Desert Box Turtle...

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reptilist
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Desert Box Turtle...

Post by reptilist »

This young box turtle had wandered into town where a concerned citizen called me to rescue/relocate it back to it's natural habitat.

Image

Image

There is a little video footage of his release on the front page of my website: http://www.reptilist.com
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Apache Devil
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Re: Desert Box Turtle...

Post by Apache Devil »

Male ornate box turtle, right? New Mexico and western Kansas were crawling with them when I was there. Cute little buggers with a suicidal thing for laying about on the highway.
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reptilist
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Re: Desert Box Turtle...

Post by reptilist »

Yes. This is the Desert Box Turtle subspecies...It is protected in Arizona now. Too many kids loving them to death.
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Re: Desert Box Turtle...

Post by Kathy »

Hi Reptilist,
I was wondering what is the differance between a Desert Tortaise
and a Desert Box Turtle.I have never seen the box turtle here in
So. Cal.I had a couple of Desert Tortaises one from a pet shop and
one I resued off the hwy.The one I resued was about the size of a
a fifty cent piece and if I hadn't been crossing the hwy at the time
it would have been dead.The one from the pet shop (which was given to me) died about 3 years after I received it.The only reason
I got it is because the ladies dogs were using it for a ball and broke
its shell.I wonder now if it was hurt inside.The one I found was stolen after having her 6 years. :( I would never bring another one
out of the wild into captivity again.Its a cruel thing to do as I learned with her as she got older. Thanks Kathy
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reptilist
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Re: Desert Box Turtle...

Post by reptilist »

Hi Kathy,

Box turtles have claw like feet and adults are about the size of a softball. They don't range into California. In Arizona, they only populate the SE corner of the state, although sometimes they have been found as far West as Casa Grande, in South-Central Arizona. Box turtles are omnivorous; they eat a lot of bugs. Desert Box Turtles are protected in the state of Arizona.

Tortoises have stump like "elephant feet" and grow to be over a foot long. Desert tortoises do not have the yellow markings on their shells that the DBT does. They range across the Mohave and Sonoran Deserts; their Eastern most limits being near Safford, Arizona. Desert Tortoises are herbivores. Desert Tortoises are protected throughout their range and should not be taken from the wild.

Dogs are frequent predators of land dwelling turtles and tortoises. Their shells are actually living bone...So yes, it does hurt them to have a fractured shell, not to mention having a hole drilled into it.
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Re: Desert Box Turtle...

Post by Desert Cruiser »

Nice photos Terry, thanks

Don....
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