What Kind Of Tort Is This?

[sillyfurby]

My husband found this tortoise on open land close to farm fields. It was at the entrance of a hole in a dirt pile. The tortoise is so perfectly preserved that at first it appears to be alive. However it could be called a Tortoise Mummy, minus the wrappings. I have Googled to find out what kind of a tortoise it is, but nothing turned up. Do you know what kind of tortoise it is?

 

[naturalman91]

i don't think that's a tort i'm probably wrong but that sorta looks like a red earred slider id need pics of the head tho they are water turtles is there a pond or lake close by?

 

[sillyfurby]

Here is the "Tort Mummy" again.

i don't think that's a tort i'm probably wrong but that sorta looks like a red earred slider id need pics of the head tho they are water turtles is there a pond or lake close by?

I've had sliders and this isn't one. The closest pond is roughly 10 miles from where it was found.

 

[Abdulla6169]

It's a turtle though, probably a thrown Away pet

 

[kball]

Is it a yellow bellied slider

 

[KevinGG]

It is a slider not sure exactly which one but you got a turtle mummy not a tortoise mummy

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Is it a yellow bellied slider

I don't think so. I have YBS and he doesn't have square markings that that. Just three black blotches. I don't think it is an RES either! It is definitely a turtle, not a tortoises. If it got crisped up in the sun, it might not have been able to find water, and died.

 

[Abdulla6169]

I don't think so. I have YBS and he doesn't have square markings that that. Just three black blotches. I don't think it is an RES either! It is definitely a turtle, not a tortoises. If it got crisped up in the sun, it might not have been able to find water, and died.

2 possibilities now:
1- pet was set free & died:
Likely, many irresponsible owners do that...
2-from the pond:
Why would it be there? what happens to it when it rains, does it flood?
I believe it's the first one

 

[Yvonne G]

It's a water turtle.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

2 possibilities now:
1- pet was set free & died:
Likely, many irresponsible owners do that...
2-from the pond:
Why would it be there? what happens to it when it rains, does it flood?
I believe it's the first one

It's a shame to think someone threw it out... such a big, beautiful turtle Maybe he died of starvation or something... either way it makes me sad to think that was probably a pet, and died in the wild.
People- don't EVER release your turtle/tortoise!

 

[Abdulla6169]

It's a shame to think someone threw it out... such a big, beautiful turtle Maybe he died of starvation or something... either way it makes me sad to think that was probably a pet, and died in the wild.
People- don't EVER release your turtle/tortoise!

Or it may have left the pond because of starvation, this is unlikely though

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Or it may have left the pond because of starvation, this is unlikely though

Hmm, that's actually a good one. The pond may have dried up, leading to dehydration and starvation.

 

[sissyofone]

It's a shame to think someone threw it out... such a big, beautiful turtle Maybe he died of starvation or something... either way it makes me sad to think that was probably a pet, and died in the wild.
People- don't EVER release your turtle/tortoise!

It makes me sad also. I do not doubt it was a thrown away pet either. Poor thing, No telling how long it suffered before it passed away.

 

[Yvonne G]

I may be way off base, but I don't think animals 'suffer' like we do. I think they are able to go away in their brains, like just tune it out and go into a sort of hypnotic state, and just die without any suffering.

 

[Abdulla6169]

I may be way off base, but I don't think animals 'suffer' like we do. I think they are able to go away in their brains, like just tune it out and go into a sort of hypnotic state, and just die without any suffering.

I believe they suffer, they do so while moving (unless they are unconscious)...

 

[Saleama]

2 possibilities now:
1- pet was set free & died:
Likely, many irresponsible owners do that...
2-from the pond:
Why would it be there? what happens to it when it rains, does it flood?
I believe it's the first one

My brother lives about 10 miles from the nearest full time water source and he has baby RES's hatch in his yard every other year or so. That leads me to believe turtles will go to great lengths to find a good nesting spot. On the off years I believe the female that lays in his yard lays near the field where the farmer grows rice. When he lets the field go fallow, she probably just lays anywhere to get the eggs out, lol.
I do know that RES's in south Texas are found often quite a long way from water and that when they run the canals dry, RES's and even Soft shells and snappers, to a much lesser degree, will travel very long distances to get back to water. The red ears will come out of the canals and travel over land while the others stay in the canal and try to find water by puddle jumping and eventually they find where the canal is not dry.

 

[sissyofone]

I may be way off base, but I don't think animals 'suffer' like we do. I think they are able to go away in their brains, like just tune it out and go into a sort of hypnotic state, and just die without any suffering.

Imo I believe they do suffer also. I mean they can feel pain. But who knows, I hope the turtle didn't suffer but my gut tells me it did. And that's sad.

 

[sillyfurby]

Thank you everyone for your opinions. I have researched for information on the differences between turtles and tortoises. One of the primary ways to tell them apart, is apparently the feet. A turtle will have webbed feet, while torts have stubby feet made for walking. So with this in mind, I examined "ED's" feet.

 

[AZTorts]

I may be way off base, but I don't think animals 'suffer' like we do. I think they are able to go away in their brains, like just tune it out and go into a sort of hypnotic state, and just die without any suffering.

Of course animals suffer. It might be harder to see it in some kinds of animals than in others but that doesn't mean they don't feel pain and have emotions just because we humans can't see it. And don't forget, we're animals too.