Help. I found this tortoise. What type of tortoise is he/her?

jockma

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I don't know the exact laws in the Philippines, but if she was being sold illegally you could get in trouble for keeping her.

And yes, I think it's best to give her up to a zoo or wildlife conservation program :(
 

MPRC

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I am only hazarding a guess, but it looks like a turtle to me, which means she will likely need water - and probably a lot of it. Larger water turtles can be difficult to set up indoors.
Thank you for rescuing her from people who don't know or care how how to give her a better life. I hope someone can advise you further.
 

Gillian M

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A warm welcome to the forum.

I think (though I'm not sure) that it's a box turtle.

A very cute tort. GOD bless.
 

jaysie16

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I don't know the exact laws in the Philippines, but if she was being sold illegally you could get in trouble for keeping her.

And yes, I think it's best to give her up to a zoo or wildlife conservation program :(
I think I'm safe.
 

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jockma

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I think I'm safe.
Good, I really wouldn't want you to get in trouble for trying to help her and take care of her :(

If there's nothing legally barring you from keeping her then I suggest an outdoor enclosure, she's already in her natural habitat so that will take care of 80% of her environmental needs for you. Do you have a closed space outdoors that she can live in? If not, can you construct a fenced area for her to live in?

Any luck figuring out her species?
 

Yvonne G

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Please set this turtle up in a half water, half land habitat. It is a semi-aquatic turtle and needs a lot of water in its habitat.
 

jockma

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Looked up Siebenrockiella leytensis to see plastron comparisons:
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1478313110.797560.jpg
I have no idea if these are in fact Siebenrockiella leytensis, they're from what looks like an article documenting the illegal trade of endangered turtle species. The plastron shown in this thread is very different, maybe a related species?

EDIT: Here's the link to the article: http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/tln003/
 

MichaelaW

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Looked up Siebenrockiella leytensis to see plastron comparisons:
View attachment 191358
I have no idea if these are in fact Siebenrockiella leytensis, they're from what looks like an article documenting the illegal trade of endangered turtle species. The plastron shown in this thread is very different, maybe a related species?

EDIT: Here's the link to the article: http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/tln003/
Hmm. Yes, the plastron does look more like Siebenrockiella crassicollis.
 

Anthony P

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Sorry Michaela, my good friend.. It is certainly not Siebenrockiella. Look for particular clues that could not be present in certain species, then go from there. The main identifying factor is the fact that there is a hinge on the plastron. That immediately rules our Heoesemys, Mauremys, Siebenrockiella, Geoemyda, ect.

The stripes on the sides of the head are definitely Cuora.

The struggle I have had is this... The markings on the head scream Cuora amboinensis. I have been a little thrown off by the keels and serrated marginals, which are more pronounced here than I have seen with amboinensis. That said, there is a ton of variation in this species and they are sometimes more keeled and serrated.

Unless something really strange is going on here, this is an example of a Philippine Cuora amboinensis
 

MichaelaW

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Sorry Michaela, my good friend.. It is certainly not Siebenrockiella. Look for particular clues that could not be present in certain species, then go from there. The main identifying factor is the fact that there is a hinge on the plastron. That immediately rules our Heoesemys, Mauremys, Siebenrockiella, Geoemyda, ect.

The stripes on the sides of the head are definitely Cuora.

The struggle I have had is this... The markings on the head scream Cuora amboinensis. I have been a little thrown off by the keels and serrated marginals, which are more pronounced here than I have seen with amboinensis. That said, there is a ton of variation in this species and they are sometimes more keeled and serrated.

Unless something really strange is going on here, this is an example of a Philippine Cuora amboinensis
Darn! Our aquatic expert triumphs again!:D I kept thinking amboinensis but the odd characteristics threw me off.
 

tortadise

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Sorry Michaela, my good friend.. It is certainly not Siebenrockiella. Look for particular clues that could not be present in certain species, then go from there. The main identifying factor is the fact that there is a hinge on the plastron. That immediately rules our Heoesemys, Mauremys, Siebenrockiella, Geoemyda, ect.

The stripes on the sides of the head are definitely Cuora.

The struggle I have had is this... The markings on the head scream Cuora amboinensis. I have been a little thrown off by the keels and serrated marginals, which are more pronounced here than I have seen with amboinensis. That said, there is a ton of variation in this species and they are sometimes more keeled and serrated.

Unless something really strange is going on here, this is an example of a Philippine Cuora amboinensis
Remember the magnitaude of
Amboinensis species though. Could be couro hybrid with Karakoram(spelling?) oh the insanity of ambos and locals. Lol
 

Anthony P

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These are all the same species though, subspecies of Cuora amboinensis. Not to mention, the hybrid would most likely have to be naturally occurring, since this is surely a wild collected animal, like most "throw away" animals sold in the market. Hybrids fetch better money, so if someone produced it, they would be selling it for more than this turtle probably was being sold for.

I was a little thrown by the strongly serrated marginals and keels, like that seen in mouhotii, but I think that is an unlikely hybrid, too.

The plastron isn't Mauremys, though. It has a hinge.
 

sibi

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Whatever the species or hybrid, this turtle needs to be given over to a sanctuary for proper care. If there's a zoo in your area, you may want to ask them if they could house this turtle and give it a fighting chance. Any way you look at it, this turtle had done well for itself in the wild. In captivity, you'll, no doubt, be doing more harm than good. It needs lots of water and a place to dock or sit outside of water. It's a beautiful creature, for sure, and it deserves a good, safe environment to live in without being hunted by humans for monetary gain. If you place him back into the environment, he'll only be likely to be picked up again and sold. Sanctuary is your best bet.

In the meantime, place him in a large tank with enough water for him to swim in, but place a piece of wood big enough to hold his body so that he can climb it and get out of water if he wants to. Building an environment where he can get into water and come out onto dry surface can be difficult to construct. That's why I suggest a floating dock that can be purchased in a pet store. This way, he can be placed in a 55 gallon tank or larger, with perhaps 35 gallons of water and a floating dock. I have an Asian turtle whose setup is that way, and I've had her for 30 years!
 
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tortadise

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These are all the same species though, subspecies of Cuora amboinensis. Not to mention, the hybrid would most likely have to be naturally occurring, since this is surely a wild collected animal, like most "throw away" animals sold in the market. Hybrids fetch better money, so if someone produced it, they would be selling it for more than this turtle probably was being sold for.

I was a little thrown by the strongly serrated marginals and keels, like that seen in mouhotii, but I think that is an unlikely hybrid, too.

The plastron isn't Mauremys, though. It has a hinge.
Indeed. Was merely agreeing with mauremys specultion purely off coloration and pattern.
 

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