Hi All! My name is Bev.

[TurtzInMyYard]

Hello! I have nine turtles who cruise through or live on my property. They are all wild. I do not KEEP them in containers. They are free to come and go. This year I wondered if these turtles are the same ones or different. I marked each one I found with a distinct mark and have been observing them all spring and summer. Hope to learn a bunch on this site. Happy turtling!

 

[Ink]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[TurtzInMyYard]

Welcome to the forum.

Thank you. I just started an ongoing hobby of turtle watching. I have nine. I just saw two of them mating on Aug 18. Isn't this a bit late???

 

[Ink]

I have no idea, maybe an expert will be able to help.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm guessing you're seeing some sort of box turtle. Those males are quite randy and will breed any time they find a female.

 

[TurtzInMyYard]

I'm guessing you're seeing some sort of box turtle. Those males are quite randy and will breed any time they find a female.

Indeed Yvonne. Box turtles. I can't be sure but I think I may have three different kinds, but it is certainly hard for me to tell since they all look alike to me...lol

BUT, I do hope to be able to have some of you guide me in that. I have one that has orange on the lateral aspect of its face. There is another one whose shell almost looks yellow gold compared to all the others. I suspect I may have representatives from the Eastern Box, the Florida Gulf Coast Box and possibly Ornate. Perhaps I will post some photos eventually.

Oh, and I have a baby box who was barely bigger than a quarter. It's the only one I've seen this year. Last year I ran across three right together.

 

[Jan A]

Indeed Yvonne. Box turtles. I can't be sure but I think I may have three different kinds, but it is certainly hard for me to tell since they all look alike to me...lol

BUT, I do hope to be able to have some of you guide me in that. I have one that has orange on the lateral aspect of its face. There is another one whose shell almost looks yellow gold compared to all the others. I suspect I may have representatives from the Eastern Box, the Florida Gulf Coast Box and possibly Ornate. Perhaps I will post some photos eventually.

Oh, and I have a baby box who was barely bigger than a quarter. It's the only one I've seen this year. Last year I ran across three right together.

Welcome to the forum. I'll say it....we love photos!!

 

[TurtzInMyYard]

Welcome to the forum. I'll say it....we love photos!!

So, here are a few photos of my turtz. Are they all the same species or different? They LOOK different but I have no idea as I have looked at other photos and still I could not really tell.

I call this one Ninety Nine because it has two 9's on its shell

I call this one 'Drop'. She is a female.

This one is 'Stripe'.

And this one is 'Drip'.

 

[Jan A]

So, here are a few photos of my turtz. Are they all the same species or different? They LOOK different but I have no idea as I have looked at other photos and still I could not really tell.
View attachment 331431
I call this one Ninety Nine because it has two 9's on its shell
View attachment 331432
I call this one 'Drop'. She is a female.
View attachment 331433
This one is 'Stripe'.
View attachment 331434
And this one is 'Drip'.

They are gorgeous!! I'm no turtle expert, but someone who is will help with identifying them.

 

[TurtzInMyYard]

They are gorgeous!! I'm no turtle expert, but someone who is will help with identifying them.

Ya know, I keep hearing people say how gorgeous turtles are. I never thought of them as being a thing of beauty, although I'm just now paying attention. Until I looked at these pictures, I didn't realize just how different they do all look.

Drip and Drop look similar, but Drip has more orange features. I'll be excited for next spring to see if all of them make an appearance again. I have read they only have a range of about a mile. I see Drip and Drop frequently. In fact, Drip often can be found under the pine needle mulch in the back corner of my flowerbed next to the breezeway.

