Other Turtle Discussion :: Is she a Rio Grande turtle or not?

[AlexisAwesome]

I am losing starting to think that Shelby is a Rio Grande. I got her from PetsMart. They knew nothing about turtles or what they need. They could not tell me a thing but the name of the turtles. Here are pictures:







Thanks.

[slider_keeper]

I can't tell from my fone but I think I see red on the shell and the carapace patterns look to be possibly a rio. Someone else might be able to help you better. Can you get a pic of the head extended out the shell?

[AlexisAwesome]

Yeah, it's red. Here you go (she didn't wanna stick it out farther):

[justatwinturbo]

no, it's just a fairly nicely colored normal RES. MAYBE it could be an intergrade, but it looks normal to me. I've caught plenty of RES in florida that look like this, they seem to be pretty colorful down there.

[slider_keeper]

I believe it's a hybrid but not entirely sure it's a rio, based on the carapace patterns and the head colors (lacks the red that would be seen on the head), not including the red strips by the ears. Hopefully someone with a bigger screen can see better than I, there are a couple of us that have rios, on this forum;) From what I have experienced and seen, rios red markings on their head and a reddish color to their shells. It's not always the case but seen more than not. Some are reder than others, and some less. My rio has quite a bit of red on his head and a redish color to his plastron and carapace

[AlexisAwesome]

Just was wondering. She looks different then my friends 2 turtles (RES), the ones in petsmart, and the one I have now.

EDIT: Does the top of her head matter. Her head has a green stripe that forms a circle with red inside that circle.

[steve]

Is it me or is there a bit of redness on the carapace?

[slider_keeper]

Yeah Steve I saw redness too.

[justatwinturbo]

the main thing to consider when looking at a Rio Grande, is the post orbital marking. In Rio Grande res, it either looks like the turtle in this picture, or it is a broken stripe that does not touch the eye.

[AlexisAwesome]

Just like that. Although, the shell design is different and on the head the stripes form a circle on the head. The red is really visible in real life. The circle on the head also has red inside borderd by green (like said).

[AlexisAwesome]

I can't find a turtle that looks the same.

[justatwinturbo]

it's not the color of the post orbital, it's the shape of it.

[AlexisAwesome]

Ah, I see.

[ljapa]

it's not the color of the post orbital, it's the shape of it.

I assume, by post orbital, you mean the red mark and its shape?

I found this

http://www.turtleforum.com/forum/upload ... pic=127352

Which has a picture showing whorls on the neck. My son's turtle has a much darker and wider red in the stripe coming midline down the nose than the one in AlexisAwesome's photo. She's a wild caught RES in Northwest Indiana, so pretty much no chance of Rio Grande influence.

The carapace patterns look like none of the ones here or in that link, but seem closest to AlexisAwesome's patterns. Too late for a picture, and she's pretty skittish. I may try tomorrow.

[AlexisAwesome]

The patterns and shapes compared to my normal one is way different. He does not even have a single stripe that is visible to me. He does have the red blotches but compared to to her, it's shaped differently.