Hello, first time poster and box turtle owner, as of yesterday. I found Mr. Turtle (still thinking of a name) in the middle of a bridge before a crowded intersection and picked him up before he became roadkill. I was going to let him go on a farm or something but my son is infatuated with him so I decided to build him an enclosure around the house. I think Ive got all the bases covered, high walls going into the ground, burrows, and a water dish. He has so far explored all his area, taken a swim, and has now set his sights on digging the larger of his bungalos even deeper. I am going to add a lid with chicken wire once i can get to the hardware store.
I am only concerned about the position and adequate sunlight. The spot is between the house and some tall trees. It gets direct sunlight in the morning, from about 9am to 1pm in the summer, and is shaded the rest of the day. I chose it because of the relative moisture level. It stays dry enough during the rain because it is uphill, but retains enough moisture than moss gross readily along with herbscious weeds like dandelions. Is this location too shaded/moist for an eastern box turtle?
I could not agree more with the above post
I live in Kentucky and the eastern box turtle is our only terrestrial turtle, but not (as of yet) on our list of vulnerable species. Our laws allow the keeping of up to 5 reptiles from the wild.
It got pretty cold last night, but Mr. Turtle dug in and emerged this morning and took a swim, rummaged through some veggies we left him and is currently soaking up some sun. I do plan to release him back if at any point he seems he is not doing well.
