Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone:

New to the box fourm~

Rencently I started my box collection, and I come accorse a problem. The eastern and 3-toed look very much the same while are at baby stage.
Is there any way to tell which is which beside counting the hide toad? ( I was told that sometimes 3-toad could have 4 toes too)

Thanks

Three toed boxies only have 3 toed on there hind legs....thats all i can think of at a early age...good luck hope this helps

You're right about 3-toed box turtles sometimes having 4 toes on their hind feet, so its not really a definitive way to tell the difference between the two when they are hatchlings.
In fact, I don't think there is a 100% accurate way to tell the difference (when they're that young), barring knowing their parentage.
Time will tell.
Stephanie

hi there you know that 3 toeds can have 4 toes and that is actually very common for a 3 toed. The only thing i can think of is color of the shell 3 toeds will have a olive color to there shell and easterns will have black shell with yellow on it. Or a eastern will have a real colorful shell compared to a 3 toed. Thats all i can think of so you will have to wait til they get older.

Thax for every's reply

So~ i guess knowing what their parents are is the best way to

tell~

let's wait for the time to tell

thanks again everyone!

That pretty much sums it up, since Eastern hatchlings don't necessarily have much in the way of markings on them: I have had very plain Eastern hatchlings here, and seen pix of 3-toed hatchlings that had as many or more markings on them (to begin with).
That all changes as they grow, of course.
Stephanie