Gambol's Eastern Box Turtles

Sexing Eastern Box Turtles --male flatter shell and longer, wider tail (I don't wait around very often for him to show his tail); In general male box turtles have very orange or red eyes and a slightly concave plastron while females have brown or light orange eyes and a plastron that is almost completely flat. 

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23**Sept 30

	Walked the doggies on a half-meadow walk and then we went down to the fire pit.  We had just turned to go back home when I looked down and saw this turtle on the side of the path.  None of the dogs sensed it and I had to call Gambol back to sniff it, although he didn't seem too impressed with my find.

22**Sept 11

	We are in the midst of a thunderstorm watch tonight.  We had a good rain this afternoon so Gambol was able to sniff this guy out about half way down the tree line in the upper meadow.

21**August 9

	a male in the lower walnut grove.  I was caught without a camera again so I hauled him home and let him go in the garden.  I tried to wait till he came out of his shell so I could see his eyes, but he out lasted me.

20**August 4--Finally, another find: lower Walnut Grove.

	Gambol laid her (?) at my feet at the lower corner of the Walnut Grove but it's been so long since he brought me one, I didn't have my camera.  She was quiet for the whole journey to the house, but then "came out of her shell".  I couldn't hold her the normal way.  She's quite a colorful lady in her orange and red spotted gown. Her eyes were very dark.

19**July 4

	A female near the garden 80 degrees, sunny high humidity because it's been raining for a week.

18**June 23

Shannon's Curl, 85 degrees, 11:00 AM; a very social girl who came out of her shell quickly to show us her eyes and tail.	She has a small notch in her shell above her right hind leg.

17**June 22 

	Turtle #2 for the day.  Gambol's total was 3 but one was a repeat.  I let this one go in our garden.

16** Gambol was a little rough with this tiny girl, below. He found her in the meadow on the early walk but pierced her shell to an open wound. I brought her home and put her in the worm bin overnight to heal a bit. After spending the night with us she was so feisty I couldn't hold her on my palm as usual.  Her puncture isn't bloody now so I'll let her go after a good worm dinner.

	caught again 6/29, 7/04

15**June 17 #1

	little female, upper meadow, just below the fruit trees; 0650, 65 degrees, after overnight rain

14**June 17 #2

	brave little female, half way down the walnut grove trail; 0700, 65 degrees, after overnight rain
	Gambol must not have been on the trail.  I found this one without help.

13**June 13 another 2 turtle day

Gambol found this girl near the driveway below the wood/slash pile.  0930, low 60s, after heavy rain	We found her again 2 days later near the Toy Shed on the evening walk.  And again on June 17 below the Shed.

12**

	I almost drove over this girl as I went to work this morning. She was in the driveway at the property line. 0730, low 60s, after torrential rain

10,11**June 12 After a break from turtle hunting (and being hunted)for a week, we found 2 today.

	This is a large female we found on the Pierce's Passage Trail behind the house. Overcast, 77 degrees; found about 1300
	Here's a little male from down near the fire pit. Overcast, 77 degrees; found about 1500.  This turtle has black eyes so Linda says it's a girl, even though s/he has a slightly concave plastron.

9**June 2--A 2 turtle day

	Male; Upper meadow in the planted treeline near the lower trail head; drizzling, temp 70; 10:00AM He has what look like tooth marks or some kind of healed over puncture marks on the side.

8**Early morning turtle

	This small male turtle was at the top of the walnut grove at 6:30AM on an overcast day, temp about 66 deg. Again Sept 2, 2013.

7**June 1

row 2, cell 1	male==lower walnut grove; 6:30AM overcast; 75 deg June 21--upper walnut Grove by old rose tree; 6:30 AM 60 deg.

6**May 31 0630 by dirt pile above vegetable garden

5**May 22 0630 by the meadow lower trail entrance, a female:

	She's a brighter yellow than the others.

4**May 21 0900 by the fire pit, a female:


None of ours appear to be this old!
Perhaps Gambol has a future with these guys.


3**May 19--A 2 turtle day
On the early walk:

	A pretty little male on the lower Walnut Grove tree line. He has a couple of dings on his shell where the color has scraped away.

2**And a male on the evening walk 7:30PM (drizzly 60 degrees)  in about the same place.


1**May 8 a male on the upper meadow tree line.