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My mother found this box turtle crossing the road over 8 years ago in a very developed business/residential area. She was an obvious escaped/released pet; she very strongly associated people with food, and does not look anything like the box turtles native to this area. I've been calling her a Gulf Coast Box Turtle for the past 8 years, but I've never been 100% on that ID. It's not a big deal, as she's just a family pet, but I would like to know what you all think she is. She does have 4 toes on each hind leg. Locality data is irrelevent as she does not look like the native subspecies, of which I have found several of over the years.

I live in Ohio and have two male easterns they are the true
brown and yellow with red eyes.
Your picture looks like a female eastern box. I have found and returned easterns that were "black" or darker in color in the southern Ohio and West virginia area.
Your turtle is very nice looking.
norris

Hi i want to say a gulf coast box turtle. It could be a mix but gulf coast is my guess. Im pretty sure.

Can you tell us her size? That might be helpful, since Gulf Coast box turtles tend to be somewhat larger than Easterns overall. Thanks.
Stephanie

Size wont really help to much. but worth a shot. I know they are bigger but most of the people i know with them have about the same size gulfs then my 3 toeds.

I found one better than 10 SCL outside of Gulfport, Ms. Biggest Boxie I've ever seen in the wild. Which reminds me that I have a photo of an eastern boxie in the UK that was as big. I'll see if I can dig it up.

>>Size wont really help to much. but worth a shot. I know they are bigger but most of the people i know with them have about the same size gulfs then my 3 toeds.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

She was a young looking specimen when she was initially found, and has maybe grown a quarter inch since then, and she is well fed.

She looks like she may just be an Eastern based on markings, size, etc... You may never know for sure.
She's a cutie, though.
Stephanie

Hi all - been gone for a while - from my view - being I have 2 just like her - female Eastern.

Your boxie appears to be a very nice looking female that has strong eastern traits from the northern Ohio area. It's possible that way back there may have been hybridizing with a Gulf but those traits are not as strong. Easterns have a very varied shell coloration. Just look at the photo gallery in in Kingsnake. Gulf boxies usually have very strong flaring and much lighter face patterns around the nose . Also the squarish lighter like patterns are not indicative of Gulf Boxies. Faded spots, very faded with flatter shells in comparision to the dome are Gulf Coasties.
I believe you have a local variant boxie from the Northern Ohio area.... EASTERN BOX.
Thanks, for the pics,
Ric

I'm not entirely sure how you arrived at the conclusion that this turtle is from Ohio. Are you saying that it is possible for you to to determine an eastern box turtle's region of origin by its shell pattern?
Stephanie

No.....
Boxies do have local varying characteristics, size, diet preferences, shell shape, tololerences to temperatures extremes and coloration depending on their eons of evolution. That's not to say YOU will not find a boxie that looks just like one from say.... Virginia in Ohio. It's usually a displaced one from man's interference..and can have acclimated and crossbred. However after years of breeding with the local populations this variety usually becomes the rarity.
I have many boxies from 9 different states; and over the years, have noticed patterns. I have travelled to many of the states that have native boxies and have viewed many varying specimens.
I am not drawing a positive conclusion, however from what I have witnessed and read and spoke to breeders in the various areas; it appears that this is a very high probably. Boxie coloration and for that matter wildlife in general seem to blend in more with the biome that naturally protects them.
Sooo from the boxie pictured above; I have seen, many that look like Identical twins from the Ohio area..in shell shape , regarding dome to width appearances, skin coloration, second scute length, ( in comparision to the remainder of the carapace) shell coloration, plastron hinge distance from first scute and also it's coloration.
If WE could count he labial bones; a more positive I.D could be made.
So I was just trying to point the owner to research more with MY opinion. There were many opinions offered. We are all free to select or reject that which is posted here.

The boxies in Indiana are similar but much more intense yellow squiggle lines over a higher domed shell than those in Ohio. And the boxies in Western PA. are also similar but have a very deep jaw to head set.
Not a conclusion, just an opinion from 20 plus years of personnal experience enjoying boxies. Pictured below is one fron Indiana.
Regards,
Ric

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