Can I keep a box turtle on my porch?

[boxraddict]

I live in warm sunny Central Florida, I am wondering if I can setup a box turtle setup on my back porch that has plenty of windows that can be opened up allowing him/her direct sunlight.

Please tell me I can do this, and using a 75 gallon aquarium, I know rubbermaid bins also allowed but can I do a setup on the back porch with a 75 gallon for one box turtle?

if so what kind of setup be ideal that is substrate, possible heat lamp for when it gets colder, etc.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Which species of box turtle are you planning on having/already have? That is important info needed to give proper care. Also, where are you getting him/her from/where did you get her/him from?
A box turtle needs a floor space of at least 12-13 square feet. Enclosure sides should be minimum 12 inches high. A mixture of hydrated organic (no additives) peat moss or coco fiber mixed with Sphagnum moss is a popular and easy water retaining substrate. Just make sure all of it is completely moist, but not so saturated that water will pour out of it if you take a handful and squeeze. As long as the windows do not have screens and the sun will shine into the enclosure, it should be okay, but I still strongly suggest having a UVB strip bulb. Or you can use a Mercury Vapor Bulb which produces UVA, heat, and UVB all in one bulb. NEVER use a coil or compact bulb as these can pose a serious danger to the turtle and can lead to blindness. Also, no colored or light producing bulbs at night. They need complete darkness at night to sleep properly. If night heat is needed, a ceramic heat emitter plugged in to a thermostat and set on the proper temps is good.

 

[dmmj]

as long as it's large enough escape proof get sunshine has what it needs there's no problem

 

[Angel Carrion]

This is my quick copy-paste info I typed up for General info on northern American box turtles since I'm assuming that's most likely what you will be getting/already have.

Should be a nice sized enclosure that has a high enough wall that the boxie cannot escape from. If you are not doing a closed bottom outside enclosure you will have to dig down into the ground for a few inches and put a wall to prevent them from digging out and under. You can use kiddie pools, custom made outdoor wooden enclosures, a brick wall, ect the internet if full of wonderful examples on what you can do with your budget. A wooden box that is half buried into the ground with a chicken wire top is one cheap alternative.

An indoor enclosure at least 12 inches deep with at least 12-13 square feet of floor space is best. Outdoor enclosures are even better, climate permitting.

Sphagnum moss and milled coconut husk fiber (coco fiber/coir) or peat moss mixed together is a good moisture retaining substrate. It needs to be about 6 inches deep throughout the enclosure. Humidity needs to be between 70-90% in the enclosure. Using an accurate hydrometer is the best way to measure the levels. Having a water dish under the heat lamp is a way to keep humidity up, just make sure the water doesn't get too hot for the turtle and that, while it is under the lamp, it isn't sitting DIRECTLY under, as that is where the turtle will bask. The moistened substrate will also keep humidity up. The water dish needs to be big enough that the turtle can soak on her own, but shallow enough that she doesn't accidentally flip over while trying to climb in or out. Misting the enclosure is another good way to keep humidity up.
Temp ranges; 80ish F on warm side, 70-75 F on cool side, 85-90 F for the basking spot. Nighttime temps should not go below 65 F.

Heat lamp UVA and a UVB bulb will be needed, or you can get a mercury vapor bulb which produces heat and UVB. If you get a heat lamp and UVB bulb separate of each other, make sure to NOT get a coil bulb. Those can damage turtle eyes and cause blindness. A UVB bulb should be replaced every 6 months, but a mercury vapor bulb can be replaced every 12-18 months. The lamps need to be 16-18 inches above turtle so as to avoid burning them.
Using a digital temp gun is most useful in reading the temps accurately. I got mine off amazon for 12-14 bucks.

