Help identifying?

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mpoertner

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I rescued him from the local animal shelter. Can anyone help identify what kind of tortoise he is? Also will the damage to shell heal?

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Thanks!
 

Laura

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I think its a older male box turtle.
Not sure what type.
looks like a dog used as a chew toy.
Other can tell you more about the damage and what he needs.. and confirm what he/it is.
 

Millerlite

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first one looks like 3 toed box turtle, 2nd one maybe a gulf cost or something, both are box turtles.
 

mpoertner

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Millerlite said:
first one looks like 3 toed box turtle, 2nd one maybe a gulf cost or something, both are box turtles.

All 4 pics are the same tortoise. He's got more than 3 toes in back 4 I think but I counted 5 in front. He does look a bit like a Gulf Coast now that I'm finding more pictures of those.... hm.
 

Yvonne G

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He looks like a gulf coast box turtle to me, however, he's not as big as they normally get (so maybe he's still young???)

The old white chew marks can eventually be picked off and you will see new shell underneath. But it takes a very long time. Don't try to force it.

Yvonne

(We call a Terrapene carolina triunguis a "3-toed" box turtle because they USUALLY have only 3 toes on the back feet. However this isn't 100% the case. Some 3-toes have 4. And because of the size, yours might be a 3-toe)

Yvonne

And if he's a gulf coast, he's a Terapene carolina major.
 

mpoertner

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Thanks for everyone's help! Hopefully I can give him a better home.
 

egyptiandan

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You have an adult male Gulf Coast box turtle, Terrapene carolina major.
The white you see is dead bone. It looks to be well healed. That damage and the missing bits of marginal scutes was caused by another male box turtle. Male box turtles can get into some nasty fights with each other, when they come across each other in the wild.

Danny
 

mpoertner

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egyptiandan said:
You have an adult male Gulf Coast box turtle, Terrapene carolina major.
The white you see is dead bone. It looks to be well healed. That damage and the missing bits of marginal scutes was caused by another male box turtle. Male box turtles can get into some nasty fights with each other, when they come across each other in the wild.

Danny

Wow, I had no idea they could cause damage like that. I thought they didn't have teeth?
 

Crazy1

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No teeth, but they have a beak something like a parrot. And it is hard as bone.
 

rattboy

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I'd go with T.c.major because it appears to be male and has brown eyes. Most other boxies don't have that as a regular occurance however Major do.

Major size can be quite varied also. Most males are huge 7.5 - 8.5" at full growth but there are some that are smaller.

Where did you get him? A geography could help id him although if I was a betting man, I'd be saying Major all the way.

Paul
 
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