Box turtles are small terrestrial turtles that can close their shells completely. They are charming, independent little creatures and should only be cared for by very responsible adults or children. Their needs are complex and being reptiles, they do not appreciate forced cuddling and interaction, like puppies or kittens do. But if you want to bring this charming, scaly little creature home, then you need to know how to take care of it in the best possible way. If you want to start, slowly advance to Step 1.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Get a Box Turtle
Step 1. Get your turtle from your local turtle rescue association or reptile lover's society
Search the internet to find those in your area, or check with the biology department at a nearby university. There are many unwanted reptiles that need a good home. Don't buy them from pet stores, especially as some get turtles through increasingly illegal "harvesting" or poaching in wetlands and other turtle habitats.
Pet shops sell almost exclusively turtles captured from their natural habitats; you should search for breeders and dealers on reputable sites instead, or check out rescue organizations that have turtles that need a good home
Step 2. Find a good reptile veterinarian
You can ask around at reptile-loving societies or do an internet search. Most vets don't know much about reptiles or other "exotic" animals, because much of their training focuses on mammals. Avoid going to an average non-reptile veterinarian when the turtle is in trouble. Dogs and cats are the secure income of veterinary practice, so a veterinarian with extensive reptile knowledge has accumulated it out of passion and his work is truly valuable. Take your turtle to the vet once a year, when it is healthy or you think it is sick.
Step 3. Decide if you want to keep your turtle indoors or outdoors
There are advantages to both choices. If you want to keep the turtle indoors, you can keep it in a large glass aquarium, which can be easier to maintain. If you want to keep it outdoors, you may need to make a large wooden fence (or buy one). Keeping her indoors is easier, because you don't have to go outdoors or worry about things like the temperature or other animals or elements that can affect your turtle. However, turtles are used to being in the wild and may be a little happier outdoors.
Even if you decide to keep the turtle outside, it is advisable not to let it run around in the back garden. This is simply too dangerous and will make the turtle prone to attack by other animals
Method 2 of 3: Building a Turtle House
Step 1. Create an outdoor enclosure for your turtle
Make an enclosure of a minimum of 1.2 meters by 1.8 meters for a box turtle; bigger for more than one turtle. Use smooth wooden boards about 30 centimeters wide. At the top of each corner, attach a triangular piece of wood that connects to each side. This will provide more stability to the walls, and will provide an edge, on which the animal will not be able to climb. Turtles are always trying to climb out of corners!
Step 2. Consider making a covered container for your turtle instead
If you opt for the glass aquarium, then you should get a deep one, at least 40 liters. You can also make a plywood or concrete cage. The walls must be adequately elevated so that the turtle does not crawl out. If they are tall enough (at least 60cm), then you won't need a lid. If you have a lid, make sure there is ventilation so the turtle can breathe. Instead of the glass aquarium, you could also opt for a Rubbermaid tank. These tubs and wooden boxes can be better because the sides are opaque, so your turtle won't feel fear or stress from all the activities he sees in the room he is in.
- Line the bottom of the cage with a surface such as sand, earth, or wood chips mixed with peat. This is known as a wet substrate. If the substrate is dry, your poor turtle's skin can crack.
- Get a 75-100 watt incandescent light bulb with a reflector at one end of the cage. Turtles need light to stay warm. If your room temperature is normally around 23-26 degrees, no light bulb is needed, but place the cage near a window so that the turtle gets some sunlight for at least 2-6 hours a day, while always having the opportunity to go out.
- Aquariums can be more difficult to clean than wooden fences, so be diligent when it's time to clean.
Step 3. Get the right substrate
Substrate is what should sit at the bottom of the container, and it should give your turtle the moisture and care it needs. For outdoor turtles, a mixture of soil and leaves can be used, ensuring that the turtle has a place to burrow and hide, and that there is enough soil to hibernate. You will need to replace the soil around the pool as soon as it gets wet, avoiding the danger of frost. For indoor turtles, rabbit food can be used and the substrate mixed daily to keep it ventilated. You can also use wood shavings or reptile substrate if you don't want to make your own.
- Make sure you spray the enclosure daily to keep the turtle moist.
- Talk to a veterinarian or turtle expert before making a decision about which mixture to use.
Step 4. Clean the enclosure regularly
Whether you keep your box turtle indoors or outdoors, it's important to keep the environment clean. You must be diligent in cleaning the substrate at least once a week, its bowl of water once a day, and then cleaning the entire cage once a month, with dish soap mixed with a few drops of bleach (just make sure that the soap is free of ammonia). Remove the turtle before cleaning and make sure the soap mixture is completely gone before putting the turtle back inside so the chemicals in the soap or bleach don't harm it.
Step 5. Provide a landscape for the turtle enclosure
Fill her enclosure with edible plants like mint, common grass, or cooking herbs like thyme or chives. Make a playground with small logs to climb, flower pots to hide in, rocks to bask in, and of course a bowl full of water to drink. Part of the enclosure must receive direct sun (especially early in the morning for the turtle to bask and warm, so it will have an appetite) and part must be in the shade. Turtles appreciate a mound of cut grass moistened every day; they will like to dig and sleep there.
