Box Turtle in large fenced in backyard

AshPage

New Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2017
Messages
1
(Suffolk, Virginia) Sorry, this is going to be a bit long.

I did a bad thing.
default_sad-frown.gif
I brought home a box turtle that I rescued from the road and didn't realize how bad my mistake was.
default_sad-embar.gif


I've been reading up on them and from the ridges and the eyes, I am fairly certain it's a teen male. However, most of the information I've found is for turtles kept inside or in small enclosed areas, which doesn't really help me much.
default_confused-mmm.gif


He is currently living in my quarter-acre back yard that is completely secured by a vinyl fence. The yard is completely a grassy field except for a very low to the ground tree near the center of the rear of the yard, which he seems to love sleeping in at night; a raised shed on the far left that has plenty of shallow rain water underneath for soaking; a six by three area of rocks in the front of the yard; and right next to that is a small area behind the garbage bins that has an old board that he likes to hide behind during the afternoons. The sprinkler system comes on each day when it doesn't rain (which is seldom lately due to all the rain we've been getting; the yard isn't flooding, but there are now plenty of very shallow pools for him to wade in.)

My questions are...
default_confused-question.gif


I really wasn't wanting to build a small enclosure, as I'd rather it have room to roam all over the large area, but do I NEED to build a smaller and more controlled area for it?? Is the shed, the tree and the rock area possibly too far of a distance apart for him to properly take advantage of them?

How do I know if he is getting enough to eat and drink? There is plenty of grass and insects, but how do I know if he's getting enough? Do I need to throw some worms out for him, set out some dog food or fruits, or something else? Is the water under the shed enough for him, or do I need to put out a pan of water for him to soak in, or something else? Is the water from the sprinkler enough to keep him hydrated?

What about when it's time to hibernate. What I've been reading is confusing me... it makes it sound like we are literally supposed to bury the little guy!
default_confused-blink.gif
How does it breathe?? How does it get water?? What am I missing about this hibernation thing?? So confused. lol We live in Suffolk, Virginia and it stays cold from about October thru sometimes March. We have a small dog house that we don't use that has an optional heating pad in it... I'm curious if we could possibly modify this to use for the hibernation period??

Btw, we have a small jack russell, but so far he hasn't been aggressive toward it at all... he's trained and is very obedient. He has quickly understood that he's not to mess with the turtle. In fact, the yard is so big that we can't always find the turtle right away so, when we ask him to "go find turtle", he does so and just "points" to it for us. lol so cute. This will especially come in handy when I go to mow the yard. When he's out playing with his soccer ball he simply ignores the roaming turtle and jumps right over it.
default_wink.png


So, what all do I need to do to help this little guy thrive?
default_confused-uh.gif


I am going to try to insert pictures of the turtle and our backyard soon.

Thanks in advance!!

Ashley
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
You really need to take him back where you found him and let him go. If he was on a road then place off to the side, away from the road. If he is not native to your area, then it's a lost pet and measures should be taken to try and find the owners. Then if no owners are found you can keep him. If you let him roam in your yard, he will dig out and if he is indeed a wild turtle, he will try to get back to the place you took him from.
Never should a wild tortoise or turtle be taken from the wild if they are native to your area.
 

Cowboy_Ken

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 18, 2011
Messages
17,560
Location (City and/or State)
Suburban-life in Salem, Oregon
Part 1) I did a bad thing.

Part 2) So, what all do I need to do to help this little guy thrive?

Part 1) Yes you did. Knowing this is good.

Part 2) As wellington has stated, the answer for what you need to do to insure he thrives mainly depends on if it's a wild turtle from your area. If it is, then you need to get him back to the SIDE of the road you found him. If he's not native to your area, he's likely an escaped pet and someone is missing him something fierce. Check Craigslist and signs at markets.
If either part 1 or part 2, if you find you really want a turtle or tortoise in your life, by all means find a responsible breeder and do research the type you want and do it.
 

