Reptile & Amphibian Forums

in my back yard?????

I can't believe this! I have lived in my house for seven years. I spend a huge amount of time in my yard and have always been pretty aware of all of the turtles in my yard. There is no easy access in or out of my yard as I have a cinder block wall with a wooden gate. The gate is over a path of cement pavers so there in no way anything can get under it.

Yesterday I was in the back yard and heard some noise coming from under a canoe I keep in the yard. I have seen cats under there a couple of times and thought that's what was making the noise. When I looked under the canoe I found a mature beautiful male ornate with deep red eyes and a green head. Of course I relocated him to my turtle pen. He's much more shy than the rest of the gang in there although he did try and mount a couple of the females right away. He seems to be settling down but is staying on the opposite side of the pen than the rest of the gang. I'll post pics when I can get to it.

I still can't believe I've never seen this turtle in my yard.
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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

Vichris Variables

Is it possible he's a hatchling you missed a long time ago and has managed to stay out of sight all this time? Maybe he crawled under the gate as a hatchling. Or maybe somebody knew you had turtles and dropped him over the fence.

Well he's an older turtle,...very mature. When I post the pics you will see. You can tell just by looking at his shell and his head. As far as someone dropping him over my fence,.....I guess its a possibility but not likely. He actually looks like he could be related to my other male.
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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

Vichris Variables

of yellow head.

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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

Vichris Variables

He sure is pretty, I wondered too if one of your neighbors found it or one of their kids had it for awhile and didn't want it any more and they knew you keep box and just dropped it over the fence as an easy way to get rid of it to a good home? Or maybe he smelled all those hot ladies and said "I gotta find a way to bust into that bar" and either dug under or climbed over using a leaning tree or something.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

Whoa, he is an old beast! Very rugged looking. Of course, that female sure seemed to spook him...very funny. It is so comical to see her checking him out.

I can't tell you how many times I have found new turtles in my pens. Not so much where I live now (at the compound, haha), but when I was a teenager and a young adult in a crowded neighborhood. It would sometimes take months, but 100% of the time some person would approach me and say, "Oh, bye the way, I found a turtle on the road and..."

I live in the middle of a big city (Albuquerque) Nothing at all rural at all about it. We do have lots of turtles here that have been in peoples back yards for years though. There is no way he could have dug his way through or under these cinder block walls. The only two possibilities are he was here and just kept himself well hidden or someone put him in my yard. He is very shy compared to the other turtles. My back yard does have alot of places to hide too.

Either way I'm glad to have him. He's got good color, he makes a good addition, and he diversifies my blood lines. I have two males now. I'm not sure yet about last years babies but I am sure about the sex of all the other juvie and semi adult turtles. All the others are females.
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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

Vichris Variables

What a great looking older guy. Love that yellow head. He looks like he has a calm personality, too.