Can you ID this turtle please?

[kameya]

Hi all,

My co-worker who lives in San Diego found this 6" long turtle in her backyard the other day and wants me to help her to identify the species.

From the photo she sent me I can tell it's a type of box turtle (I think) but can't tell what kind of box turtle it is. I need some help here and thank you.

 

[wellington]

I don't know. However if it is native to your area, it should be left in the wild.

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh wow! I've NEVER seen a box turtle so old that he has turned melanistic. My supposition would be that this is a very old eastern box turtle. And, no...box turtles are not native to California (San Diego)

 

[mike taylor]

Looks like a gulf coast box turtle from Texas.Not sure there will be someone on soon to make sure.

 

[lisa127]

It looks like a Gulf Coast box turtle to me. Not native to your area. Years ago, I had a totally black (not uncommon for gulfies) and large gulf coast boxie similar to that. I could be wrong, but I think it's Gulf Coast.

I see mike taylor was posting at the same time, and agrees.

 

[Yvonne G]

Ya know...after looking at the pictures again, and seeing how big the turtle is, I'm thinking it may be a very old gulf coast box turtle.

 

[kameya]

I don't know. However if it is native to your area, it should be left in the wild.

My co-worker said she lives in the mountain desert area outside of San Diego in the West Coast, so it was very interesting to see a box turtle wanders into her backyard...

 

[Yvonne G]

LOL! All of us gulf coast guessers answered at the same time.

 

[lisa127]

LOL! All of us gulf coast guessers answered at the same time.

LOL We were. How funny.

 

[kameya]

So if it's a Gulf Coast Box, and my co-worker decides to keep it...should I tell her to setup the habitat like the Eastern Box turtle...partial land and partial water with mid-high humidity? How about the diet? More on animal matter than the plants? Sorry, not sure if I would handle the Gulf Coast the same way I handled my Easterns. Thank you.

 

[lisa127]

Gulfies like higher humidity. They like to soak in water and often even eat in water. They come from a very humid area. You can pretty much care for them as Easterns though. Also, they do tend to be slightly more carnivorous than the others. But I had one that ate vegetation very well. I love Gulfies. But they do tend towards respiratory problems if things dry out. They need humidity even more so than the others.

 

[yagyujubei]

I don't think anyone said, but it's a female.

 

[tortadise]

WOW. Thats an old lady for sure. Cool find.

 

[mike taylor]

They may need to post a picture that was somebody's pet. But people let go pets all the time . But we find these box turtles in the grass land /wood line area close to the coast so I would set it up like a three toed box turtle but don't take this to the bank you need to do some more research on them.

 

[luvpetz27]

She is really cute!! Her eyes are so wide!!

 

[pinkspore]

Wow, she is beautiful! How big is she?

 

[Millerlite]

Looks like a older turtle for sure. Gulf coast as everyone mentioned. Very beautiful girl.

 

[Gangreene]

Wow,
very interesting. When i first look at your turtle I think of Coahuilan box turtle. I know people in SD who have them.
It's most likely a Gulf Coast, you could take it to the San Diego Zoo and have them look at it.

 

[thea lester]

Wow! Super good call on Coahuilan. I've been wondering about her... Wasn't totally convinced on the melanistic Gulf Coast id. because she looks old, but she's not enormous, but that had been my best guess as well...
I'm siding with the Coahuilan id. What a marvelous turtle!
T

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Yep, I also think it's a Coahuilan box turtle (Terrapene coahuila). They are the only fully aquatic box turtle, spending about 90% of their time in the water and feeding there, too, so this guy really needs a pond to live in. They are also endangered, so take good care of him!