Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all, I don't post in the forum a lot, but I've been keeping box turtles for over 20 years. I have a pair of Three-toed box turtles (the male I've had for 22 years and the female for 3). Over the past few weeks I've found 4 baby box turtles. I left them in their large outdoor enclosure and couldn't keep track of them so I moved them to a smaller outdoor enclosure, even though I'm still missing one. This is the first time I've bred these turtles, even though I didn't do much, just let nature take its course!

The first picture is three of the hatchlings

The other picture is the other hatching (currently missing) and the female (left) and the male.

As cute as those babies are they don't seem small enough to be hatchlings, they almost look like yearlings. Congrats on finding them though, either way.

I sorta agree with the other poster... they look like yearlings. The one on the far right of the top photo actually looks like it's 2 years old.

Babies are very good hiding and it's probably a case where they are actually bold enough to finally put themselves out into view of the humans.
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PHWyvern

The must of been from earlier this year then. Last spring was the first time the male and female have been together. Unless they mated, hatched and hibernated then went another 7 months without being seen in a 10x8 enclosure.

It is quite possible that they overwintered in the pen without you having been aware that they were there, even in a comparatively small space.
They would be extremely difficult to find, being about an inch in length, brownish in color, and adept at staying well camouflaged under leaf litter.
They've obviously been eating well, but there does appear to be more than one season's growth.
You may have more on the verge of hatching this year, too.

Stephanie

How very cool... Lucky you! They look like they're quite healthy and robust.
I'll chime in with the others about the possible ages of the youngsters, but of course we'll never know for sure.
Congratulations!

Stephanie

Congrats Sal! Whatever their age they're very healthy looking & pretty.
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PHRatz

dont they usually have a yolk sac after they hatch? and for a while afterwards they have that soft spot on thier plastron.. ? you could look for that.. might help in determining age.. congratulations either way.. ive been trying to get my easterns to breed for a while with no luck.. and you didnt do anything!
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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, chameleon treefrogs?, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, veiled chameleon, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, four cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.