Please Help (found a box turtle)

[trisha0608]

We just moved into our house in New Mexico. I believe it's a desert box turtle that my wonderful dog dug up. I think it was hibernating? The house has been empty for about a year before we moved in. He chewed on the shell a little bit, but I don't think he did any other damage. I have it in a box in my shed for right now. My question is, how do I tell if it's still hibernating or if its just hiding in it's shell? I've never had a turtle and I'm not sure what to do to help it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I really don't want anything to happen to it.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: Please Help

Hi Trisha, and welcome to the Forum!

Can you put up a picture of the turtle so I can move this thread to the appropriate section on the Forum?

Since the animal has been outside, and is now acclimated to your weather, I would set it up in a protected area outside. Someplace where the dog can't get back at it. Once he comes out of his shell, you can set him in a little tub of warm water to re-hydrate him after his long winter's sleep. If you want to keep him, we can refer you to the right care sheets, once we're sure what you've found.

 

[trisha0608]

RE: Please Help

Went out to the shed and it was out of the box! Very happy its still alive! I was worried. Ive attached the pictures. I would like to try and keep it since it was here first. I'd feel like an arse kicking it out.

 

[happyjoyjoy]

RE: Please Help

I can tell you the first thing you should do is take it to a vet to address the wounds and prevent infection.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: Please Help

Of course, its always good to get a vet's opinion, however, the injuries on that turtle are very minor...similar to a skinned knee on your 5 year old daughter. You can wash it with a antiseptic solution and dab on a bit of Neosporin and that's really all that's needed. You want to be sure flies don't lay eggs on the red parts.

That is a Terrapene ornata luteola, or western box turtle, just like you thought it was. And its a fairly young one because as they age, they lose the bright colors and yours is still pretty bright. It also has a fairly overgrown top beak, so when you start feeding the turtle, don't cut up its food. Make it have to bite off pieces. It also helps to feed it on a rough rock or cement.

Normally we don't encourage people to keep wild turtles, but I'm guessing this was someone's pet due to the overgrown beak. Since you're going to keep the turtle, be sure to build it a safe and secure pen/yard, well planted with plenty of sun and shade and a little pond that the turtle can climb into and out of. A couple of different hiding places are always nice.

This info is copy/pasted from the Gulf Coast Turtle & Tortoise Society's web site:

"Introduction

This care sheet has information on the care of Eastern Box (Terrapene carolina carolina), Three Toed Box (Terrapene carolina triunguis), Gulf Coast Box (Terrapene carolina major), Florida Box (Terrapene carolina bauri), Ornate Box (Terrapene ornata ornata), and Desert Box (Terrapene ornata luteola) turtles.

Learn all that you can about box turtles before you obtain one. Seek out other box turtle enthusiasts. Talk with your vet. Join a group such as the Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society or the East Texas Herpetological Society.

Try to obtain captive-bred box turtles for pets. These will generally be healthier and better adapted to captivity than wild caught turtles. Wild populations are under tremendous pressure from the pet trade - don't add to this pressure.

Before deciding to acquire a box turtle, remember that turtles are very long lived animals and require specialized, sometimes expensive, care. They do not make good pets for young children unless there is adult supervision.

Housing

The only suitable habitat for box turtles is a large outdoor enclosure, bounded by bricks, landscape timbers, or cement blocks at least 18 inches high with an overhanging ledge to prevent climbing out. For multiple box turtles in communal pen, a minimum of 16 square feet (4' x 4') is required for each adult turtle. More space is needed if males are housed together and if sexes are mixed. Minimum pen size for one turtle is about 30 square feet (4' x 8'). Larger is always better with turtles.

Drainage must be built into the pen unless it is a hardware cloth (wire) type pen. If using hardware cloth, put a solid wall along the entire perimeter so that the turtles cannot see out. Turtles will continually try to get to the other side of the fence if they can see out.

