Posted by threetoedOK on May 11, 2003 at 10:28:12:
In Reply to: THANKS! How old are boxies when they reac full size? posted by Boxiebreeder on May 11, 2003 at 00:33:55:
::ah yes, my mistake. Dopey me!! :)
Elizabeth Schwartz wrote an excellent study of the three-toed box turtle in central Missouri in which she determined there are three age classes of three-toeds: juveniles, young adults and old adults. She estimated that the duration of class 1 was 9 years; class 2, 23 years, and class 3, from 33 to at least 51 years of age. The oldest turtles' growth rings cannot be counted due to wear, new growth is not present, the carapace is badly worn to smooth, the plastron is smooth, and total length is 115mm or more. She based this on a scientific 19-year study of turtles in an area of Missouri.
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:But they also would keep growing just a little bit. Someone on another forum has a 40 some ought year old turtle that is still barely growing.
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