How to Keep a Pet Box Turtle

A box turtle makes a good pet that you'll have for a long, long, LONG time. They're fairly low-maintenance (compared to aquatic turtles), they don't have many annoying habits, and they make good conversation pieces. (Although the entire conversation is usually limited to: "What's that?" "A box turtle." "Oh.") If you're interested in the care and keeping of a box turtle, read on!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Proper housing
• Balanced diet
• Light/heat source
• Turtle

1. Decide what type of box turtle you'll be getting: there are several species. (We have a three-toed box turtle, which is indigenous to the southern United States.) They all have different environmental and dietary needs. What makes them "box turtles" is their ability to close the plastron (bottom part of shell) so that they're "boxed" inside. This is how they respond to a threat.

2. Before you get your turtle, have everything set up for her. You can set up an outdoor habitat and move her inside during the fall/winter, you can keep her outdoors year round (if you live in a warmer climate), or you can keep her strictly indoors.

3. Indoors or out, bigger is better.

4. If she's indoors-only, aquariums are not the best choice for housing. Aquariums that have enough square-footage for your turtle will also often be deep-sided, which doesn't allow air to circulate and makes cleaning more difficult (difficult cage cleaning=infrequent cage cleaning).

5. You can landscape the habitat into your yard, as long as you have good drainage. Or, you can use a large, flat-bottomed container. 3 X 3 feet is a good minimum for 1 turtle. Make sure the sides are too high her her to scale, or you'll lose her. Punch some drain holes in the bottom. Screening on top will protect her from curious raccoons. A container like this can be moved inside when the weather gets colder. (Don't forget to plug the drain holes if you do this!)

6. Box turtles need a source of fresh, clean water, but they don't spend all their time in water. They're not aquatic, like red-eared sliders--which, while they enjoy basking on logs or rocks, are perfectly content swimming. Box turtles like to soak in a shallow pool. Make sure to change the water frequently--they will use it as a toilet--and make sure she can easily climb in and out, and that the water level isn't too deep. She should be able to stand on the floor of the pool and still put her head above water.

7. Line the bottom with a substrate. You can get shredded cypress cheaply at a garden store, but sometimes that has been pre-treated with chemicals. It's safer to buy a bag of substrate from a pet store, specifically material that is made for turtles.

8. Or, you can cut Astroturf to fit the bottom of the container. If you make a few of these Astroturf carpets, you can swap them out to clean them.

9. Who doesn't enjoy furniture shopping? Add some shade, a little raised area where your turtle can bask, a Zen garden....whatever. Be careful to check into plants, if you want to include some live flora. Make sure it's not toxic.

10. We don't let Nokomis hibernate...but if your turtle is outdoors all year, you can let her do this. Provide an area of leaf litter where she can dig into--she'll probably want to bury herself pretty deep. Then DO NOT DISTURB. Each time a hibernating (or "brumating") animal wakes up during that season, it uses up a lot of stored energy.

11. If a move to the indoors is indicated, make sure you can provide UV rays from a reptile lamp as well as a heat source. DO NOT USE HOT ROCKS. The turtle can get a bad burn. Also, place the heat source at one end of the habitat so the turtle can move to a cooler spot, if she wants.

12. Three-toed box turtles are carnivorous when young but gradually begin to prefer a more herbivorous diet as they mature. Always provide a protein source--earthworms, goldfish(not the crackers--the real ones)--and a variety of fruits and vegetables. ICEBURG LETTUCE IS A POOR SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS, but other types of greens are good. Bananas, apples, pumpkin, squash, shredded carrots, peas...just slice up whatever you have on hand and offer it to your turtle. You'll soon see what she prefers to eat. (Our turtle likes live night crawlers but won't touch commercial turtle pellets. And she LOVES strawberries.)If in doubt, check with a turtle owner to see if a food is toxic--most are safe, but be careful. Also, turtles like dandelion greens, but don't offer them if your yard has been treated with pesticides. Occasionally dust her dinner with a little vitamin supplement for reptiles, available at your pet store. Remove any uneaten food after she's had a chance to enjoy her dinner; you don't want to attract ants. (Or maybe you do! See "How to raise pet ants.")

13. Give your turtle a general health check every so often. Especially be aware of eye problems--they're prone to eye infections--or any swellings around the face/head. Examine her feet and legs. Is her shell nice and hard? Softening means poor nutrition...and even if you've had her on a great diet, the previous owners may have only been feeding her, well, iceburg lettuce. It takes quite a while for health problems to show up with turtles. Be aware of her appetite and "regularity": if she stops pooping and you become concerned, soak her in a warm (not hot! We don't want turtle soup here!) bath to see if that gets things going. If it doesn't, call a vet who's familiar with reptiles.

14. Always hold your turtle securely. If she doesn't feel safe, she'll get very nervous. Support her from the bottom, move slowly and calmly...she'll be more comfortable poking her head out of her shell and interacting with you.

15. If you keep your turtle indoors but like to let her run around the yard every so often, keep an eye on her! Make sure she won't accidentally walk into the street, an open sewer, or into someplace where she'll get stuck--you won't hear her barking in distress. And they can move pretty fast, sometimes!

Tips & Warnings

• Find a vet who specializes in reptiles--look for a vet who says she works with exotics. Turtles have very specific needs, and you have to be able to consult with someone who knows what's normal and what's not.
• Turtles that need to be "re-homed" are not hard to find. They live such a long time, when the original owner goes off to college, or dies of old age, the turtle becomes available. This is the kind of pet you can pass on to your kids.
• Reptile clubs (where I live the Chicago Herpetological Society is a vibrant organization) often have an "adoption" program. They get a LOT of turtles, lizards, and snakes that need homes. They don't just hand out free pets, but they'll make sure you know what you're doing before you take home a new friend. That also makes them a great source if information and support if you have questions about your turtle.
• Another source of turtles is Chinatown...but not many restaurants serve box turtle. (Yes, I have known people who've acquired turtles there.)
• Turtles carry salmonella. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling your turtle. If your neighbor's little kid wants to pet your turtle, insist that he use hand sanitizer afterward.
• Do NOT bring home a turtle as a souvenir from your camping trip! It's probably illegal (in most states, they're protected), and if you change your mind about keeping her, you will need to release her in the EXACT spot where you found her. A turtle that's "returned to the wild" will wander aimlessly until it gets run over by a car or succumbs to the elements.
• A lot of pet store turtles are wild-caught. Because that's stressful, the turtle may not be in great shape. Also, some unscrupulous pet store owners may imply that a cute little baby turtle will only get as large as the palm of your hand, when in fact it is an African spur-thighed tortoise that, with a few chairs, can one day form a dining room set! See the above tip about reptile clubs if you want to acquire a turtle.
• Don't let your dogs play with your turtle. Your turtle may be able to protect herself by closing her shell, but it's really stressful for her.