Turtle and Tortoise Identification

omshahi

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Joined
Jul 1, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
Houston, Texas
Could anyone help me in identifying the exact species of this turtle or tortoise? The guy who gave it to me said he is a desert tortoise but more closely resembles a box turtle because his plastron (bottom shell) is hinged and tightly closes up to its carapace (top shell). I have posted a couple pictures below. Please let me know. Thank you.Gopal 1.JPG Gopal 2.JPG
 

omshahi

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Joined
Jul 1, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
Houston, Texas
So he is not any species of tortoise? Is three toed box turtle an interbreed of eastern box turtle? His shell is pure brown and I havent seen any box turtles with a brown shell; Eastern box turtles have black and yellow shells. He is six months old, keep him outside during the day in a kid plastic pool tub and bring him inside for the night where he sleeps in a terrarium since he is primarily terrestrial.
 

omshahi

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Houston, Texas
Ok, on a facebook turtle and tortoise forum, someone said he might also possibly be a desert box turtle?
 

Toddrickfl1

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As others have said it's a three toed box turtle. Care is the same as an Eastern.
 

omshahi

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Jul 1, 2019
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Houston, Texas
Ok because I counted and it actually has five toes-three main ones and two shorters ones on both hands and feet so thats why I was wondering.
 

Yvonne G

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Three toe box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis). Looks to be fairly young.
 

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