For a couple of weeks, I think Drip and Stripe hung out close to one another because I always found them foraging within a few feet of one another. I haven't seen Stripe in probably three weeks. I find this fascinating. There are three of them who will literally come up to the back porch when they see me. I can be standing looking for them and not see them. Such good little hiders. If I don't see them, they will crawl out from under the Hostas as if to say, "Can you see me now? You got some more of that watermelon you keep giving to us?" If I bend down with my hand close to the ground they will come and take it from me. Although at times, Drip almost seems MORE interested in how to bite the hand that feeds. It's a bit unnerving because she can clearly see her targets. I've watched her eat those tiny snails and she is PRECISE when she snatches one, so I find it curious that when I hold out a wedge of apple to her, she is CERTAINLY staring above the apple wedge and at my thumb on top. I don't give her the chance bite and I don't know she would, but thinking like a human, it sure LOOKS like she would do it.

Thanks for listening....

 

[Ink]

My favorite is 99. The name is so fitting. They are all very cute!

 

[TisMary]

Hi @TurtzInMyYard - I just came across this new blog from Casey at Garden State Tortoises. Thought you might be interested. Feeding Box Turtles

 

[TurtzInMyYard]

Hi @TurtzInMyYard - I just came across this new blog from Casey at Garden State Tortoises. Thought you might be interested. Feeding Box Turtles

Thank you kindly. I will visit the site! I don't know if you caught it or not, but my turtles are all free rangers. They find their own food, I just like to feed them. So far, I have figured out they prefer watermelon to strawberries, squash to carrots and they will eat cucumbers only if I have not offered other things. I have found them to be useful in helping me to eat up my produce. My room mate does not like fresh fruit and veggies so I find much goes to waste. That waste has been cut down a good bit since I have made friends with my turtz.

 

[Yvonne G]

Wow! You're so lucky to be able to see wild box turtles in your yard!!! Looks like they're eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). Yours are SO colorful! Much prettier than those we usually see.

 

[TurtzInMyYard]

My favorite is 99. The name is so fitting. They are all very cute!

Ink did you see the 99 on her (don't know what sex it is) shell?

 

[TurtzInMyYard]

Wow! You're so lucky to be able to see wild box turtles in your yard!!! Looks like they're eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). Yours are SO colorful! Much prettier than those we usually see.

I have really been enjoying them. I said I had not seen Stripe in 3 weeks. I saw her (or him) this morning. I forgot to mention she is missing her right front foot. I couldn't bear to name her 'Stumpy". If they show up next year, I will give them real names.

When I saw Stripe this morning, I ran for the apples. She came and took it from me and then I caught movement a couple of feet away. I have a Hosta and an Impatience planted, every other one along the leaf line of our backyard. They LOVE hiding underneath the broad leaves. Although, on occasion they bite down a leg of an Impatience but its because they are biting at those tiny snails. After I gave her the apple I investigated the movement and sure enough, there was T-Rex. I know for sure he is a male. I saw him mate with Drop.

I offered him an apple wedge too. I CANNOT believe he actually came and took it from me. Generally, he would prefer to think he is hidden from my view. I returned to the porch and just watched. After a bit, I noticed Stripe had finished her wedge and so I offered her another which she happily accepted. Back to the porch I go, and just a minute later, T-Rex emerges from underneath the Hostas and he spied Stripe. He creeps out and tried to mount her, but she doesn't seem inclined and she tried to leave but he crawled on top of her again---but he sees something-- another apple wedge. He steals it from her for himself but he will not let her leave. Finally, he heads back to the Hostas and she stays put. I had left another wedge for him and he found it and began eating it. Stripe, seeing an opportunity for escape, disappears through the Hostas but does not re-emerge.

T-Rex leaves the rest of his apple wedge and disappears under a different Hosta. I waited. Nothing. Finally, I see Stripe and she has decided the T-Rex has left and starts for home toward the woods, but she comes across the leftover apple wedge and begins eating. Then, out of nowhere, here comes T-Rex and he moves her off the apple and stands OVER the apple as he is pushing her and nudging her away. He starts eating the apple again but it flips in a way that causes him to have to turn his back to Stripe. Again, Stripe sees escape and slowly heads towards the woods, pausing now and then to check on him. Seeing he is very busy with his apple, she gets further away.

