Creating The Perfect Indoor Home For Your Pet Box Turtle
Box turtles are beautiful and interesting animals, and they can make great pets. However, they need very specific conditions if they are going to thrive and be happy. If you are successful in keeping a box turtle healthy, it can live for twenty, thirty, or as many as a hundred years! So you need to be sure that you have a plan in place for your pet should anything happen to you.
Box turtles don’t make good pets for children or for novice turtle owners, because, contrary to popular opinion, they need a lot of care and attention and the exactly right environment. Also, they don’t like to be picked up, and like all turtles they can carry salmonella, so you have to be scrupulous in handling them and in personal hygiene. So if this doesn’t sound like you or your youngster, then look for an easier species of turtle to have as your pet.
Having said that, box turtles are attractive and interesting, and they can learn to respond to you, their owner, particularly when they have learned to associate you with a nice snack. They are shy, might bite, and prefer not to be handled.
Where Can I Get A Box Turtle?
In most of the US, box turtles are a protected species and you cannot take them from the wild. Even if you can take them from the wild – say, with a permit – it isn’t a great idea. A wild turtle simply might not be able to adjust to life in an enclosure. You might be altering the balance of a delicate local population. It’s far better to buy a captive-bred box turtle from a certified local breeder or pet store.
Box turtles are popular, and they are not the least expensive turtles that you can buy. If you want one of the more exotic or rare box turtles, then expect to pay quite a bit for a nice specimen. A common box turtle will cost in the region of $50. If you want one of the more exotic or rare box turtles – and we don’t encourage this – you will pay considerably more. For more information about box turtle conservation status, go to the Red List.
Choosing A Healthy Box Turtle
Even if someone gives you a sick box turtle, unless you are very experienced, or have deep pockets for veterinarian bills, it is not a good bargain. When you buy a turtle, make sure that it looks plump, and not emaciated, that it has bright, clean, eyes, nose, and mouth, that it doesn’t have any signs of fungal growths, and this its carapace and plastron (upper and lower shells) are free from cracks. Once you acquire your pet, it is a good idea to take it along to the vet for a check-up.
Your vet will be able to check to see that your box turtle doesn’t have any parasites, and is in good shape. It is a good idea to buy your turtle in spring or summer because box turtles are more sluggish in fall and winter – they may even want to hibernate.
Remember that box turtles absolutely do not like to be handled too much, so take it very gently and minimize the necessary handling that having a new pet entails. Box turtles have the amazing ability to snap their hinged lower shell as tight as a drum if they are afraid. If your turtle continuously does this, it gives you a good signal that you are disturbing and upsetting your friend too much.
Can You Keep Box Turtles Indoors?
The short answer is, yes, you can. The long answer is, yes, you can, but just popping them into an aquarium is not going to cut it. Box turtles need space, light, water, humidity, particular kinds of substrate (burrowing material), and heat – all of which probably add up to the building of a purpose-made enclosure for your pet.
If you can provide an outdoor enclosure for your box turtle, at least for some time during the year, then this is preferable. They benefit greatly from being able to hunt for natural food, and from the rays of the sun. However, if you live in a part of the country where the winters are just too cold for your turtle, then, of course, you need to keep it inside. Building a healthy and attractive environment is a challenge, and if you are successful, you can feel proud of your accomplishment.
One positive aspect of the box turtle’s behavior for the aspiring turtle keeper is that they are essentially land animals. This means that one of the biggest negatives in turtle keeping – cleaning, oxygenating, and filtrating water that is deep enough for swimming – is not needed.
What A Box Turtle Needs For A Happy Home
A Terrarium With Space To Live And Roam
Although a small box turtle can manage with a smaller space, why not be generous and start out with a full-sized terrarium? A hundred-gallon aquarium is going to be big enough for your pet throughout its life, and you can comfortably house a male and a female in this space. There are many good tanks to choose from, and if you have a nearby glass shop, they may even be able to make one to your requirements.
It has a sliding top and an anti-escape lid. It is very important that your precious pet isn’t able to escape his home, because domesticated turtles do not do well in the wild. At four feet by two feet by two feet in size, it is large enough for our pet, but reasonably easy to fit into the average home.
Your terrarium should have walls that are at least 18″ high – turtles can climb. It should be placed in a position where it will not get too much direct sun, which might make the environment get too hot. You need to provide hiding spots, rocks, plants (that can be in pots), and a shallow pool for paddling and cooling down. The pool should be deep enough for your turtle to lay down and soak, but not so deep that he can’t easily climb out of the water.
It is useful to have a small paver or very shallow bowl or plate on which you can put your turtle’s food. It’s a really nice idea to have plants in clay pots that can be arranged in your turtle’s habitat. If you can find native plants to display (that you are allowed to take from the wild) then so much the better. Moving the plants around means that your turtle has an environment that changes a little bit – although not too much, as box turtles are a bit conservative.
