My Eastern Box Turtle who I had since 1994 has gorgeous Red/gold eyes. Short tail and yes is smooth shell wise not bumpy that's so a make can lay up against her. She had an egg when we first got her. She was by herself with us and later it so that confirms that not all females have brown eyes. Now in 2016 I got a baby boy and he has brown eyes, long tail and a bumpy shell. Hope that helps you ALL. Either eye color can happen for a female and male :)
I found a box turtle in my neighbors yard this morning and drove it down to the levee to get it away from the road and closer to water but thank God I came across this nice gentleman and his wife with their Rottweiler and he told me that I should put him back where I found him because they like to stay close to where they live and they aren't as aquatic as I thought. I had to drop my wife off at work so he got to take a ride in the car for a little bit until he got back home and he was having the time of his life. She held him up so he could see all the trees going past and he looked like he was flying through the air. It was so cute. I checked on him a short while later and he was just hanging out in the field across from the neighbors house after I helped him get across the road. I'll be sure to keep an eye on him and make sure he stays away from cars but I thought that you'd like to hear our story. Turtle power!
Thank you!! We have recently relocated to the Ouachita Mountain region of Arkansas and have saved a number of these wonderful turtles from the highway and certain death! My wife says that we are the administrators of a Turtle Sanctuary and that I am a Turtle Whisperer!! ;-) This has been very helpful! :-)
the ridges on the scutes of the carapace are bursts of growth and have no correlation with age whatsoever. unfortunately there is no surefire way to tell the age of a turtle. with that being said, i like the video and appreciate your interest in these beautiful animals :)
Thank you for making this. I'm a Chicago in transplanted to Northeastern Atlanta, and box turtles are abound, along with other flora and fauna unfamiliar to those of us in Northern Illinois.
I live in In Florida, and I photograph birds and critters, and I came across a box turtle for the first time, at a place called the Florida Wetlands. I noticed it had what appeared to be like a hinged lower shell, and completely closed itself up as I approached. Cool video 👍🏻
Females tend to have a rounder shell and smoother looking skin. Plus their head is more rounded. I get a bunch of them in the yard every year. I live on the MD side of the mountain across from harpersferry. If I spot one in the road I'll catch it and let it go in the yard. I found a baby one in the yard for the first time this fall :) Have had them as pets and bred them before. They can move pretty fast if they want to! lol
Messed Up Puppet I use to make my turtle move fast. I would put it in hot water and that thing would move fast. I was only 9 when I did that of course. Would never do that now.
Plus the eye thing doesn't really work some females have red eyes and some males have brown eyes also the counting the shell thing is completely inaccurate sometimes they have growth spurts and produce many in one year and sometimes the don't grow any at all
I always heard that because of the location of the lungs .....turning them upside down puts pressure on the lungs and makes it difficult for them to breathe
With all respect and appreciation for your effort to help all of us who love turtles/----I have to tell you that as with most all things; time brings more information. I know we were all taught he tree age count the ring theory. Turns out it was disproved multiple years ago. Most of us would have little opportunity to here such news. Anyway----it is now believed that the rings represent not years but rather rainy seasons (which vary year to year ) and would be multiples in each year. Onward and upward!
Thank you this helped me out. I'm in mobile Alabama and every morning I have 3 box turtles doing their rounds and didn't know if they were male or females. Now I know that they are all 3 females
Much like the rings on the trunk of a tree, as a turtle ages it develops rings in its scutes, the plates that make up its shell. However, simply counting them and assuming each one represents a year would be a mistake, the rings on a turtle denote periods of growth rather than lengths of time. In some years, a turtle may grow a great deal, and in others it may grow very little, if at all. A ring could indicate a growth spurt, even if this took very little time over the life of a turtle.
Hi mine is a male, but the eyes are brown..just like the first one. There are 2 brands of box tutles...one is the red legged and they have red eyes, while the Eastern (Florida Box turtle has brown eyes) oh, and the Florida Eastern has yellow features on it's legs and under neck ...the male has that concave bottom shell...
I have a box turtle I inherited from my great aunt about 18 years ago. It was already 20-30 years old when I received it, making it at least 40-50 years old at this point. From what I've seen here and elsewhere, I don't feel these methods can be applied at this age.
