Can you ID this turtle please?
- Thread starter kameya
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I am in So.Cal. (I.E.) I can get you in touch with experts of the turtle world who can identify you turtle. You can PM me if you want or you can take it to the San Diego Zoo.
I'm torn, but I still think its a Gulf Coast.
lots of water for this turtle.
Need to see a picture of the front of It's head/beak
$$$ Every one has a "breeding program" $$$
I'm torn, but I still think its a Gulf Coast.
lots of water for this turtle.
Need to see a picture of the front of It's head/beak
$$$ Every one has a "breeding program" $$$
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That is absolutely 100% female panhandle gulf coast box turtle. Just an extra dark one.
I promise you it is not a coahuilan box turtle , not even close. Trust me on that one.
I promise you it is not a coahuilan box turtle , not even close. Trust me on that one.
diamondbp said:
Could be. But look how elongate the shell is. That is more reminiscent of a Coahuilan. I think that gulf coast boxies, like other boxies in the USA, are a bit more compact. Also, don't the rear marginals of a gulf coast box turtle flare outward more than that? And even dark gulf coast boxies seem to still retain a trace of markings on the carapace. I don't see any on this one. Could be a gulf coast, but seems more like Coahuilan to me, at least from those pix.
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I understand everyone's different opinions, but I some are underestimating the variation of genetics. I have several gulf coast that are dramatically elongated and they are from the same exact area as very domed specimens. And honestly I don't find that specimen to be elongated that much at all. It looks quite normal for a dark phased gulf coast box turtle. Here are a few pictures of oddly shaped gulf coast
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Both species can have bifold cusp though not all the time
diamondbp said:
As they say in medicine, if you hear hooves, think "horses" not "zebras." Coahuilans are quite rare. Based on probability alone, it's more likely to be a gulf coast. But you're right that the shell is not particularly elongate. Could be a gulf coast after all.
GeoTerraTestudo said:diamondbp said:
As they say in medicine, if you hear hooves, think "horses" not "zebras." Coahuilans are quite rare. Based on probability alone, it's more likely to be a gulf coast. But you're right that the shell is not particularly elongate. Could be a gulf coast after all.
Agreed....it looks gulf coast, so why think Coahuilans? What are the chances? It's really not unusual to find an all black gulf coast boxie with very black eyes. In fact, until joining this forum and another turtle one, I thought all gulfies were black! I had never seen those light colored ones.
I'm going to try and see if I can find pics of my old guy from years ago. The only difference was being male he had bright red eyes and was bigger than her.
Wow...it has become an interesting thread indeed...I will ask my co-worker to take a picture of the turtle's face...do you need straight shot of the face and 3/4 view of the face?
kameya said:
Yes.
Ok, these were the only pics I could find. You will have to excuse my picture taking capabilities back then. You can't see him very well as he is pretty much in the background. Good thing I'm not a photographer...lol. Also, please excuse his sparse pen. This was back in the 90's, before I knew anything about the internet and this wonderful forum. Anyway, meet Clyde....my old gulf coast box turtle.
I really had no idea Gulf Coast could be so dark! and, please forgive my ignorance, but what is a bifold cusp? I like the zebra/horse analogy, the odds Are slim she's a Coahuilan.
I'm really stoked this thread sparked so much sharing of info. Thanks Kameya!
Thea
I'm really stoked this thread sparked so much sharing of info. Thanks Kameya!
Thea
thea lester said:
Tortoises, boxies, and a few other turtle species have a hooked beak, somewhat like that of an eagle, but it's a little different, too. If you look at the end of the beak, you will find that it may have only one tip, or cusp, but it could also have two or three, as well as serrations, depending on the type of turtle or even the individual. Both gulf coast and Coahuilan boxies can have two cusps at the end of their beak.
Here is a face shot of this mysterious box turtle...
As to ID,I think Occam's razor applies here.
Here is another head shot of the box turtle...
LOL ... Great, it has no cusps!
We've said that it's more likely to be a gulf coast than a Coahuilan, but I'm still not sure. It seems to be quite dry, doesn't it? I'm not sure if that's due to old age, or inadequate moisture. Gulf coasts do spend more time in shallow water than the other three subspecies in the US, so they do need more moisture in their enclosure, including higher humidity and a large, shallow dish to wade in. However, Coahuilans are the only fully aquatic box turtle, so maybe it's so dry because it should be in a pond, not a pen?
We've said that it's more likely to be a gulf coast than a Coahuilan, but I'm still not sure. It seems to be quite dry, doesn't it? I'm not sure if that's due to old age, or inadequate moisture. Gulf coasts do spend more time in shallow water than the other three subspecies in the US, so they do need more moisture in their enclosure, including higher humidity and a large, shallow dish to wade in. However, Coahuilans are the only fully aquatic box turtle, so maybe it's so dry because it should be in a pond, not a pen?
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