Finally found my Yellow Headed Male Eastern

[Tccarolina]

I finally found my yellow male I've been looking for! Around 10 years ago (or 30, not totally sure), some guy bought this guy in a Krogers store (he thinks) in Cinncinnatti back when they had a small pet section. He kept the turtle in a tank, and more recently in a small tank. Now he's getting old (his memory is beginning to fail, which is why the details are fuzzy), and wasn't able to take good care of the turtle anymore. Other than being quite underweight, this turtle seems to be in remarkable shape for being in a small tank. He fed it tortoise pellets.
I spotted him on a photo sharing site, and asked some questions about him, and the guy's nephew (who posted the pics) told me his uncle was not able to take care of him anymore. I made an offer, and he sold him to me.

Since being outside for the past week, the turtle has gotten a scrape on his back left knee and front right elbow, and he came with scrape on his nose, probably from rubbing it in the shipping sock.
I guess his skin is a little tender from being in a small tank for so long. I'm surprised his nails and beak look so well.

His skin is remarkable, yellow with white. His nostrils have a little black around them, as well as a few small markings on the back of his head, so I know he's not lutino.

Is he simply a high color turtle, or is there a genetic thing going on here?

Steve

His name is Meyer

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

Hes just awesome!!!

 

[vanillapooh1979]

So pretty!

 

[bigred]

He is very beautiful like the rest of your turtles

 

[Tom]

Steve, I don't have your answer, but you have got the most amazing box turtles I have ever seen. Wow. Man they are gorgeous.

 

[expo tort]

Can turtles ( red eared sliders and such) pyramid? I mean I've seen ones that are horrible taken care of and nothing.

 

[acrantophis]

It is not uncommon for commercial foods to contain color enhancers. Carotenoids like beta carotene and even paprika bring out the red, yellow and orange in animals. Canary food, fish flakes, and turtle pellets all have some versions with color enhancers. I would feed my crickets color enhancing fish flakes so my dart frogs and bearded dragons would be more vibrant. Not to say that you don't just have a naturally stunning animal.

 

[Nixxy]

What Acrantophis said.

But it's entirely possible that it's just his natural shade.

Expo, yes they can. It's much less common than Torts, but it is entirely possible. Any Turtle/Tortoise denied proper calcium can develop it.

 

[Tccarolina]

It is not uncommon for commercial foods to contain color enhancers. Carotenoids like beta carotene and even paprika bring out the red, yellow and orange in animals. Canary food, fish flakes, and turtle pellets all have some versions with color enhancers. I would feed my crickets color enhancing fish flakes so my dart frogs and bearded dragons would be more vibrant. Not to say that you don't just have a naturally stunning animal.

Time will tell, normally boxies kept indoors lose color over time. My experience using color enhancers is that they do not work with box turtles, or if they do, it is a very long term process. They need the color pigments during periods of growth, but sunlight is necessary for the color to be expressed.
Also, color enhancers simply enhance existing color, but will not change black or brown skin or shell color to a vivid color.
The smooth shell indicates this turtle was probably an adult when collected.

Steve

---

Steve, I don't have your answer, but you have got the most amazing box turtles I have ever seen. Wow. Man they are gorgeous.

Thanks,
I'm hoping to be able to produce consistant babies from the four colors eastern box turtles exhibit; Red, Orange, Yellow, and Blue. I guess there is also White, and colorless Black, but at this point those don't interest me.

Unlike other turtles and tortoises, not many are working with specific lines and color forms of box turtles, and fewer are separating the lines in thier collections. I hope to be able to consistantly produce babies that consistantly turn out similar to their parents. Genetics interests me a lot, and its a wide open field with box turtles.

Steve

 

[Neal]

Hands down the prettiest box turtle I have ever seen. I am very jealous. I'm going to start kissing your butt now so I can make my way up the LONG line for the babies you're going to be producing.

 

[Jacqui]

Oh wow, look at all that yellow!

 

[terryo]

I'm always speechless when I see your Box Turtles. They are so amazing. I guess I have to get on line .........

 

[turtlemann2]

You must has THOUSANDS invested in your EBT colony. I wonder if you can insure your prized breeding stock?