Great video. Was wondering if you might know the answer to this. I have a Florida Box and was trying to determine her age. She was adopted from basically a stranger that couldn't tell me much. I was trying to count her rings, but they are so close together and not very distinct from each other to the point where it proved impossible. Is this because A)she is so old with so many rings that they are crowded together B)since FL Boxes are active pretty much year round, they have a more consistent growth rate rather than seasonal (the source of the "rings") or C)something else I'm not considering? She does seem to me and others to have grown a bit since I got her a few months ago. I heard they don't grow much after ~20years and she appears to have way more than 20 rings. So it kinda makes me doubt A and go with B. Maybe they produce more than 1 ring a year in FL? Any advice you have is appreciated.
KLisaLisa I have 2 males and 2 females as pets living in my backyard and you're right they eat all the pests. My fence is buried 2 feet underground so they can't escape but my yard has plenty of places to hide and plenty of worms, slugs and insects. I also give them worms, fruits and vegetables. My 4 live a great life. They live outside all year and hibernate during winter.
I live in a pretty old growth forrest area near Nashville, and I have a lot of them. I knew the eye color brown for female reddish for males. I didn't know to count the ridges to determine age. Thanks
Can’t use the count the rings like a tree thing... they can get several rings a year based on food and stuff like that.. it’s based on growth not time.
Same with my turtle. OK people will think that I am trying to lie but has anyone ever heard of the endangered species of box turtle with special and specific markings and DOTS that are Yellow? And yes it's a box turtle. I took it to a veterinarian and they said she's a rare and endangered species. In the 80 s people hunted them for their shells. Well she might as well be the last of her kind. She has red eyes . she's female. I have another COMMON box turtle and they mater in late FALL so the eggs were laid in winter so they could not hatch
I once had dogs that would look at and bark at a turtle before leaving them alone. They barked at snakes more. With the exception of a snapper once. I had to put the dog in her kennel just to let the turtle be on its way.
Tyler Aaron Pheonix my name is Debbie McClintock, I live in South Carolina, I Rescued a baby box turtle from the flood we had here in October, it was in the sheet rock I'm the garage which was totally under water, a miracle it survived, so far she is doing good, so glad you rescued yours, just wondering how yours is doing?
Tyler Aaron Pheonix So sorry to hear that Tyler, so far my Turtle is doing well, she is hibernating a lot, but I check on her a lot, she is still very tiny, You were giving yours such great care I wonder what happened, I am still so new at this, Debbie...
Sorry but it is impossible to determine the age of an Eastern Box Turtle unless you know when it was born exactly. All these theories on age determination are not true at all. Pretty boxies you got there tho!:)
@@KLisaLisa I've had a box turtle (among others) thats been with me over 20 years, and the rings on it's shell are the same every time I've counted it. I got it when it was pretty much fully grown though, so it may differ compared to a younger one.
Hi. thanks f'or the video. I'm remodeling a house where the new owner inherited two HUGE box turtles - three times bigger than these turtles here. They live on a second floor deck in a four-five foot wide tub of water with some cinder block islands - not on land at all. Is this unhealthy for them? I've talked my landlady into adopting them as she has a large yard and an artificial pond with short artificial river. If this adoption doesn't happen, I'd like to know if it's unhealthy for box turtles to be in the water ALL the time. Thanks
Sorry, I know this was a year ago, but in case you or anyone else was wondering: All but one very rare type of box turtle (Coahuilan box turtle, Terrapene coahuila) which is the only aquatic species in the genus, live most their life on land. They can swim, but not well. They instead prefer and need only a shallow dish of water deep enough for them to soak in. They also like to do their #2 business in said water so it should be changed frequently and immediately after doing the dookie so they don't drink it. Also, for my personal species (Florida Box) and at least the Gulf Coast Box (maybe others, too) high humidity is important. This especially for still developing turtles otherwise shell and growth deformities can occur. For FL Boxes, ~70-90% is ideal since they are from FL and tend to live near (but not in) swamps and marches. You may need a reptile tank humidifier, especially if kept in doors because, for example, my apt here in FL is usually around 40-45% because we have to run the AC all the time. Hope this helps cause my Squirtle friggin RULES! Be warned though that most can live to be 50yrs old, and I have heard some even up to 100.
