Wild 3 toed box turtle

[JoyG]

Hi,
I’m Joy.
I’ve found this box turtle in my yard. It’s been living there a while as I’ve seen it before in several areas of my yard. What is the white on its shell? Also, I’m thinking it’s female? It’s has long claws in the back, not much in the front. It boxed up as soon as I got near.
I’ve attached pictures.
Thanks! Looking forward to learning more about it. Is it ok to post in a tortoise group?

 

[Tom]

That is pretty cool. To have a wild one makes its home in your yard like that.

The white stuff is bone. This turtle has lost the keratin on its carapace for some reason. Maybe fire, or maybe freezing in winter. Possibly abrasion or dog attack. This shows how thin the keratin layer is.

 

[zovick]

Hi,
I’m Joy.
I’ve found this box turtle in my yard. It’s been living there a while as I’ve seen it before in several areas of my yard. What is the white on its shell? Also, I’m thinking it’s female? It’s has long claws in the back, not much in the front. View attachment 355663 It boxed up as soon as I got near.
I’ve attached pictures.
Thanks! Looking forward to learning more about it. Is it ok to post in a tortoise group?

View attachment 355660View attachment 355661

That looks like a fairly old Box Turtle. The white on the upper shell is exposed bone. For some reason, the scutes have come off in those white areas and left the bone exposed. This could have been from an injury of some type such as being gnawed at by rodents, a coyote, a raccoon, or a dog. Or maybe it was struck by a lawn mower.

However it happened, the bone has healed. I have seen injuries like this in which the scutes have grown back over the bone over time, but I don't think that will be the case here since the surface of the bone looks pretty non-vascular and the injured area is so extensive.

Good find! Hopefully this turtle will continue to thrive and survive.

Where is Dripping Spring?

 

[JoyG]

That is pretty cool. To have a wild one makes its home in your yard like that.

The white stuff is bone. This turtle has lost the keratin on its carapace for some reason. Maybe fire, or maybe freezing in winter. Possibly abrasion or dog attack. This shows how thin the keratin layer is.

Oh interesting! It would have been a freeze or multiple. I’m in Texas and we’ve had a few bad freezes in the last couple of years.

 

[JoyG]

That looks like a fairly old Box Turtle. The white on the upper shell is exposed bone. For some reason, the scutes have come off in those white areas and left the bone exposed. This could have been from an injury of some type such as being gnawed at by rodents, a coyote, a raccoon, or a dog. Or maybe it was struck by a lawn mower.

However it happened, the bone has healed. I have seen injuries like this in which the scutes have grown back over the bone over time, but I don't think that will be the case here since the surface of the bone looks pretty non-vascular and the injured area is so extensive.

Good find! Hopefully this turtle will continue to thrive and survive.

Where is Dripping Spring?

Texas