Desert turtles? (El Paso, Midland, West: live, to eat, to relocate)

[Gary Siete]

I found a turtle (5" shell) in my west-side desert landscaped front yard - boxed in by the rock walls. He/she's now in the backyard till I figure out what to do. Are turtles native to the Chihuahua desert or could it be an abandoned pet? if I relocate it what type of area is best?

[Gary Siete]

Found:
Ornate Box Turtle
West Texas Desert Turtle? - Turtle Forum
The Ornate Box Turtle may be found from South Dakota to southern Arizona and the Rio Grande valley.
The Ornate Box Turtle is active from April through October. It may spend its entire life within an area of only a few acres. It begins its day by basking in the sun. After getting warmed up, it goes looking for food. A box turtle on the hunt is fun to observe. They have an earnest determination that is quite admirable. It likes to eat insects, spiders, worms and some vegetarian fare such as berries.

[hellpaso]

Desert tortoise. I knew several folks who kept them in their backyards. We had one, in fact. I lived up on the mountain on the Westside. They somehow find their way into yards. I think they pretty much are self-sufficient wild animals, so I don't know why you'd need to relocate it. They're harmless.

[smguy101]

i used to have a couple come in my back yard and swim in my pond a lot here in the Northeast. I dont think you need to relocate it.

[EricasWorld]

I am on the list with the west side wildlife rescue to receive any turtles brought in. She won't keep them, so I get calls sometimes. I need a male right now. They are interesting and harmless but they do carry Salmonella so wash after touching them also, I found a post about turtles and contact information on the wildlife rescue place at HOWpaso.com | Questions & Answers for El Paso residents | 6/16/2010 2:11:43 PM (http://www.howpaso.com - broken link)
you may contact me at sitnprity-123@yahoo.com

[Gary Siete]

Originally Posted by hellpaso

Desert tortoise. I knew several folks who kept them in their backyards. We had one, in fact. I lived up on the mountain on the Westside. They somehow find their way into yards. I think they pretty much are self-sufficient wild animals, so I don't know why you'd need to relocate it. They're harmless.

I just put it back where I found it - beside a shady wall - but I can't imagine anything surviving on my or my neighbor's sun baked front yards.

[jaxart]

My mom had so many of those turtles in her yard that she kept her grandkids busy painting numbers on their shells using nail polish. I remember her saying she rarely saw the same turtle twice except over longer periods of time. They were the exact same turtle as your photo shows.

PS Mom lived on the East side in the Lee Trevino Drive area.

[Cathy4017]

I had them in my yard all the time in Midland--we called them Western box turtles. I had to put them back out in the alley because my dogs would not leave them alone!

They are native. There are also different species, with slightly varying shell patterns, but basically the same turtle. I'd find some tiny ones from time to time, too.

[buzzpost]

Originally Posted by Gary Siete

Found:
Ornate Box Turtle
West Texas Desert Turtle? - Turtle Forum
The Ornate Box Turtle may be found from South Dakota to southern Arizona and the Rio Grande valley.
The Ornate Box Turtle is active from April through October. It may spend its entire life within an area of only a few acres. It begins its day by basking in the sun. After getting warmed up, it goes looking for food. A box turtle on the hunt is fun to observe. They have an earnest determination that is quite admirable. It likes to eat insects, spiders, worms and some vegetarian fare such as berries.

Sounds like a good friend to have around.

[ocean2026]

My friend Georgina has 70 of them in her yard. She found a way to number them too and might be able to part with one for a good home.