What type of box?

[Amberlamothe23]

I rescued this turtle and took it ti the vet from a dog attack. But it has been a long time in captivity so I am going to keep her. But I have not a clue as to what species she is. An you help.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hard to tell because the pattern has been scraped away, but it might be an eastern.

 

[Amberlamothe23]

I will take some more pics. I just washed him so her colors are more visable. I am worried that my other two females do not have the markings on their face as well...

 

[Amberlamothe23]

I have a male eastern. But so far they have never mated, and I dont want to make mixes... so is it possible for a 100 precent answer...

 

[Torch]

I say eastern.

 

[terryo]

Looks like a female Eastern Box Turtle to me. I have some with very similar patterns.

 

[terryo]

Does this look a little like yours? I'm pretty sure it's and Eastern.

 

[Amberlamothe23]

It does with the markings on her head. But the lines are much thinner... the first pic below is the one in question. The other two are eastern. You can see the spots on the head in the fist pictures I took of her.

 

[Amberlamothe23]

Here are more pics of the spots on the head.

 

[Amberlamothe23]

Is it possible to be 100precent sure...

 

[domalle]

Is it possible to be 100precent sure...

The coloration and markings on Eastern box turtles, Terrapene carolina carolina, are highly variable
as are those of another type of Eastern called the Three-toed box turtle, Terrapene carolina triunguis.
Like other forms of box turtle, the two also interbreed creating even more variable turtles
called intergrades.
So exact identification is difficult, sometimes impossible.
But it is certainly a form of Eastern box turtle.
And btw, thank you very much for your concern and willingness to take on the rescue
of this little turtle with a challenged past.
She seems otherwise bright-eyed, healthy and beautiful.

 

[Amberlamothe23]

The coloration and markings on Eastern box turtles, Terrapene carolina carolina, are highly variable
as are those of another type of Eastern called the Three-toed box turtle, Terrapene carolina triunguis.
Like other forms of box turtle, the two also interbreed creating even more variable turtles
called intergrades.
So exact identification is difficult, sometimes impossible.
But it is certainly a form of Eastern box turtle.
And btw, thank you very much for your concern and willingness to take on the rescue
of this little turtle with a challenged past.
She seems otherwise bright-eyed, healthy and beautiful.

I love her, and she is doing well. She is regrowing the shell in places that was lost, those are the white spots on her. And thankyou for explaning that it is not always possible to tell. But at least I know she is eastern type of turtle. And they can breed without harm.

 

[Amberlamothe23]

View attachment 150660


Does this look a little like yours? I'm pretty sure it's and Eastern.

Its hard to tell because the shell is growing back. But the spots on the head are the same on her nose.

 

[Alaskamike]

That little chunk out of her back shell - I've seen this before on females, after breeding. Males will bite on the back of the shell lip, to get the female to open up for access. Sometime they take a chunk out! This females has most likely been bred already, and since the box turtle can hold viable sperm for several years till conditions are right for egg laying, it is possible she will do that in the right environment at the right time