JaxFLBoxTurtles
New Member
When I was growing up, we had about 5 pet box turtles that lived in our backyard. We lived in a normal residential neighborhood in the city with houses on both sides and behind us only separated by a normal chain link fence. Probably about 15 years ago (when I was about 10) we stopped seeing the turtles and figured they must have all got under the fence somehow. Well here is the part about attracting them:
Last year I helped my dad trim down some old bushes in the back of the yard that were always there and had never really been trimmed up because that is where the turtles would live. Well we left a big brush pile of long sticks and branches in the middle of the yard for the week until the trash came to pick up debris. Then on the day we went to drag the branches out 1 of the box turtles that we hadn't seen in about 15 years was sitting right next to the brush pile.
Then, a few weeks ago at my house that is on a wildlife preserve, I did the same thing and left a pile of limbs in the yard. I never had any box turtles let go in my back yard, but sure enough a few days later there was a wild Florida box turtle sitting in the grass next to the brush pile same as the one at my parents house! So just a few days go I put another brush pile in the yard and the box turtle was back again. She even ended up laying eggs by my house which you can read my other thread for pics and info on that.
I also noticed that it seems to come out after the grass is freshly cut and loose grass clippings are all over the yard.
i was just wondering if anyone else has ever noticed this or done this before to attract Box Turtles? And is there is a reason why they come out after mowing the grass?
Last year I helped my dad trim down some old bushes in the back of the yard that were always there and had never really been trimmed up because that is where the turtles would live. Well we left a big brush pile of long sticks and branches in the middle of the yard for the week until the trash came to pick up debris. Then on the day we went to drag the branches out 1 of the box turtles that we hadn't seen in about 15 years was sitting right next to the brush pile.
Then, a few weeks ago at my house that is on a wildlife preserve, I did the same thing and left a pile of limbs in the yard. I never had any box turtles let go in my back yard, but sure enough a few days later there was a wild Florida box turtle sitting in the grass next to the brush pile same as the one at my parents house! So just a few days go I put another brush pile in the yard and the box turtle was back again. She even ended up laying eggs by my house which you can read my other thread for pics and info on that.
I also noticed that it seems to come out after the grass is freshly cut and loose grass clippings are all over the yard.
i was just wondering if anyone else has ever noticed this or done this before to attract Box Turtles? And is there is a reason why they come out after mowing the grass?