I have 3 pretty large box turtles. only had one and then got another from a family member and put them together and away they went, yep the one I had was a female and the other male. then my son,8, found another one and we put all together is a an aquarium. should I separate the female in adifferent one with soil and sticks and rocks? is plant soil ok to use? then thought I would leave the males together is that a good idea? thanks for any help
+cindy davis An aquarium seems so small! Is there a way you can build a large pen in your yard? It would be good if they had some space and a natural setting. I think it is fine to have them together.
Not all females have brown eyes that's a myth and rings are you red then divided by two not counted for ring per year they van have more than one ring per year so rule of thumb to get a good ESTIMATE is to divide by two!!
I have what appears to be a box turtle who is hanging around my side door. he is only using three legs to move rear passenger side leg is gone or not being used. he also appears to missing an eye. poor thing seemed disoriented I fed him some sliced tomatoes which he ate hardily! thing is I have no idea what to do with it. will it move on at its own pace? my dog is not messing with it but she is a bit afraid and jealous of me giving it attention. I don't know anything about turtles at all. I'm here in chesterfield Virginia if anyone near me would like to give this turtle a loving home or see it gets what it needs to survive the winter.
***** Sorry I am just now catching up with my comments! Any updates on the turtle? He must have been injured! I hope he recovered and burrowed in under the mulch/leaf litter/pine needles to hibernate for the winter!
I think he is sleeping for winter. he ate a few times left came back ate left again. I have not seen him since b4 the first frost of this winter. I hope he / she is ok. I named it "lefty".
that's great because I miss my little buddy. he really likes watermelon also. I put my finger down next to him and say "give pop a hug" and he rubs his head and neck on my finger. its kind of funny but my neighbors must think I'm nuts! lol
i'm sorry to tell you this but male eastern box turtles can have brown eyes and females can have red eyes and you cannot count the scoots like a tree ring it is not very accurate . It looks more like a male i own 2 and i have had them for many years.
I'm sorry but there is no accurate way to tell age, unless you know the hatch date. The eyes are not completely accurate, though males do typically have red eyes and indentations in there shells it can vary, the most accurate way to tell is by the tail.
hey my turtle is about 18 years old and is kept in a small cage. I have kept him with me since when I was 6. he had some bugs on him and his cage and I want to move him outside so he is happy when I move to college but I don't know what to do. PLEASE let me know what I should do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this turtle and changed his chips at 2 am because I don't want him unhappy. its the only thing that keeps me happy as an 18 years old and I want him more happy then me. plz respond anyone so I can make him happy.
Releasing a pet turtle into the wild often has them clueless and they often die in short order. Often they starve since they have a lessor hunting ability than a wild turtle. Thus taking your turtle to college is better for the turtle, or giving it away to another as a pet. A released captive turtle can introduce to wild turtles stuff that can wipe them out too. Even moving wild turtles to other areas has issues since Box turtles try to get back were there home is, often just a few acres in area.
You should never ever move a box turtle because it can really mess them up they love in the same area because they know what to eat when their in the area their used to but when you move them the tend to die in a few days because the don't have any idea what to do so please please please don't ever move her again
thank you! I just saw a box turtle outside, and i "adopted" it for 30 minutes. I wanted to know its gender and everything. Know i know that it was a 16 or 17 year old male eastern box turtle. (I didn't use the eye method for the gender though) Thank you again!
My Eastern Box Turtle who I had since 1994 has gorgeous Red/gold eyes. Short tail and yes is smooth shell wise not bumpy that's so a make can lay up against her. She had an egg when we first got her. She was by herself with us and later it so that confirms that not all females have brown eyes. Now in 2016 I got a baby boy and he has brown eyes, long tail and a bumpy shell. Hope that helps you ALL. Either eye color can happen for a female and male :)
What do they eat
I found a box turtle in my neighbors yard this morning and drove it down to the levee to get it away from the road and closer to water but thank God I came across this nice gentleman and his wife with their Rottweiler and he told me that I should put him back where I found him because they like to stay close to where they live and they aren't as aquatic as I thought. I had to drop my wife off at work so he got to take a ride in the car for a little bit until he got back home and he was having the time of his life. She held him up so he could see all the trees going past and he looked like he was flying through the air. It was so cute. I checked on him a short while later and he was just hanging out in the field across from the neighbors house after I helped him get across the road. I'll be sure to keep an eye on him and make sure he stays away from cars but I thought that you'd like to hear our story. Turtle power!
