Greetings from Jeff the Turtle

MrsVDP

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Jan 15, 2019
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Ashland, WI
Hi! My name is Emily and I am an elementary school teacher is far northern Wisconsin. Jeff the Three-toed Box Turtle came to me by way of another teacher friend. She has rescued him from and aquarium store, who had taken him in when his owner no longer wanted him? He's a traveled guy, let's just put it that way. My teacher friend had to re-home him because she had in in an enclosure with her female box turtle and he was getting *ahem* amorous. So I went and picked him up and here he is. I have never owned a box turtle, or reptile of any sort, so it's new territory for me. I do have some great resources in some friends who own a reptile breeding business, though, as well as a retired biology teacher friend. That being said, we have noticed that Jeff has been very "sprawled" out while sleeping and it was a tiny bit alarming. So I did a quick Google search and ended up in a forum on this site, which answered my concerns and I was happy to learn that this behavior means he is happy and content in his environment. He seems to enjoy activity around him and "listens" when you talk to him. A great source of entertainment is watching him "hunt" food such as wax worms, earth worms and crickets. He is a voracious eater in general. This picture shows him with remnants of a feast of cranberries from Friday, hence the lipstick look! Anyway, happy to find a place where I can learn more about enjoying our good friend, Jeff. Cheers!

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Ray--Opo

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Hello and welcome.
I am not familiar with box turtles but love your new friend.
Good luck Emily with your new friend.
 

LaLaP

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Welcome to the forum! Jeff sounds like a sweet guy!
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, Emily, and Welcome!

Please get Jeff a better enclosure as soon as you're able to afford one. He needs a moist environment and that cardboard box isn't good with the moisture.
 

Pastel Tortie

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Hello from Florida, and welcome to the Forum! Boxies have such great personalities, so I'm sure you'll enjoy Jeff. There's an American box turtles section in the species specific section of the Forum. You might want to start a new thread there, where more of our members with box turtle experience will see it. (That said, Yvonne has more experience with box turtles than a lot of us put together!)
 

MrsVDP

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Jan 15, 2019
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Ashland, WI
Hi, Emily, and Welcome!

Please get Jeff a better enclosure as soon as you're able to afford one. He needs a moist environment and that cardboard box isn't good with the moisture.

Thanks Yvonne,
That cardboard box is just a shelter inside his larger enclosure, which is a very large concrete mixing bin. He gets a new one every time we change the substrate which is at least once a month. That said, would love more feedback and ideas for enclosures and what else to include for him. He has a warming light, a large but shallow water dish, and always some sort of cover to crawl under. We use Reptibark for his substrate and have a mister. This was all based on what his former owner had. Would love an even larger enclosure and have looked at substrate that is more like a mat, which I feel he might like since he could get a better purchase on it. Also though about a flat natural stone under his warming light, since he often ends up digging down to the plastic to bask. Anyway, open to suggestions if you have them. Thanks!
 

TammyJ

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Hi and welcome to you and Jeff, who obviously must think that he is a CARDBOARD BOX TURTLE.
He is adorable! Love the face on him.
 

Loohan

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Looks really good, especially for a rescue.
My boxies often sleep all sprawled out. I think it might be temperature-related.
 
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