Box Turtle Friends?

[Delilah1623]

I know most tortoises and turtles do better on their own but I have read conflicting information on if female box turtles do better in small groups? I am coming to the experts.

I adopted what I read told was a male a few weeks ago but am 99% sure it is actually female. The rescue had a couple other box turtles and I am wondering if she is better alone or with a companion or two?

Her enclosure is about 20 square foot.

 

[cmacusa3]

Post a picture of him/her and will see if we can help figure it out. Mine do great with the group, I have 7 together and have never seen one issue, now my hatchlings are a different story.

 

[Yvonne G]

My 3-toe enclosure is about 32x40 (doing this calculation in my head by mentally counting the posts, which are set at 8' apart, in my mind. So it's not accurate.) and I hardly ever see any fighting. In the spring just after hibernation, I see the occasional male/male fight, and if I add a new male to the yard there will be fighting. But box turtle fights are pretty mild as fights go.

I don't get the impression my turtles 'need' each other. They don't congregate or seem to seek out other turtles in the yard. I think they would be perfectly happy alone. And they seem perfectly happy in the group too.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

My females get along fine with each other, but I don't have the sense that they need or desire companions.

 

[Delilah1623]

I am torn... the rescue has them in with russian tortoises so I know they are not getting proper humidity and diet... 3 russians and 2 boxies in a 40 gallon tank. I keep wondering if they would be better off if I tried to adopt another female or two of just left them. The girl who runs the rescue is kind of overwhelmed and I feel like the turtles and tortoises aren't really her passion... but I want mine to be happy too.

 

[leigti]

I would adopt the two box turtles. Tortoises and turtles don't do well in pairs so I think he would be better off with three. Unless of course there are two males and one female then I definitely would just keep one alone.

 

[cmacusa3]

I would adopt the two box turtles. Tortoises and turtles don't do well in pairs so I think he would be better off with three. Unless of course there are two males and one female then I definitely would just keep one alone.

I agree, I say get them if you have a good place for them.

 

[leigti]

If the so-called rescue is keeping them in conditions like that then they definitely need some help. The tortoises would be better in separate but small enclosures than they would all crammed together in a bigger one. Makes me angry and sad at the same time.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Get them all.

 

[Dean Wirth]

I have two males and one female, they get along, they have ample hides to get away from each other and sometimes group together and like alone time. i did see one male nip at the other once when outside, but nothing serious. just a turtle quarrel i guess lol. box turtles are semi social, but do well on their own.

 

[Delilah1623]

Sounds good everyone. Thank you! I have messaged her about adopting the other 2. They were all together before so hopefully there will not be any issues. If so I guess I will just have to add one more enclosure lol

 

[Delilah1623]

It's official. I will be going to pick the 2 other box turtles up Thursday evening. Hopefully all goes well!

 

[Delilah1623]

Female right?

 

[Eric Zukowski]

Female 3toed in need of a beak trim.

 

[Delilah1623]

Thank you.

I know her beak is awful but I'd like her to settle in a bit before I stress her out with a trip to the vet plus the good tortoise vet in my area had surgery and is off for another month or so yet. She eats fine so I'd rather wait and bring her to someone experienced who can hopefully show me how to do it myself as I get more involved in rescue.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

If she'll let you, try one of those nail files designed for acrylic nails. It can't overheat or take off too much at a time.

My vet uses a Dremel tool to file beaks. Too scary for me to try.

 

[Delilah1623]

I will try that! She comes running for food but is nervous about being handled so I'll try to slowly ease her into it and see if I can accomplish anything.

 

[Dean Wirth]

try putting cuttlebone in the enclosure and giving it superworms to eat, snails will help too if available. It may ignore the cuttlebone for a while but mine eat trim on cuttlebone, also feed out of a hard dish. the beak doesn't look that bad to me but you have to be the judge on that one.

 

[Delilah1623]

They are home and settling in. One was a female and one was a male so that is good news! Any idea what type of box turtles they are? I am confused between an ornate and a western and cannot find any that match the weird red lines on the head like the one female.

 

[cmacusa3]

The top one isn't a box turtle, it's a water turtle.