Need Help Please, New Owner

[leigti]

View attachment ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1439523964.219707.jpg
Here's a picture of part of the outdoor enclosure I had for my three toed Boxturtle. I used pressure treated 2 x 12's with hardware cloth above and below. A combination of organic garden soil and Pete Moss and then I planted different weed seeds. And through in a hosta for fun. I also made one corner with a bunch of leaves and I would put pieces of vegetable and fruit in there. Kind of a mini compost pile. The water is a plastic paint tray with slate tile and large pebbles for traction. The slate was read it that's why it looks kind of achy and it was right before I cleaned it out

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Definitely go for a leaf pile and compost pile. It provides good hunting of worms & bugs, a hide, warmth as it decays, amends the soil.... I even add leaves to the indoor habitat.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

How many toes does she have on her back feet?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

so for sure she is a 3 toed box turtle? sorry to offend anybody but sometimes its really hard for me to tell who is who in the tortoise/turtle world

What's nice about the TFO is tap on the pict of the person and you can read about the person if they have 50 posts they are new if they have a 1000 posts they been at this for a wile . It don't always work but it's a good rule to follow ! Have a great tort day !

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!!

 

[Angel Carrion]

Yeah, she's a 3-toed.
Even if she has four toes on her hind feet, she is still a 3-toed. Sometimes a 3-toed will have four toes, sometimes an eastern box turtle will have 3 toes on the hind feet instead of the four they're supposed to have. It's just something that happens sometimes. I don't really know an explanation for it, personally.

 

[Angel Carrion]

This is my enclosure. It's around 8'X10' after I expanded it. Right now I have two box turtles in it and another two box turtles inside my house in hospital tanks because they came to me sick.
While this works for me, I do not suggest following everything I did. For one, you want to have a solid perimeter wall (can do this using wood, stone, brick, cinder block, vinyl panels, etc) instead of the frames I used. The reason I'm able to get away with this is because my box turtles in there right now have never attempted to climb them and aren't interested in even attempting, surprisingly. The two inside are the only ones that ever tried and they failed horribly hilariously. So until they're 100% and ready to be in the enclosure, I'm good with the frames.
The other thing I would suggest you do that I did not is have a cover of some kind. Because I did mine around a plum tree, I can't exactly make a lid. But my guys are safe at night because of the way the plants are growing around the tree. It is literally so thick that none of the potential predators in my area would be able to reach them without extreme construction on their part that would take hooouuurrss. I can't get in either. Plus, I bought one of those giant net things that cover really huge ponds and I throw that over the tree and stuff and anchor it to the ground for the night.
I also have insomnia and have a habit of checking the perimeter when I can't sleep.
You can't see in the pictures, but I have numerous soaking dishes in there. You will need one or two, or you can do a shallow pond that's easy to enter and easy to exit and have some small fish in it. Might be fun to watch her try to catch them.

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome from the Desert !

 

[Rebecca84]

What's nice about the TFO is tap on the pict of the person and you can read about the person if they have 50 posts they are new if they have a 1000 posts they been at this for a wile . It don't always work but it's a good rule to follow ! Have a great tort day !

Will keep in mind Thank you again

 

[Rebecca84]

Yeah, she's a 3-toed.
Even if she has four toes on her hind feet, she is still a 3-toed. Sometimes a 3-toed will have four toes, sometimes an eastern box turtle will have 3 toes on the hind feet instead of the four they're supposed to have. It's just something that happens sometimes. I don't really know an explanation for it, personally.

She has 3 toes lol! Now i can get this girl figured out. Thanks everyone for their time

 

[Rebecca84]

Definitely go for a leaf pile and compost pile. It provides good hunting of worms & bugs, a hide, warmth as it decays, amends the soil.... I even add leaves to the indoor habitat.

we have great soil where im at so i find worm in the garden all the time. Olive loves them

 

[Rebecca84]

How many toes does she have on her back feet?

