Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
The Common Box Turtle and Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornate) are the most popular species of box turtle found in pet stores though geographic varieties exist for each. Asian Box Turtles (Cuora sp.) are only distantly related and have different husbandry requirements.
Box turtles possess a bowl shaped shell that is a nice yellow/orange pattern over a black background. Even the limbs can have yellow to orange dots along them. Like most turtles, box turtle colors tend to fade with age. They vary in size from 4-7 inches in diameter.
The box turtle has an interesting defense. When stressed, it will hide in the shell until danger has passed. Unlike the snapping turtles and other varieties, the box turtle has a hinge on the bottom of the shell that allows the shell to completely close protecting the body.
Captive Breeding Status:
Determining the sex of box turtles is generally easy. Males tend to have red eyes and the females have brown eyes. The males will also have a concave belly while the females are relatively flat on the underside and males will also have longer tails than the females.
As far as captive breeding goes, virtually all box turtles sold as pets are wild caught. The low price and reproduction rate makes captive breeding commercially infeasible.
Mating is not out of the question with this species though. Just house the male with the female after a hibernation period. Make sure both sexes are feeding normally before introducing them.
After mating, the female will bury the eggs in a soft substrate. Like crocodilians, box turtle eggs are temperature-dependent. The incubation temperature should be 84°-86°F if female offspring are desired, keeping the temperature around 72°F will produce males. Once hatched, the hatchlings will require the same care as the parents except for feeding. They will need a higher proportion of insects and other carnivorous foods in their diet. It is best not to house the parents with the hatchlings.
Native Range/Habitat:
The American box turtle can be found in the eastern, central, and southwestern part of the United States. They can even be found in the northern parts of Mexico. They are commonly found near bodies of water by wooded and grassland areas.
Diet/Feeding:
Box turtles are omnivores. They eat a variety of insects, earthworms, snails, and such. They have an extensive vegetable diet but it is best to feed the more nutritional greens like mustard greens, turnip greens, and collard greens. Mixing in some berries, apple, tomato, etc. will be a good treat. There are several commercial foods available including Tetra ReptoMin® SoftGel. Box turtles should receive vitamin and calcium supplements once or twice a week, Tetra ReptoCal™ and ReptoLife Plus™ provide these essential nutrients.
Housing:
One box turtle will need a tank that is 36” x 24” x 15” if kept indoors. The box turtle does best with a lot of space to move in. If this is not possible, taking them out for exercise will help them stay healthy. The box turtle is a fairly social animal, you may house several together in the proper amount of space. The indoor tank should have 2-4” of loose, moisture-retentive substrate. It is occasionally related this land turtle has no use for water or humidity, which is in fact not true. A shallow tray of water should be provided and a daily water spraying is necessary. Box turtles like to hide by burrowing or sitting under a cork bark cave. Some type of hide spot along these lines should be provided. Indoor cages should be equipped with full-spectrum, UV-emitting lighting and a heat or basking lamp.
In the proper climate, they can be kept in a 72” x 72” x 48” outdoor enclosure. Outdoor enclosures should have 8-12” loose soil with grass. Keep in mind outdoor enclosures need high walls that go deep into the soil to prevent the turtle from climbing or digging out. Outdoor enclosures must be provided with shade areas.
Box turtles prefer a temperature between 72° – 76°F with a hot spot of 82°F. Many experts will suggest inducing hibernation for these particular animals. It has been said that if normal temperatures are maintained all year long, these turtles will undergo brumation. Brumation is a partial hibernation that causes the box turtle to stop eating and use up energy reserves. This may weaken the turtle and lead to secondary problems. Some experts suggest keepers induce hibernation every three years by dropping the temperature to 41°F for about 8 - 12 weeks. For southern box turtles, drop the temperature to 47°F for 7 - 8 weeks. Lower temperatures than this can be fatal. Always keep fresh drinking water and a small amount of food present during hibernation periods.
General Comments:
Box turtles are fairly easy pets to keep. They rarely bite (but some individuals have been known to), they are good eaters, and have overall low maintenance demands. However, they are animals that can live in excess of 25 years. When sick, finding a good exotic veterinarian is the best action that can be taken. Poor feeding, poor cleaning, and poor living conditions cause poor health. Vitamin A deficiency is not uncommon, but easily avoided with a proper diet and supplementation. Closed eyes, clear discharge from the nose, and peeling/thickening of the skin are symptoms.
Special Interest:
It might be noticed that this reptile is not found as often as it once was. Government concern about over-collecting of the turtle has lead to a ban on collecting, selling, and sometimes owning these reptiles in some states in the United States. The shell must at least be 4” in diameter to be legally sold. Hobbyists will have to check with their local laws to see how they can legally enjoy these animals. Habitat destruction and roadway accidents are leading causes of native Box Turtle decline.
The box turtle holds a special place in American history. The Native Americans felt all parts of nature had a purpose and a use. For some tribes, the box turtle represented this very well; the shell could be used for jewelry, the meat could be used for food, and even the knowledge of the turtle could be used. They used this turtle to develop their time keeping system. What they did was look at the large scutes or scales on the back of the turtle. There are thirteen scutes on the back of the box turtle, each scale representing one of the thirteen new moons that occur each year. They then took the twenty-four smaller scutes around the outer rim of the shell and took them to represent the hours in a day. Based on this system, the Native Americans were able to develop a sort of calendar. This in turn helped them to plant crops during the correct season.