box turtle was only in the wood turtle set up while I took the picture. I plan on keeping it outdoors in the summer. I have a 30 by 40 enclosure in my yard just for turtles. Thanks again

Did you find it just wandering around in the wild? Like it escaped or someone got tired of it and dumped it?

Where in MI are you? I'm near Grand Rapids.

I girl that works for a pet store gave it to me said someone brought it in. I live in muskegon