Thank you!! We have recently relocated to the Ouachita Mountain region of Arkansas and have saved a number of these wonderful turtles from the highway and certain death! My wife says that we are the administrators of a Turtle Sanctuary and that I am a Turtle Whisperer!! ;-) This has been very helpful! :-)
I watched your video and thought my bright red eyed box turtle was a male until yesterday July 28th 2016 he laid 4 eggs NOT A BOY!
Watching this and reading your comment on July 28, 2020!
the ridges on the scutes of the carapace are bursts of growth and have no correlation with age whatsoever. unfortunately there is no surefire way to tell the age of a turtle. with that being said, i like the video and appreciate your interest in these beautiful animals :)
I captured footage of a beautiful male last weekend. I will post the video May 7th. Thank you for teaching us how to determine gender and age! 🐢
Ur supposed to count the ridges and then divide by two not count each ring like a tree.
Box turtles are great in the garden! They eat the tomatoes that fell on the ground and the bad bugs too! Austin, I'll check out your video!
Thank you for making this. I'm a Chicago in transplanted to Northeastern Atlanta, and box turtles are abound, along with other flora and fauna unfamiliar to those of us in Northern Illinois.
I live in In Florida, and I photograph birds and critters, and I came across a box turtle for the first time, at a place called the Florida Wetlands. I noticed it had what appeared to be like a hinged lower shell, and completely closed itself up as I approached. Cool video 👍🏻
Females tend to have a rounder shell and smoother looking skin. Plus their head is more rounded. I get a bunch of them in the yard every year. I live on the MD side of the mountain across from harpersferry. If I spot one in the road I'll catch it and let it go in the yard. I found a baby one in the yard for the first time this fall :) Have had them as pets and bred them before. They can move pretty fast if they want to! lol
my western box turtle has bright bright red eyes and we've had him for about 20 years now and we dont know how old he is
This video is very just it has a lot of information that I think is very valuable and I love reptiles !
I agree who ever said that turtles are so is wrong, I have a three toed box turtle and he is fast.
Messed Up Puppet I use to make my turtle move fast. I would put it in hot water and that thing would move fast. I was only 9 when I did that of course. Would never do that now.
@@KentPetersonmoney thst was terrible little kids are crazy 😂
I looove box turtles!!
Thank you for the information! This helped a ton! Now I know my box turtle is a female. 😁
Plus the eye thing doesn't really work some females have red eyes and some males have brown eyes also the counting the shell thing is completely inaccurate sometimes they have growth spurts and produce many in one year and sometimes the don't grow any at all
These techniques are usually pretty accurate.
Thanks for the information Sm1nts2escape! You live in a beautiful area with lots of wildlife!
good advice
Funny looking turtle, it looks like a tortois to me.
Thank you
thank you this was vary helpful :)
seth thomas Glad to help!
Just found a little female- thanks for the info. We also in central Va!!
I always heard that because of the location of the lungs .....turning them upside down puts pressure on the lungs and makes it difficult for them to breathe
With all respect and appreciation for your effort to help all of us who love turtles/----I have to tell you that as with most all things; time brings more information. I know we were all taught he tree age count the ring theory. Turns out it was disproved multiple years ago. Most of us would have little opportunity to here such news. Anyway----it is now believed that the rings represent not years but rather rainy seasons (which vary year to year ) and would be multiples in each year. Onward and upward!
Thank you this helped me out. I'm in mobile Alabama and every morning I have 3 box turtles doing their rounds and didn't know if they were male or females. Now I know that they are all 3 females
Do you know if box turtles from New Mexico travel in the night? Thank you.
i love eastern box turtles. im gonna post a care video on them today
Much like the rings on the trunk of a tree, as a turtle ages it develops rings in its scutes, the plates that make up its shell. However, simply counting them and assuming each one represents a year would be a mistake, the rings on a turtle denote periods of growth rather than lengths of time. In some years, a turtle may grow a great deal, and in others it may grow very little, if at all. A ring could indicate a growth spurt, even if this took very little time over the life of a turtle.
