Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, we just found a turtle in our yard in Santa Cruz, CA. What kind of turtle have we got on our hands here. Thanks for any help.

The animal you pictured is a box turtle (Terrapene carolina). Even when the photo is blown up, the back foot is hard to see, but overall it looks to be a three-toed box turtle (T. c. triunguis). The natural range of that type extends from the Mississippi River Valley in southern Louisiana up through Missouri and beyond, west to Texas and Oklahoma.

Your animal is likely an escaped or liberated "pet" and will need you to read up on temperature, food, and housing requirements (of which plenty of info is to be found). Of all the books out there, I don't know if any will inform you how to teach your new animal how to cheer for the banana slugs. Good luck.

Three Toed Box Turtle

Yep, definitly a 3 toed box turtle. Good captives. Id say a neighbor may have had an outdoor enclosure that he made the great escape from. Mine feed on a mixed diet of of Iams canned cat food (to insure all the vitamin intake) and a mix of veggies and fruits. Good luck with it!