Box turtle today. The most dirtly shell I have ever seen on a Box turtle. Sorry about the photo quality. It was getting dark and I need the flash.
Box Turtle today
- Thread starter woodjin
- Start date
Jeff, that is one of the most unusual box turtles I have ever seen. That guy is ancient looking. Was his shell dirty or just completely worn and faded. Nice pic, thanks for posting that.
chris
chris
I meant SHE looks ancient that is a female, but obviously still young enough to be laying eggs. Which is the only time you will see a box turtle out around dusk. I've seen two box turtles with shells that perfectly formed and both were ancient, I bet that turtle is at least 60 years old.
A long time, exactly how long is hard to tell. But I know they have found ones in the wild that have dates back around 1910 carved on their shell. They have found snapping turtles with musket balls lodged in there shell, turtles live a long long time, that is the only thing they have in their favor. I know my grandpop had a pair of box turtles that were 10 years old when I was born, well I'm now 24 and their still alive and well. They can live over a 100 years so I guess they will keep on getting passed down.
There was a thread a little while back on the longevity of box turtles. If you search box turtle on the forums it should come up.
Jeff
Jeff
dragoncjo said:
Chris, now that you mention it, I would say worn and faded rather than dirty. It was getting dark and it was hard to see detail. She was in a small sandy area next to a cedar swamp very deep in the woods. She had just started to dig but had not laid yet and still had a lot of digging to go. I was very gentle with her and returned her to her spot. She didn't go into her shell at all, not even a little.
Jeff
Jeff, sometimes they dig test holes. I've never really understood why they dig into the night seems like their exposing themselves to raccoons. As for her shell it could be stained from the cedar swamp, box turtles love to sit or bury into shallow mud. And the only time a box won't go into their shell is when their laying or about to lay eggs they almost appear to be in a trance with one thing on their mind, it is pretty cool to watch. If your back in that area again check for dug up nest, raccoons unfortunately, are so skillful at finding them.
Its more like floating, box turtles have an air pocket in their shell. It is kind of a safety mechanism built in. If they fall into a swamp, river, creek they will float and kind of paddle wherever they want to go after that. If you ever see one enter the water they go under water and instantly pop back up like a bobber. They def aren't built to swim and look even more clumsy in water then on land.
I rescued one from the shallow, 4 ft, end of my pool a few years ago. It definitely couldn't float, and didn't move for hours after, just gasped for breath. My neighbor has a pond frequented by box turtles. They can walk in and out but are always on the bottom, never floating.
They will drown after they become tired. If the sides aren't slopped they will not be able to get out will become tired and drown.
box turtles
i have never seen a box turtle lay eggs at dusk or night. i usually see them at the end of may early june laying eggs in late afternoon in a spot that is shady at that time but gets plenty of sun in the morning. the clutches are usually between 4 and 6 eggs and they hatch out at the end of august or until the middle of september. i have never seen a clutch wait until the following spring to hatch. as for can they swim or float it depends on the turtle i have seen some that float in the water and i have seen others walking on the bottom of a pond.
i have never seen a box turtle lay eggs at dusk or night. i usually see them at the end of may early june laying eggs in late afternoon in a spot that is shady at that time but gets plenty of sun in the morning. the clutches are usually between 4 and 6 eggs and they hatch out at the end of august or until the middle of september. i have never seen a clutch wait until the following spring to hatch. as for can they swim or float it depends on the turtle i have seen some that float in the water and i have seen others walking on the bottom of a pond.
They start in the evening and usually stop around dark. Some are very anal about there nest I have seen them tap the soil with there back feet for an hour. Also most box turtles lay a 1-3 clutches each year, normally a month apart. Last year my female dropped 2 clutches 8 eggs total.
Darwin's reputed tortoise dies at 176
http://pressofatlanticcity.com/health_fitness/24hour/story/3316559p-12216947c.html
http://pressofatlanticcity.com/health_fitness/24hour/story/3316559p-12216947c.html