Baby Eastern box

[JennK]

Hello again. I have recently acquired a small eastern box turtle. He is very young, under the 4" sell limit, and he has some spots on his underside I would like reviewed just to make myself feel better. He was on some pretty rough substrate with no concern for humidity. He had a plastic try for feeding (Spring salad mix) and a small lizard water dish. I've had him for 48 hours now and he simply burrowed himself down in the substance and has yet to come out on his own! Any feed back would be great. I think he's a male but second opinions are welcome also, I would like a round about guess on his age just for future knowlegde.

 

[Gillian M]

Very cute! GOD bless.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't think he's an eastern, though. Looks more like a colorful 3 toe, a Gulf coast, or a luteola. Would have to see more of the turtle to know for sure. Here's what a young eastern looks like:

 

[Yvonne G]

The spots on the plastron do sort of look like the start of shell rot.

 

[JennK]

That's what I was afraid of... I gave him a bath with beta dine. What is the best treatment for shell rot and do you think that is why he is staying buried? Because of the higher moisture content of the substrate? Also, is shell rot contagious to my other box turtle? He'd been in a pet shop for two months like this and I tried talking to the owner and he swore it was just the coloring from the substrate which didn't even make sense. But he was so young and no one showed any interest in him I ended up shelling out 160$ for the poor guy just to get him in a better situation! I have a small 10 gallon if I need to quarentee but that's not really sufficient for him. If there was a way I could put him in with my female I would prefer it. Even if I have to give her a precautionary treatment to ensure safety and good health. I kind of thought that he may be a three toed but with everything going on I didn't check... I'll take some more pics in a few and see if I can get him to relax enough to check

 

[JennK]

You were right! A very beautifully colored three toed! Works just fine for me! Any guesses on the gender? I think it's a boy!

 

[tortdad]

Yeah it's a three toed alright but not a baby. At four inches it's already 2-3 years old. I have a handful of them in the 18-24 month old and the biggest one is maybe 3" long

 

[JennK]

From shell point to shell point he's three inches long. So if four inches is 2-3 years and biggest 1 1/2-2 year is three inches old that put him around the 2 year mark, give or take? Any guess on the gender? I'm apparently not so good at sexing.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Congrats! You have a beauty there!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

He's probably hiding because of his change in environment. It's not unusual for a turtle/tortoise to hide for a few days until they know their new environment is predator free, and that you are not going to eat him. Then he should begin to explore and feel more confident.
However, if he is ill, that would account for it, too.
Not my species, but i would guess boy, too, though like yourself, i'm rubbish at it.
Oh and he's a handsome devil as well.
Really hope he's ok.

 

[JennK]

I think he will be. I think he just needed to get out of that environment and into a proper one! I just hope that bot the turtles don't prove to be males! I have an older one who has 2/4 signs pointing to make and 2/4 signs pointing to female! So, until it either flashes me or lay eggs I may not know! As for the baby I think it's just too young to tell.... :-( I just hate naming them not knowing or before,in attached to both only to discover I hVe to let on go because of gender and aggression! Although the older one is interested in the baby... Yet hides every time it moves! Lol

 

[Sanchez]

I work at nature center and one of my co-workers told me you can tell the sex of box turtle until its at least 5 years old. She knows more about reptiles than anyone I've worked with, so I tend to believe her though I have not read that in any books. So it may be a few more years before you know for certain.