I have a juvenile 3 toed box turtle named Peanut. I adopted her back in March of 2012. At that time she was 7 months old as she hatched in August 2011. Her parents were long term pets that originally came from the wild in an area where the three toed and gulf coast boxies overlap. Both her parents had three toes on the back feet and looked primarily three toed, but they were large and a bit darker in color. Mom was 7" SCL and dad was 5.5" SCL. Therefore, it was determined that while they were three toeds, they must have gulf coast in their blood somewhere down the line. The fact that my boxie (their offspring) has 4 toes on the back feet probably supports this thinking. Other than the 4 toes on the back feet, mine looks very three toed.
Except, like her parents, her size. Honestly, in most cases I have stopped telling people her age as no one wants to believe me. They think I must be mistaken. Regardless of the fact that I know who the parents are. And that when I received my boxie in March of 2012 at the age of 7 months she was just over 1.5" SCL. Now in November of 2013 my boxie is 5.5" SCL. She has caught up to her dad! Today was weigh in day for everyone at my house. She weighed 506 grams. I want to assure everyone that her growth is very smooth and beautiful. If you'd like, I can post a pic. She has grown wonderfully. Not abnormal in any way. But she is huge. I really would like her to slow down. It's really actually beginning to worry me. I mean, who has a 27 month old box turtle that is as large as a full grown adult? I keep telling myself that genetically she can only grow so large anyway. I mean, she is a box turtle.....
Just wanted to share, get your thoughts, share the fact that this really does worry me as I've yet to hear of a boxie so large as so young an age.
Except, like her parents, her size. Honestly, in most cases I have stopped telling people her age as no one wants to believe me. They think I must be mistaken. Regardless of the fact that I know who the parents are. And that when I received my boxie in March of 2012 at the age of 7 months she was just over 1.5" SCL. Now in November of 2013 my boxie is 5.5" SCL. She has caught up to her dad! Today was weigh in day for everyone at my house. She weighed 506 grams. I want to assure everyone that her growth is very smooth and beautiful. If you'd like, I can post a pic. She has grown wonderfully. Not abnormal in any way. But she is huge. I really would like her to slow down. It's really actually beginning to worry me. I mean, who has a 27 month old box turtle that is as large as a full grown adult? I keep telling myself that genetically she can only grow so large anyway. I mean, she is a box turtle.....
Just wanted to share, get your thoughts, share the fact that this really does worry me as I've yet to hear of a boxie so large as so young an age.