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What would you call this coloration?

Looks like the coloration of my baby three-toeds. I always called it brown, but if you are into artist paints it's better described as watered down burnt umber

>>What would you call this coloration?
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Tess
Kingsnake.com Forum Host

This is an Eastern box turtle, though, and not a Three-toed.

Looks like an unusual color variant of the Eastern Box.

I would call it taupe.

It may be due to an ancient gene, or a shared allele for shell color, or a slight mutation. Depending on the environment, this coloration may have been advantageous at one time for protective coloration.

It's possible that the parents of this little guy, each possessed this gene for coloration, (althought in present day it may be recessive) which would account for it's rarity.

Being recessive he would not throw any other color himself to his progeny; but if bred to a common color, he would have all common color boxies( as the gene for common color in modern times is dominant ). If bred to one like himself would throw all babies the same color as himself.
Ric

What's This?

Cute baby, I can't see the color.. my DH has been messing with the computer again & the photo color is off on my computer. I hope to look at the pic again when I get this thing adjusted.
Congrats on the baby though.
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PHRatz