box turtle care

Box turtles if well taken care off can live long lives, they are pets that are there for the long run. The average box turtle life span being around 45 years means that when you buy or own one of these turtles you really have to understand the importance of being prepared to look after them for potentially that long or even longer.

In fact box turtles can live up to 100 years and over, so there is a chance of a healthy box turtle that has had good box turtle care out living their owner. This in my eyes is one of the biggest positives about owning a box turtle and taking good care of them. You are rewarded with a companion and friend for the rest or majority of your life which is an uncommon and short lived thing with other pets.

The age of a box turtle can be estimated by counting the rings on the scutes(even though this is not always reliable). The plastron which is the shell section underneath the turtle is a good place to check aswell as this allows you to see the wear patterns.

Unfortunately if you have taken into care a box turtle thats over the age of twenty its very difficult to determine exactly how old they are as the plastron will be worn down and  be quite smooth. Most turtles will have stopped growing around this time.

Even though these are suggested ways of finding out your box turtle’s age they are all still not completely concrete and won’t give you an accurate answer about your turtles age, but more an estimate. The only sure fire way of really knowing your box turtle’s age is to have owned it when it was a baby.

If your turtle has a favourite food and your turtle only eats that particular food then you might be worried about your box turtle not receiving enough nutrients in their diet. The best way to ensure they receive a well balanced meal and the right box turtle diet is to chop up whatever their favourite food is and  mix it in with all the necessary other foods which will give them no choice but to waffle everything down along with their favourites.

Some box turtles will remain fussy even when you use the method of mixing in favourite foods with others, so you might want to start this process of with a large portion of their favourite foods, while every two weeks gradually adding more food groups into their meals. It takes some time but if you stick with it and stay patient it will help your box turtle to be more accepting of most of the foods you should be feeding box turtles. Also it helps to keep their diet in check which means a healthy and happy box turtle.

Its also worth checking out some commercial pet foods that are made specifically for box turtles in mind. These foods especially the ones from reputable companies such as Rep-Cal and Zoo Med have sufficient nutrition to keep your box turtle well and healthy. Most pets stores should have them as part of their box turtle care supplies.

When a pet box turtle is not eating it is always a worrying time for owners, but this problem is a common situation that most box turtle owners will more times than not find themselves in, while trying to provide the best box turtle care. Don’t worry, there are a number of things you can do to figure out what is wrong with your box turtle and it could be a case of simply changing the food you are feeding them.

Sometimes box turtles like people will become bored with the meal they are being presented with and will turn away and refuse to even touch the food you serve them. It’s always best to try and mix up your box turtles meals a little while making it as balanced as possible. The first thing you should do is to try feeding them a variety of different foods to see if the regain an interest in eating.

The temperature of your box turtles enclosure can also have a major effect on their appetite and can be a cause of your box turtle not eating. If a box turtle is too cold they will not want to eat. So sometimes it’s a case of warming up your box turtles enclosure before providing them with your food and this will put them in the mood to gobble up what you present them with.

A box turtle will not eat if they are not feeling well or is poorly. If you have tried both the solutions above and still your box turtle is not eating than you turtle may not be feeling well. The first thing I would suggest is to check for symptoms of a respiratory disease and these are:

• Difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• Runny nose
• Mouth open
• Not eating

If this is the case the safest and best solution is to take your little buddy to the vet as trying to care for it yourself may result in your turtle falling further into sickness.

Box turtles have a diet that is slightly different from normal tortoises; unlike other tortoises they eat more meats when they reach their adult stages while most tortoises will go from being more carnivorous when they are younger to being totally herbivorous as adults. Even though this is the case it is important to not provide just meats for them as this will mean your box turtle will have too much protein in their diet.

The best route to take is to try and provide your box turtle with as balanced a diet as possible. One that consists of fruits, vegetables, dark greens and meats. Every meal you give to your turtle should have a helping of all these food groups and in turn provide a box turtle diet packed with nutrients to keep them healthy. Also by doing this it prevents the problem that some box turtle owners have of their box turtle only wanting to eat a particular food and holding back from eating anything else until they are presented with the food they love.

