Eastern Box Turtle Enclosure in Iowa

[KaylaSmith]

Hello all!
I do not have an adorable Eastern just yet! I am wanting to own one however just want more information. I would like to get a hatchling to "bond" with and plan on keeping him/her indoors for the first year. However for next year I would love to have an outdoor enclosure. I would like to keep everything as natural as possible and all for hibernation. I have read that Eastern box turtles are native to Iowa-- we have such harsh winters so I was wondering how I can make my outdoor enclosure safe and comfortable to all the turtle to hibernate and go through the natural process safely?

 

[ColleenT]

i am new to this as well- but from what i understand, you need to make a deep hole for them to hibernate in. At least 3 feet deep, 3ft wide and 3 ft long. So a cube shaped hole, dug down. filled back up with peat moss, organic soil, and leaf litter mixed up. That way the ground is not too compacted and they are able to dig down as far as they need to.

I am going to be building my outdoor enclosure soon, and we plan to dig out a hibernaculum for the box turtles. I am putting up wooden sides that are 3 fet above ground bc i have terriers and I want my turtles to stay safe. We will place something( probably wood as well) a foot underground at the edges to prevent the turtles from digging their way out. Then i will plant some lover, some Hostas( slugs are drawn to Hostas and Box turtles love slugs), some other safe plants, and make some caves and and a nice soaking area.

 

[mark1]

I would add eastern box turtles are one of the more cold tolerant turtles I know of ... I live in zone 5-6 ,we get -5, -15 , and they really don't dig too deep ........ make sure your spot is above the waterline in the spring , that could be a disaster ....... i'd also add some sand to the soil I loosened up for them , so it drains well , they need kept humid , but not wet ....... some grass clipping mixed in with the leaves will add some slight warmth ..... a sunny south facing spot , and make sure it's their only choice , and you know that's where they're at .... if you provide a decent spot with a pile of leaves and grass , and loose soil , a healthy fat turtle will breeze through it easier than a wild turtle ...... snow cover is pretty helpful when it gets particularly brutal , i've used a shovel to help that out before .........

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I'd hibernate him in a turned off refrigerator, not in the ground. I live in the PNW, and I don't hibernate any of my animals. It's not necessary....

 

[mark1]

it seems to me hibernating turtles that should hibernate is a much healthier way to go in terms of long term health , immune wise , hormone wise and growth wise ....... absolutely you can successfully keep northern turtles without hibernating them , there are some easterns that are found pretty far south , i'm sure they have much shorter hibernation periods than they do here ....wood turtle and blandings kept in the south i'd imagine never hibernate , I've seen them sticking their heads out in zone 5 in January . i've never gotten a long term captive northern turtles that was not hibernated that I couldn't tell the difference from a northern raised ones ....... the color or growth is never the same , I've gotten quite a few from down south that were raised there , there is usually something abnormal about their growth ..... when mine come out in the spring , their colors are almost fluorescent , they sure look extremely healthy .... a refrigerator is a really easy way to hibernate a turtle , not sure how it's done in a turned off fridge , but 40 degrees is an optimum temperature to hibernate any turtle I've ever had , and that's pretty easy to do in a fridge .... I think consistent temp is a big deal , which is why the ground works ... given a good spot , hibernating outdoors is effortless ...... those are just my opinions on what I think I've seen ........

 

[ColleenT]

I am doing it, b/c i want them to have a larger enclosure and live outside. i have read that they are happier and healthier outside. So i am preparing for it.

 

[KaylaSmith]

Thank you for your information! My goal is to ideally create the safest and most enjoyable habitat that is also natural for the turtle. That is why I would prefer to have him/her hibernate naturally inside the enclosure, although I am not completely turned off by the idea of using a mini fridge or something I just would rather have less control over the situation and allow the turtle to use it's own instincts (all the while using the perfect materials I provide in an ideal spot). If that all makes sense!