How long does it normally take for a box turtle to get comfortable with his surroundings?

xBapes

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So my new Eastern still appears to be a little shy. He did move around a bit while I was napping yesterday morning because the water was dirty and I did catch him while he was just randomly soaking in his bowl. He crawled into his custom Rubbermaid hide I created for him with spag moss and soil and tucked in for the night. His lights flick on at 7am, at around 10:00am he was still chillin in his Rubbermaid box. He was awake but just hasn’t gotten up to move yet I suppose. I’m assuming since he came from Las Vegas he’s on jet lag too. I took him out for a few minutes to see if I could get him to eat some worms but no luck. I did mix up a little fruit for him and left it in his enclosure for him. I’m not going to bother him anymore today. How long does it typically take to see the comfortability of a turtle with his surroundings and new home?
 

PJay

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Different box turtles acclimate at different times. I've seen everything from a turtle that's settled in and eats right way, to others who eat right away and then go on a hunger strike for a few days or weeks, to some who take a month or two to "come out of their shell," so to speak.

Based on where you got it , hopefully we should be able to assume you have a captive bred and raised box turtle that is used to humans being a source of food and mucking about in near proximity. If so, just keep things quiet, handle him no more than necessary, and he may come around in several days. Be patient, box turtles move at their own, individual pace.
 

xBapes

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Also don't be surprised if he usually favors a sedentary lifestyle, especially if he's young.

He’s not super young I don’t think. I was trying to count his rings on one section of his shell and I think I see about 16-18 rings so I would estimate about an adult 16-18 yo. Check the photo below and see if you can zoom in on one part of his shell.
 

PJay

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Shell rings are not annual but rather are formed by growth periods. A box turtle shell can form several rings in a year if they are well fed. Without a hatch date, it's difficult to determine a box turtles age.
 

xBapes

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Shell rings are not annual but rather are formed by growth periods. A box turtle shell can form several rings in a year if they are well fed. Without a hatch date, it's difficult to determine a box turtles age.

Interesting. He doesn’t really look old though. I assume he’s right around 16-18 but when I look at him sometimes he kinda looks like a young adult like something below 10 years. Ken at Exotic Pets LV did his best to find me the youngest male
 

xBapes

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Gosh, he’s a cutie. Give him some time.

Thanks ;) I love his coloring, he’s not too black or yellow..he’s perfect! I never thought I’d love a reptile this much, but as soon as I took him out of the burlap bag he was shipped in..it was like an immediate connection
 

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He’s not super young I don’t think. I was trying to count his rings on one section of his shell and I think I see about 16-18 rings so I would estimate about an adult 16-18 yo. Check the photo below and see if you can zoom in on one part of his shell.
Yeah. . . judging from his size, I'd say he's just through the juvenile period, coming up on adulthood. So maybe five years old or so???
 

xBapes

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Yeah. . . judging from his size, I'd say he's just through the juvenile period, coming up on adulthood. So maybe five years old or so???

Judging by some google search images with yearlings..etc..you could be right! That’s a plus if that’s the case. I’d love him regardless of age. Ken did tell me he picked one out slightly younger than the rest, I never did ask what age he thought he was. Basically it was a grab bag pick other than him choosing the most vibrant one he could find. He never touched his food today and he had been chillin right outside the hide box I made him, I took the dog for a walk and came back and he must have crawled back into the box.
 

ColleenT

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Give him a few weeks to get comfortable. And a lot of plants to hide under. Turtles feel vulnerable out in the open.
 
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