Turtle Identication

Anabaptist

New Member
I found this baby turtle in the Prince Frederick area. Can anyone identify the species?

26040412.jpg
 

Anabaptist

New Member
I find it very hard to believe that the turtle I found swimming in water is an Eastern box turtle.

Eastern Box Turtle:

3089745143_d957de58e3.jpg
 

CraneTaker77

New Member
This baby turtle is a box turtle. You can tell by the thicker scales on his legs. Also by the coloring, water turtles that are flat like that when they are born are usually more colorful(painted turtle or red eared slider). I used to have box turtles all the time when I was a kid. They love to swim, I actually found one out on the patuxent one day when we were crabbing. If your looking into keeping him as a pet, research it a little bit and find the right things to feed him. I.E. meal worms, earth worms, various fruits and berrys. I hope this helps.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Need recipes??

Screw that. turtles are not even survival food, and they got that way by being way too much effort for the meat you get back. I believe you burn more calories getting the meat than you do eating it. And yes, I speak from experience.
 

Katelin

one day the dark will end
I found this baby turtle in the Prince Frederick area. Can anyone identify the species?

26040412.jpg

Please put it back where you took it from.
It is illegal in MD to take and keep cative native animals including turtles.
Our box turtle population is suffering because of loss of habitat and people thinking they are free pets.

If you need more info...contact your local Dept. of Natural Resourses office.
Or the main office in Annapolis:
Thank you.....
 

CraneTaker77

New Member
Please put it back where you took it from.
It is illegal in MD to take and keep cative native animals including turtles.
Our box turtle population is suffering because of loss of habitat and people thinking they are free pets.

If you need more info...contact your local Dept. of Natural Resourses office.
Or the main office in Annapolis:
Thank you.....

It's suffering from habitat loss and from getting ran over in the road. That little turtle would get swallowed up by a raccon or posseum(sp) in no time. I've had turtles since I was a little kid, and hand raised them. There is nothing wrong with keeping a turtle as long as you give them all the required care. If anything your saving them from getting ate or killed. I've had Diamond Back turtles and even spotted turtles through the years.
 
D

dems4me

Guest
It's suffering from habitat loss and from getting ran over in the road. That little turtle would get swallowed up by a raccon or posseum(sp) in no time. I've had turtles since I was a little kid, and hand raised them. There is nothing wrong with keeping a turtle as long as you give them all the required care. If anything your saving them from getting ate or killed. I've had Diamond Back turtles and even spotted turtles through the years.

I thought you took cranes. :shrug:
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Please put it back where you took it from.
It is illegal in MD to take and keep cative native animals including turtles.
Our box turtle population is suffering because of loss of habitat and people thinking they are free pets.

If you need more info...contact your local Dept. of Natural Resourses office.
Or the main office in Annapolis:
Thank you.....

She can just bring it to me.. I'll take care of it..

I'll put it with all the rest of them.

Soon we'll have enough for SOUP!!
 
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Anabaptist

New Member
Please put it back where you took it from.
It is illegal in MD to take and keep cative native animals including turtles.
Our box turtle population is suffering because of loss of habitat and people thinking they are free pets.

If you need more info...contact your local Dept. of Natural Resourses office.
Or the main office in Annapolis:
Thank you.....

I found that turtle on a construction job nearly a year ago and released it after taking a picture. Thank you for your concern.
 

NatureCenter

New Member
Please put it back where you took it from.
It is illegal in MD to take and keep cative native animals including turtles.
Our box turtle population is suffering because of loss of habitat and people thinking they are free pets.

If you need more info...contact your local Dept. of Natural Resourses office.
Or the main office in Annapolis:
Thank you.....

That is incorrect. Most native reptiles/amphibians are legal to take from the wild - including box turtles as long as you follow the laws.

According to Maryland Law, an individual is allowed to take and keep (from the wild) a single box turtle. All other box turtles in ones possession must be proven to be captive bred and/or legally obtained from outside of the state (with appropriate documentation to back up their legality).

When having more than one box turtle in your possession, you must also obtain and maintain a Maryland Reptile/Amphibian Permit for as long as the turtles are in your possession.

If you only have box turtles that are captive bred (or legally obtained from out of state) in your possession, but you have no documentation to back up the legality of your possession of those turtles, then Maryland DNR will automatically presume the turtles are wild caught from MD and will hold you to 1 allowance rule and all others would be considered illegal in violation of the law...meaning you risk confiscation of all animals in your possession and you face the possibility of prosecution/fines.

If you have one or more box turtles legally in your possession, you are required to obtain a Maryland Reptile/Amphibian Permit if any of the turtle(s) are less than 4 inches in carapace length.