ColleenT

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2016
Messages
1,293
Location (City and/or State)
Lehigh Valley Pa
just FYI- i raised and bred Jack Russells. They might not hunt the turtle while you are watching, but one day you could discover a very dead and tortured turtle. I loved my JRT's, but they are first and foremost, hunting dogs. If you decide to have a turtle, please make a safe enclosure that your dogs cannot get into.
 

Len B

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4,986
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
I don't know the area where you picked this turtle up, but if it is a heavily traveled road you may have saved it from being mushed by the car behind you. That being said whats been done is done.The small town I live in they have almost a %100 chance of crossing any road at any time. But just outside of town where the speed limit goes to 55mph I see smashed turtles of all kinds of local species, it's sad but true. Also I don't know your dog or if it would attack the turtle. I have kept turtles and dogs together for many years and still do. I know my dogs and their personalities and they can be taught not to bother things such as turtles even if your not looking. So be sure about your dog before leaving it alone with the turtle unsupervised.One of the most important things about eastern box turtles is they need shade, they very seldom venture into direct hot sunlight for any extended length of time.They also need moisture. Years ago over in southern md we had an extended drought, the creek and stream water stopped flowing but the sand stayed moist. You could walk the stream and find easterns dug into the moist sand because their usual moist areas were no longer there.I also feel (this is just my opinion) that if you give a eastern box turtle everything it needs to thrive it will have no reason to want to leave that area. You suspect yours to be a male at some point it may want to go in search of a female as their instinct when adult is to reproduce. What ever you decide to do is your decision alone, if you decide to give it a good safe home it can be done.
 

Eric Phillips

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2014
Messages
1,094
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio
Going to try and say this as respectfully as I can....Dogs and box turtles don't belong together. There is no point on trying to justify it, they do not need to be around each other. More harm than good will come of it.
As for the care of this box turtle, please read all you can on the proper care of box turtles. Yes, they are cute but it takes hard work and dedication to maintain a homeostasis environment for optimal health. So if your considering keeping it, do your homework. If it's wild then I would make sure to understand your state laws...taking wild box turtles out of the wild is a criminal offense in many states FYI! So if you want a box turtle captive breeds do much better in captivity;). Good luck but no dogs!
 

Yurtle

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Messages
64
It is legal to take them in Virginia from he wild, but if you've had the turtle for more than 30 days it's illegal to release him back into the wild.

That being said they can't maintain themselves when just confined to a backyard food wise and ditto to that with hibernating, you would need to build a large outdoor enclosure and modify it come winter time. Indoor hibernation (like using a heated dog house) can be extremely tricky especially with the temperature fluctuations that I know Virginia gets. While it's advised you don't keep the turtle since populations are decreasing, if you do plan to keep him be prepared to buy all the nessecary foods and build a large predator proof enclosure. Acclimating a wild caught box turtle can also be very tricky and doesn't always end successfuly especially for a new time turtle owner.
 
Last edited:

the Turtle Shepherd

Active Member
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
300
Location (City and/or State)
nowhere
omg everything about your situation is wrong in my opinion, I am saying this kindly and meaning no offense but please take all these facts into consideration :) if you want this turtle to thrive - return him where you found him away from the road facing the same direction as found literally, it is important! if he is not native, do this to keep him: your yard is a hazard!!!!! your dog was bred to hunt, can i say this again: it moves - his instinct is to make it dead, no matter the sweetness of the heart, train him to acknowledge the turtle when he sees it but never engage, and do not ever let your dog learn a command that GIVES HIM A WRONG IDEA! I have four dogs right now, i know how they think. your dog and turtle are not friends, they may become with time, but not yet.

mowing the field where it lives is a no-no, also it traps dog hair, some turtles are known to eat the hair and... die from constipation. no mowing around turtles.

i don't care how many bugs your yard has - you trapped him - you feed him, everyday, also you will have to soak him, everyday, because this is what it means to care for a box turtle in captivity.

If you didnt have that hunting dog of yours, of all the dogs lol, you could let it roam the yard if you stopped mowing because box turtles travel as much as a mile everyday in the wild on a good day, so your yard is no exception, but you will have to built him an enclosure, no exceptions, you have to, and well the rest of us will help with all the advise you might need along the way :)
 
Top