View Full Version : Box Turtle Update.
Vicious_Fish
05-02-2010, 10:31 AM
Just wanted to share some updated photos of my Terrapene carolina carolina. I was happy to see once again that everyone made it through the winter unscathed. With luck I should have some eggs laid very soon from my 3 females.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/Shelly-1.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/Sparky-1.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/Sparky2.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/Sparky3.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/Chip-1.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Male4.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Male3.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Male.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Male2.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/ShellySparky2.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/ShellySparky.jpg
Natalie_ava
05-02-2010, 10:34 AM
How pretty. I have loved box turtles since I was a kid.
Vicious_Fish
05-02-2010, 10:34 AM
Here's some shots of the enclosure. It's 8'x8'x2'. I have ferns, hostas, strawberries and blueberries planted in it along with some other native plants.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Pen.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Pen2.jpg
Vicious_Fish
05-02-2010, 10:38 AM
Dinner time! Today's menu consists of cut shrimp covered in overripe chopped strawberries and topped with a layering of shredded carrots. Bon appetit! :D
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating1.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating10.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating11.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating12.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating13.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating2.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating3.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating4.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating5.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating6.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating7.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating8.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc213/The_Interloper/Reptiles/EBT_Eating9.jpg
PaulJ69
05-02-2010, 10:40 AM
nom nom
Ozymandias
05-02-2010, 11:07 AM
aww thay look so intent on there food
xoparis
05-02-2010, 12:26 PM
I want a boxie so bad!
msjinkzd
05-02-2010, 12:54 PM
*love 'em*
petluvr
05-02-2010, 12:54 PM
They over winter outside then?
Those guys are gorgous - and their enclodure looks pretty sweet!
I have the same question as petluvr.. do they live outside during winter? (I don't really know how cold its get in PA..)
J double R
05-02-2010, 3:34 PM
Box turtles hibernate. :) I expect he allows them to winter safely in their enclosure, as they will dig a shallow burrow and sleep the winter away.
jpappy789
05-02-2010, 7:23 PM
wow, those are some gorgeous herps!
cellodaisy
05-02-2010, 7:42 PM
Wow... those eyes are intense! Beautiful turtles, and obviously very well cared for.
dixienut
05-02-2010, 10:29 PM
wow very sweet
i had a eastern painted box when i was a kid it was wild and dad almost run it over with mower,.. i named him alfred,.. i loved him like crazy,.. but let him go before winter,.. when i got my horse,.. mom sid she didn't want the turtle getting stepped on,..lol
would never happened anyway but you know parents,.. alfred was a boy,.. loved mightydog canned food,.. he would chase my dog away to get it first,..
he loved his veggies and fruit,.. also,..
sure wish i had a few now,.. but don't want to take them from the wild,..
don't see that many anymore,.. they get hit on the road too much when trying to cross it,..
love box turtles,.. can you buy them somewhere easterns ?
i found a female the the mower hit, kept her for a while to make sure she was alright,.. she was fine just nicked the outside layers of the shell,.. no infection ocurred and she at good let her go after a few months,.. she was orange and brown and alfred was yellow and brown,.. and color matching eyes as well,..lol
Vicious_Fish
05-02-2010, 10:30 PM
Thanks for the compliments everyone. :)
How pretty. I have loved box turtles since I was a kid.
Me too. These guys are what got me into keeping reptiles at a very early age.
They over winter outside then?
Yep, they sure do. Since they're a native species they have no trouble hibernating in my backyard.
Those guys are gorgous - and their enclodure looks pretty sweet!
I have the same question as petluvr.. do they live outside during winter? (I don't really know how cold its get in PA..)
It does get pretty cold here in PA but that's what they've evolved to cope with. Eastern Box Turtles are funny about being kept indoors. To be honest, they don't do well at all. They need the act of hibernation to reset their bodies. If not, they become stressed and are very susceptible to disease if not given a cooling period once a year.
Box turtles hibernate. :) I expect he allows them to winter safely in their enclosure, as they will dig a shallow burrow and sleep the winter away.
You are correct Jon. In the fall I turn up the soil a bit and they dig down about a foot or so and hibernate. I also cover they with a large pile of leaves to help give them some extra protection from our cold winters.
Vicious_Fish
05-02-2010, 10:42 PM
wow very sweet
i had a eastern painted box when i was a kid it was wild and dad almost run it over with mower,.. i named him alfred,.. i loved him like crazy,.. but let him go before winter,.. when i got my horse,.. mom sid she didn't want the turtle getting stepped on,..lol
would never happened anyway but you know parents,.. alfred was a boy,.. loved mightydog canned food,.. he would chase my dog away to get it first,..
he loved his veggies and fruit,.. also,..
sure wish i had a few now,.. but don't want to take them from the wild,..
don't see that many anymore,.. they get hit on the road too much when trying to cross it,..
love box turtles,.. can you buy them somewhere easterns ?
i found a female the the mower hit, kept her for a while to make sure she was alright,.. she was fine just nicked the outside layers of the shell,.. no infection ocurred and she at good let her go after a few months,.. she was orange and brown and alfred was yellow and brown,.. and color matching eyes as well,..lol
All the box turtles I have came into my possession from unfortunate run ins with various things. One was run over by a mower, another by a bulldozer, another was hit by a car and the 4th was attacked and chewed on by a dog. They took a while to recover from their wounds so I ended up holding onto them. Depending on the turtle I've had them for 15to 23 years now.
My dad use to bring home turtles that were hit by cars and we would do our best to patch them up and release them back where they were found. The reason you must release box turtles back where you found them is because they have homing instincts and will do their best to get back to their home territory even if it means crossing a busy highway on their journey.
It is against the law in PA and many states to keep Eastern Box Turtles since they're numbers have drastically declined. I was lucky enough to get a permit when you could. When I do hatch babies I release them back into the wild to help increase the population.
I'm not sure if PA residents are permitted to buy captive born EBT's but I could be wrong. They are for sale on Kingsnake.com. There are other species of Box Turtles like Ornates and 3-toes that you can keep and own in PA.
jbradt
05-02-2010, 10:49 PM
I love his eyes!
dixienut
05-03-2010, 9:30 AM
It is against the law in PA and many states to keep Eastern Box Turtles since they're numbers have drastically declined. I was lucky enough to get a permit when you could. When I do hatch babies I release them back into the wild to help increase the population.
I'm not sure if PA residents are permitted to buy captive born EBT's but I could be wrong. They are for sale on Kingsnake.com. There are other species of Box Turtles like Ornates and 3-toes that you can keep and own in PA.
this is what i kinda had in mind to raise, and hatch them and release them into the wild,..
where i live now is perfect for them but in the 10+ years i lived here i haven't seen not 1
i have a good stream in my property,.. in a woods type setting,.. when i moved here it had crays in it and very few fish but haven't seen crays since,.. but my bot now 11 is like mom spends all his time at the creek and he told me last week he say a bunch of crays in there,.. so yeah,.. there comming back,..
it has lots of lillies and all the natural forest and water plants, there ,.. it would be perfect,.. berry bushes by the tons,..
i'll check out the website,.. thanks,.
edit,.. checked the web site and found this pa law
http://www.fish.state.pa.us/fishpub/summary/repamp.html