Turtles are poikilothermic, regulating their temperature by behavior, and need to have a choice between sun and shade. The habitat should provide a variety of environments including sunny and shaded areas and places to hide. A pile of hay provides an ideal hiding/shady place.

Being outdoors provides a better diet since the turtle can supplement what you feed it with snails, slugs, earthworms, weeds, etc. If you keep your pet in your garden area, you will not need to worry about snails and slugs as pests (of course, you might find some strawberries missing!).

If box turtles are housed outdoors in their native range they will hibernate during the winter months. They prefer to burrow down 4 to 6 inches in the dirt if it is soft. You can also provide a large, well drained, pile of hay or leaves for hibernation.

During the summer heat they will often rest in a shallow "scrape" (a depression in the dirt) in order to cool off. Be sure to provide places where your turtle can escape the heat - under plantings, in hay or leaves, or under logs.

Box turtles are in the same family (Emydidae) as water turtles such as sliders, map turtles, and cooters, and although not fully aquatic, do enjoy an occasional swim. A shallow pond, perhaps half as deep as the turtle's carapace is high, should be sunk into the ground and kept filled with fresh water. In any case, fresh drinking water must be provided daily.

Most diseases are spread though fecal contamination. The best way to reduce this is to provide adequate space for each turtle, throughly rinse the drinking water containers each day, and provide a large enough water area. Box turtles usually use the toilet in their drinking water, so it must be large enough that another turtle does not drink the waste of another or take in a pathogen or parasite a sick turtle will put into the drinking water, should one of your turtles be sick or a healthy carrier and not yet showing obvious symptoms.

If an outdoor enclosure cannot be provided you should consider not keeping a box turtle. Temporary indoor housing can be used to overwinter a turtle that cannot be hibernated or during convalescence. Small aquariums are generally not satisfactory for box turtles, although a large 'breeder' aquarium (lower sides and consequently more usable surface area for the same gallon capacity) can be used if necessary. Concrete mixing containers (made from tough plastic and available at Home Depot and Builder's Square) make an inexpensive, fairly spacious habitat. A typical container is 2' X 3' X 10" deep.

If kept indoors, some type of light producing UVB rays is necessary. A good fluorescent-type light is ZooMed's Repti-Sun 5. This light cannot pass through glass or plastic, as these glazings will remove most of the beneficial UV rays. The light should be within 6" of the basking site. A clamp-on 60 - 75 Watt incandescent light fixture with a reflector should be used to provide a basking area that is warmer than the rest of the container. These clamp lights can be found at places like Home Depot. The ideal basking area temperature is 90 - 95F.

At this time, it is not known if any of the UVB-type lights are adequate for turtles. These types of fluorescent lights loose their ability to maintain UVB production and should be replaced yearly.

There is another alternative to the fluorescent UBV and incandescent basking light pairing. There is a type of bulb called a UV-B Heat Lamp or Self-Ballasted Mercury Vapor light. Several companies are now marketing these and they produce higher levels of UVB than the reptile fluorescent lights. These bulbs continue to produce significant levels of UVB much longer than any fluorescent bulb.

NOTE: EXTREME CAUTION must be used with these bulbs. They also produce heat and also take the place of the basking bulb. UV-B Heat Lamps or Self-Ballasted Mercury Vapor lights at this time usually come in 100W and 160W so they must be used in a reflector socket that can withstand higher heat. These bulbs need to be placed higher than other bulbs due to their heat output. These bulbs are not for small tanks! They produce too much heat! Follow the manufacturer instructions exactly or you may endanger your turtle! Use a thermometer in the tank or container so you KNOW that you are not overheating the turtle.

If you would like to read about lighting for turtles/tortoises, see this link: UNDERSTANDING REPTILE LIGHTING SYSTEMS Please read the conclusion carefully.

