New box turtle with damaged shell

[Terran]

Hello Everyone,

I just adopted this lovely box turtle named Cookie Monster. The lady who gave her to me explained that her previous owners were keeping her in a 10 gallon tank and fed her peanut butter cookies.

I am concerned about the condition of her carapace, as it looks like the top layer has come off in some areas. Is there anything I can do about this?

I am also a little concerned because of how BIG she is. She is twice as heavy as my other male and female box turtles. Could this be a problem? (maybe from eating too many cookies? )


She is being housed indoors right now with UVB, heat lights, hides and her own swimming pool. She has been eating salads of chard, zucchini and squash topped with supplements along with worms. Once my other boxies awaken from brumating, she will join them in their outdoor enclosure.

Thank you so much for any advice you can offer!

Terran

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Tara:

Ah, peanut butter!! High in vitamin A and niacin, a legume and full of calories and protein. Just what the doctor ordered for box turtles!!

The scrape marks on the carapace are probably from dog teeth. The white portion you see is dead bone. New keratin is growing as we speak, under that white, dead bone and eventually the white will flake off showing shiny new shell underneath. There's nothing you can do but wait.

If she's bigger than your other turtles, then she may be a gulf coast box turtle. Are you sure its female?

 

[Terran]

Thanks for the information, Yvonne!

Cookie Monster is a three-toed box turtle.

Her plastron does not cave in, and she has a small tail with a vent close to her shell, but she is also kind of colorful with red/brown eyes and has more "manly" hind legs, so I am not really sure whether she is male or female.



Hi Tara:

Ah, peanut butter!! High in vitamin A and niacin, a legume and full of calories and protein. Just what the doctor ordered for box turtles!!

The scrape marks on the carapace are probably from dog teeth. The white portion you see is dead bone. New keratin is growing as we speak, under that white, dead bone and eventually the white will flake off showing shiny new shell underneath. There's nothing you can do but wait.

If she's bigger than your other turtles, then she may be a gulf coast box turtle. Are you sure its female?
[/quote]

 

[edwardbo]

That is a 3 toed box turtle, what are your other boxies?

---

Are you kidding about the peanut butter being good food?

 

[Terran]

My others are three-toeds as well

That is a 3 toed box turtle, what are your other boxies?

---

Are you kidding about the peanut butter being good food?

---

 

[lisa127]

Occassionally there are very large female three toeds. And some three toeds are integrades with gulf coast, though yours does not look to be. I have a three year old female three toed/gulf coast integrade that already weighs almost 600 grams.

 

[Terran]

Oh wow, she is going to be a big boxie! Thank you for the information.

Occassionally there are very large female three toeds. And some three toeds are integrades with gulf coast, though yours does not look to be. I have a three year old female three toed/gulf coast integrade that already weighs almost 600 grams.