What kind???

Can anyone tell me if this is a painted turtle?? I have never seen one this color. Thanks BEV

My book is in my cabin, but I think it is an eastern box turtle. I saw one here once, although they are suppose to be common. If it has orange eyes, it is a male.

Thank you so much. BEV

An Eastern Box Turtle is what it is.....

Is he in water? They are terrestrial. If they get in too far, their a goner.

They do get into the water, especially when it is hot, like now.

That I know, but he looks as if he is in over his head or will be soon!

i took him out and gave him to a neighbor. bev

Did he crawl in there himself? With the lip on the pond liner he might have had a tough time getting out. Sorry if I seem overly concerned about what is "only a turtle".

They are my favorite wild animal and they are dwindling in numbers. They don't travel very far in life. They stay in maybe a couple hundred square yard area their whole life, so it's hit or miss to come across a mate for them to get some baby turtles and these turtles already have a low reproduction rate. Along with the orange eyes, the male also has a slightly concave bottom shell (plastron), to help him stay centered on the female when mating. (I hope this is not to much information about the sex life of a box turtle.) It is also a good idea to release a captured box turtle near where they are found since they know the area a will be able to find food, water and shelter.

I lived in NJ (Hunterdon County, still lots of farmland) for 52 years, and I watched the number of Box Turtle sightings go down from when I was a kid. When I left in 2010, I felt lucky to see two a year cross the road and I would always stop and escort them the rest of the way across so they wouldn't get hit. I now live in VA and am happy and proud of the fact that I have escorted 16 across the roads so far this year.

I always am crossed between anger and tears when I see a box turtle crushed in the road. They obviously don't dart out into the road like a deer or rabbit and get run over. They plod across usually going as fast as they can. If they get spooked by a car going by (some are more afraid then others, some will close-up as soon as you are near them and some the legs will keep right on going as you carry them across to the other side) they might sit there for a while until they feel safe enough to come back out and by then another car goes wizzing past, and the process starts all over again. I don't know anyone who would purposely run over a rock the size of a large grapefruit in the middle of the road and risk damaging their car, so if you are paying attention to the road in front of you, I can't figure out how turtles get run over. Please be careful to straddle or go around a turtle with your car and if you feel like it's safe to do so (don't endanger yourself or those in your car), stop pull over and help them across in the direction they are headed.

I know this is a passionate plea of mine that only a few will ever hear, but I wish all drivers had to read this. (Jumping down off my soap box.)

This message was edited Jul 27, 2011 2:13 PM

I escort turtles too. except for the snapper that feinted at me, he scared the bejeebers out of me!
http://philmc.com/mlw/prince.htm

Here is a good picture...sorry about the last one.

there are quiet a few ponds and lakes that are very close here. this is what our snappers look like. i have found small ones in my pond and my neighbor has a big pond. i am filling mine in after 30 yrs because of my health. i am going to miss these critters. bev

If it's a turtle, it should be OK in the water, as they're water adapted. It's tortoises that are going to be in trouble in water, as they are dry land animals.

Resin

Prince is a three toed ...he was quite unique, have never seen another one like him...

Short answer, Yes. But if it has a shell like a turtle, it's a turtle.

Box turtles will enter shallow water to rehydrate, especially just before and after laying their eggs. They are not good swimmers and will drown, if trapped in deep water. You were lucky to see him, they are pretty hard to find most places any more.

I tried to rehab a very large Eastern this year. It was the size of a football and some idiot ran her over. Sadly the damage was too severe and she didn't make it. It's hard to loose an animal that you know is older than you are. Especially one so rare and beautiful.