Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I found this shell in my parents backyard when clearing brush. My parents live basically right in town so not alot of natural habitat but there may have been years ago when this guy died. I wonder how long it could have been there ??? Do these shells last long in the wild ? I figured they breakdown after awhile. Its just as I found it bone etc... Anyway I know its a Box Turtle but I dont know what kind. I would guess an Ornate Box being in Southern Wisconsin (Madison to be exact) but Im still out of the range of Ornatus. The shell itself is just a hair under 5" long and 3.5" wide. Could be a escaped pet maybe or who knows but if anyopne can tell by my pics please let me know as Im just curious.
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well your actually quite a bit closer to ornate range than you are eastern. ornates range to the southern part of the state. easterns don't even reach the state to my knowledge. this thing could last quite a while if undisturbed and depending on conditions. it's bone matter, so it'll last a long time. it's bleached out quite a good bit, if from the sun? or did you celan it up? the carapace spinal ridge is not pronounced as in easterns. also the carapace is far too nice and smooth to be likely that it was the pet of the average turtle keeper. unless one of the good keepers, like we have here, lost it at some point.
I hope it lived a good life, and a long one. it looks like it took care of itself.

Mick
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"When tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign foe."

James Madison

Thanks it was pretty dirty other than that it was already pretty white. Actually its more yellow I think the flash made it look white. On another forum someone said it looked like an Eastern because Ornates dont have a ridge on their backs ???

Keith
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no, easterns are just much more pronounced as an actual "ridge". ornates have a spine under their shell too. it is just less pronounced and streaked with color, so is not really considered a "ridge". this one is not pronounced enough to be an eastern.

Mick
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"When tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign foe."

James Madison

this one is not pronounced enough to be an eastern.

On an old turtle, the ridge may not be pronounced due to wear. My vote is for eastern--the shell is much too "domed" to be an ornate (flatter on top for those).
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

nah, if it were wear to the dorsal ridge.... and that much wear to boot, there would certainly be some indications of it more visibly in that area, or some indication of such an abrasive life elsewhere on the carapace. this turtle looks clean and unblemished.

it's also well outside the known range of the eastern, but well within the possibility that he's in ornate range, because the poster is in the southern half of the state.

generally there is a flattening of the top of the carapace in ornates. but that is somewhat variable as with many other things. I have seen many that were not so flat.

it more likely to be an ornate, I think...given the range and less prominent ridge...than it is likely that this is an eastern, outside of it's range and with significant uniform carapace wear to just that part of the shell. the most believable set of circumstances would be the most likely.

but we may never know unless remaining marking were seen before it was cleaned, or somebody has more detailed info on post mortem taxon of turtle shells.

Mick
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"When tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign foe."

James Madison

Never saw any markings its pretty much as I found it sans some dirt etc...

Keith
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