Box turtle

[Angi]

Trudy is a three toed Box Turtle. We live in S. Calif. and don't get much rain and when we do she loves it. We have had rain for two days straight and lots of it. It is also cool outside. She is not going under ground so I think I should bring her in. Am I right or wrong? I have a plastic tub with sheaded paper in it. I am going to give her a warm soak first. reply ASAP if this is not a good idea. I will check before I put her in the box.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Greg T]

I'm not up on box turtles, but when you say it is "cool" outside as well as wet, it gets me curious. What are cool temperatures in your area? If it is under 60 degrees and also raining, I would bring them inside.

Perhaps someone with more boxie experience can provide better direction.

 

[Angi]

It is probably 65 degrees out. The rain stopped and the sun is shinning now, but I will leave her in for now. I am thinking about building an inside home for her. I should probably hibernate her, but that really scares me.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I am one of those who does not hibernate my turtles, so because I live in the PNW and it gets snow and stays cold for weeks my turtles live inside. You need to decide if you are going to hibernate her. Does it actually get cold enough and stay cold long enough to hibernate? If the answers are yes, then you need to start cleaning out her internal system and she will do that on her own, but you will need to leave her outside. The colder it gets the more she will not eat and thereby cleaning out her system. They can die if you hibernate her with food in her system as it rots. If you're not going to hibernate her bring her in and set her up with a good substrate to burrow in, cypress mulch or orchid bark, hides and lights. Set her up nicely so she can keep you entertained all winter. But remember about leaving her out...warm and moist is fine, cool and moist is not...HTH

In my opinion, if you are not going to breed her there is no reason to hibernate her. Hibernation is not necessary for a healthy life for any turtle, breeding them or not.

 

[Angi]

This is my first winter with her and like I said I am nervouse about hibernating her. It does not get that cold for very long here. The snakes( at least the rattlers) even come out all year long. I have wondered if there was a native turtle or tortoise here would it have hibernated? Hmmmm....my husband won't be happy about me turning more of the house into a turtle habitat. He is not crazy about my hobby.
And no, I don't plan to breed her although she is pretty and baby boxies would be so cute. I don't know how old she is and she was pretty beat up before I got her, so I don't think she should be use for breeding. I am not a tort or turtle breeded anyway. I have a lot to leard just to feel like a good owner still.

 

[terryo]

I agree with Maggie. Bring her in, and give her a warm himid enclosure. Any boxie I get, I never hibernate them the first Winter I have them. And, as Maggie said, you never have to hibernate them if you don't want to. If she is used to hibernating, she will slow down, and that's OK. You have to simulate the daylight hours of Summer in her enclosure.

 

[Angi]

So I should use a plastic box to keep in the moisture, it gets dry here in the winter. Will she need a heat lamp or just a light? I think she had been on her own for a while because her injuries were healed so she may have hibernated on her own. She was found in the yard of a friend of a friend after they finished digging for a swimming pool. Maybe that disturbed her. I wish she could talk

 

[terryo]

Yes, I had a few that I wish could talk too. Some were so old, and boy would I love to hear their story.
When I have to keep a boxie in for whatever reason...too young to hibernate...etc.....I keep them in a planted vivarium. To me that's the best way to hold in humidity. I put lots of plants, which I keep right in their little pot that they come it. I just make the substrate deep enough to bury the pot up to the rim. I put a heat emitter on one side (usually over the hide) and a long tube 5.0 UVB fixture for a 10 gal, on the other side. For one boxie you would have to have a large enough tank...55 gal. This is just how I do it. There are other's that will have other idea's for you.
This is a little Eastern that I got from a rescue near me and had to bring in for the Winter. She's about two years old. She's in a 40 gal. breeder tank, that is planted and has a natural wood hide on one side.

 

[Angi]

Your turtles always look so happy Terry. I think Trudy hates me . The only time she looks happy is when she is loose and trying to run away. My tortoises love me. They always look happy to see me .

 

[terryo]

Trudy loves you....you are the one who brings the food. Just keep the temperatures warm enough and make the lighting simulate the Summer hours, and whatever kind of enclosure you use try to mimic the forest floor, or wherever you think she came from, and she will be happy. Low light, warm humid enclosure, and she'll be fine. And..post some pictures.