Indoor Boxie Burrowing?

[MildredsMommy]

My little ornate, Mildred, is inside for the winter-she is only a year or so old, so come spring she will get to go outside with the big kids my question is this: I noticed she is burrowed herself under her log and doesnt seem to be coming out much. She is my "water baby" and loves to swim-which I have not seen her do in a few weeks now. I have pulled her out and fed her and her appetite is the same, but I am just concerned as she has burrowed before, but never this long. She is in a very large enclosure with a 100watt Powersun-same thing she has had since she came to me-is this normal behavior as she ages???? I am a little concerned. Thanks so much!!!

 

[Saleama]

I have six juveniles in a big indoor enclosure. Three of them I see everyday. Two of them I see about once a week or so and one of them I don't see unless I sneak in and catch him on an early morning swim or I dig him up to check on him. She will get used to her indoor house soon enough and get a routine, but yeah, this is pretty normal behavior. PM diamondbp and ask him. He has tons of box turtles and knows his stuff concerning boxies of all ages and has some great ideas on how to keep them.

 

[stinax182]

first I'd say check your temps. too hot or cold could cause her to burrow all the time.

i don't see much of my box turtle either. but i know she comes out because the water dish is always dirty and she always pushes all the leaf litter out of her hides. they are most active in the early morning so i just assume i miss her because I'm sleeping

 

[MildredsMommy]

See I wondered about her activity since I leave for work at 8am and dont get home until around six (my RF and TX tort both come out mid afternoon-I caught them on a day off) I guess I was concerned because Millie is such a card-she is always out stomping around-lol. I do keep the room she is in at about 75 (It actually feels like a tropical 85 with the door closed) and her light is on all day-tortoises seem to teach me something new everyday!!

 

[Saleama]

first I'd say check your temps. too hot or cold could cause her to burrow all the time.

i don't see much of my box turtle either. but i know she comes out because the water dish is always dirty and she always pushes all the leaf litter out of her hides. they are most active in the early morning so i just assume i miss her because I'm sleeping

In my experience, and I could be wrong, but with the 9 adults and 13 hatchling to juveniles I keep, Boxies tend to burrow more when the temps are higher as opposed to lower. Lower temps, in the high 60's to low 80's generally will have them running around like joggers on a California beach.

 

[Elohi]

Hi mildredsmommy,
I have an email notification that you messaged me but no message here on the forum. Must be an error of some sort. Anyways, my boxie is still staying buried despite her warm tank with 14 hrs a day of lights on in her enclosure. She looks great when I dig her up and soak her. She's a little testy and makes it clear that she'd rather I just leave her alone. She isn't eating so I have been digging her up and soaking her in baby food. She has beautiful bright eyes and appears to just want to sleep in peace. I'm going to either find my old thread or start a new as to not hijackyour thread because I need the boxie experts advice about her.

 

[MildredsMommy]

Hi mildredsmommy,
I have an email notification that you messaged me but no message here on the forum. Must be an error of some sort. Anyways, my boxie is still staying buried despite her warm tank with 14 hrs a day of lights on in her enclosure. She looks great when I dig her up and soak her. She's a little testy and makes it clear that she'd rather I just leave her alone. She isn't eating so I have been digging her up and soaking her in baby food. She has beautiful bright eyes and appears to just want to sleep in peace. I'm going to either find my old thread or start a new as to not hijackyour thread because I need the boxie experts advice about her.

I think in my case I had placed her by a curtain-less window this year-so I am thinking maybe I may have subjected her to the different day/night cycle which may have set her clock off-lol. I put up a curtain last night and fed her and soaked her-I understand EXACTLY what you mean about the testy part-Mildred literally gave me the stink eye when I went to soak her Let me know if you hear anything else!!!

---

first I'd say check your temps. too hot or cold could cause her to burrow all the time.

i don't see much of my box turtle either. but i know she comes out because the water dish is always dirty and she always pushes all the leaf litter out of her hides. they are most active in the early morning so i just assume i miss her because I'm sleeping

In my experience, and I could be wrong, but with the 9 adults and 13 hatchling to juveniles I keep, Boxies tend to burrow more when the temps are higher as opposed to lower. Lower temps, in the high 60's to low 80's generally will have them running around like joggers on a California beach.

LOL thank you-I will try maybe to make it not as balmy for them-my hubby says I could do hot yoga in there its so bad-and here I thought I was doing good keeping them ultra warm (my RF appreciates it anyway) I miss her stomping around and splashing in her bowl!!

 

[Saleama]

Hi mildredsmommy,
I have an email notification that you messaged me but no message here on the forum. Must be an error of some sort. Anyways, my boxie is still staying buried despite her warm tank with 14 hrs a day of lights on in her enclosure. She looks great when I dig her up and soak her. She's a little testy and makes it clear that she'd rather I just leave her alone. She isn't eating so I have been digging her up and soaking her in baby food. She has beautiful bright eyes and appears to just want to sleep in peace. I'm going to either find my old thread or start a new as to not hijackyour thread because I need the boxie experts advice about her.

I think in my case I had placed her by a curtain-less window this year-so I am thinking maybe I may have subjected her to the different day/night cycle which may have set her clock off-lol. I put up a curtain last night and fed her and soaked her-I understand EXACTLY what you mean about the testy part-Mildred literally gave me the stink eye when I went to soak her Let me know if you hear anything else!!!

---

first I'd say check your temps. too hot or cold could cause her to burrow all the time.

i don't see much of my box turtle either. but i know she comes out because the water dish is always dirty and she always pushes all the leaf litter out of her hides. they are most active in the early morning so i just assume i miss her because I'm sleeping

In my experience, and I could be wrong, but with the 9 adults and 13 hatchling to juveniles I keep, Boxies tend to burrow more when the temps are higher as opposed to lower. Lower temps, in the high 60's to low 80's generally will have them running around like joggers on a California beach.

LOL thank you-I will try maybe to make it not as balmy for them-my hubby says I could do hot yoga in there its so bad-and here I thought I was doing good keeping them ultra warm (my RF appreciates it anyway) I miss her stomping around and splashing in her bowl!!

---

That could be it. Box turtles, unlike tortoises HAVE to cool down at night. They absolutly need it. We go all summer not seeing the outdoor boys and girls but some of them even came out just before the ice storm when it was in the 40's. Running around like kids who's parents left them alone a little too long. When the weather is in the 60's they all come out all day long and bask in the sunlight and do things that I can only describe as leading to me getting some babies come next spring. Don't get me wrong, they need the warm even hot basking area, but they also need the really cool side and the whole thing cool at night. I would say that if your house is around 65 at night you are still ok going with no heat source at night. Remember, tortoises are different!!! I am speaking just about boxies!

 

[stinax182]

Re: RE: Indoor Boxie Burrowing?

In my experience, and I could be wrong, but with the 9 adults and 13 hatchling to juveniles I keep, Boxies tend to burrow more when the temps are higher as opposed to lower. Lower temps, in the high 60's to low 80's generally will have them running around like joggers on a California beach.

that's true, i have an eastern box turtle and she burrows when it's too hot but the turtle we were referring to is an ornate and I'm not familiar with them and where they live. i kinda thought they were more of a southern box turtle...

 

[Saleama]

I have found that my ornates are actually my most active juveniles. They have a basking spot they never use, a warm end they pass through and occasionally hang out in and a cool dry end and a cool to warm swimming pool end which is the preferred hang out. I have also noticed that my three toed ALWAYS burrows under a plant. He seems to know I am less likely to dig for him there or, more realistically, the ground is better suited for a burrow with the support of the root structure. No matter what the species of boxie, they all like and require cooler temps.