In spite of UVB bulb improvements NO artificial light is an equal substitute for unfiltered sunlight. We do not condone housing any turtle or tortoise indoors on a permanent basis. Any native species living in a climate like their native climate should be housed outside permanently. Some non-native species or turtles that have been ill may need housing inside during cool/cold months.

Lights should be on approximately 12 hours each day on a regular cycle.

Absorbent flooring material such as newspaper (not the colored sections), hay, or cypress mulch should be provided and changed regularly. Substrates that dry out or get powdery should be avoided. Cedar chips can be poisonous.

Box turtles can get dehydrated even if offered a water bowl to drink from. They really benefit from a full body soak (5). A shallow water dish, large enough for the turtle to get into and soak, is required, as is an area that the turtle can hide in for a sense of security. An overturned, large clay flower pot can serve as the hide. Daytime high temperature of 85F is ideal, a nighttime low of 70F is OK.

If mature females are confined indoors for any length of time a 6" deep container of moist (not wet) sterile potting soil should be provided in case they need to lay eggs. Where ever you keep your box turtles try to maintain a female to male ratio of at least two to one to prevent the females from being overly harassed by the males.

Feeding

Adult box turtles do quite well when fed about 3 times a week, and every other day to hatchlings. But, in the periods just before and after hibernation, turtles should be fed more frequently. Overfeeding may cause serious organ damage. Vary the diet using the suggestions below and don't just feed them a few favorite foods. Healthy turtles should have good appetites but can become finicky eaters if overfed, making a balanced diet difficult.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are unnecessary if the diet is varied, and could be harmful. Too much calcium can mineralize vital organs and blood vessels and excesses of any one vitamin can cause a deficiency in others. The percentages in reptile vitamins sold may not be correct. Two drops of cod liver oil twice a week is a natural source of vitamin A and can be safely used to supplement diet at that dosage. Egg shells can provide additional calcium if needed.

Too much fruit can alter the gut flora as well as setting the turtle up for nutritional imbalances.

Turtles housed outdoors in garden type habitats will feed naturally on snails, earthworms, insects, animal droppings, plants, etc. and are likely to get a good diet. Soil contains minerals a turtle may need, so allowing the turtle to feed naturally on the ground is preferable to using a plate.

When keeping turtles in an outdoor enclosure, it is important to feed in the morning and then remove the food. Leftover food may attract ants, and after dark may attract rats, opossum, raccoons, and other dangerous predators.

Protein Based Foods:
(well over 50% of diet)

Dead, thawed, fuzzy or hopper mice (no pinkies), whole feeder fish (chopped), cooked egg (with shell), slugs, snails, tadpoles, earthworms, all insects, animal feces (animals must not be carrying internal parasites) NOTE: earthworms and insects including feeder crickets are usually low in calcium and should not be a major part of the protein based foods.

Fruits and Vegetables
(Fruit should be no more than 10% of diet)

Bell pepper, peas, squash, zucchini, prickly pear pads (no spines), carrots, kale, endive, dandelions, collard greens, okra, tomatoes, mushrooms, mulberries, persimmons, cherries*, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, other berries, peaches, figs, nectarines, mangoes, grapefruit, oranges, plum, cantelope*, other melons*, banana, pear*, apricots, grapes. apple*,

* - no seeds

Foods to be limited or avoided:

The following foods should not be fed due to a high phosphorus to calcium ratio or excessive vitamin D content:

Corn, chicken, dog/cat food, liver and organ meats, commercial turtle food, beef, monkey chow, trout chow.

Avoid pinkie mice. They are too high in fat and too low in calcium.

Insects are too low in calcium to be a major part of the diet.

Copyright (c) 2004 Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society
Permission is granted to copy for non-profit use with proper credit given. For any other use you must obtain permission."

 

[lisa127]

Earthworms should not be a major part of the diet of a box turtle? Really??

