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Eastern box turtle???

Cdp75 Feb 15, 2005 10:02 PM

I got a new turtle today from a client where I work.
I had to answer the phone but I think I heard her say they've had it since the summer. They found it in the pool.

On the way home I stopped to get food and stuff.
I got it's new home(for now) set-up and gave it some food and some veggies. He/she checked everything out then starting eating away.
I hate the thought that it use to be free but it seems to have adjusted well.

Here's a pic....is this an eastern box turtle?

Replies (14)

Cdp75 Feb 15, 2005 10:02 PM

Here's a side shot....

Cdp75 Feb 15, 2005 10:04 PM

A closer pic...

Cdp75 Feb 15, 2005 10:42 PM

Well, now that I looked at some pictures again, it doesn't look like an eastern. Hummmmm.

Sonya Feb 16, 2005 08:01 AM

>>I got a new turtle today from a client where I work.
>>I had to answer the phone but I think I heard her say they've had it since the summer. They found it in the pool.
>>
>>On the way home I stopped to get food and stuff.
>>I got it's new home(for now) set-up and gave it some food and some veggies. He/she checked everything out then starting eating away.
>>I hate the thought that it use to be free but it seems to have adjusted well.
>>
>>Here's a pic....is this an eastern box turtle?
>>

What part of the country are you in? How many toes on back feet?
My guess is a three toed, but it is just a guess.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

Cdp75 Feb 16, 2005 11:24 AM

I live in AL. It has 4 toes on the back feet.

JOSTA Feb 16, 2005 01:12 PM

Looks like a juvenile Eastern box, but it is hard to tell at that age because it also could be a 3-toed. Or it could even be a Eastern/3-toed hybrid.
But, I do think it is an Eastern.

freakofnature Feb 19, 2005 06:09 PM

Here is a pic of my female box I was told she was a Eastern Box Turtle, looks alot like yours I would say yours is an eastern as well but Im no expert. Females have yellow markings and males have red, so Ive been told, again Im no turtle expert.

Cdp75 Feb 19, 2005 08:02 PM

Hey thanks for your reply! Nice turtle!

From what I read about the tails this one is a female. I thought she looked skinny to after seeing your pic, she is skinny.
She hasn't really eaten much of anything since I've had her. I don't think she ate good before I got her either. I read about waxworms and thought I'd give it a try. She ate them...yeah!!!!
What all do you feed yours?

freakofnature Feb 20, 2005 08:56 AM

I feed her small crickets I have to help her with thesse sometimes they can be to fast for her, lots of Veggies and I also give her some box turtle food from a can I cant think of the name of it and dont have any here at the house right now. They can be verry picky eaters at times at least mine was but after a while I stated figuring out what veggies she would and wouldnt eat. I dont have much info on mine she is a rescue. Her habbitat was destroyed by land development I rescued her from the middle of a major highway I was gonna find a place to release her back to the wild but she did so well in captivity that I figured I would keep her, I was scared of how she might do back in the wild. I am going to be building her a nice outside home this spring.

Cdp75 Feb 20, 2005 10:19 AM

Alright, sounds like I'm trying everything you mentioned. How often do you feed her?
We're going to set up an outside home for her too when it gets warmer. I live in AL and was told she could stay out year round with out a probelm. We're thinking about getting some more female box turtles but not sure yet.

freakofnature Feb 21, 2005 04:42 PM

I offer fresh veggies every day, then every couple of days I offer small crickets or the canned food. This time of year I dont offer any food since she is hibernating. You will also need to suppliment with Multi vitamin powder and cacium powder.

cdp75 Feb 21, 2005 05:07 PM

Ok, that's what I've been doing. Except, I have given her waxworms everyday for 3 days. Only b/c she's acting like she's starving and kept going back to the dish looking for them. I'm going to cut her back to every other day on those and try to get her to eat something else. I have some calcium powder for my other reptiles that I sprinkled on the waxworms.
I also gave her a bigger water bowl. It's one on those dishes you stick under potted plants. It has rocks in it so she can get out easy. She sat in it forever. She kept putting her whole head under the water. At first, I thought she was drowning but the water's not anywhere deep enough. Then she pulled her head out and back under several times. She must like it.
Are box turtles active or not? All she wants to do is eat and hide. She's been coming out at night b/c there's holes dug everywhere.
I can't wait for it to get warmer so I can make her an outside haven. Since she's a WC, I'm sure she'll be much happier back outside.

Rouen Feb 25, 2005 12:02 PM

your turtle's probly around 2 1/2 - 3 years old so feedings do not need to be daily, feeding every other day will not harm your boxie and will probly make it eat more, since your boxie is still young you cannot sex it, even though it may look female.
the T.C. ssp require high humidity, dunking their heads is a way of getting moisture when humidity is low, as well as to get dirt out of their eyes, stay away from the junk food pet stores sell, you can feed a fresh diet that'd be far healthier, veggies and greens should make up the most part of you boxies diet since it's a juvi it doesn't need alot of protien now so once a week or once every other week offer the protien and once a week offer fruits, and veggies/greens, fruits are high in fat so dont over feed them.
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Matt-D Feb 20, 2005 10:35 PM

It's probably too small to accurately sex.. Also, if you think it isn't an eastern because of it's colour, it will change colour.. I was informed that the white chin is a characteristic of Gulf Coast box turtles, maybe look into them and see if it matches.. Gulf Coasts are also a lot more bland than easterns.

Matt

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