A good way to work out how much of which food group you should serve your box turtle at one time is to go with the 50 – 30 – 10 – 10 rule. Quite simply it is the percentage of each food group you should provide for your box turtle for each meal. So it should always add up in this way:

50 % Protein

30% Vegetables

10% Leafy dark greens

10% Fruits

If you can balance out your box turtle’s diet in this manner you’ll be providing very good box turtle care and in turn have a very healthy turtle on your hands.

There are many different types of box turtles you may find in the pet trade.  Most of them have shared similarities but in saying this some of them will require different care according to their species. The first thing that must be pointed out is that box turtles come in two groups which are the North American box turtles and the Asian box turtles. Here is a quick run through of some of the North American and Asian box turtle species names and also a bit of information on how commonly they are kept as pets:

North American Box Turtles:

These are the North American Box Turtles most commonly kept as pets:

• Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) In some states prohibited from being kept as pets
• Three-Toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis)
• Gulf Coast Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina major)
• Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata)

These North American box turtles are less commonly kept as pets. They are found mostly in limited geographical ranges and have more specialized needs.

• Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri)
• Mexican Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina mexicana)
• Yucutan Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina yucatana)
• Desert Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata luteola)
• Coahuila Box Turtle (Terrapene coahuila)
• Nayarit (Spotted) Box Turtle (Terrapene nelsoni nelsoni)

Asian Box Turtles:

Asian box turtles need an environment with higher temperatures than that of their North American counterparts. Asian box turtle Species you might find in the pet trade include:

• Indochinese (Flowered) Box Turtle (Cuora galbinifrons)
• Chinese (Yello-Marginated) Box Turtle (Cuora flavomarginata)
• Chinese Three Striped Box Turtle (Cuora trifasciata)
• Malayan box turtle (Cuora amboinensis)

If you are looking for a box turtle to own as a pet it’s really important that you have a good knowledge of the species that are protected and prohibited from being kept as pets as certain box turtle species numbers have decreased massively because of people capturing them from the wild and providing the right box turtle care. Laws have been put in place to protect these species so it’s always a good idea to know exactly what species of box turtle you’re buying and whether it is legal for you to have own it as a pet.

If you think your box turtle has an eye infection the first thing you should do is look for any other accommodating problems such as your turtle having a runny nose, breathing with their mouth open and wheezing or gasping while taking in breathes of air. If you have spotted any or all of these symptoms then it’s very likely that your box turtle has a respiratory infection and will need to see the vet as soon as possible. (In this kind of situation its best not to provide any kind of box turtle care yourself just get them off to see a vet as soon as)

If your box turtle has swollen eyes they may be having an allergic reaction to the substrate that you are using in their enclosure. Some turtles are allergic to earthly substrates and will have swelling around the eyes as a result of their allergy towards this sort of bedding. If your using earth or soil based bedding then try replacing the bedding with another and monitoring your turtle for a week or so to see if the swelling goes down.  If the swelling continues then you will know that it was not an allergic reaction and your turtles eye problem may have something to do with a lack of vitamin A in their diet.

Vitamin A deficiency can be a  cause of swelling in the eyes of box turtles and a way you can treat this is to make sure you are introducing foods that are high in vitamin A as a part of your box turtles diet every time you feed them.  Foods such as Collard greens, carrots, kale and parsley all contain a good amount of vitamin A and can be added to each meal to help fight against this problem.

Of course if the problem continues then you have no choice but to take your box turtle to the vet as soon as possible and it may be a case where in order to cure the box turtle eye infection the vet  will need to give vitamin injections to your box turtle to  help them get back to perfect health…

One problem that a lot of box turtle owners have when keeping their box turtles indoors is the fact that their turtle will appear to be agitated because they can’t surpass the area behind their glass enclosure.  Box turtles will become stressed when they can see through their enclosure but can’t go any further than their enclosure will allow them… It drives them crazy!

There are a few ways to solve this problem which will definitely put their mind at ease and help them to feel more relaxed in their indoor home.

If you have already brought a glass terrarium then make sure you cover all the sides with decorative leaves which will make the whole of their enclosure look more natural and give the box turtle a more homely feel for their indoor enclosure…

There are alternatives to buying a glass box turtle enclosure; two of them being turtle tables and large plastic tubs. A turtle table can be bought online or in some pet shop stores but it can be very expensive so most people build it like they would an outdoor pen. It is often bedded with earth and can be build to accommodate all your turtles need in terms of size.

