Identifying baby box & shell issues

[JessMARBie]

So a couple days ago a lady comes into my work and tells me about this little turtle her dog brought in and she's been feeding cat food to. I told her I'd take him off her hands so now a baby box turtle has joined my Western Painted turtle and Hermann's tortoise (figuratively of course). I'm trying to figure out what species he is (I'm guessing he, reddish eyes). Also his shell is messed up and I'm not sure if it's MBD as someone else suggested, he also has slight wounds on his plastron, from the dog I'm guessing, that I'm treating with betadine and triple antibiotic. I've been giving him a liquid calcium supplement for the shell, is there anything else I can do? What would be the best to feed him? I got this dried mix of fruits,bugs,and meat from the store and I have meal worms I've been giving him, my store is out of red wigglers at the moment but I'm planning on getting them. I'm not experienced with box turtles but it seems like he has a hinge at the front and back, although he doesn't hide. He also only has three back toes but doesn't look like a three toed box from what I've seen. Also any way to guess an age? His name is Irwin Atlas btw.


Long story short: what species & what's up with his shell?

 

[Millerlite]

It's def a box turtle and if I were to guess what kind a 3 toed box turtle. It's still a little to young to sex. As for its shell. Looks to be kept too dry. Can't tell might be fungus even. Or it can be for. Too wet and hard water. Its hard to tell. Does t look like mbd.

Kyle

 

[lisa127]

I am in agreement with all of the above. Three toed box. And does not look to be mbd. Try soaking him in slightly warm water.

 

[Berkeley]

Where are you located? It does appear to be a juvenile three-toed box turtle. I don't see any evidence of Metabolic Bone Disease, it looks to me like regular growth. In regards to the shell, it looks to be covered in dried mud or perhaps some old paint. Try soaking it for about 30 minutes in some water and then scrub it down with an old toothbrush. I don't see the plastron wounds you mentioned though, but the picture was a bit fuzzy.

For food, give it a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as soaked freshwater turtle pellets. Worms, slugs, mushrooms and pinkie mice will all provide good protein.

--Berkeley

edit_ I see Lisa127 hit 'enter' for a response the same time I did.

 

[ColleenT]

slow down on the mealworms, they have a backward Calcium to phosphorus ratio and that is not good.

Earthworms are good, fruit and veg, especially orange veggies, you can soften the veggies if possible and chop tiny. Omega One Turle pellets soaked and soft are good.

ETA- i don't see anything wrong with his shell. not sure what you are seeing..

 

[Gillian M]

I agree with Colleen : I don't think that there's anything wrong with your cute tort's shell. But you ought to keep soaking him in warm water anyway, so as to avoid dehydration and pyramiding.

And a very warm welcome to the forum!

 

[MichaelaW]

Those are hard water deposits. I have seen them on box turtle hatchlings before. They fade away with age.

 

[Yvonne G]

Because of the dark markings on the plastron, I'm guessing this may be a luteola or western box turtle. Or it might be an intergrade. The three toes have a solid bone colored plastron.

I agree the whitish color on the original baby scutes is probably just hard water stains and nothing to worry about. Actually, this is a very pretty box turtle, and I see nothing wrong with it at all.

 

[lisa127]

Actually, I've seen many 3 toeds with dark markings around the scutes on the bottom of the shell.

 

[JessMARBie]

I'm in Galveston TX, on a different group someone suggested a Gulf Coast/ Three Toed mix. The very bottom pic was right after his first soak and you could see the shell better. Is this a normal coloration for three toed box turtles? The ones I've looked up look more plain in coloration.

So keep soaking and scrub with a tooth brush for his back. The wounds on the belly are very tiny and he wouldn't hold all for a pic.

Are there any fruits or veg to stay away from in particular? I know the website for choosing safe tortoise food, is there something similar to that?

Thanks guys!

 

[JessMARBie]

Here's a better pic of his belly, the wounds are hard to distinguish, they don't look at red as three days ago when I got him. Also you can see his three little toes. Then here's one of his face.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm in Galveston TX, on a different group someone suggested a Gulf Coast/ Three Toed mix. The very bottom pic was right after his first soak and you could see the shell better. Is this a normal coloration for three toed box turtles? The ones I've looked up look more plain in coloration.

So keep soaking and scrub with a tooth brush for his back. The wounds on the belly are very tiny and he wouldn't hold all for a pic.

Are there any fruits or veg to stay away from in particular? I know the website for choosing safe tortoise food, is there something similar to that?

Thanks guys!

That mixture was what I was thinking too (gulf coast/three toe).

 

[Millerlite]

I still say three toed. I've had many babies look like yours. The color fades with age.

Kyle

 

[cmacusa3]

I'm going with 3 toed mixed with Ornate. There are plenty of these mixes in Oklahoma and Texas. From what I've read Texas only has 3 types of box turtles. Desert, Ornate and 3 toed. I would also guess the 2ish age from looking at the plastron.

Those are water stains, I have also seen them on a few of my hatchlings.

 

[AJK Aquaria]

Are we pointing to a possible intergrade or hybrid based solely on the plastron markings? From what I've read on 3 toeds the plastron can have darker marks/smudging on the scute edges, as lisa127 indicates. I have animals as 3 toeds and some have plastron markings. I'd really like to know any info on this. The box turtles are so variable... it can be quite a headache figuring all this out.

Jess- whatever that turtle is as far as species goes, it looks awesome. Should turn out as a very attractive adult.

 

[cmacusa3]

I'm going off Carapace and plastron markings and comparing it to the ornate/ 3 toed hybrid I have. My 3 toed/ornate juveniles I hatched last year have the same plastron markings as this one.





These are the hybrid


This is a full 3 toed.

Who knows though, we never can tell for sure about the markings because so many come out differently

 

[AJK Aquaria]

Excellent. Thanks for the info and photos.

 

[cmacusa3]

Excellent. Thanks for the info and photos.

No problem, Like I said though, I've also seen them with and without markings. I just happened to have these to go off of. I'm not sold on what the one that the thread is about 100%

 

[AJK Aquaria]

No problem, Like I said though, I've also seen them with and without markings. I just happened to have these to go off of. I'm not sold on what the one that the thread is about 100%

Oh yeah, I understand. It's nice to see actual photos of what certain hybrids can look like.

 

[MichaelaW]

It's really almost impossible to say for certain. Coloration in Terrapene is incredibly diverse.