Box Turtle Basics – A Beginners Guide to keeping box turtles

North American Box Turtles have been among the most popular reptile pets for decades. In the past, wild caught adults and juveniles were collected and sent to independent pet stores and department store “pet departments” nationwide. Even as wild turtles, the Box Turtles passive nature, friendly personality, and great adaptability made them favorites among early reptile enthusiasts. A passion that definitely remains today. The collection practice continued up until the early 1970’s when protectionary laws began to be enacted to prevent exhausting the wild populations. Thankfully, due to very successful captive breeding programs by dedicated Box Turtle professionals, many hundreds of baby Box Turtles are available each year for the devoted fans of this incredible reptile. This allows the hobby of keeping and breeding future generations of box turtles alive and healthy without putting pressure on wild populations. Today keeping Box Turtles happy and healthy in a home environment has been made much easier by improvements in many reptile specific products and specially designed Box Turtle diets made specifically for these omnivorous turtles.

Most turtle people would say keeping a Box Turtle is really no more difficult than keeping most Aquatic Turtles, some would say it’s actually easier. Box Turtles are of course terrestrial (land dwelling) turtles so they do not require a filtered aquarium filled with water like their aquatic cousins.

Instead, Box Turtles, being very active turtles by nature, require a sizeable terrarium enclosure with room to roam and exercise. Most any suitable container that can provide enough space can potentially work well, but it should be easy to clean and to access the inside so that you may care for the turtles. Flat style aquariums/terrariums work well for smaller turtles, where larger wood framed enclosers and even small kiddie pools work well for larger or multiple turtles. Take care in choosing your enclosure, Box Turtles can climb better then you may think! When the weather allows and under certain conditions, box turtles can be given time outside in an outdoor enclosure where they can enjoy the sun and fresh air.

Box Turtles also require a slightly different lighting and heating setup then their aquatic relatives.  Box Turtles, as a rule, are not fond of high heat directional lighting (basking lamps) and can become easily overheated if trapped under a heat lamp.  Maintaining an appropriate “ambient” temperature of 75-85 degrees is much more suitable for Box Turtle enclosures and can be provided easily by a under tank heating mat or ceramic heat emitter. A thermometer within the enclosure will help you keep it right. Box Turtles, like all turtles, benefit from proper exposure to UVB light waves from natural sunlight or from UVB reptile lighting units. If you are able to give your turtle’s time out in the sun for a few hours, multiple times a week, you may be able to skip on adding a supplemental UVB lighting unit within the enclosure. But one or the other needs to be offered consistently so that the turtles receive the benefits needed from the UV rays. 

Most Box Turtles also require moisture in their environment, too dry of a habitat can result in irritated swollen eyes and poor shell condition. A good bedding material that maintains moisture, such as orchid bark or coconut fiber, along with daily misting with water, will provide your Box Turtle with the moisture and humidity it requires.

Inside the enclosure, proper hiding places, along with natural decorations will help your turtles feel at home and comfortable. Of course all waist produced by the turtles should be removed daily and the bedding changed as needed.

Watering your Box Turtles:   Box Turtles enjoy a good soak in the water, so provide a large shallow container that the turtle can easily climb into and out of. The water should be changed daily or more often if it becomes fouled.

Feeding your Box Turtles:   Box Turtles really do love to eat. In nature Box Turtles are omnivorous feeders, spending much of their time hunting down insects and feeding as much on animal/insect prey as on plant material. Because of this natural tendency, Box Turtles require a diet high in animal proteins, not just vegetable matter. Manufacturers such as TropicZone produce a Box Turtle Diet that is specifically designed to address these dietary needs, with formulations that include superior levels of high-quality animal protein sources, along with a balanced amount of plant protein and complete vitamin and mineral supplementation. The TropicZone Box Turtle Diet should account for 80% of the turtle’s total diet with the remaining 20% being fresh greens & selected fruits, and/or live insects.

For More information on feeding and caring for Box Turtles, please view our Turtle-Tech article “The Proper Feeding Pratices of Box Turtles”.