What type of tortoise is this?

by Donna Divelbiss
(Ohio)

What tortoise is this?

We found this guy wandering in our back yard. We live in a marsh area in northeastern ohio. I'm thinking he probably is not native to this part of the country so it must have been a pet that was let go or lost. I've tried looking on the internet and what I think is that he is a red foot tortoise. I cannot find any pictures though of one with red/orange eyes. I don't know if that is normal or a sickness. And I'd also like to know for sure what he is so that we can properly care for him. Thank you.

Comments for What type of tortoise is this?

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Dec 29, 2012

Eastern Box Turtle
by: Shelli

Hi! Looks like a classic example of an Eastern Box Turtle to me. I have one of these precious little guys. The one pictured is a cute little guy (and yes, I believe he is a male due to his red eyes) ;-)

BTW: Please allow me to provide my point of view. I have kept box turtles and other reptiles for 40 years and honestly if this little guy is healthy, probably the best way to care for him is to leave him in the wild. The Eastern Box is native to Ohio and are actually uncommon to rare in the great lakes region, so he would be better off in his natural habitat. If you feel he is in danger, and you decide to keep him for a while, make sure you don't feed him iceberg lettuce (no food value). In fact you should look into all the turtle husbandry info (food, shelter, etc.). They are not easy to care for and have very specific needs for good health and happiness. In fact, if I knew then, what I know now, I wouldn't have kept box turtles in captivity (only under rescue conditions). There is a LOT to know and in retrospect, I believe that my ignorant (and innocent) fascination with the beautiful little guys has kept them from being completely happy where they were originally meant to be! Good luck whatever you choose to do...

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