I might be getting some hatchling eastern box turtles in the following months and have some dumb questions to ask. I'm planning on getting a trio, and once they mature they will obviously breed. Because of this, should I order them from different breeders so they won't be from the same clutch and inbreed. Also, is eastern box turtle care pretty much the same as the care of all other box turtles? I am also thinking about breeding snails for food for them. Do y'all know any species that are fairly easy to breed as well as have a shell that box turtles can get through? Thanks!
Eastern box turtle questions
- Thread starter Kaden
- Start date
ColleenT
Well-Known Member
i would not want to breed siblings.
http://www.boxturtlefacts.org/Feeding_North_American_Box_Turtles.pdf
http://www.boxturtlefacts.org/Feeding_North_American_Box_Turtles.pdf
I agree with Colleen, don't try to breed siblings. You will have to spend quite a bit of time searching around for reputable breeders because it's not worth the risk to breed unfit animals. Also baby box turtles (unless they are temp sexed) are pretty impossible to sex accurately for the first few years so buying three may result in all boys or all girls. If you end up with two boys and a girl then they could harass her to sickness or death. The best bet for breeding is finding adults or at least sub adults that are easily sexed, otherwise healthy, and acclimated in a proper breeding environment. It doesn't have to be super fancy (although some users on this forum have spectacular outdoor turtle gardens) but it needs to fulfill the needs for the turtles and for a good nesting site. Eggbound females will suffer if they can't release the eggs and that will be costly in the end. Males can get along great or get feisty towards each other and prevent each other from eating.
Snails are a great snack for them and will breed regularly in an outdoor garden. Make sure they are free of parasites. Also earthworms, slugs, some grub larvae all work well for live enrichment food but not as a staple. Be prepared for any picky eaters and follow that sheet colleen linked in. I have used that diet before and it works.
If you are breeding for profit expect it to be a longterm investment. A healthy female will only lay a few times at most a year with only 5-7 eggs usually each time. Those are not guaranteed to hatch and you are not guaranteed to find them when she does lay them. If you let them hatch in the habitat then you have to find the babies before the adults do otherwise they will become snacks.
Snails are a great snack for them and will breed regularly in an outdoor garden. Make sure they are free of parasites. Also earthworms, slugs, some grub larvae all work well for live enrichment food but not as a staple. Be prepared for any picky eaters and follow that sheet colleen linked in. I have used that diet before and it works.
If you are breeding for profit expect it to be a longterm investment. A healthy female will only lay a few times at most a year with only 5-7 eggs usually each time. Those are not guaranteed to hatch and you are not guaranteed to find them when she does lay them. If you let them hatch in the habitat then you have to find the babies before the adults do otherwise they will become snacks.
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