 

[Saloli]

Time will tell, normally boxies kept indoors lose color over time. My experience using color enhancers is that they do not work with box turtles, or if they do, it is a very long term process. They need the color pigments during periods of growth, but sunlight is necessary for the color to be expressed.
Also, color enhancers simply enhance existing color, but will not change black or brown skin or shell color to a vivid color.
The smooth shell indicates this turtle was probably an adult when collected.

Steve

---

Thanks,
I'm hoping to be able to produce consistant babies from the four colors eastern box turtles exhibit; Red, Orange, Yellow, and Blue. I guess there is also White, and colorless Black, but at this point those don't interest me.

Unlike other turtles and tortoises, not many are working with specific lines and color forms of box turtles, and fewer are separating the lines in thier collections. I hope to be able to consistantly produce babies that consistantly turn out similar to their parents. Genetics interests me a lot, and its a wide open field with box turtles.

Steve

---

Actually there are black, white and green skinned easterns as well as as their shells, though I have yet to see a white shelled non amelanistic (an albino) or leucistic (a whitish individual) . I have seen a green and yellow shelled one and my new female has the green trait on her shell she is kind of odd looking. I have seen hypermelanistic ( more black/brown then normal) individuals. Though I the your new male may be hypomelanistic (less black/brown then normal( and hyperxentheric (more yellow then normal).

---

Though I hope you aren't planning on line breeding as that reduces genetic diversity and viability. Which is not good for the individuals or the species think dog breeds or cornsnake breeds or guppy breeds it didn't take many generations to develop them but the ramifications for their respective species are great. I'm not chastising you I just wanted to make sure you thought about what selective breeding does from a biological stand point.

 

[Tccarolina]

Time will tell, normally boxies kept indoors lose color over time. My experience using color enhancers is that they do not work with box turtles, or if they do, it is a very long term process. They need the color pigments during periods of growth, but sunlight is necessary for the color to be expressed.
Also, color enhancers simply enhance existing color, but will not change black or brown skin or shell color to a vivid color.
The smooth shell indicates this turtle was probably an adult when collected.

Steve

---

Thanks,
I'm hoping to be able to produce consistant babies from the four colors eastern box turtles exhibit; Red, Orange, Yellow, and Blue. I guess there is also White, and colorless Black, but at this point those don't interest me.

Unlike other turtles and tortoises, not many are working with specific lines and color forms of box turtles, and fewer are separating the lines in thier collections. I hope to be able to consistantly produce babies that consistantly turn out similar to their parents. Genetics interests me a lot, and its a wide open field with box turtles.

Steve

---

Actually there are black, white and green skinned easterns as well as as their shells, though I have yet to see a white shelled non amelanistic (an albino) or leucistic (a whitish individual) . I have seen a green and yellow shelled one and my new female has the green trait on her shell she is kind of odd looking. I have seen hypermelanistic ( more black/brown then normal) individuals. Though I the your new male may be hypomelanistic (less black/brown then normal( and hyperxentheric (more yellow then normal).

---

Though I hope you aren't planning on line breeding as that reduces genetic diversity and viability. Which is not good for the individuals or the species think dog breeds or cornsnake breeds or guppy breeds it didn't take many generations to develop them but the ramifications for their respective species are great. I'm not chastising you I just wanted to make sure you thought about what selective breeding does from a biological stand point.

---

---

No, I'm only breeding unrelated females to him. None of my adults are related to each other, unless some of the blue group happen to be.

I'd like to see a picture of your green shelled boxie.

Steve

 

[yagyujubei]

That does it, I'm selling all of mine. They all look like a "B" grade to me now.

 

[Tccarolina]

That does it, I'm selling all of mine. They all look like a "B" grade to me now.

Ha ha, yeah right! You know good and well that you have two females that put any females I have to shame!

 

[yagyujubei]

Hey, I just got two more females. I will have to post pics.

That does it, I'm selling all of mine. They all look like a "B" grade to me now.

Ha ha, yeah right! You know good and well that you have two females that put any females I have to shame!

 

[Neal]

Hey, I just got two more females. I will have to post pics.

Please do!

 

[Neal]

I've found your next project. White eastern box turtles.

Here's an old post from Terry...he has some very nice ones all around his place. I'm sure he'd be happy to snap photo's for anyone anytime.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Mint-green-BOX-turtle-etc#axzz1zDSFhxUZ