Found babies in my backyard, help!

Ctorres

New Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2020
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
Hello everyone, yesterday I found these two in my backyard and I have many many questions:
1. Does anyone know what type of tortoise they are?
2. They are not eating, should I be worried?
3. What is their diet like?
4. One seems to be missing some of its shell what do I do?
5. At what temperature should I keep them in?
6. they seem to be very tiny compared to other babies I’ve looked up is this something due to age or species?
Thank you I hope someone can help!
 

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Ctorres

New Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2020
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
Another thing, I live in Dallas,Texas! Not sure if that helps but I just wanted to add on just in case.
 

MichaelL

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5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2018
Messages
983
Location (City and/or State)
Ocala, Fl
1. They probably are three toed box turtles based on your location.
2. Depends on what they're being fed and how long you have had them.
3. Their diet is made up of small bugs and invertebrates with some fruit/mushrooms. I would offer lots of different types of small bugs.
4. The shells seem fine, not much you can do about it missing part of it.
5. I don't really know temperatures as I haven't kept baby box turtles, I just know they should be kept in a very humid and warm habitat. So constant mists, access to water, etc.
6. That is how small baby box turtles are, due to age and species. They recently hatched.

By the way if you keep them make sure they have lots of wet leaf litter, dirt, and plants to burrow into and a large shallow water dish. Once in a cage with those things they probably will want to eat more.

Hopefully someone else will add on to what I said.
 

Relic

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Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
538
Location (City and/or State)
Here
I live nearby - they are 3 toed box turtles. One is missing several central scutes which may negatively impact his future. As adults they have a hard bone structure under the scutes and can survive just fine if one peels off. Hatchlings don't yet have that hard bony surface below, making it more vulnerable for infections, abrasions, and other various injuries. If you're not up for housing/feeding for the winter, I would release them back where you found them. If you do want to tackle husbandry for these 2 over the coming months I wish you well. There is a ton of information on this site on how to do it...best of luck to you.
 

PJay

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5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2016
Messages
1,167
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
Based on your location and their appearance they are three toed box turtles. One is an unusual looking turtle as @Relic pointed out. Does the turtle with the odd carapace (top shell) seem soft on top or the same as over all? It looks like it could be presenting an abnormal growth structure, sans outer keratin, of the ribs as they spread out into shell structure.
 

Chigal1

New Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2021
Messages
14
Location (City and/or State)
CA
Hello everyone, yesterday I found these two in my backyard and I have many many questions:
1. Does anyone know what type of tortoise they are?
2. They are not eating, should I be worried?
3. What is their diet like?
4. One seems to be missing some of its shell what do I do?
5. At what temperature should I keep them in?
6. they seem to be very tiny compared to other babies I’ve looked up is this something due to age or species?
Thank you I hope someone can help!
I don’t want to sound corny but born free, live free. I would release them back where they belong. They will be much happier.
 

m irwin

Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2021
Messages
48
Location (City and/or State)
Dallas
I echo all the above - they are three toed box turtles hatchings AND YOU NEED TO RELEASE THEM back into the wild where you found them. Hopefully that is in or near a creek or greenspace or easement area that remains "wild" or un-mowed and has tree cover to provide fallen leaves and such for hiding and moisture. I other words, if you found them crawling around in your St. Augustine lawn, release them into the nearest "creek-y" area. They are NOT water turtles, but need the cover of wild spaces to hide and grow, and in a major city like Dallas, those "wild" areas are usually around creeks that are left un-mowed.
 

autumn_0201

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2021
Messages
56
Location (City and/or State)
Kuantan
Hello everyone, yesterday I found these two in my backyard and I have many many questions:
1. Does anyone know what type of tortoise they are?
2. They are not eating, should I be worried?
3. What is their diet like?
4. One seems to be missing some of its shell what do I do?
5. At what temperature should I keep them in?
6. they seem to be very tiny compared to other babies I’ve looked up is this something due to age or species?
Thank you I hope someone can help!

The torts kind of looks like 3 toed box turtles to me. I think maybe the foods you have fed them so far aren't what they are used to be eating in the wild, so I don't think it is worth worrying about yet. My cousin used to have some three toed box turtles, and I remember she fed them bugs and worms which they loved. I'm not very sure about the shell, to be honest ? My cousin never put a heater in with the turtles, because the area we live in is always warm and at least higher than 24 degrees c. I'm not very sure about the size of the babies either, I'm sorry, but I don't think it is something to worry about. Hope this helps!!
 
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