Food items and how much
Animal matter: 50% of meal -- crickets, earthworms, feeder fish (not goldfish - may make them sick, like upset stomach or something), Dubai roaches (yum!), mealworms (as a treat), grasshoppers, sow bugs, katydids, isopods, june bugs, slugs (but not banana slugs), terrestrial snails, waxworms, various grubs, superworms (zoophobas), blood worms, carrion, beefheart, gastropods, spiders, cicadas, silkworms, millipedes, pill bugs, butterfly larvae, preying mantids (remove spiked forelegs first), boiled skinless chicken, boiled eggs with shell, cooked lean ground beef, nightcrawlers. Can feed a pinkie or fuzzy once a month. Freeze in freezer bag for 72 hours at least to kill any parasites. Thaw in tepid water before serving. Never use microwave to defrost! NEVER FEED EASTERN TENT CATERPILLARS
Vegetables: 20% of meal -- pretty much all squashes, bell peppers (not often), carrots, corn on the cob (boiled, not often), green beans, okra, opuntia cactus pad & fruit, peas in the pod, various pumpkins, sweet potatoes, zucchini.
Greens: 10% of meal -- bibb, various kinds of clover, collard greens, dandelion greens & weeds, escarole, kale (not often), mustard greens, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, turnip greens, watercress, pesticide-free field-collected weeds & leaves (I suggest only picking those you can identify).
Fruits: 10% of meal -- apples, apricot, figs, banana (mainly as a treat), all berries, grapes, kiwi, all melons, peach, plum, tomatoes (never feed any other part of the tomato plant- not safe)
Fungi/mushrooms: 10% of meal -- chanterelle, fried-chicken mushrooms (yeah, that's a thing), meadow, morel, oyster, puffball, russulas, shaggy inkcap. (Yes those are all different mushrooms). Do not offer Portabello mushrooms. Can't remember why.

Once a week, lightly dust meal with a calcium supplement with Vitamin D3 and a vitamin supplement. I use Rep-Cal Phosphorus-free Calcium with Vitamin D3 (the phosphorus-free info is important) and ZooMed's Reptivite. Leaving a cuttlebone in the enclosure will give the turtle the opportunity to free-serve calcium as they need
Do not offer cat food as most commercial cat foods produce acidic urine, which will increase the excretion of calcium in the urine.This can and most likely will cause a calcium deficiency in reptiles and can lead to metabolic bone disease, shell deformities, and soft tissue calcification. Using a low-fat wet dog food can be done if the turtle will not eat anything you offer to entice them to start eating.

Dealing with a reluctant eater: Box turtles are most active in the mornings, evenings, and after it rains. Try misting the enclosure before feeding & offer meals in the morning after the turtle has had time to warm up but before the day becomes too hot. If the turtle continues to not eat, try overripe brightly colored fruits like strawberries and cantaloupe (those are my guys favorites) and bananas. Also, turtles are naturally attracted to moving food. If your turtle will only eat live foods, try cutting up a nightcrawler or two and mixing it with some veggies and fruits so that the wiggling in and on the meal will attract them. As they try to eat the nightcrawler, they will likely accidentally grab the greens and such. After doing this for a while, reduce the amount of nightcrawlers until the box turtle consistently eats the veggies and greens.

How to get shy turtles out to eat: feed underneath foliage and keep activity in the area to a minimum as much as possible while eating.
Be sure to offer a wide variety and change things up. Turtles become bored being offered the same foods every meal.

Feeding frequency:
Hatchling to 1 year old, or underweight turtle - one to two days
one to three years old, or recovering from illness - two to three days
three years and older - three to four days
overweight - four days

Feed on a flat plate, plastic lid, flat rock, or paper plate. Be warned: turtles may try to eat the paper plates. Flat rocks are best generally because the rock will help file the beak and keep the nails trim.

Gut-loading insects: Crickets and mealworms (and others) can be gut-loaded two days before use. Feed them a high-calcium invertebrate food - sweet potato, high quality tropical fish flake, or low fat dry dog food. To provide the insects with moisture and added nutrients that will be passed on to the turtle, offer the feeders leafy greens like turnip greens or dandelion greens.

All invertebrate food items (except earthworms) should be lightly dusted with the calcium supplement just before serving. You can do this by putting some of the supplement powder in a sandwich bag then put that meal's insects in, close the bag, and gently shake to coat them in the supplement. Place in front of the turtle. If the feeders are moving around too much, the dust will fall off. It is best to offer them using forceps or by incapacitating them while still being able to move enough to draw the turtle's attention.
Make sure to mist the enclosure at least once a day.
I think that's it right now unless you want me to go into medical stuff

 

[boxraddict]

Oh my. I was going to go to local petstores in hopes of finding a three toe box turtle? I am going to look at box turtles there, and select one.

I would use the most ideal substrate recommended onhere.

But do I need the UVB lighting even if gets daily sunlight? Can I go without it, or is it essential to supplement the sunlight he/she will be getting?

I want to have all my bases covered before I get one. Which brought me here to this forum.

Edit: Just read informative posts, thanks you. So much larger than 75 gallon!!!

 

[Angel Carrion]

Oh my. I was going to go to local petstores in hopes of finding a three toe box turtle? I am going to look at box turtles there, and select one.

I would use the most ideal substrate recommended onhere.

