Found crossing busy highway near toll both. How old is he?m

[Leo the Leopard]

I live in Augusta, Georgia and I see a lot of wild Eastern Box turtles in different sizes. They all have the yellow markings.
I have purchased 2 “ivory” leopard torts from Tortoise Town, and they’re not ivory at all. I had to pay more for them because they were supposedly ivory, too.

 

[JTH]

Dang it!!! I knew I should’ve kept him!! But I was also afraid of him doing something to my female.

All we can say on the age of this turtle is that it is a minimum of 15 or so years old... but it could be much older. The wear on the rings can indicate relative age, but carapace wear also depends on the environment it lives in. A box turtle constantly digging through grass (which is quite abrasive) will have more wear than a turtle that lives where the substrate is mostly soft materials, like leaf litter.

 

[Turdleelewis]

Looking at her shell growth rings it looks like she put on more than half her size in her first year and is indeed very young.

Yes, you are right about that. I’ve been the only one feeding her since I got her. She has gotten fed very well she will eat two or three large night crawlers a day along with her fruits and vegetables and cuttle bone. I was told you feed the every three days. She gets fed every day. And she grew fast just like you said. Although I don’t understand the rings or even where they are. I built a beautiful outside pen with planted strawberries, blueberries, parsley, lettuce, etc etc. I’ve got a half of a whiskey barrel that she stays in most of the day, then bring her in every night to feed and stay in overnight and I would put her back out in the morning. She is always hiding when she’s inside and out. I always have to get her out of her hide and put her in her water and then feed her in her water, and then she poops in her water, she gets out when she’s done and buries herself again and then I clean her water put her cuttle bone back in her clean water and we do it all over again the next day. Are we normal, or are we weird? Lol

 

[Turdleelewis]

Ps, tortoise town has agreed to make good on the mistake on why I got a gulf coast when I was supposed to get an eastern box. So we shall see if they really do. They told me it’s odd because they never offered gulf coast boxies, but they saw the picture and agreed that is what she looks like. I’ll keep you all posted.

 

[DesertGirl]

I looked up the gulf coast box and there was one that looked identical and the plastron looked the same. And they are supposed to be largest of the box turtles, which I know I got this one two christmases ago and she was the size of a fifty cent piece. She was considered a juvenile from tortoise town. I’m so happy I found this forum I hate not knowing things I should know. But , I guess you have to dig a little deeper for some things. Thank you, you’ve been a great help and along with the other posters.

She is beautiful whatever the variety!