Box turtle

[Freckles24]

Is this it? Because if so it's way too strong/hot/ powerful for a boxie. Like basically it's made for dessert animals. I would use either a 50W or a 25W. I'd be really on top of spraying to cage down because it has no top and if it has that drying lamp. Do you have a hydrometer to measure humidity? You may have already mentioned it and I missed it.

 

[Rachael403]

I know all of this is super confusing. I hope you dont mind me adding a small piece of advice to keep your box turtle healthy. I use a plant saucer for water, the water dish you are using has caused many turtles and torts to drown. I know its a lot to take in, but that one is an easy fix

 

[Purplechic]

Do you mean the pond? She loves that, until she started laying eggs she used to sleep in it. Some days never got out. Sorry it took so long to find the light. This is it.

 

[Freckles24]

Yeah I think 100w is a bit much in a small area. I read that people who use them put them at least a few feet above the enclosure. I wouldn't use anything over a 50w if that.

 

[Purplechic]

So when I first got her I raised it higher her temperature was too cool. When I researched Eastern Box Turtles and I talked to the doctors they all said that they need to be in humidity. Like I said everything changed when she started laying eggs I used to use wood chips as you can see in some of the other pictures but another doctor said oh no you need to use mulch and it's got to be the kind with dirt with it so now she's dirty all the time every time I put her in the water the water just gets mud. I did like it better when it was wood chips but she said that it was too drying and not good for turtles so I don't know but yet the bag said it was made for Turtles box turtles on the plastic bag. I don't know?

 

[Freckles24]

I just read the care sheet and while it says to use a 100w MVB like you use, almost all of the comments disagree. Humidity is a huge deal with them. I have hermit crabs and I used a heat lamp to keep the tank warm and it dropped the humidity. You are right about the wood chips. A lot of people use eco earth (it's like $5 for 3 bricks if you order from Chewy or Dr foster &a smith) mixed with moss and it retains moisture pretty well.

 

[mark1]

I'm in Myrtle Beach and I don't own a home so I don't have a yard I'm doing the best I can trying to keep her healthy and happy

certainly understandable , and doable ...........

 

[Dfwgolden]

I own a three Toed, they are essentially the same as an eastern and they do sometimes cross breed in the wild.

Box turtles don't necessarily need high humidity. My boy lives outdoors here in Texas where the humidity can vary from extreme to zero on a daily basis.
Box turtles do not always have high humidity in their natural habitat. As the eastern and three Toed species actually have a wide range.
Easterns have been found as far south as Texas and three Toes as far north as Illinois.

Box turtles are hearty creatures built for true variable conditions. Which I think makes them one of the most adaptable species of turtle or tortoise..

A moderate humidity level would be okay.

What IS important is that your turtle have 24/7 access to a water dish he or she can soak in. The water should come up to about halfway of the top of the shell.

Substrate
I use organic compost that has had no added fertilizers to it. I buy it for $3 for 50 pounds.



Food-
My boxie is spoiled he's incredibly picky. Actually boxies are notoriously picky eaters!
His diet consists of mainly nightcrawlers. Not all worms are created equal, do NOT feed red wigglers as they produce a natural chemical that makes them taste unpleasant to boxies. They also aren't the most nutritious worms out there. The best are Canadian nightcrawlers.

NC are the perfect balance of calcium and protein, a boxie can survive and thrive on just those alone.
I give him hibiscus flowers as a treat as well as cherry tomatoes and he had his first strawberry the other day.
He refuses to eat anything green!

I know another box turtle keeper who's turtle will ONLY eat crickets and strawberries.

Box turtles know what they need to survive they can survive on what seems like the most meager diet. So if yours starts being picky just play around till you find what he likes.

If you are keeping yours indoors you will need both UVA and UVB lighting. Do not listen to people who say they can be fine without. The long term effects are saddening.


Always provide captive box turtles with a calcium suppliment that contains vitiman D
Since my boy lives outdoors and gets his essentials from the sun naturally I only give him a sprinkle twice a week.


Adult box turtles do not need to eat every day.
I feed my boy every other day. He thrives this way.


Box turtles need lots of room, in the wild an adult roams an average territory or two to three acres during its lifetime. So keeping them indoors isn't ideal if it's avoidable.


Box turtles don't bask much compares to other species of turtles and tortoises
An average of 15-30 minuets a day is normal. So a basking bulb is not needed 24/7 opposed to other reptiles.


Box turtles naturally hibernate when the weather cools so you can hibernate your turtle if you so choose.


Turtleforum has a great box turtle member base I would join there I've learned SO MUCH there's

 

[Purplechic]

My baby enjoying her soak. I only have the one light that was recommended to me in suppose to do both. She loved sunning herself until she started laying eggs. Now she is burying herself.