3 toes

 

[Rebecca84]

This is my enclosure. It's around 8'X10' after I expanded it. Right now I have two box turtles in it and another two box turtles inside my house in hospital tanks because they came to me sick.
While this works for me, I do not suggest following everything I did. For one, you want to have a solid perimeter wall (can do this using wood, stone, brick, cinder block, vinyl panels, etc) instead of the frames I used. The reason I'm able to get away with this is because my box turtles in there right now have never attempted to climb them and aren't interested in even attempting, surprisingly. The two inside are the only ones that ever tried and they failed horribly hilariously. So until they're 100% and ready to be in the enclosure, I'm good with the frames.
The other thing I would suggest you do that I did not is have a cover of some kind. Because I did mine around a plum tree, I can't exactly make a lid. But my guys are safe at night because of the way the plants are growing around the tree. It is literally so thick that none of the potential predators in my area would be able to reach them without extreme construction on their part that would take hooouuurrss. I can't get in either. Plus, I bought one of those giant net things that cover really huge ponds and I throw that over the tree and stuff and anchor it to the ground for the night.
I also have insomnia and have a habit of checking the perimeter when I can't sleep.
You can't see in the pictures, but I have numerous soaking dishes in there. You will need one or two, or you can do a shallow pond that's easy to enter and easy to exit and have some small fish in it. Might be fun to watch her try to catch them.

Thank you for all the ideas! I was wondering about potential threats at night so i will have to get that figured out once i decide on an enclosure method. I'm excited about making an awesome turtle garden

 

[Angel Carrion]

Thank you for all the ideas! I was wondering about potential threats at night so i will have to get that figured out once i decide on an enclosure method. I'm excited about making an awesome turtle garden

You can either make some type of lid (I'll share a pic of an outdoor with one) or other such thing, or you can bring her in during the night, or some people lock theirs up in a shed designed specifically for their turtles/torts to sleep in with good substrate and many hides and a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) connected to a thermostat to keep temps in the proper nighttime range. Some people refurbish old screen doors as covers.
What should influence you into choosing what kind of material to use to create a cover is which/what kind of predators are in your area? People, loose cats & dogs? Raccoons, skunks, hedgehogs, rats, mice (though they're more of a problem if hibernating turtles outside), etc? Also, some of these predators don't only come from over the wall; they can burrow under as well. That's why it's suggested to bury some form of barrier down 2 feet along the perimeter wall as well.

 

[leigti]

Those are some great enclosures. The most expensive part of my enclosure was the hardware cloth. I put a layer below and above. But I think it was worth it.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Those are some great enclosures. The most expensive part of my enclosure was the hardware cloth. I put a layer below and above. But I think it was worth it.

Another good example of material for a cover.
Do you have a picture?

 

[leigti]

View attachment ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1439599874.105856.jpg I blocked off part of this for my Boxturtle at the time. My Russian stayed in the rest of it. The box turtles part had more shade and I put more plants in it. She also had the water feature and leaves etc.

 

[Angel Carrion]

View attachment 143698 I blocked off part of this for my Boxturtle at the time. My Russian stayed in the rest of it. The box turtles part had more shade and I put more plants in it. She also had the water feature and leaves etc.

That looks really nice

 

[Rebecca84]

So, now I'm wondering what type of plants i can plant in there with her? perhaps different edible and non edible items, if thats possible. i dont want her to eat anything that could make her sick. I also live in texas. I heard a mention of pothos if one enclosure? Also is aloe vera good or would she eat that? I guess im interested in what ornamental plants i can plant in there with her that will give her shade and make my enclosure attractive.

 

[leigti]

I am not familiar with what grows in Texas. Around here pothos is only a houseplant maybe look up what plants are in their natural territory. But you can also buy seed mixes specifically for tortoises, they wouldn't hurt the turtle either. That's what I planted in mind. I also added a hosta, those are safe and doing well in shade. Spider plants are great. Herb plants are nice, they don't eat them but they make shade. I know people plant squash plants. They make nice vines for the turtle to hide under.