What am I?

[Yvonne G]

I don't take in water turtles anymore because it is usually RES and its hard to find good homes for them. So when I got the phone call that this guy had found a big land turtle, I asked if he was sure it was a land or a water turtle. He wasn't, but it was BIG so its probably a land turtle. He said its about a foot long and about 7" wide. So he brings me the turtle...and I DO mean TURTLE (darn it!):

I know it's male, but can anyone tell me what kind of turtle it is?

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Hmm, that is a strange looking turtle. Almost looks like an RES/red foot mix

---

The internet says it could be a western pond turtle

 

[MikeCow1]

Looks kind of like an Eastern Painted

 

[NudistApple]

Adult Red Belly?

 

[Yvonne G]

He's pretty old, and is mostly melanistic on the carapace and skin. The plastron looks like it may have had a red pattern before it turned yellow.

The guy had him for a week in an outdoor, fenced pen with a little water dish. The reason he called me and decided to turn it in was because he couldn't get it to eat.

I'll do an image search and look at some eastern painted's.

---

Yeah...hard to tell because he's so old, but I'll bet he's a red belly cooter.

Thanks everyone. Now I've got to find him a home.

 

[NudistApple]

I don't think that eastern painted turtles get close to being that large. I would put my money on a red belly.

This one shows how yellow the red can get.

 

[Itort]

Redbelly. Fine old man.

 

[tortoises101]

Redbelly turtles don't extend as far as California. I can see a faint "plastron color burst" so I would place my bet on a midland painted.

 

[Yvonne G]

No, the turtle is deff. not native. He has now been adopted out!!