Boxie or Red-foot?

[Matthew Colella]

So as most of you know I am looking for a box turtle to adopt. Well our local pet shop has some red footed tortoises and a few leopards. I have some left over lumber so I can make the enclosure bigger. So which would you guys recommend?

 

[turtlelou]

I guess it depends on how much you want to take on . The torts would also need an inside enclosure for winter, where the boxies may not.
Are you getting the boxie or are you asking if you should get a tort instead?

 

[Matthew Colella]

I think it would be more convenient to have a boxie. The boxie doesn't need as big a pen and can hibernate.

 

[terryo]

I have both and I have to say the Box turtles are much easier to care for, and IMHO (I might get killed here but...) the box turtles have much more personality. My two Cherry Head's (I only have one male now) each had a different personality and were very friendly, but the box turtles will keep me laughing all the time. I have 11 now and each one is so different. I just posted a thread in the picture section of them today. You can just see the expressions on each of their faces. Also they are much easier to care for here in the cold Winters. I have to take Solo in for the Winter and it's sad to see him missing all the Summer sun. The box turtles never come in unless someone is sick or too small to hibernate. It's a worry all the time when waiting for them to come up in the Spring, but so far I haven't lost any and they are all in good health.

 

[Matthew Colella]

Well my local pet store (The Enclosure) has this BEAUTIFUL high white leopard. I have always wanted a leopard but never got around to building the enclosure . With my partialy built boxie enclosure I can easly umph up the size. I'd just hate to pass up this opartunity

 

[Tom]

Where do you live. Climate is usually a big factor in my choice of species to work with. Boxies and RFs can be much more difficult in a dry climate than a leopard. A leopard might be more difficult in a humid climate.

 

[diamondbp]

I think this is totally a location based question. If you live in a dry warm area than either a leopard/sulcata/ or desert box turtle would be better. If you live in a humid(possibly cooler) area than most subspecies of box turtles (other than deserts/ornates) should work better for you. I raise both in south Louisiana and have had great success with box turtles with the exception of ornates. My leopards and sulcatas do great as well but they require much more TLC, especially the leopards

 

[CharlieM]

Here are the laws about eastern boxies in PA.

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/fishpub/summary/repamp.html

It only says eastern. Maybe some other PA members know the laws about other boxies.

 

[Matthew Colella]

We'll here in Pittsburgh it's warn in mid-summer but slightly humid. I used to own a Huge salt water tank so in the colder months it can stay inside during the cooler months.

 

[Saleama]

I actually thought about re-homing my tortoises in favor of keeping only box turtles. It isn't that I don't love my torts, they certainly have their different personalities and quirks that make them attractive, but I find myself spending way more time with the boxies. In the end, I decided not to do so for one simple reason. My torts will be huge and I can't wait to have me some 100 - 150 pound dinos running around the back yard!