Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello, i just found a box turtle on teh road, and i was wondering if its legal to keep them?

It depends, where are you located and what type of box turtle is it?
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Kelly Wood

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im in illinois.. ummm, idk.. lol its jsut a plane old box turtle... they are realy common around here...

it looks like the one at the top of the box turtle page.. same pattern

>>it looks like the one at the top of the box turtle page.. same pattern

Sounds like you got your self a Eastern Box turtle.
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sweet... are they legal to keep? im not shure if im going to or not, but would just liek to know

tahnks for all your help everyone

Yep thats a Eastern all right. Yes they are legal to keep in IL but you cant sell a native species in IL so dont sell them to nobody in IL. I would look up on the net or get a book on Eastern Box turtles or box turtles in general.
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3.3 Leopard Geckos
2.0.1 Green Tree Pythons
1.1 Rosy Boas
2.3 Russian Tortoises
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
1.3 Three Toe Box
0.0.2 Leopard Tortoises
1.0 Malayan Leaf Turtle
1.0 Bearded
0.0.1 Red Foot Tortoise

awsome, thanks ill do some resherch tonight, thanks

if you dont keep it dont just let it go somewhere you think is suitable, boxies are territorial, they havce a home range which they imprint on during the first year or two of their lives, releasing her just anywhere will probly cause her death.
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My Site
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I vote let it go! There are plenty of captive box turtles for sale or in need of a good home. That turtle may very well be of a ripe old age and may become very stressed in a captive environment. It looks like a female and by removing her you may be removing future generations of boxies. Life situations change and in 5 years you may not be able to keep her and then it would be too late to return her to the wild. If I was a wild boxie, I would rather die than be doomed to a life in an aquarium.

Good luck with your decision.

There are plenty of box turtles available for adoption or purchase without further depleting wild populations.

I would urge you to put that one back where you found it (not in the road, of course), go back home and do lots of reading and research about box turtles, find out what their care requirements are, evaluate your financial ability to properly provide for one, and, if you still think that you must have one, adopt one from a local or national herp rescue.

Stephanie

ok, well i let him go this morning.... sadley, i found him on the road, flat as a pan cake.

J/K... he wonderd off in the woods. he is a good little turtle, he was defintaly a male. box turtles have a verry good temperment, he was verry friendley, and never really went into his shell, even when i picked him up. aww well, he is back in the woods now

thanks for your help everyone

I think you're wrong looks female to me
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My Site
1.2.1 Terrapene Carolina Triunguis
0.0.1 Nymphicus hollandicus
1.0 Melopsittacus undulatus
1.1 American Cocker Spaniels
1.0 American Short Hair? Cat
1.1 Rouen Ducks

You did the right thing!
Stephanie

thanks. males do ahve a dent in teh bottom of there shell right? and red eyes? this one had both, (altho you cant tell from teh pic.

but, sometimes males don't have red eyes, and some females have a slightly indented plastron...or reddish eyes!
Check out Bill's Box Turtles online: he has some great photos and simple graphics that show you what to look for.
Stephanie