new here - found a turtle

[SoniayGabriel]

Hello Everyone,
We are Gabriel and Sonia. We live in Texas and we don't really know what kind of tortoise we found walking across the street. The poor thing could have been hit by a car that's why we took her home. Could you help us determine what kind of tortoise our "Torti" That's it's name is.
Thank you all for your help and have a nice day!

 

[dmmj]

RE: Hello and help

Hello Everyone,
We are Gabriel and Sonia. We live in Texas and we don't really know what kind of tortoise we found walking across the street. The poor thing could have been hit by a car that's why we took her home. Could you help us determine what kind of tortoise our "Torti" That's it's name is.
Thank you all for your help and have a nice day!

box turtle, the specific species escapes me at the moment.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: Hello and help

Hi Gabriel and Sonia:

You have a desert box turtle (Terrapene carolina luteola). They might be native to your part of Texas, and it may be against the law to take it in (I'm not familiar with the laws in Texas regarding box turtles).

Welcome to the forum!

 

[SoniayGabriel]

RE: Hello and help

Thank you so much!!

 

[Slugsandlettuce]

RE: Hello and help

I am no expert...far from actually. But the time I have spent, and the reference materials I do have.... looks more like an Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata) Seems your turtle has much more yellow, and that yellow ridge. Could be Desert box? Idk. Supposedly desert box turtles only live in, or atleast very close to the Trans-pecos area of texas. It's not a huge diffrence, I thought maybe the ornate might like it a little cooler and wetter? Nebraska and Louisiana has prohibitied collecting them, but Texas and New Mexico have not. They are infact "near threatened" it would be wise to return him/her to the area you found it. Theres not much written on deserts, but in gerneral, its not a good idea to take them out of nature unless criticaly injured.

 

[Yvonne G]

The difference between the ornata and the luteola is in the number of striations in the front scute. An ornata only has 8 or less and this turtle has 12.

 

[DixieParadise]

I am not sure if this chart will help, but these are the ones listed that are illegal to possess in Texas. This is from the Texas Dept of Wildlife.
(I only listed the Turtles)

Endangered and Threatened Reptiles and Amphibians in Texas and the United States

Turtles | Lizards | Salamanders | Frogs and Toads

Turtles State Status Federal Status (Listed)

Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Caretta caretta Threatened Threatened

Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas Threatened Threatened




Atlantic Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata Endangered Endangered

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (PDF 311.4 KB)
Lepidochelys kempii Endangered Endangered

Alligator Snapping Turtle
Macrochelys temminckii Threatened

Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea Endangered Endangered

Cagle's Map Turtle
Graptemys caglei Threatened

Chihuahuan Mud Turtle
Kinosternon hirtipes murrayi Threatened

Texas Tortoise
Gopherus berlandieri Threatened

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I am not an expert on boxies...although I would really like to have one, but I believe it to be a Desert Box Turtle. It is not the Texas Tortoise that is threatened here. Here is the number to TX Parks and Wildlife. 1-800-792-1112 ext 8722 They have a form for Box Turtle sightings, so you might want to call them and ask what they adivise you should do with the Turtle.

 

[ascott]

There is a general well known procedure to "ideally" practice when approaching a turtle/tortoise crossing a road....pull your car in a safe and secure place ..approach the turtle/tortoise ..observe the direction of the tortoise...slowly approach the turtle/tortoise ...grasp the with both hands on both of their sides....slowly and low to the ground move them to the side of the road they were headed and a bit away from the road and RELEASE them back where they belong...in the wild


UNLESS there is immanent death risk or the turtle/tortoise is injured in such away one feels as though rehab is necessary ...then aiding our little buddies to remain in their wild world is best....

My opinion...

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[SoniayGabriel]

Thank you all for your opinions.
I actually called the Texas Parks and Wildlife to ask them for their opinion and as far as we are living in a urban and transited area they told me it was actually better to have her in our garden better than in the street.
So I hope she will have a happy life with us.
Have a good day.

 

[ascott]

Awesome! You did good.....AND I bet she is going to be ABSOLUTELY happy....I hope you have tons of happy years together...and of course not sitting in the road is ALWAYS better....don't mistake what things were said about letting the wild be wild...I always believe they are better in the wild BUT I also know that if we humans did not hoard all the great places...then build roads everywhere that little one would never have been in a roadway ...ah yes, an ideal thought for an ideal world ....you done good ...

 

[wrmitchell22]

Glad you are able to keep her/him! Enjoy

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[laramie]

Hello and welcome Gabriel and SOnia. I am sure that someone here will be able to help you out. Everyone here is uber friendly and smart.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum..

 

[DixieParadise]

Welcome...they will be great in your garden. What a wonderful find...