A lot of people also opt for keeping their turtles in plastic tubs which often come in large sizes allowing your turtle a lot of space to move around more freely. These tubs are easy to clean and also can be decorated in a similar way to the way you would any other turtle enclosure.

As we all know the aim of building a home for our little buddies is to make it as natural as possible and box turtles in their natural habitats are not found in glass boxes so a bit of effort in designing your indoor turtle enclosure is a good look for you and your turtle will definitely appreciate it…

Box turtles and all terrestrial turtles are better kept in outdoor pens where they can exercise, graze and receive enough sunlight. Unfortunately not all box turtle owners can provide this for a number reason and so an indoor enclosure may be necessary until an outdoor area can be set up for their tortoise.  There are a few things you will need, to set up an ideal enclosure for your box turtle. Here’s a quick checklist and why you need these box turtle care supplies to provide the best turtle set up for your box turtle:

• Tank
• Tank stand
• Heat lamp for basking
• Thermometer
• UV florescent light
• Substrate (Bedding)
• Hide Box

When buying a tank or terrarium for your box turtle try and get the biggest size possible as box turtles are fairly active and will need space and room to move around.  The tank needs to be wide enough for your turtle to travel around easily and tall enough to prevent it from climbing out…Yes that’s right climbing out… Turtles and especially box turtles are great escape artists and will use almost anything as a stepping stone to help themselves over the edge of their enclosures.

The right lighting and temperature control is essential to maintain a good condition and provide the best box turtle care for your pet. UV lights are used as an alternate for natural sunlight and helps turtles produce Vitamin D3. There are two types of UV lighting available UVA which is used mostly for plants and UVB which is ideal for turtles. Therefore you will need a full spectrum UVB lamp which is designed specifically for reptiles.

Heating lamps as the name suggest help to heat up the enclosure and provide an area where your turtle can bask for while to raise their body temperature. This is also why a thermometer is needed to help you see how hot or cold your turtles enclosure is and try to adapt your heating lamp accordingly.

The best way to position your two lighting sources is to firstly have your UVB lamp in an area where it can provide a massive amount of light throughout most of the enclosure and then to have your basking or heat lamp pointing more to a spot in the enclosure this spot is referred to as your turtles “basking spot”.

Enclosure bedding also known as substrates do not have to be fancy; you can quite simply use newspaper.  On the other hand you may wish to use more natural bedding and your best option is to bed your turtle’s enclosure with earth or soil based substrate some of which come with coconut fibres. Make it 2 inches deep so that your turtle can have some fun digging if they choose to.

Turtles like to hide and withdraw themselves from sights view so a hide box or hiding area in the enclosure which has been decorated with leafy camouflage is also an important addition to ensure your turtle has somewhere to go when they want to hide.  We all want a bit of privacy sometimes so you can’t blame them…

By the way here’s a great video of an indoor set up for a box turtle…



Box turtles in comparison to other tortoises usually prefer much more meats in their diets. In the wild they eat foods such as berries, mushrooms, fruits but a big part of their diet consists of invertebrates and small animals such as earthworms and snails.  They are omnivores and so when it comes to keeping them as pets its best to remember this and try and give them a balanced diet between fresh vegetables and fruits, with the occasional treat here and there.

Most pet Box turtles will be excited to see fresh earthworms at the ready for them to devour, I guess you could call it a box turtle delicacy. Earthworms can be served chopped or whole either way your little buddy is likely to tuck in happily. A simple and balanced meal involving earthworms you can quickly put together for your box turtle, is chopped earthworms with a helping of fresh strawberries and collard greens.

If you have an Ornate Box turtle you may want to replace earthworms with crickets as in the wild Ornates will feed on bugs and beetles and giving them crickets is a good alternative which you can easily acquire from most pet stores. They also seem to enjoy hunting them down one by one; it’s a good chance to watch your box turtle reveal their predatory side.

Remember when feeding box turtles you definitely don’t want to feed your box turtle too many meaty foods just because they seem to enjoy it the most, don’t let your box turtle dictate their diet as this will lead to bad turtle health and is bad box turtle care on your part.