3 toed box turtle

[adamlikesbananas]

i caught a 3 toed box turtle 3 days ago
and i have a few questions
1.i have not seen her eat at all, ive been trying to feed her worms,strawberries,grapes,lettuce and some grasshoppers i killed but so far i have not notice her eating.
2.i think its a girl because it has 2 small holes on the side of its shell which i heard was from breeding, is this true?
3.she is very shy and the only time she doesnt close her shell at the sight of me is when i let her crawl around the yard (under close watch) but she still acts a little shy in the yard too.
4.would a mildly large hard plastic kiddy pool be good for her to stay in? i have a 3 foot-ish by 2 foot-ish cage right now and think that too small so i will be getting another one.

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[Yvonne G]

Hi adamlikesbananas:

Do you live someplace where the three-toed box turtle is native? If so, there are probably laws dictating whether or not you can take the turtle from the wild.

Wild, adult box turtles are hard to acclimate to being captive. They are very territorial and don't really learn to live in a small habitat. It is very stressful on a wild turtle to be taken from the great outdoors and brought in the house in a small container. If your turtle is a wild turtle, you should take it back to where you found it and release it.

If it is NOT a wild turtle, then someone is probably pretty upset at having lost their turtle. You can place fliers up on utility poles around the area where you found the turtle, and usually "found" ads are free in the local newspaper. You can also make use of craigs list, etc.

Some people say that the holes in the carapace on wild box turtles are from the pincers used to capture the turtle. Some say it has been caused by ticks. It is not from breeding. You DO see this a lot on wild 3-toed box turtles, but I really doubt anyone has a clear answer as to why.

[Redstrike]

If you found it in the wild, put it back.

[wellington]

It will not do well in your care. Please put it back where it belongs. The wild should stay in the wild. If you want one, buy a captive bred one.

[turtleluv88]

Please put it back where you found it!

[adamlikesbananas]

i live in louisiana. why would it be bad to keep it? i let it roam (under close watch) around my yard for at least an hour,i give it food, i clean its water everyday, im going to gove it a big tank.

[terryo]

I have to agree with everyone. Please put her back where you found her. Imagine YOU...free.... able to go where ever you want, and then someone come's along and put's you in a room and says that they will feed you and give you water, but you have to stay in the room for the rest of your life. Imagine the stress you would have. You wouldn't feel like eating either. Please put her back. It would be so sad for you to keep her. Go on pet finder and adopt one. There are usually some that need homes at this time of year.

[adamlikesbananas]

ok

[fbsmith3]

Those back claws look huge.

I have been told that those two holes are from being captured it has nothing to do with being male or female.

I am sorry to have to agree with the others. The poor turtle is traumatized and afraid of everything. She/he sees you as a predator and desperately wants to get away from you. Even though my turtle has been with me for 25 years, she wants to escape from her enclosure even though it's 10 foot by 6 foot, She will always run away from me, but returns when I sit down and talk since she recognizes my voice and she sees me as a food source.

Good luck and God bless.

[adamlikesbananas]

looks like i'll be gettin rid of my turtle in the morning :,(

[fbsmith3]

Please, the most important thing is to return her/him to where they were found. If not, they will try to walk to their home area and could get into a lot of trouble and killed.

[adamlikesbananas]

i found her at a pond in the woods and i will return her right where i found her

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i want to do whats best for the turtle so i will release her ASAP in the same spot i found her

[mchong9606]

You're doing the right thing by returning her to where she belongs. You'll enjoy a turtle's company that has been raised as a pet and comfortable with people far more than a wild caught turtle ever will. Feel good about what you're doing.

[Saloli]

The holes that develop on the carapace and plastron of TTBTs are not caused by capture. The actual cause is unknown at this time. It can occur in captive bred and wild caught turtles.

[adamlikesbananas]

im gonna get a southern painted turtle later this year