differences... m/f & types

[DayDreamer]

hi again everyone! april is closing in on me and with the habitat sorted out (just need to buy everything and build the enclosure next month) Im now debating on what sex to get as well as what type of box turtle to get.



i've got a few questions on the differences between females and males
1st and i know its very hard to tell with young box turtles but what do you look for to tell the sex of the turtle? ive heard the tail but i know that isnt so easy when they are young. I also was skimming through old posts on here and saw someone mention the back feet?

from your experience are males or females more 'friendly' or curious? is it best to get them as hatchlings so they are more friendly and not as afraid of people?
I have a 5 year old daughter and I know she will be spending a lot of time sitting next to the habitat just watching and talking to him or her. she is very very involved in all of our pets she loves them to pieces, she knows to be slow and gentle so she doesnt hurt or scare them. however i understand it does depend on the personality but i do know in a lot of other animals sex does at times have a impact on behavior.

my next question would be what is the best (common) type of box turtle that does well in a climate like puerto rico? (inside is just slightly cooler then outside due to the breeze from the constantly open windows however humidity seems to be the same)
with temperatures ranging from 87-75 degrees F
and humidity being 57% (mildly humid) to 92% (very humid) over the course of the year, rarely dropping below 47% (comfortable).

we might put a uv/basking light in to turn on in the days we are unable to bring him outside for natural sun and help out the plants that will be growing in the indoor habitat.

lastly! what type of smaller sized edible plants (we will have to put a lid on the habitat because we are worried about our cat deciding the little turtle would be a good midnight snack) would be good to add in there? I was thinking of planting dandelions because they are weeds and will grow fast and by the tons but we dont have them here so i am unsure of where to find seeds for them...

 

[Saleama]

Excellent questions!

First, the age you want to get will depend on what you want from your pet. I can only speak from what I have experienced so here goes. A baby will almost never be seen. I have 5 of them and I see one or two every few days...maybe. There are three of them I do not see unless I dig them up which is not really good for them but I do it to make sure they do not dehydrate. Babies also need live food. It is not really something you can work around. Juveniles, those a few years old are still cute and small. Ornates tend to be more out in the open with Gulf Coast and Three toed tending to hide more. Again, this is what I see with mine. The juvies will tend to eat more of a variety of items including not so alive foods and fruits and veggies. Adults! Now this is what I would get as a first turtle owner. They are, for the most part, friendly and personable little guys. I love three toeds. I have 8 adults, 2 juveniles and 6 babies. They will eat just about anything they can get in their mouths. I feed boiled egg and chicken, raw hamburger that I grind myself, live super worms, apples, berries and assorted veggies. Back in the day when people were largely ignorant of their dietary needs, I knew people who fed theirs bologna and pizza! A friend of mine though that their food actually had to be spoiled for them to eat it!

If you get them outside for a few hours each week you will not need indoor UVB. They get plenty in just a few minutes from the sun. The temps you are talking about are box turtle heaven! With those temps you will not need any other heat source for them. Basking is a bit different for boxies. They are more of a low light type. They will bask and the light should be provided but they will not use it as much as the higher temp torts will. We see our adults more in the fall/winter/spring when it is cool to cold than we do in the summer when it is brutal hot. Of course, this is because they are most active during the early morning late evening.

Humidity is required! They actually need a place they can swim and soak for long periods. Box turtles could be considered semi-aquatic they spend so much time in the water. In the wild I have seen as man in the water as out of it. A decent sized body of water will be your box turtles favorite spot!

Plants will be more of a personal preference. We plant tomatoes and cucumbers and such in the big garden. They also have monkey grass and lots of wild flowers. There are many smaller varieties you can use in an indoor setting.

 

[DayDreamer]

thank you for such a awesome response to the age question!! i think i might get a juvie but i guess this depends on what the guy im buying from can provide me with. i am a bit worried about getting a adult as i dont know who previously owned it and how well it was cared for or how much human interaction it had. im new to reptiles but i know with almost every other animal if handled young they tend to be more people friendly is this normally true for turtles?

of course he would have a water dish big enough to soak in.

I just found a place that sells seeds.. im wondering if new zeland white clovers are safe for them to eat?
these ones

the habitat i will have him in wont be big enough i dont think to have any tomatoes as much as i would love that! so im really looking for smaller easy to grow multiply on their own type plants.

have you noticed any differences in friendliness from your males/females?

 

[Saleama]

My males are always was friendlier than the females. Not sure if I just got lucky with them or not. Box turtles won't eat a lot of weeds and grasses. They are more of a fruit/veggie/animal matter eater. The clover, however, is an awesome plant to grow with them. Get some leaf litter (dead leaves ) and some big sticks and stuff to decorate with. Look back at some of my old posts. You can also plant vines and ferns and things as they will not do like tortoises and eat everything in their home. I also use old protein powder bottles cut in half to make hides and tunnels and hill tops for them. Again, look for some of my old turtle table posts. there are some good pictures there.

---

Here are some older pictures of my indoor juvenile table. It is 6 x 2.5 with 6 inches of coco coir substrate and several house plants I got at Home Depot. Make sure you wash off the dirt they come with and replant in your own substrate to not get the nasty little things in the potting soil.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-80377.html

 

[DayDreamer]

awesome! gunna do that now glad those clovers are okay for them. clover was on a list of edible plants for box turtles but i wasnt sure what type of clover was okay. also thinking of some collard greens planted in there.

I LOVE the turtle table! did you use the same wood for the base as you did for the sides? we are looking to build something pretty much identical just little shorter and a little wider 3 x 5
it looks like you used a plastic under the dirt is that to prevent mold on the wood or just for easy clean up?

 

[Saleama]

I used 2 x 4's because they were free. I would suggest you just buy a sheet of ply wood and cut it. I used heavy duty plastic to keep the water in. If you use coco coir and put worms and pill bugs in there, there wont be any mold. I only replace the substrate once every six months or so.

 

[lisa127]

Some boxies are very shy and some are very outgoing. I have two boxies right now, one is kind of in between, neither overly shy or overly outgoing. The other one is sooo outgoing. She is turning 3 this year and I adopted her when she was 7 months old. Even as a little 7 month old she would beg for food and eat from my hand. So I think you can tell their personalities at a young age. At least that was the case with mine.

Many people believe the three toed box turtle is the most adaptable and outgoing. But of course every turtle is an individual.