See ya next spring!

[Vicious_Fish]

Lol thats cool, do you worry about them during the winter? I would be thinking about them all the time.

Thanks and yes, I do worry about them. That's why I'm always relieved to see them wake up from hibernation in the spring.

Wow very cool.......I'd prolly be worried too, but I'm sure they're healthy enough..........

Yep, they are all very healthy and well fed. You never want to let a sick turtle go into hibernation. There is a good chance it won't make it through the winter. I make sure to not feed them once it starts getting cool at night. You don't want them to go into hibernation with food in their bellies.

Nice update Seth. You are right she is the one that always is the last to hibernate. Isn't she the one that had the cracked shell that you healed?

Yep, she's the one. Always the last to hibernate. Yes, she was one of the ones that had a cracked plastron and she was gnawed on by a dog. All my box turtles came into my care from bad run ins with cars, dogs, lawnmowers and bulldozers.

Wow that is super!!!!!

Thanks!

Awesome looking turtles Vicious.

How long have you had them? DO you keep them only outside?

I have been thinking for a few years about trying an outside pen. Just trying to get some ideas

Thanks. I have four of them that I've had between 10 and 22 years. They stay outdoors all year long. I try to keep them in as natural of a setup as possible. Eastern Box Turtles do very poor when kept indoors. They need to have a cooling period every year to hibernate or they can become very stressed which shortens their lifespan.

She looks really cranky, lol.

Lol, maybe. If anything she's cranky because summer is over.

yea thats some look on her face.
Great looking turtle.

Thanks. They do have grumpy eyes but they always look like they're smiling to me.

That's really cool, Are they just in the yard? Or they have a closed off area?

Thanks, they are really cool. I love native turtles, they are what got me into keeping reptiles. My box turtles live in the corner of my yard in a 8'x8' pen.

There flippin sweet looking.

Thanks!

 

[ernest]

Ver cute little Florida box is it ?

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Ver cute little Florida box is it ?

You're close, she's an Eastern Box Turtle.

 

[jason longboard]

holy crap I forgot you had LAND turdles too,nice.

 

[uncwnells]

22 years! now thats dedication! Im sure you will be happy to see them in the spring!!

 

[krichardson]

Very nice,could you show pics of the entire pen?

 

[Vicious_Fish]

holy crap I forgot you had LAND turdles too,nice.

Lol, yeah buddy! I'll never get rid of them.

22 years! now thats dedication! Im sure you will be happy to see them in the spring!!

Thanks. Yeah I've had the one female since I was 7. They're what got me into reptiles and I couldn't be happier. And yes, I'll be very relieved when I see all 4 of them wake up in the spring.

Very nice,could you show pics of the entire pen?

Thanks man. Their pen is 8'x8'x2'. The pics at a weird angle but that's a shelter in the middle made out of wood. The pen is mainly filled with native plants, some of which they can eat if they choose. They still get fed 3 times a week though.

 

[krichardson]

Thanks for the quick response,I've wanted to do one of these for a long time.I actually have the yardspace to pull it off and you have some of the same plants that I've put in my yard.

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Thanks for the quick response,I've wanted to do one of these for a long time.I actually have the yardspace to pull it off and you have some of the same plants that I've put in my yard.

You could basically do this type of setup for any of the native turtles and they would do just fine in it. Of course if it was a water turtle you'd want to include some type of pond that was deep enough for them to hibernate in.

The plants I used for the setup are Lady and Ostrich Plume Ferns, a large Hosta for shade, wild violets, strawberries and a blueberry bush.

 

[krichardson]

How'd you decide on the size of the pen?