New Owner of an Eastern Box Turtle

[ReptileMeme]

Was driving on a back road last Friday and swerved to miss a big rock in the road. Kinda looked like a turtle in my rear view mirror so I turned around to investigate. It was a 6" box eastern box turtle. I carried it well off the side of the road then drove away. When I was about 1/2 mile down the road, I kept thinking it would walk back into the road, so I went back. There was dense woods all around, but I wasn't dressed to go hiking to get it further from the road, so I decided to take him home.

I already have a large tank with fantail telescope goldfish, a terrarium with red eye tree frogs, and another tank with a California king snake, so what's one more roommate?

He's temporarily in a 20 gallon tank I had laying around that I just added a mercury vapor lamp. I found this forum to get some ideas on a proper enclosure. My wife will roll her eyes even more when she sees my new setup!!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[wellington]

Hello and WELCOME the turtle really should be put back where you got it. Not in the road of course, but in the woods by the same place you found it. Sorry, I am not for taking them out of the wild unless injured. However, if you decide to keep it anyway, you did find the right place for good advice.

 

[terryo]

Welcome to the forum! I wish I could help you, but I keep thinking how happy this fellow was for years living in the woods, wild and free, and now he is in a 20 gal. tank. PLeas re-consider and put him back where he belongs. Think how it would be if I locked all the doors in your house and never let you out again. I'm hoping you do the right thing. I don't want to be rude, and would never hurt your feelings, and I'm sorry if I did, but it just how I feel.

 

[Jacqui]

I have to agree with Terry and Barb, please really think this over and take him back. Then if you really want a turtle or a tortoise, check into adopting one from a rescue, getting one from Craig's list, a pet store, any where but from the wild.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi ReptileMeMe:

Welcome!

It may be illegal in your state to pick up eastern box turtles. I am also of the mind that you should take it back to where you found it and release it. A 20 gallon tank is no kind of habitat for a full grown box turtle. You did a good thing to rescue it off the road, now do another good thing and take him back where you found him. If you really want a turtle, there are plenty of people who sell captive born and bred box turtles and they don't cost all that much.

 

[lovelyrosepetal]

Hi and Welcome. I have mixed feelings about taking them from the wild. I know that box turtles prefer being wild to being captive but I have seen so many smashed on the side of the road that I can't help but think that if someone would take them home instead of driving over them that at least they would have a chance. Having said that, when they are taken from the wild they have a very hard time adjusting to being captive. They are always trying to get away. I have had a wild box turtle and I found it in the middle of a busy street with a smashed shell and very much alive. It's home territory was under construction so I took it and tried to nurse it back to health. He was healing well but never got used to being captive and died. I felt horrible. I cried for two weeks and still think about my Speedy with such sorrow. I have since gotten seven wonderful box turtles who were in need of being adopted and that seems to me, the perfect solution. They cost a lot less and you are not contributing to taking them out of the wild. I love mine. If you keep it, please do not put it in an aquarium. They hate it. Put it in an outdoor enclosure and if that is not possible, make it a turtle table. Please do as much research as you can for your particular box turtle because they have different needs. I hope this helps. Good wishes and best of luck, Rose