Hi mine is a male, but the eyes are brown..just like the first one. There are 2 brands of box tutles...one is the red legged and they have red eyes, while the Eastern (Florida Box turtle has brown eyes) oh, and the Florida Eastern has yellow features on it's legs and under neck ...the male has that concave bottom shell...
I have a box turtle I inherited from my great aunt about 18 years ago. It was already 20-30 years old when I received it, making it at least 40-50 years old at this point. From what I've seen here and elsewhere, I don't feel these methods can be applied at this age.
humansymphony You could be right!
How do you know the 🐢 doesn't want you looking at her tail?😂😹😂😹
Great video. Was wondering if you might know the answer to this. I have a Florida Box and was trying to determine her age. She was adopted from basically a stranger that couldn't tell me much. I was trying to count her rings, but they are so close together and not very distinct from each other to the point where it proved impossible. Is this because A)she is so old with so many rings that they are crowded together B)since FL Boxes are active pretty much year round, they have a more consistent growth rate rather than seasonal (the source of the "rings") or C)something else I'm not considering? She does seem to me and others to have grown a bit since I got her a few months ago. I heard they don't grow much after ~20years and she appears to have way more than 20 rings. So it kinda makes me doubt A and go with B. Maybe they produce more than 1 ring a year in FL? Any advice you have is appreciated.
That is a really good question and I can see your logic. I'm not sure.
KLisaLisa I have 2 males and 2 females as pets living in my backyard and you're right they eat all the pests. My fence is buried 2 feet underground so they can't escape but my yard has plenty of places to hide and plenty of worms, slugs and insects. I also give them worms, fruits and vegetables. My 4 live a great life. They live outside all year and hibernate during winter.
R.I.P Charlie!!💜💕
I live in a pretty old growth forrest area near Nashville, and I have a lot of them. I knew the eye color brown for female reddish for males. I didn't know to count the ridges to determine age. Thanks
Wood Newton Glad to help!
my eastern box turtle comes every year to visit 26 years so far… she likes raw beef, tomatoes and canned cat food…
interesting thanks for sharing🐢 though I have been told that counting their ridges like a tree does not determine age?
Jennifer Beasley
does this go for all types of box turtles Because I have an urban box turtle.
I used to think Turtles were slow, until I found my box Turtle. She is pretty fast
Same
oh and i did put it back where i found it.
Can’t use the count the rings like a tree thing... they can get several rings a year based on food and stuff like that.. it’s based on growth not time.
3:31 about a week ago!
Same with my turtle. OK people will think that I am trying to lie but has anyone ever heard of the endangered species of box turtle with special and specific markings and DOTS that are Yellow? And yes it's a box turtle. I took it to a veterinarian and they said she's a rare and endangered species. In the 80 s people hunted them for their shells. Well she might as well be the last of her kind. She has red eyes . she's female. I have another COMMON box turtle and they mater in late FALL so the eggs were laid in winter so they could not hatch
I dont know where she got the eye color thing from but i would not bet on this.
Ty very helpful but idk what ridges u mean to c age??m
We have these ones in Kentucky and I swear u look away for a second the box turtle would be gone vwoosh he is already 4 miles ahead of u
I’m in Kentucky, I just caught a slug lol
I love turtles. They are good for our environment, but if you have dogs --- turtles beware!
yup dog barks at it all the time
I once had dogs that would look at and bark at a turtle before leaving them alone. They barked at snakes more. With the exception of a snapper once. I had to put the dog in her kennel just to let the turtle be on its way.
No my dogs like playing with my turtle
My dog is scared of animals..especially big birds like owls and hawks. I've seen her run from a bull frog.....oh and she's a 85lb pit bull.
You can't always tell by the eyes. I have a female eastern box turtle and she has red eyes.
My turtle roxan loves slugs but I mainly feed her blueberrys and superworms
Umm my box turtle has green yellow eyes what’s that
my dog an pet box turtle get along great.I rescued this female box turtle from a snake.
Tyler Aaron Pheonix my name is Debbie McClintock, I live in South Carolina, I Rescued a baby box turtle from the flood we had here in October, it was in the sheet rock I'm the garage which was totally under water, a miracle it survived, so far she is doing good, so glad you rescued yours, just wondering how yours is doing?
