My $3.30 enclosure

[leigti]

@leigti

Perfect! Two of those would be even more surface area. Maybe this is a dumb question, but if you only cut the holes big enough for the lights, would she get enough fresh air? I've seen herpers with tote tanks cut out the center of the lid and replace with mesh, but then in this case it would hold less humidity. I guess from when I had a chameleon I just stress about poor air flow and the respiratory issues that it can cause. Maybe box turtles aren't as sensitive though?

You can make the holes bigger and then put chicken wire pig wire or hardware cloth over them. Then lay the lights on top.
You can use one of these or maybe a couple in a couple different spots at turtle level in your enclosure to keep track of the humidity and the temperature. It even tells you what the highest and lowest humidity and temperature have been for the last 24 hours or so. Adding water to the substrate, especially under the heat source will help raise the humidity also. And live plants really really help. I put some in pots and some I just planted into the substrate. This is an example of my box turtle enclosure, it had an open top so I jerryrigged a cover with a clear shower curtain. Make your life easier and just cover yours with the lid there are rocks and little logs and a deep pile of moss. I would throw in crickets and worms and she loved it.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Substrate is about 2 inches deep- added extra rocks to help keep toes filed down, but maybe went over board

Filing nails is not an issue. Keeping the beak in trim is. Nails do not need to be short, just not overgrown, and that's usually a function of environment & diet. A proper substrate provides a good grip for the nails and feet, strengthens the leg muscles. 6" of substrate would be much better.

 

[terryo]

I would get rid of all the rocks. The cave is great and the only hide you need. The saucer should be big enough for her to sit in and soak. A flat piece of slate is good to feed on and will keep her beak short. I use a heat emitter (60 wt is good for a small enclosure like that) and a long tube 5.0 UVB. Outside is best, but if you have to keep her inside then you should try to mimic her natural environment as best you can. Lots of leaf litter, plants, the rock cave is great. Throw in a lot of pill bugs in the leaf litter and also some night crawlers for her to hunt on her own. Just make it as natural as you can. In the wild they only get sun that is filtered through the trees, so there is no need for bright lights. I use a screen top with the long UVB on top of the screen and the heat emitter on top of the screen too.I cover the rest of the screen with clear wrapping tape to hold in the humidity. Just what I do for any that have to be inside for a time. Mine that are outside in the garden will only sit in the sun in the morning to warm up before they eat. After that, when the sun is really hot, you won't see them until the late afternoon when they come out to eat again. Just how I keep mine.....not written in stone.

 

[Angel Carrion]

You actually want to have more than one hiding spot. Ideally one on the hot side, one on the cool side, and a couple more here and there. They can live with only one, but more is better. And each hide doesn't have to be a half-log or a store bought hide. It can be a bush/fern/some other plant that offers shelter when they sit or burrow under it. But more than one is best.

 

[terryo]

That's why I always say it's not written in stone. Everyone does things differently. Mine are all outside, except for babies and any sick ones or ones that have to come in for the Winter. Everyone else is outside year round. For the babies and any that have to stay in for one reason or another I keep the heat emitter on 24/7 with an all around temp. of 75 - 80, therefore I only use one hide, but there are lots of plants for them to dig under and hide. Just how I do things.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Yeah that's what I mean. Plants to dig under are awesome and count as a hiding spot. I'm sorry, I thought you meant only one hiding spot, period.

 

[Angel Carrion]

For when you get your own place and are able to do an outdoor enclosure, this is mine as an idea/visual aid. This is before I made it bigger and pulled a harmful weed that was slowly taking over.


This is after.

 

[terryo]

Very nice! Shade, sun, hides....great enclosure. Put a little pond in there. (I love ponds lol) I put some goldfish in but they never bother with them. Wish I had a big yard like yours......I would go nuts. Anyway...sorry to go OT, but this is a small portion of my turtle garden.

 

[Angel Carrion]

VEERRYY nice. I love yours!
There is a little pond in mine, it's just hard to see because of the growth around the tree where it is. I had feeder fish in it for a little as well, but with how often I empty it and refill it and the fact that no one was bothering with them, I took them out and now they're in a tank in my bedroom. If I put a bigger pond in able to use a filtration system, I may put the fish back in.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Also that entire free yard isn't mine, I'm right on the border of my yard and my neighbors yard to the right of the enclosure. Sadly I actually don't have as much room as the picture implies, haha

 

[Angel Carrion]

Very nice! Shade, sun, hides....great enclosure. Put a little pond in there. (I love ponds lol) I put some goldfish in but they never bother with them. Wish I had a big yard like yours......I would go nuts. Anyway...sorry to go OT, but this is a small portion of my turtle garden.View attachment 142182 View attachment 142184

Is that an ornate box turtle next to your eastern eating in the first pic? Curiosity speaking here.

 

[terryo]

Is that an ornate box turtle next to your eastern eating in the first pic? Curiosity speaking here.

Yes that was Nora. She was about 33 years old, and very healthy, so I thought, but I found her dead one morning. I was in shock. I had her since she was a hatchling. Very big loss. Nora was the hardest to raise, I think. She was a fussy eater, and liked mostly live things, and she didn't hibernate well. After hibernation when she came up, her eyes were puffy for a few days, but then she would be fine. Very sweet girl.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Yes that was Nora. She was about 33 years old, and very healthy, so I thought, but I found her dead one morning. I was in shock. I had her since she was a hatchling. Very big loss. Nora was the hardest to raise, I think. She was a fussy eater, and liked mostly live things, and she didn't hibernate well. After hibernation when she came up, her eyes were puffy for a few days, but then she would be fine. Very sweet girl.

I keep hearing that ornate boxies are the hardest of the boxies to raise/keep. But 33 years is a good run for one in captivity, I think. I'm positive you gave her the best life possible.

 

[terryo]

Thank you. Just wish I knew what went wrong.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Thank you. Just wish I knew what went wrong.

I understand that all too well. I do rescue work and sadly sometimes the rescue doesn't make it.
But you got 33 years. That's something to be proud of, I think.