 

[lynnedit]

Well, I maintain my earthworms in a container where the soil has been sprinkled with calcium. I also dust any compost I put in with calcium. So i would imagine that improves their food value slightly. Crickets can also be maintained on calcium rich greens like collard greens for a week prior to feeding. I guess this is referred to as 'gut loaded'.
Protein options in the winter are limited, if your Box turtle doesn't hibernate. So earthworms, in the above manner, it is.

trisha0608, I hope you can set the turtle up outside! She/he should do well in your area year round with shade/sun and a protected area.

---

Another good link:
http://www.turtlepuddle.org/american/boxcare.html

 

[lisa127]

I know all about gutloading as I've kept all manner of reptiles for 20 years. I just find it strange that earthworms are their natural food source, yet shouldn't be a major part of their diet according to above article.

 

[sunshyne621]

Well it also says that hay is acceptable bedding?? I bet if anyone came on here and said that they were keeping their boxie on hay everyone would tell them to change it. Also a lot of very reputable boxie owners feed trout chow as a large part of the diet.....

 

[lisa127]

Yeah, it says hay or newspaper. Did not notice that until you pointed it out.

 

[Saleama]

The over grown beak and the slight pyramiding would indicate to me as well that you have found an escaped or released pet. It would be good not to release this guy into the wild. They make great little pets provided you can give it a safe place to live free of the worry of being eaten by a dog or wild animal. Good luck with it if you do decide to welcome the little fellow into your home. I love mine. Ornates have the greatest personalities once they get to know you!

---

Earthworms should not be a major part of the diet of a box turtle? Really??

That was my first thought as well. Crickets too. I gut load my crickets with calcium powder and vitamins that I can't get the baby box turtles to eat. The clutch I have now is being raised on them and they are the prettiest little guys I have seen in a long time. The red wigglers are loose in their tank and they hunt them when they can so I do not "feed" them those on a regular basis. Boiled chicken and chopped up lean beef is also a small part of their diet they seem to enjoy. Lots of things on that list that I have to re-think.

---

Well it also says that hay is acceptable bedding?? I bet if anyone came on here and said that they were keeping their boxie on hay everyone would tell them to change it. Also a lot of very reputable boxie owners feed trout chow as a large part of the diet.....

Hay is a very acceptable bedding. It is NOT an acceptable substrate. The use of hay should be similar to how one would use moss in a moist hide. We use it in our outdoor hibernating chambers under cover. Out in the open it is way to easy for it to get and stay wet in the winter and then it molds pretty bad. You should also change it out after the winter months and after it has been wetted for any lenght of time and not allowed to dry out. Grass cuttings and leaf litter are also used quite a lot.

 

[trisha0608]

Thanks so much for all the responses! As fate would have it, my neighbor actually has desert tortoises~ She took my new little friend home to live in her turtle proof backyard! After looking out for her during the day I can say what neat little creatures! I think I would eventually like to get one, after I read and know a little more about them. We are a military family as well and I read they have a long life span and moving it every time we move probably wouldn't of been the best idea. But she is safe in her new home and I can check in on her and my dog can't! lol. Thanks again for all the replies and opening up a new animal world for me! Best of luck to all of you and your turtles

 

[Saleama]

Thanks so much for all the responses! As fate would have it, my neighbor actually has desert tortoises~ She took my new little friend home to live in her turtle proof backyard! After looking out for her during the day I can say what neat little creatures! I think I would eventually like to get one, after I read and know a little more about them. We are a military family as well and I read they have a long life span and moving it every time we move probably wouldn't of been the best idea. But she is safe in her new home and I can check in on her and my dog can't! lol. Thanks again for all the replies and opening up a new animal world for me! Best of luck to all of you and your turtles

How great for her! Moving them is not the best idea but it can be done and with the proper set up they will still thrive. The thing I have found about caring for these guys is the stress relief from shopping and gardening and building stuff for them is wonderful. As soon as I am done with one table or enclosure I am off to visualize and build the next one. In fact, I am doing my spring planning right now, lol.