I wish just one pic had been in focus...
Desert Box Turtles
- Thread starter Neal
- Start date
I wish just one pic had been in focus...
Shell shape was more like number one. Carapace markings were about halfway between "A" and your luteola pics. He had no color on the face or legs at all. All skin was a uniform grayish/brownish color with no markings or color at all.
I did a search for Eastern, Western and Three Toed Box turtles, and these images most closely resemble him in my 30+ year old memories:
These images were under all three types of box turtles. I don't think he had enough color on the carapace or skin to be an eastern, but maybe some locales have animals with more subdued colors? His carapace color was most like the first pic. His skin color was most like the last pic here.
These images were under all three types of box turtles. I don't think he had enough color on the carapace or skin to be an eastern, but maybe some locales have animals with more subdued colors? His carapace color was most like the first pic. His skin color was most like the last pic here.
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- Apr 3, 2013
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See you had the answer! " It takes about 2 years for them to settled in ! "
There are definitely some localities of easterns that don't have a lot of skin or shell color. From your Tommy Turtle thread, that second picture has to be an eastern. The black shell color with some orange bleeding through is what makes me think that. It's arguably the best picture for IDing because of the outside lighting. I think the interior lighting and colors are clashing a bit making it hard to really get a sense of the turtles shell color.
The interior shots make the shell look more like a kalamata olive color, and that's typical of a 3-toed. Even then, in the last pick I can just barely make out the shape of his hind foot, and that doesn't look like a 3-toed. That's a bit hard for me to describe...I've been studying pictures of all varieties of box turtles from a very young age and my brain just recognizes that foot as not belonging to a 3-toed, even with the blur.
One more question. In the Tommy Turtle thread, I can just barely make out some white markings on the turtles face. Do you recall if he had white on the front part of his face and lower mouth? Like this one here:
He did not have face color like the one here. There was some minor color differential on the face, but it was dark brown to blackish. His face looked a lot like the turtle in the last pic I posted above.
Thanks for lending your experienced eye to helping me solve this decades old mystery Neal.
David Save
New Member
Gorgeous shells!
Number three looks pretty close, but Tommy had a little over all darker shell and the head/face shape was a little different.
Number one has a similar shell to what Tommy had, but the head is a little different.
The carapace pattern and color on the face and legs made me eliminate number two.
I have a good lol for everyone today. My box turtle eggs just hatched:
These appear to be Western Fence lizards. I thought that the eggs were a little on the small side...
I was a bit excited, but now feel slightly foolish. Oh well, life would be no fun if you can't laugh at yourself from time to time.
Sorry @Tom, I'll have some deserts for you at some point.
These appear to be Western Fence lizards. I thought that the eggs were a little on the small side...
I was a bit excited, but now feel slightly foolish. Oh well, life would be no fun if you can't laugh at yourself from time to time.
Sorry @Tom, I'll have some deserts for you at some point.
Haha. That's too funny
Love it!
I let them go free in my leopard tortoise house. There was beginning to be a bit of a cricket issue, so hopefully they can help out in some way.
I had to look this up after you mentioned it in your Star thread. Too funny. I'm sure they appreciated the help and attention.
Zihuatanejo
New Member
Such baleful soulful eyes! Very adorable & personable turtles. I wish more people had desert box turtles. The male pistachio head is so special
I wish the same thing.
I assume you are the same person from another forum who was questioning pyramiding in your box turtle? You'll find a quite a few knowledgeable people here that can explain the scientific aspect of pyramiding much better than I could.