Attractive plants will also make your turtle habitat a real feature of your room. Some owners like to add a small toy to the terrarium which your turtle can push around. Make sure you only use something that is safe for turtles – your pet store will be able to advise you. Of course, the thing that a box turtle would probably like the most is another box turtle, preferably of the opposite sex, to call their own.
Box Turtles Really Dig Substrate
Substrate is, put simply, the stuff at the bottom of the terrarium. For a box turtle, you need leaves, moss, and peat, to a level of around six inches. You can buy specially prepared substrate, or look around your garden supply store to find suitable material that might be less expensive. Make sure that whichever material you need, has not been treated with chemicals.
Turning Up The Heat
Your turtle will need a source of heat, and a good terrarium will have an underfloor space designed to hold a heating unit. A steady temperature of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit is perfect for the common box turtle during the day. At night, you can drop the range to 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, as your turtle will be less active at night.
Show Me the Light
Box turtles will also need a sunbathing spot. And not just any old light will do – you need a lamp that can supply UVB light. The temperature should be around 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and the lamp should be available for twelve hours every day. If they don’t get this light, they can become sick with a calcium deficiency that damages their bones.
It’s Not Just The Heat, It’s The Humidity
Your turtle will enjoy a humidity of around sixty percent. You should monitor this, and be prepared to install a small humidifier if the natural humidity in the air is too low. Or on the other hand, a dehumidifier (not chemical but mechanical) if the humidity happens to be very high.
What Does Your Turtle Need To Eat?
Box turtles are omnivores, so you need to offer them a varied diet. Young turtles need to be offered food every day, but adults can tolerate being fed every second day. However, as food is going to be a highlight of your buddy’s life, we suggest small meals every day are the way to go.
You can buy special turtle food, and this is very convenient. However, to add health and interest to your turtle’s life, give him or her fresh food too. Bugs, fresh veggies, berries, low-fat morsels of meat – all these will be very acceptable. You will soon learn what your pet likes best. Berries include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, loganberries, and blackberries.
Some things to offer your box turtle include dark leafy greens, such as collards, parsley, kale, dandelion, and flowers. You can feed them a little canned cat food – just a little. Or you can purchase crickets and mealworms from a good pet store, and a live bait shop will likely sell you a worm or two. In fact, setting up a worm farm outside is a great way to supply your pet with protein, as well as being a fun project in its own right. 60 to 80% of the diet should be vegetables, 10 – 20% protein, and 10% berries.
As mentioned, you should have a plate or paver in your terrarium on which you serve your pet’s food. This will prevent it from eating the substrate, which could damage its digestive system.
Don’t over-feed your turtle. Your vet or an experienced turtle keeper should be able to tell you what is the correct amount and kind of food for your pet. Clean away any uneaten food after an hour or so, to maintain cleanliness. Live bugs can be left to hop around until they are caught. Of course, you should always have fresh, clean water available, for paddling, lounging, and drinking. Cleaning the turtle’s water bowl at least every day is a must.
Common Ailments Your Box Turtle Might Experience
If you keep your box turtle as we have suggested, you will likely rarely or never have to take him to the vet. There are a few conditions to look out for, though. The most common one is a respiratory infection. This is essentially like you or I getting a cold, and the symptoms are similar. If you have any doubts about your turtle’s health, a quick visit to the vet will put your mind at ease.
Hibernation – The Long Snooze
As the days grow shorter, your turtle will become less active and will be looking to hibernate. Provide a hibernation box with a mixture of sand and substrate around 12 inches deep, along with an access point. Turtles like to hibernate below fifty degrees Fahrenheit, and you may be able to do this in an outdoor shed – which you should check regularly. If you live in a warmer climate, you could consider hibernating your turtle in a refrigerator.
Some Box Turtle Species You Might Like
The Common Box Turtle- Terrapene carolina
This is the most popular pet box turtle. They are protected in some states, so make sure that you are getting your turtle from a legal source. This turtle has a distinctly sloped carapace or upper shell.
The Three-Toed Box Turtle, Terrapene triunguis
This pretty turtle grows to a carapace length of around seven inches and is colored in dark brown and yellow. This turtle hates to be watched when it’s eating. It’s just a three-toed box turtle thing. They are not the easiest turtle to look after – for more information you can check out this site.
Ornate Box Turtle Terrapene ornata ornate
As the name suggests, this is a very attractive turtle with a beautifully marked carapace, ornamented with orange and yellow, and with a pale lemon plastron. It is relatively small, growing to a carapace length of seven inches. They are considered vulnerable, so make especially sure that you have any permit that is required by your state, and that you buy a captive-bred animal.