The Reptile/Amphibian permit currently costs $25 per year. This same permit will also cover the legal captive breeding of and/or selling/trading/bartering of captive bred box turtles. It is illegal to sell wild caught box turtles in Maryland.

While MD does allow for the legal captive breeding of box turtles and possession of said offspring under 4 inches in carapace length as covered under the R/A Permit, you start to get into potential legal complications if you try to sell/barter/trade those turtles that are under 4" inches in carapace length. The MD law as written only permits selling of undersized turtles to individuals outside of the state since MD Health Department regulations do not allow the sale of any undersized turtles within the state. If you sell outside of the state, you must be doing so in accordance with the state laws of the person whom you are conducting the transaction with. Additionally, there are even more complications due to Federal laws. The way the fed laws are written, public distribution (selling/bartering/trading) of any turtle under 4" in carapace length for purposes other than bona-fide research/educational purposes is illegal. In other words, selling a baby turtle to little junior and his mom so junior can have a pet and "learn about turtles" does not qualify as bona-fide educational/research purposes.... selling to a zoo or educational facility or laboratory however would be legal. Selling an undersized turtle to a teacher as a classroom pet could qualify as bona-fide educational provided the turtle remained in possession of the school (i.e. the educational facility) and not as the personal property of the teacher (i.e. a pet). And the complications will get further out of control when you try to export turtles out of the country as then CITES and red-tape comes into play.

And finally, it is illegal to release into the wild in any captive bred animal (native or not to Maryland). If a box turtle in your possession is originally wild caught, there are laws/guidelines that one must adhere to if that animal is to be released back to the wild and unfortunately depending on the circumstances it's quite possible that the animal may not even qualify for release.
 

DPA469

New Member
That is incorrect. Most native reptiles/amphibians are legal to take from the wild - including box turtles as long as you follow the laws.

According to Maryland Law, an individual is allowed to take and keep (from the wild) a single box turtle. All other box turtles in ones possession must be proven to be captive bred and/or legally obtained from outside of the state (with appropriate documentation to back up their legality).

When having more than one box turtle in your possession, you must also obtain and maintain a Maryland Reptile/Amphibian Permit for as long as the turtles are in your possession.

If you only have box turtles that are captive bred (or legally obtained from out of state) in your possession, but you have no documentation to back up the legality of your possession of those turtles, then Maryland DNR will automatically presume the turtles are wild caught from MD and will hold you to 1 allowance rule and all others would be considered illegal in violation of the law...meaning you risk confiscation of all animals in your possession and you face the possibility of prosecution/fines.

If you have one or more box turtles legally in your possession, you are required to obtain a Maryland Reptile/Amphibian Permit if any of the turtle(s) are less than 4 inches in carapace length.

The Reptile/Amphibian permit currently costs $25 per year. This same permit will also cover the legal captive breeding of and/or selling/trading/bartering of captive bred box turtles. It is illegal to sell wild caught box turtles in Maryland.

While MD does allow for the legal captive breeding of box turtles and possession of said offspring under 4 inches in carapace length as covered under the R/A Permit, you start to get into potential legal complications if you try to sell/barter/trade those turtles that are under 4" inches in carapace length. The MD law as written only permits selling of undersized turtles to individuals outside of the state since MD Health Department regulations do not allow the sale of any undersized turtles within the state. If you sell outside of the state, you must be doing so in accordance with the state laws of the person whom you are conducting the transaction with. Additionally, there are even more complications due to Federal laws. The way the fed laws are written, public distribution (selling/bartering/trading) of any turtle under 4" in carapace length for purposes other than bona-fide research/educational purposes is illegal. In other words, selling a baby turtle to little junior and his mom so junior can have a pet and "learn about turtles" does not qualify as bona-fide educational/research purposes.... selling to a zoo or educational facility or laboratory however would be legal. Selling an undersized turtle to a teacher as a classroom pet could qualify as bona-fide educational provided the turtle remained in possession of the school (i.e. the educational facility) and not as the personal property of the teacher (i.e. a pet). And the complications will get further out of control when you try to export turtles out of the country as then CITES and red-tape comes into play.

And finally, it is illegal to release into the wild in any captive bred animal (native or not to Maryland). If a box turtle in your possession is originally wild caught, there are laws/guidelines that one must adhere to if that animal is to be released back to the wild and unfortunately depending on the circumstances it's quite possible that the animal may not even qualify for release.

SLAM!!!

Thanks for the info. Please come back more often to give us the correct info on wildlife.
:huggy:
 

Anabaptist

New Member
If I would have got a better picture of that turtle's spiked shell, epople would see there is no way in the world that was a box turtle.
 
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