Deborah McClintock she passed away an not sure why. I woke up one morning an she was dead
Tyler Aaron Pheonix So sorry to hear that Tyler, so far my Turtle is doing well, she is hibernating a lot, but I check on her a lot, she is still very tiny, You were giving yours such great care I wonder what happened, I am still so new at this, Debbie...
Female box turtles can also have red eyes as well
Sorry but it is impossible to determine the age of an Eastern Box Turtle unless you know when it was born exactly. All these theories on age determination are not true at all. Pretty boxies you got there tho!:)
Thanks for your comment petboy246! That is the first time I have heard that! I will look for more info about that!
@@KLisaLisa I've had a box turtle (among others) thats been with me over 20 years, and the rings on it's shell are the same every time I've counted it. I got it when it was pretty much fully grown though, so it may differ compared to a younger one.
My little brother found a albino box turttle
Hi. thanks f'or the video. I'm remodeling a house where the new owner inherited two HUGE box turtles - three times bigger than these turtles here. They live on a second floor deck in a four-five foot wide tub of water with some cinder block islands - not on land at all. Is this unhealthy for them? I've talked my landlady into adopting them as she has a large yard and an artificial pond with short artificial river. If this adoption doesn't happen, I'd like to know if it's unhealthy for box turtles to be in the water ALL the time. Thanks
Sorry, I know this was a year ago, but in case you or anyone else was wondering: All but one very rare type of box turtle (Coahuilan box turtle, Terrapene coahuila) which is the only aquatic species in the genus, live most their life on land. They can swim, but not well. They instead prefer and need only a shallow dish of water deep enough for them to soak in. They also like to do their #2 business in said water so it should be changed frequently and immediately after doing the dookie so they don't drink it. Also, for my personal species (Florida Box) and at least the Gulf Coast Box (maybe others, too) high humidity is important. This especially for still developing turtles otherwise shell and growth deformities can occur. For FL Boxes, ~70-90% is ideal since they are from FL and tend to live near (but not in) swamps and marches. You may need a reptile tank humidifier, especially if kept in doors because, for example, my apt here in FL is usually around 40-45% because we have to run the AC all the time. Hope this helps cause my Squirtle friggin RULES! Be warned though that most can live to be 50yrs old, and I have heard some even up to 100.
I have 3 pretty large box turtles. only had one and then got another from a family member and put them together and away they went, yep the one I had was a female and the other male. then my son,8, found another one and we put all together is a an aquarium. should I separate the female in adifferent one with soil and sticks and rocks? is plant soil ok to use? then thought I would leave the males together is that a good idea? thanks for any help
+cindy davis An aquarium seems so small! Is there a way you can build a large pen in your yard? It would be good if they had some space and a natural setting. I think it is fine to have them together.
Hey I think I have a record box turtle can someone contact me please
The ladies can have red eyes too. Outdated info
I found a turtle that has brown eyes but it has reddish scales. How and what gender is it?
If his belly is concave, he's a he. If it's flat, she's a girl
My turtles eyes are like orange ish so I’m not sure lol
My turtle is a female and she has red eyes and she has a flat bottom of the sell and on the top shes more round .
Linzy, do you have a box turtle, or some other kind?
How do you tell the gender and age of a yellow bellied slider?
No idea!
@@KLisaLisa Apparently you have no idea how to tell the age of an Eastern Box Turtle either!
Umm. .. what if it has reddish eyes but yellow scales?
CraftsArtAndFun Good question! Let me know if you figure it out! :)
i figured it out, it turned out, at night, it didnt have reddish scales!
Glad it worked out for you!
Hey my box turtle has redish scales and brown eyes
If it's belly is concave, he's a boy. If it's flat, she's a girl :) That's the only sure way to tell!
I think that is and ornate box turtle actually
HoiKatz no; it’s an eastern or something else, but that’s not how ornate box turtles look.
In my last comment I meant to say mated not mater
My turtle looked like the female but has redder eyes and a curves underside like the male?????? Help???
Not all females have brown eyes that's a myth and rings are you red then divided by two not counted for ring per year they van have more than one ring per year so rule of thumb to get a good ESTIMATE is to divide by two!!
what kind of dirt would you recommend egg laying if a female turtle you found happens to be pregers
Dragon Tamer Wow! Turtle eggs! That would be fun! I've never had that experience. A loose soil would be best.
