Mexican box turtle care?

[The4ts]

I just got a new Mexican box turtle about two weeks ago and I've been caring for it the same way as my three toed but I was curious if anyone knew if there was specific care for the Mexican box turtles, there doesn't seem to be much info about them online, thinking a trip to the library would help but if anyone here owns one I'd love some advice

 

[Tccarolina]

I just got a new Mexican box turtle about two weeks ago and I've been caring for it the same way as my three toed but I was curious if anyone knew if there was specific care for the Mexican box turtles, there doesn't seem to be much info about them online, thinking a trip to the library would help but if anyone here owns one I'd love some advice

WHERE? ? ?

Get some for me too! Are you sure it's a Mexican?

 

[dmmj]

The mexican bx turtle is similar in appearance to 3 toeds, I would post a pic if possible just to be sure. I don't think their diet and or care varies much from other box turtles.

 

[The4ts]

I'm not entirely sure of it's species, I got it from craigslist whose owner got it from a rescue, judging by size and the three toed size it was housed with before I'm pretty sure it was captive bred, I'm only a 5'1" girl and the turtle is a little smaller than my hand under 5inches in length and around 3" in width. In the pic he's still pretty covered in coconut fiber and peat moss his neck is a very bright salmon/coral color. I looked up pics and he has similar features to the Mexican for sure especially the ones at the Atlanta zoo, I'm pretty sure he is but it does seem odd to be here in Portland (or well actually we got him from Washington) with them being so rare and illegal to import.

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Pictures hopefully.... I'm still learning how to use the iPhone app. And I'm relieved to so far here that their care is similar to three torts thank you

 

[Tccarolina]

3-toed.

 

[The4ts]

I just counted his back toes and there are 3! Guess now I have two three toeds, it's crazy how two turtles from the same subspecies look nothing like each other what so ever, so much variation I suppose

 

[Saloli]

The Mexican and three Toed Box Turtles care is different. The Mexican is tropical for one and is a scrub forest dweller where as the Three toed is subtropical to temperate mesic forest and Savannah dweller. They are how ever closely related.

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Please pm me I can't see the pictures. I have first hand experience with Mexicans. Their care isn't the same as the ttbt it is similar there are how ever differences like temperature and humidity.

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Okay now the pictures work for me gerr.... Any way it is a three toed box turtle. I was really hoping that some others where in the U.S. by the way they are not illegal to export from Mexico they can't be commercially collected but they can be collected for conservation and other scientific reasons. Which is where the parents of the group I'm supposed to be getting come from. Though I plan on getting permission to export some (I most likely will acquire ones who are already captive) it won't be for a while. Due to the fighting most of my family in Mexico are in the US as refugees. They won't go and I won't either til things settle down.

 

[The4ts]

Thanks for your information and sorry for the let down not another Mexican box turtle just someone who bought a three toed and was told it was a Mexican box turtle but ironically I wanted another three toed so this is perfect for me and good luck with your mexican box turtles when things settle down in the area your family is at

 

[jojodesca]

why does this turtles carapace look different from all the ttbt i have seen?...could this be a cross breed?

 

[The4ts]

The previous owner said the other three toed it was housed with was a cross breed so maybe they're siblings?

 

[Saloli]

If it was from central Texas it would be closer genetically to the Mexicans so that may explain the shell's appearance. Thanks I hope the government gets a better control on things.

 

[The4ts]

Never even would of considered that but interesting maybe he's from Texas. Is it normal for him to be buried like the majority of time, our other ttbt buries herself from time to time in the coconut fiber but this new guy like lives in the coconut fiber and makes a little hold to stick his head out which is cute but I'm starting to worry about him. He comes up for water soaks and food around 4am and then back to being buried. I planted new plants and it's one of the first times in the 2 1/2 weeks he's been walking around exploring the plants. The lady before me had him in snake pine shavings for substrate, is he just really dehydrated? He LOVES his soaks in the sink. Should I be worried or is this normal?

 

[Saloli]

The being buried is normal and a lot of them are crepuscular so being active very early and right before and after sun down is also normal. Has he been checked by a vet or has someone with experience with box turtle illness and disorders looked him over?

 

[The4ts]

The being buried is normal and a lot of them are crepuscular so being active very early and right before and after sun down is also normal. Has he been checked by a vet or has someone with experience with box turtle illness and disorders looked him over?

Not yet, we really need to take all three in but we're very busy lately so hopefully soon. Our Russian tort has a zigzag line on his plastron instead of s straight one and I'm hoping a vet can tell us what that was caused by but we know at one point in his life he was thrown out the window of a moving car so it could just be poor care well not really care more like abuse.