Box Turtle Setup

[fishyz]

That's awsome I want to do that for my painted turtles now!

 

[vicedretard]

i likey...nice it looks great...

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Thanks again for the compliments. At the moment we have quite a heatwave where I live. I sprayed one side of the pen with water and the turtles really like to bury themselves in the cool mud during the warmest parts fo the day.

 

[walls]

Looks fantastic!! Pen and turtles that is.

I too would be a tad concerned about them digging thier way out. Maybe they dont do it now but they may in the future.

Also in the fall if you put a good foot deep pile of dry leaves it will keep the ground underneath from freezing and give your turts a great place to hibernate with a little added safety blanket. Just a thought!

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Don't worry Walls, I'm way ahead of you on that department!

Ever year at the end of the summer I dig up the top layer of soil on the one side of the pen so it's nice and loose. I mix in a layer of mulch and then after my turtles dig their burrows and begin to hibernate, I dump a big pile of leaves on top of them. I've been doing it that way for almost 20 years now, and I haven't had any problems.

 

[walls]

<-------gives a thumbs way up to your turtle care excellence!

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Thanks man!

 

[walls]

So do they breed for you as well?

 

[Vicious_Fish]

So do they breed for you as well?

Well...not at the moment. Both are females and my last male escaped about 3 years ago. Before that they bred every year and I hatched the babies and released them into the woods behind my house and a few other places. They aren't as common of a species as they used to be.

But I made a deal with my friends dad who raises them and he is trading me a male box turtle for a large sheet of pond lining. So hopefully I will have the the box turtle assembly line running again!

 

[walls]

Thats awsome, very rarely do we see hobbyists willing to try and re-establish a wild population where they actually belong!