+KLisaLisa yesterday i went to turtle hutch outside and it turns out there was a tiny little turtle!
+Rosemary Crafting How fun and exciting!!
My turtle has reddish color eyes and the bottom of her shell is flat. What can you tell me about that
bubblegumqueen 127 Is your turtle a box turtle?
KLisaLisa yes it is
Yes
***** yes
bubblegumqueen 127 I am not sure!
I have what appears to be a box turtle who is hanging around my side door. he is only using three legs to move rear passenger side leg is gone or not being used. he also appears to missing an eye. poor thing seemed disoriented I fed him some sliced tomatoes which he ate hardily! thing is I have no idea what to do with it. will it move on at its own pace? my dog is not messing with it but she is a bit afraid and jealous of me giving it attention. I don't know anything about turtles at all. I'm here in chesterfield Virginia if anyone near me would like to give this turtle a loving home or see it gets what it needs to survive the winter.
***** Sorry I am just now catching up with my comments! Any updates on the turtle? He must have been injured! I hope he recovered and burrowed in under the mulch/leaf litter/pine needles to hibernate for the winter!
I think he is sleeping for winter. he ate a few times left came back ate left again. I have not seen him since b4 the first frost of this winter. I hope he / she is ok. I named it "lefty".
*****
That is good news! He/she may come back next summer for some more tomatoes! Turtles remember where they have gotten food and will come back!
that's great because I miss my little buddy. he really likes watermelon also. I put my finger down next to him and say "give pop a hug" and he rubs his head and neck on my finger. its kind of funny but my neighbors must think I'm nuts! lol
***** That is so sweet!
Aren't turtles illegal in Tennessee?
i have box turtles i have videos of them on youtube
the turtle looks more like a three toed box turtle
If you look closely, you can see another toe. I'm positive this is an Eastern Box turtle.
That's definitely an Eastern.
i'm sorry to tell you this but male eastern box turtles can have brown eyes and females can have red eyes and you cannot count the scoots like a tree ring it is not very accurate . It looks more like a male i own 2 and i have had them for many years.
I'm sorry but there is no accurate way to tell age, unless you know the hatch date. The eyes are not completely accurate, though males do typically have red eyes and indentations in there shells it can vary, the most accurate way to tell is by the tail.
hey my turtle is about 18 years old and is kept in a small cage. I have kept him with me since when I was 6. he had some bugs on him and his cage and I want to move him outside so he is happy when I move to college but I don't know what to do. PLEASE let me know what I should do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this turtle and changed his chips at 2 am because I don't want him unhappy. its the only thing that keeps me happy as an 18 years old and I want him more happy then me. plz respond anyone so I can make him happy.
Releasing a pet turtle into the wild often has them clueless and they often die in short order. Often they starve since they have a lessor hunting ability than a wild turtle. Thus taking your turtle to college is better for the turtle, or giving it away to another as a pet. A released captive turtle can introduce to wild turtles stuff that can wipe them out too. Even moving wild turtles to other areas has issues since Box turtles try to get back were there home is, often just a few acres in area.
ok thank you. looks like he is coming with me!
nick paddock
Good luck with your turtle at college! Thanks to 3beltwesty for your help! I forgot to check my comments!
This isn’t 100% true, I have a female box turtle with the red coloring on her legs and she has red eyes.
You should never ever move a box turtle because it can really mess them up they love in the same area because they know what to eat when their in the area their used to but when you move them the tend to die in a few days because the don't have any idea what to do so please please please don't ever move her again
Crap
Wrong. Because how did mine end up in the middle of our town?
will travel during breeding, approx. 2 acres... but usually stays within a range of only a few feet....Georgia dodge is correct
My turtle has lived for years witth us🤔
thank you! I just saw a box turtle outside, and i "adopted" it for 30 minutes. I wanted to know its gender and everything. Know i know that it was a 16 or 17 year old male eastern box turtle. (I didn't use the eye method for the gender though) Thank you again!
The ring on the turtle is it in years or month
Years.
the ridges dont matter some turtles have growth spurts you can NOT go by those for age.
I am a turtle and that is my sister I have a better oners
bubblegumqueen 127 my turtle that might be a one and only species has pure red eye and her shell bottom is also flat
you cant just assume gender TRIGGERED
Thank you