 

[Purplechic]

I'm hoping to find somebody that has a girl Eastern Box Turtle inside the home that is thriving. I want to know if I'm allowed to take her out and put her in the kitchen and let her walk around or if that's too threatening to her? I want to know if she buries herself all day and doesn't go in the water is that damaging. I mean she ate then went to bury herself. I knew she hadn't had water so I picked her up and I put her in the water she has been there now for over a half hour and she pooed in the water so I'm saying to myself if you really like it why are you burying yourself? She laid four eggs in a matter of 2 months. Just want to talk to somebody that's knows what I'm going through because they have a stubborn girl turtle too. I want to know if I should change the substrate because the mulch is pointing but if they were outside they would be going through pointy so I don't know. Thanks

 

[ColleenT]

Please read this link. This was written by an expert. IDK who these people are that are giving you advice, but they don't seem to know enough about box turtles. The people on this forum are a lot more knowledgable. i would be a bit worried about her calcium if she is laying so many eggs.

http://www.boxturtlefacts.org/Indoor_Habitat_for_Box_Turtles.pdf

 

[Dfwgolden]

I'm hoping to find somebody that has a girl Eastern Box Turtle inside the home that is thriving. I want to know if I'm allowed to take her out and put her in the kitchen and let her walk around or if that's too threatening to her? I want to know if she buries herself all day and doesn't go in the water is that damaging. I mean she ate then went to bury herself. I knew she hadn't had water so I picked her up and I put her in the water she has been there now for over a half hour and she pooed in the water so I'm saying to myself if you really like it why are you burying yourself? She laid four eggs in a matter of 2 months. Just want to talk to somebody that's knows what I'm going through because they have a stubborn girl turtle too. I want to know if I should change the substrate because the mulch is pointing but if they were outside they would be going through pointy so I don't know. Thanks

Laying eggs I do not have information about.

Turtleforum.com has a large and very knowledgeable box turtle community I'm sure someone there could give you some advice.

 

[Purplechic]

Thanks I did go there I haven't gotten any responses but I give her calcium all the time because she's not eating a full bowl of anything ever I'm always putting calcium and the vitamins I give her calcium in her food everyday because she doesn't eat a lot but what she eats she gets calcium in it and the superworms she loves. I put them in a plastic thing with calcium so that it's all over them when she eats them cuz I do know calcium gets depleted and they need as much as they can. Anything that she doesn't eat like sweet potato or kale, parsley. Dandelion root. I'm putting it in with the worms so the worms are digesting it and maybe she gets a little bit of vitamin as well

 

[Dfwgolden]

Kale can actually deplete their ability to absorb calcium properly so watch how much you feed of it a little every now and then is OK but it should not be fed as a regular staple of their diet

 

[Dfwgolden]

Spinach can also have that effect as well there are also a few others I can't remember off the top of my head but those are the big two

 

[ColleenT]

this is a guide for how to feed and what not to feed.

http://www.boxturtlefacts.org/Feeding_North_American_Box_Turtles.pdf

 

[Purplechic]

Ok Thanks

 

[Dfwgolden]

Also avoid feeding too much iceberg lettuce or anything else with the high water content such as watermelon. Although they do you like both of these especially watermelon both contain a copious amount of water and can actually lead to digestive upset and diarrhea which can be fatal inturtles or tortoises for that matter.


However fed sparingly it is perfectly safe but it should not be fed as a regular part of their diet feet things like - Romain lettuce leaf lettuce mustard and collard greens and so forth strawberries are also good blueberries are a favorite and some even like dragon fruit.

My boy loves cherry tomatoes, tomatoes are safe to feed just make sure you do not feed any part of the plant just the fruit as the green part of the plant leaves stem and anything else associated with it are toxic. They also like cucumbers cantaloupe squash hibiscus flowers, roses and other flowers.

And then there is the protein part of their diet which would need to consist of super or meal worms or whatever kind of worm my boy
prefers nightcrawlers and I find that the super and mealworms aren't really enough substance to keep up with his size he can eat a container of 25 meal worms and one sitting heat however thoroughly enjoys his nightcrawlers.
Night crawlers are the healthiest worms to feed.

You can also feed crickets and can even dust crickets with calcium powder should you choose or if your turtle doesn't like calcium powder as this is actually common you can gut load the crickets by feeding them a formula that contains calcium this will make the crickets high in calcium so when fed to your turtle your turtle will get its calcium supplement.

Make sure to pluck the legs off the crickets before feeding or your turtle won't be able to catch them.

Actual meat can be fed once a month I give a live mouse pinky. My boy won't eat pre killed. Don't feed these regularly but one occasionally is healthy.

variety is key just make sure what you're feeding is turtle Safe anything high in sugar should be fed sparingly and anything with the high water content should also be fed sparingly

 

[ColleenT]

actually, Tomoatoes are a bit too acidic to feed regularly. Please just read the link i provided above.

 

[Dfwgolden]

Tomatoes a perfectly safe to feed once a week or so.