Then T-Rex leaves his apple wedge again and cranes and stretches his neck 10 miles high, surveying and looking. He crawls toward the woods and Stripe goes as still as a stone. She sees him, but he doesn't see her. He looks and looks. She hasn't so much as blinked. T-Rex gives up and returns to the apple, takes a bite or two and then creeps back into the Hostas, where he stayed for a long time. I almost think he was using that apple as bait. T-Rex is quite large and just he looks very much like a T-Rex. None of the other turtles can match his size.

He is a new comer. I saw him and realized, "Hey, that is an unmarked unit". He's marked now, with a T, clever huh?

 

[jsheffield]

Thanks so much for sharing!

Jamie

 

[Yvonne G]

I love it!

 

[zolasmum]

I have really been enjoying them. I said I had not seen Stripe in 3 weeks. I saw her (or him) this morning. I forgot to mention she is missing her right front foot. I couldn't bear to name her 'Stumpy". If they show up next year, I will give them real names.

When I saw Stripe this morning, I ran for the apples. She came and took it from me and then I caught movement a couple of feet away. I have a Hosta and an Impatience planted, every other one along the leaf line of our backyard. They LOVE hiding underneath the broad leaves. Although, on occasion they bite down a leg of an Impatience but its because they are biting at those tiny snails. After I gave her the apple I investigated the movement and sure enough, there was T-Rex. I know for sure he is a male. I saw him mate with Drop.

I offered him an apple wedge too. I CANNOT believe he actually came and took it from me. Generally, he would prefer to think he is hidden from my view. I returned to the porch and just watched. After a bit, I noticed Stripe had finished her wedge and so I offered her another which she happily accepted. Back to the porch I go, and just a minute later, T-Rex emerges from underneath the Hostas and he spied Stripe. He creeps out and tried to mount her, but she doesn't seem inclined and she tried to leave but he crawled on top of her again---but he sees something-- another apple wedge. He steals it from her for himself but he will not let her leave. Finally, he heads back to the Hostas and she stays put. I had left another wedge for him and he found it and began eating it. Stripe, seeing an opportunity for escape, disappears through the Hostas but does not re-emerge.

T-Rex leaves the rest of his apple wedge and disappears under a different Hosta. I waited. Nothing. Finally, I see Stripe and she has decided the T-Rex has left and starts for home toward the woods, but she comes across the leftover apple wedge and begins eating. Then, out of nowhere, here comes T-Rex and he moves her off the apple and stands OVER the apple as he is pushing her and nudging her away. He starts eating the apple again but it flips in a way that causes him to have to turn his back to Stripe. Again, Stripe sees escape and slowly heads towards the woods, pausing now and then to check on him. Seeing he is very busy with his apple, she gets further away.

Then T-Rex leaves his apple wedge again and cranes and stretches his neck 10 miles high, surveying and looking. He crawls toward the woods and Stripe goes as still as a stone. She sees him, but he doesn't see her. He looks and looks. She hasn't so much as blinked. T-Rex gives up and returns to the apple, takes a bite or two and then creeps back into the Hostas, where he stayed for a long time. I almost think he was using that apple as bait. T-Rex is quite large and just he looks very much like a T-Rex. None of the other turtles can match his size.

He is a new comer. I saw him and realized, "Hey, that is an unmarked unit". He's marked now, with a T, clever huh?

Thank you so much - your description of them is fascinating, and I do hope you will continue to send more episodes of their lives in the future..
Angie

 

[TurtzInMyYard]

Thank you so much - your description of them is fascinating, and I do hope you will continue to send more episodes of their lives in the future..
Angie

Thank you Angie! Kind of you to say. Forgive me, I am a prolific writer. Brevity is beyond me. I tend to go on...and on. But, hey, if you don't mind reading lengthy dissertations about romancing the turtles, I'm your gal!

I really will be looking forward to Spring to see 'who' returns, who doesn't and I'll be keeping a keen eye out for new unmarked units...LOL Thanks again!