You can do this by either keeping your turtle outdoors or indoors
Step 6. Give the turtle plenty of water
These turtles love to wade in the water, so make sure you have a small pool for your turtle to play in. Clean the water every day. If the turtle stays indoors, then you should put it in the water every day to prevent it from feeling too dry. They are not the best swimmers in the world, but if they are in an outdoor environment then you should make a bigger pond that they can swim in. Some like to swim for more than an hour a day, while others just prefer to wade… A bit like people do.
- Make sure you keep the water warm.
- The area with the water should have an easy exit.
- Put the water in a dish, pot, glass or bowl, making sure it is at least 60cm deep - deep enough for the turtle to enter completely, but not so deep that it will struggle to swim.
Method 3 of 3: Caring for the Turtle
Step 1. Feed your turtle regularly
Adult turtles must eat at least 3 or more times a week, while young turtles must eat regularly. They should be fed in the morning and need to eat a mixture of fruits, vegetables and proteins (50-75% of a young turtle's diet should be protein; 10-20% for adult turtles). All fruit must be washed or chopped. You also need to make sure your turtle gets plenty of vitamin A. Here are some foods turtles love to eat:
- Proteins: snails, slugs, grasshoppers, earthworms, crickets, mice, canned dog food, pryralides, cicadas, and oniscidae.
- Fruits: tomatoes, grapes, mangoes, melons, figs, pears, strawberries, plums, nectarines, raspberries and apples.
- Vegetables: cabbage, savoy cabbage, spinach, red leaf lettuce, Chinese cabbage, Chinese cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, dandelions, and zucchini.
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Foods with Vitamin A: All mice, yellow vegetables, dark green leafy vegetables, food with a sprinkle of calcium carbonate, lactate, citrate, or gluconate (do this every 2-4 weeks if the turtle doesn't always get it already enough foods with vitamin A).
Know what to do if your turtle is stubborn and doesn't eat. Try giving her bright, red, yellow, or orange foods, or live animals to pique her interest. Feed the turtles when they are most active, which should be in the early morning or late afternoon. You can also try misting the cage with some water before feeding them
Step 2. Give your turtle enough sunlight and warmth
Your turtle needs some direct sunlight to metabolize vitamin D3 and to avoid calcium deficiencies. Light will not be effective if it only passes through glass. It is recommended that the turtle receive full spectrum light for at least 12-14 hours a day along with other sources of light / heat. The indoor enclosure should not be colder than 15 ° C and should be around 21-27 ° C during the day.
Turn off all lights at night, but provide extra heat with heating if needed
Step 3. Find out if your turtle is sick
If your turtle is sick, you need to be able to recognize the disease as soon as possible so that you can take her to the vet. Here are some things to note:
- Changes in eating or behavior for more than 2 weeks
- Gray or whitish areas on the turtle's shell or skin
- A softening of the shell
- Dry or crumbly shell
- Dry, brittle or transparent skin
- Skin with a tinge of red
- Discharge from the nose
- Swellings or lumps, particularly above the ear
- Foam or discharge from the sides of the mouth
Step 4. Prepare for a period of hibernation
Your box turtle will want to hibernate during the roughly 4-6 months of cold weather, depending on where you live. Have your turtle get a check-up by your reptile veterinarian in advance. The vet is the best person to clarify all your questions regarding hibernation. Make sure your turtle is protected from damage and that its water stays warm during this time.
Step 5. Be kind to the turtle
Turtles don't really like being handled, but it is still possible to build a relationship with the turtle without trying to pet them. Turtles can bite if they're unhappy, and their bites really hurt! If you are quiet and pay attention to the turtle, she will trust and love you. By feeding her, at the same time, and soon enough, you will build a routine and your favorite scaly creature will be waiting for you. The more you get to know each other, the stronger your relationship will be.
- If you have to catch her, don't let her little legs flail far into empty space. Put a hand under his feet so he feels safe. The ideal thing is that you just enjoy watching your box turtle from a distance while it hunts. It is usually most active in the morning and around sunset.
- Sometimes, turtles like to eat from a spoon, but make sure yours doesn't depend on it.
- If you keep the turtle indoors, take it outside on nice days. But be sure to put her in an outdoor enclosure and keep an eye on her, because she can run fast! This should excite the turtle, but make sure he doesn't get anxious about the change.
- Wash your hands before and after touching your turtle or its accessories. Keep yourself and your turtle happy and germ-free.
Advice
- Box turtles are noted escape artists. They scour the habitat for escape routes as they climb and dig. You will be surprised by their urge to escape.
- Feed your turtle some carrots.
- If your turtle isn't eating, try the two foods that it considers the most delicious: earthworms (turtles are attracted to their movement) and strawberries (they love the smell of them).
- Use UVA and UVB rays if you keep it in a terrarium.
- Find an experienced reptile vet before getting your turtle.
- A turtle should never be kept indoors in a terrarium unless it is recovering from a disease or is suitable for hibernation and needs to overwinter indoors.
