URGENT Help Identify My Turtle

[barry101]

I have a turtle that was found in Paris Texas in june of 2018. New born almost hit with a mower.
The turtle was assumed to be a three toed box turtle. Due to the three toes. She only eats black berrys , worms , beetles and crickets, sometimes greens if mixed heavily with black berries .

But she has NO colors. JUST brown. NORMAL?
Are three toed box turtles the only turtle with three toes???

I took her to the vet today in Florida for the first time in two years because she had swollen eyes and bubbles in her nose.

I also asked my vet if she could verify my turtle's species due to the fact I could not truly identify her 100% and she asked where I got her and I told the vet the same , Paris Texas.
Now The vet calls me due to the social distancing and says she “thinks” she's a gopher turtle or tortoise.
And has to contact FWC to relocate her.

If she's a gopher tortoise I would be more than willing to let her go to re home. But If she a three toed I want my turtle back.

 

[joseph casey]

probably a Sulcata tortoise

 

[MichaelL]

That is a box turtle, idk the specific type though. Most likely three toed, I think it's normal to have not much color. And it definitely isn't a gopher or sulcata.

 

[joseph casey]

It is a Sulcata. I have like 50 of them I know what they are

 

[Toddrickfl1]

That looks like a baby box turtle to me and it's in rough shape. Looks very dry and possibly some mbd. Also, I wouldn't go back to that VET.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

It is a Sulcata. I have like 50 of them I know what they are

100% not a Sulcata.

 

[MichaelL]

100% not a Sulcata.

Agreed. It's definitely a box turtle.

 

[joseph casey]

It is a Sulcata I know it

 

[MichaelL]

Please take advice from more experienced and don't confuse the person who made the thread. This is NOT a sulcata.

 

[MichaelL]

The vet you talked to clearly does not specialize in tortoises, so like Toddrick said, don't go to them again for advice.

 

[barry101]

Are three toed box turtles the only turtles with three toes?

Yes she was very dry when found in the desert of texas... She was between 1-2 weeks old

 

[Yvonne G]

probably a Sulcata tortoise

No, it's NOT a sulcata. It's a very, very dry baby box turtle, and needs to be set up in moist leaf litter, NOT sandy dirt.

 

[Relic]

I'm not far from Paris, Texas. It is a native three toed box turtle. They are plentiful in the area.

PS - The vet is no good. She is deficient in knowledge, yet neither admits it or seeks to supplement it. The worst kind. A 60-second Google search would have corrected her mistaken identification.

 

[ColleenT]

Baby box turtle needs moisture. Needs a moist environment.

 

[Yao]

Box turtle for sure

 

[Redfoots4life]

Definitely a box turtle. I recommend soaking it for atleast 30 mins, looks dehydrated.

 

[MyKeyTee]

as others have said, definitely a box turtle, needs a good shallow soak and a damper environment. If those pictures are recent, he is 2 years old and he is way smaller that he should be... maybe everything in TX is bigger, including the meal worms and black berries

 

[silverbird]

Sad when a vet can't give you a educated answer. Find a new vet!!!!

 

[LasTortugasNinja]

A nice humid bed of leaf litter, a shallow saucer of water, and a plate full of leafy greens and pesticide-free snails, slugs, or gut loaded roaches to correct stunted growth.

 

[MyKeyTee]

I like Eco-Earth from ZooMed for substrate for the little ones. It holds moisture really well, is fine enough for them to walk around and dig in comfortably and you can grow a live plants in it. Also get some red wigglers from the bait dept at Walmart. They are small enough for him and have a lot of motion