But do I need the UVB lighting even if gets daily sunlight? Can I go without it, or is it essential to supplement the sunlight he/she will be getting?

I want to have all my bases covered before I get one. Which brought me here to this forum.

Edit: Just read informative posts, thanks you. So much larger than 75 gallon!!!

Glad to hear you are trying to do as much research as possible before getting your new companion! Very good first step!
I don't know if any of the pet stores in FL have box turtles for sale? If they don't, I'm positive there are rescues around/in your state that will have them. There is also the MATTS rescue that keeps rescuing box turtles, if you wanted to look into that.
There is also a breeder list here on the forum. I can't remember off the top of my head which section it's under, though....

 

[dmmj]

if it's getting sunlight no UVB light
neede

 

[boxraddict]

Well here's what made me want one. This little guy below, I found in my yard. He may or may not need to be posted in another section, but if you guys can identify him/her that'd be swell.

I am releasing it back bcause I have been advised against keeping a turtle from the "wild" but I definately want one now.

 

[Yvonne G]

You're correct. It is against the law to even handle those cute little Gopher tortoise babies. Please put him in a safe place near where you found him. They are listed as "threatened."

 

[boxraddict]

Oh I will. I had zero idea what species he was, or that he was listed as such. I brought him in and took pictures mainly, is it bad that I even did that?

 

[Yvonne G]

It's best not to handle them at all, but no harm done.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Oh I will. I had zero idea what species he was, or that he was listed as such. I brought him in and took pictures mainly, is it bad that I even did that?

Yeah as long as you put him back near where you found him (unless super dangerous place) then yeah, should be all good. I would just suggest not picking up any others you see, just taking pictures from a distance.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Think instead about how you can keep a turtle or tortoise in your back yard. So much better for the animal! You live in an ideal climate, you should take advantage of that.

 

[boxraddict]

I will from now on. I needed to mow my lawn, I didn't want to run over him, that's how it started lol. I did place him back. He's ventured into the bushes/woods area behind my home now.

And back to something I can actually keep as a pet! I guess I am seeking enclosure ideas. Really large bin? 4 foot by 18 inches is too small to keep them in permanently, which was my idea. I have large aquariums, from multiple 40 breeders, 55's and a 75. If those are out my next thought is a really large bin for a bit. I only plan to do one box turtle keep in mind.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

How about a small outdoor habitat, say 5 feet square? That's really the minimum. 6x12 would be better.

Boxies are small, but they are active

 

[boxraddict]

Well that is something to think about, and the rain and wind would not disturb him out there?

My porch is made from brick with sectioned off glass windows that I can open. Ceiling fan. Can add more fans if too hot and can add heating lamps in winter.

I am now wanting to build an enclosure out there.


Also, PetCo has them in my area. I went to look. The guy told me the highest temperate they can stand is 85% and the porch could be too hot. Is he right? Please help.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Well that is something to think about, and the rain and wind would not disturb him out there?

My porch is made from brick with sectioned off glass windows that I can open. Ceiling fan. Can add more fans if too hot and can add heating lamps in winter.

I am now wanting to build an enclosure out there.


Also, PetCo has them in my area. I went to look. The guy told me the highest temperate they can stand is 85% and the porch could be too hot. Is he right? Please help.

Basking temp 90, warm side 80-85, cool side 75ish, nighttime low 65 with 60 being absolute low before you should start bringing them in at night.

As long as you provide plenty of shady places and hides and places to burrow and a few water dishes big enough to soak in, your boxie will be fine. One thing I did was place a cave-like hide on a patch of ground I had loosened up and turned over so it was easy to dig deep down into. My boxies love to use it, they think they're burrowing down into the floor of a cave!

Also, misting/watering/hosing down the enclosure at least daily will also help. But yeah, temps where I am right now are somewhere in the high 80's to low 90's and all my boxies are outside.

Neither wind nor rain will disturb, as long as it's not so bad that the enclosure will flood completely and the wind will uproot the plants and tree and drag your boxie out of the ground and into a tornado. Boxies actually greatly enjoy the rain, and it stimulates their appetite.

 

[Angel Carrion]

My boxies play in the puddles after a rain storm

 

[boxraddict]

OK I have decided on a hug rubbermaid tub, to start him out in anyway. FLorida we are supposed to be in for a cold winter just a few months away. Question is there anything I must do for hibernation purposes? Also is it advisable to buy one right now due to it possibly hibernating so soon after being brought home?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

An animal that is new to you should not hibernate its first year. It's too dangerous. Any health issues can become fatal. The prep for hibernation- good food- should have started months ago.