New to tortoise-ing, what kind do I have?

SiggyS

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IMG_5348.JPG IMG_5353.JPG IMG_5349.JPG IMG_5348.JPG IMG_5352.JPG IMG_5350.JPG IMG_5351.JPG I recently acquired a cute little tortoise from an acquaintance and have no idea what kind it is. Can someone help me? They also mentioned that there may be a little shell rot?! How do I find that out?
 

SiggyS

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Thank you for the quick reply! How can I tell if he has she'll rot? And how old do you think he is?
 

Maro2Bear

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Thank you for the quick reply! How can I tell if he has she'll rot? And how old do you think he is?

Doesnt really look like any rot in those pix that I can see and it sure looks full grown/adult, so hard to tell.

Id definitely give it a nice warm water soak every day. Read up on Boxies and their care.

@ColleenT might be able to help out.

Good luck
 

Toddrickfl1

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Yep three toed box turtle.
 

Maro2Bear

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Do you ever need to trim his nails? They are really long and curving around?

From the few pictures you have posted, the toenails do look way longer than they should be. In the wild, they naturally wear down from digging, walking miles and miles, and scrambling in and over and on rocks, stones, pebbles, etc.

You might want to take your boxie to a vet for the first trimming, but you definitely don’t want to trim too much at any one time. Like dogs, cats and birds, taking off small bits over time is best.

See if this video helps -
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome! As others have said, you have a three toed box turtle - Terrapene carolina triunguis. The long, curling nails tell me he's showing the first signs of Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) from living in poor conditions and being fed an incorrect diet.

In my opinion, adult box turtles, as yours is, need to live outside so they can get natural sun (UVB) and search for live food. Since this is the time they start thinking about hibernation, and you should not allow him to hibernate this year, it's best to set him up in a natural-looking indoor enclosure with a GOOD UVB light. Trim his nails and beak, and start feeding him calcium-rich foods.
 
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