I can’t tell if my Box Turtle loves or hates enclosure :/

[Joeturtle]

TLDR: I replaced the substrate and my box turtle hasn’t settled down…keeps making a mess and walking everywhere ..same substrate I’ve always used I just added more than usual so she could burrow and added potted sedans…I can’t tell if she’s just very stimulated or stressed out

I have a baby box turtle I’ve had her for 2 years and I keep her in a pretty large outdoor 2 story enclosure…4x2 downstairs…1x2 upstairs

I had been neglecting replacing the soil for sometime now…it was dry and the wind blew abunch away …i had seen old pictures of how she loved to bury herself and the amount of soil i had didn’t really allow her to dig much….so yesterday I finally got around to switching out the soil and made sure to have more than enough so she can burrow anywhere

I even bought little sedans to liven up the place even more

But for over an hour, she wasn’t settling in…making a mess everywhere…knocking down the plants etc…it was late so I kept her inside for the night so she could sleep and tried again today and added some of the old dry substrate on top so it would be easier to walk on …same result

I used the same combination as I’ve always had and never had these issues before

Organic soil from home depot
Coconut husk fiber
Little bit of old substrate


The only think I could think of is that it’s too soft or moist so that’s why I added the old substrate on top so she wouldn’t feel it much but that didn’t really help calm her down

It’s not super moist just kind of cold to the touch if you dig into it cause of the coconut husk…not damp at all…but that shouldn’t be the issue because she hasn’t really attempted to burrow just walking around up and down making a mess

She’s not sleeping good …just checked on her tonight she stopped running around and is in her sleeping area but her eyes are open so I’m not sure if shes been sleeping

and she even took a break from eating worms to knock down the plants and walk around …she’s always super focused when eating worms never takes breaks like that

 

[DoubleD1996!]

TLDR: I replaced the substrate and my box turtle hasn’t settled down…keeps making a mess and walking everywhere ..same substrate I’ve always used I just added more than usual so she could burrow and added potted sedans…I can’t tell if she’s just very stimulated or stressed out

I have a baby box turtle I’ve had her for 2 years and I keep her in a pretty large outdoor 2 story enclosure…4x2 downstairs…1x2 upstairs

I had been neglecting replacing the soil for sometime now…it was dry and the wind blew abunch away …i had seen old pictures of how she loved to bury herself and the amount of soil i had didn’t really allow her to dig much….so yesterday I finally got around to switching out the soil and made sure to have more than enough so she can burrow anywhere

I even bought little sedans to liven up the place even more

But for over an hour, she wasn’t settling in…making a mess everywhere…knocking down the plants etc…it was late so I kept her inside for the night so she could sleep and tried again today and added some of the old dry substrate on top so it would be easier to walk on …same result

I used the same combination as I’ve always had and never had these issues before

Organic soil from home depot
Coconut husk fiber
Little bit of old substrate


The only think I could think of is that it’s too soft or moist so that’s why I added the old substrate on top so she wouldn’t feel it much but that didn’t really help calm her down

It’s not super moist just kind of cold to the touch if you dig into it cause of the coconut husk…not damp at all…but that shouldn’t be the issue because she hasn’t really attempted to burrow just walking around up and down making a mess

She’s not sleeping good …just checked on her tonight she stopped running around and is in her sleeping area but her eyes are open so I’m not sure if shes been sleeping

and she even took a break from eating worms to knock down the plants and walk around …she’s always super focused when eating worms never takes breaks like that

It's something new and stimulating. She just needs time to settle.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
You may have already seen this but this is caresheet for box turtles posed in these threads and there's other information that may help with your set up

Box Turtle Care Sheet

This was typed up with the intent for the care of Eastern Box Turtles with them being the primary box turtle I have had the experience of working with over the years. Box Turtles all have enough similarities that this guide will cover them. This is just meant to set up a frame work on how to...

tortoiseforum.org

I don't keep box turtles but I wonder if like other torts he gets restless because he needs more space now?

 

[jeff kushner]

You know.....as pretty as his home is....I had someone here, give me some really great, very basic advice for my little Matilda's home.....

"toss in a couple of handfuls of dead leaves and she will love you!"

So I made a few corners full of dead leaves....for her to hide it....and she did, and does!

Good luck and welcome!!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Just a bit of a warning here. “Organic Topsoil” from Home Depot does not mean it is safe for close contact by your little Box Turtle. Box store soil is meant to grow plants & can easily contain misc organic plants that are in fact T O X I C to turtles.

Sooo, be careful.