Baby Florida box turtle
- Thread starter DolphinRyan
- Start date
I appreciate the input coura, I'll pick up some veggies tomorrow along with the Reptivite you mentioned. And yes famous, my dad found her hiding under a pile of cut grass out in the yard.
Well in general its higly not advised to take wild box turtles both because adult specimens are very hard to stabilize and few live long, and also because box turtles populacions are endagered in most of their natural range. But your case its diferent in both situacions because first your turt is a baby and already has demonstreted both apetite and a normal activity rotine wich is really good and shows she has already setled down (adult boxys wich could have lived like 30 years in their own pach of forest understendably dont adapt that well) and because its a baby its chance of ataining adulthood in a incresingly dangerous world is slim to say the least (in comparison taking just one adult breeding turtle from a populacion, specialy a female is much worse because all turtle species work more or less under this regime: few long lived adults and high mortality babys wich are produced often in great number to contrabalance the damage made by predators, natural causes, etc). Im ok with you keeping this turtle but you have to both comprimise yourself to keep it life long and that you must realize that the fish tank he is corrently housed on its just very temporary. Something like a naturalistic enclosure like a turt table will be needed soon and in the medium term a outdoor enclosure its absolutley mandatory, few box turts really trive indoors. Also it is advizable that you try somewere along the road to breed him to help keep its species on the planet. Vicious here has a really nice box turt pen. Try to find that post for ideas
I came across Vicious' post about the pen the other day while searching for info on here. I agree it's a pretty nice setup. I have two red eareds that as they've grown so too have the enclosures in which I've kept them. Had my female since 95' and they're now in one of those plastic ponds you get at Home Depot or Lowe's. I'd like to eventually create a pen similar to Vic's. Luckily I'm in Florida and the cold's not a huge issue down here.
Try also to find cb florida boxys of the same size as yours. Box turts hachlings are very social and like to hang out with each other. Also that will be easier and cheaper then to try to find a grown one later. A nice group of 4 unrelated would be great starting point for a eventual future breeding groupDolphinRyan;3416717; said:
DolphinRyan;3414402; said:
I find one here and there never saw a baby which wasnt hiden and I found it by accident.
I have seen dead baby shells chewed up by raccoons and mostly squished by cars. Chances are you saved his life they seem to wind up dead when near humans.
It would be nice if like coura said you breed him/her. They thrive outside a friend has a few and dig in when chilly winter nights though not often. Pretty turtle . I like all Box turtles but particularly the Florida box.
I think they actually recognize their owners.
Louie;3425049; said:
My dad and I looked all over the yard trying to find another baby but we haven't had any luck yet.
DolphinRyan;3416717; said:
His enclosure is great which is why his box turtles breed and thrive think he said one is 22 yrs old.
While your box is small you could keep it in outside bin with soil and holes drilled on bottom so heavy rains don't flood it.
I dont own turtles but have been holding and sending them to some here (only aquatics) and the bin method with screen and cable ties is raccoon proof .
