Box turtle

[colejohnson73]

Box turtles

What type of box turtle can live inside.

 

[colejohnson73]

What species of box turtle can live inside.

 

[Saleama]

All of them however, they are much healthier and live better outside or when they can be brought outside for a bit each day.

 

[DayDreamer]

like saleama said all of them can, but its better for them to be outside often even if you just bring them outside with you while you sit outside having your morning coffee or create a safe area where they can be outside something as simple as one of those huge storage bins with a hide house and water inside it so they can get out of the sun if needed. if you have a lot of animals around your area just cut out the lid and replace with a mesh so that no cats or other animals can get to the turtle.

natural sunlight is always better then lamps.



Edit: let me just add not to actually have one of those bins as a perm. house.... its much too small. i plan on using this until im able to build a larger enclosure that i can move easy (im renting and dont have a yard and there is about 10+ feral cats that pee on everything so i have to be able to move it indoors daily

 

[terryo]

I think it would be very stressful for a box turtle to be brought outside for a little while and then brought back inside. It's like giving them a taste of freedom and sunshine and then taking it away. It can be done, of course, but.....just MHO.

 

[DayDreamer]

I think it would be very stressful for a box turtle to be brought outside for a little while and then brought back inside. It's like giving them a taste of freedom and sunshine and then taking it away. It can be done, of course, but.....just MHO.

good point i never really though of it that way.
im wondering if the stress would go away after daily trips outside for a few hours, it would take some time but if it becomes a daily routine like feeding time (at the same time each day) then maybe after a while there wouldnt be any stress? not sure just a thought.

 

[terryo]

I'm sure it would be OK. I'm just a firm believer in keeping them in as natural environment as you can, and that would be outside. If you get one that is very young and doesn't know any better and you make an enclosure with plenty of plants and a large enough water dish that they can get in and soak, it would not stress them as they wouldn't know any better, and I have friends that have inside box turtles with no problem. To me there is nothing like seeing them outside in a planted enclosure enjoying the sun. I'm sure if you get them in a routine like being outside during the day and coming in at night or whatever, they should be fine. But if you get an older one that was always outside, I think it would be cruel to keep it inside.

 

[DayDreamer]

agree 100% with you there!

 

[colejohnson73]

I could take mine outside daily.

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How's a 4x2 table

 

[T33's Torts]

I would say 4' x4' is a minimum.

 

[colejohnson73]

Which tortoise will do best.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I'm sure it would be OK. I'm just a firm believer in keeping them in as natural environment as you can, and that would be outside. If you get one that is very young and doesn't know any better and you make an enclosure with plenty of plants and a large enough water dish that they can get in and soak, it would not stress them as they wouldn't know any better, and I have friends that have inside box turtles with no problem. To me there is nothing like seeing them outside in a planted enclosure enjoying the sun. I'm sure if you get them in a routine like being outside during the day and coming in at night or whatever, they should be fine. But if you get an older one that was always outside, I think it would be cruel to keep it inside.

I have to agree with Terry on this. I have found box turtles don't do very well inside.

 

[lynnedit]

4'x4' is a minimum.
There just isn't a box turtle that does 'well' inside. They hunt bugs, burrow in leaves, hide under foliage, and that is hard to replicate full time inside. They can survive, but not thrive indoors.
Some bring their BT's inside during winter, if they don't let them brumate outside, but that means most of the year the turtle is outside.
(I would imagine there are some box turtles who would adjust to being inside at night, and outside for several hours per day, if it was a consistent schedule. Sometimes you don't know until you try it. But 24/7 outside is still best, if it can be worked out.)

 

[colejohnson73]

What turtle or tortoise should I get then. Not aquatic.