Let loose ?

[doubledfight]

So i have a three toedd box turtle named Ripplee, and ive had him for about a month now , and he is really used to me, like he comes to me everytime i go in his cage to feed him,anyways i feel as if his cage is to small , so i wanna let him loose in my back yarrdd,which is fenced in and he has gotten out of his cage and i thought i lost him for 2 weeks but he was in my back yard the whole time, so iwas wondering would it be okay to let him in my back yardd ?
here is some pics of my yard :

heres my turtle cage right now

heres the bush my turtles love to hide in when the get out of there cage.

 

[Macheteslaststep]

From seeing the pictures there are quite a few reasons why you should not let your box turtle roam the yard. There are a lot of places where they could get lost/stuck (under the deck, in the fencing around those bushes, in the different out buildings, etc.) Another big no no is the dogs. No matter how good they seem with the turtle, you can never leave them unattended together. I would also be worried about other predators/lack of water/escape. No matter how "turtle proofed" you think the yard is, a determined boxie will find a way

Saranna

ETA: With all that space though, you could certainly build a much bigger enclosure. Take a look around the pics posted in this forum and the enclosure forum for some ideas. I just built a 4' x 8' box with small squared chicken wire on the bottom to prevent escape, and two removable mesh lids to keep out other creatures. It cost about $40 and was put together in a weekend

 

[doubledfight]

they cant get stuck under the deck , not in the fencing my turtle is to big i already tried that , i am gonna build a pond for my turtle, so he can soak in , and he comes to me when ever i go to him , he is pretty big , and right now our family is low on money , im trying to save right now i hav 30 dollars , oh and my parents wont let me build a larger area because it " looks bad " and i dont know where i could build it with out it lookin bad, ahh i neeed help ):

 

[Yvonne G]

We're only trying to help you. You asked the question, then fight the answer. Do what you want, but in the end, the turtle is going to get lost in all that space and or chewed by the dogs, and you'll never see him again. Its very easy for turtles to get under wire fences. I'm really surprised you found him after being free for 2 weeks. Next time you won't be so lucky.

 

[doubledfight]

He's gotta out many times before and I always find him , but I don't wanna lose him do I need to know what to do so it can be turtle proof .

 

[kimber_lee_314]

It's a pretty big area to have to look for him if he digs in. I would just build a larger enclosure - maybe in one of the corners.

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a great suggestion, Kimber. Doubledfight, pick one of the corners of your wood fence that gets plenty of shade. Dig down next to the fence and bury either bricks or wire, so that if the turtle digs under the fence all he hits is wire or bricks. Then make two other wall out from that corner. You can use either bricks or wood, but whatever you use, you need to bury something so that he can't dig under. You can make a pretty nice little habitat for a box turtle using the existing wood fence corner. You can make it eye appealing, maybe even asking your mom for suggestions on how to make it look "pretty" so she will be happy with your end project. Good luck with your project. I'd love to see pictures when your finished.

 

[doubledfight]

So like the thing is three out of the four corners are completely shade I think. And thebone that's not shade by the Gate for the fence and one corners is in a hil and one is completely shaded I'll check tomorrow to see if the other ones are shaded in the sunlight oh and so I need to burry one set of bricks on each side into the ground ?

 

[Kristina]

I want to point one thing out. Just last week, a wild box turtle ended up in your yard.

This week, you want to let your pet turtle run loose in your yard.

Obviously, the yard is NOT turtle proof. Otherwise, the wild one would have never found its way into the yard.

Pretty logical if you think about it.

I would bury at least one level of bricks on each side. Cinder blocks are bigger than bricks, and pretty cheap, about $1 each. That would be a really good barrier.

I would check your local craigslist free section, and local freecycle to see if maybe you can get some supplies for free.

 

[doubledfight]

, true , well i changed my mind on that, but my dad wont let me build a better cage , so im just goonna have to fix the one i got. what should i do to it, what should i add, i need help .

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I want to point one thing out. Just last week, a wild box turtle ended up in your yard.

This week, you want to let your pet turtle run loose in your yard.

Obviously, the yard is NOT turtle proof. Otherwise, the wild one would have never found its way into the yard.

Pretty logical if you think about it.

I would bury at least one level of bricks on each side. Cinder blocks are bigger than bricks, and pretty cheap, about $1 each. That would be a really good barrier.

I would check your local craigslist free section, and local freecycle to see if maybe you can get some supplies for free.

Also, try your local Freecycle...

, true , well i changed my mind on that, but my dad wont let me build a better cage , so im just goonna have to fix the one i got. what should i do to it, what should i add, i need help .

I'd suggest that if you told your folks that you'd like to tidy up your present enclosure (make it look less "junky"), in the process you could, at the same time, enlarge it bit...look at some of the ones in the Enclosure section, pick out a design you like, then show that one to your parents...if you made it look nice, so that it blended into their yard layout, I bet they's go for it...might even help you build it!

 

[dmmj]

that is a big yard, and it looks like you have dogs, and we all know dogs like to chew. It is a shame your parents won't ltet you build a pen because you could build an awesome one there. Do they object in general or just because they think it would look bad? I would use if they allow you hrey cinderblocks 8 by 8 by 16 size and you should be able to build a nice size pen fromt hat, your yard just looks to big to 100% turtle proof it, plus you have dogs there to. What a hame to let all that yard space go to waste by not being able to build a pen, I am not suggesting you defy your parents but maybe try to convince them of how you could make a nice looking pen, on the cheap .

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

A few ideas we use...we try to go w/ as "natural" a look as possible:

Box turtle enclosure...we've had a lot of rain, so it's a bit overgrown...tomorrow, though, my wife's guinea pigs will trim the grass. About 6' X 4', which is about as small as I'd go...and a larger one will be built this winter, likely 8' X 6'.

Andromeda chillin' in the pool...no doubt hoping for a daqueri

Andromeda and Orion's cave, made by setting a large flat rock onto two smaller rocks...you can just see Orion looking back from beneath.

Jennifer's cave, similar to our box turtle's cave, and pool...lots of plants to make her feel safe. Her enclosure is about 7' X 5', as is Ptolemy's, which is set up very similarly.

Jennifer's feeding rock, by her pond...she's ready for dinner, it seems.

Just a few ideas to start you off...TerryO has some AMAZING pics of her enclosures, be sure and check them out, too!

 

[Laura]

check for round fence posts on craigs list or those other freebie sites.. or go to your local Home Depot/lumber yard and get untreated posts. rounds or square. Get enough to build it high enough he cant climb out.. take the bricks you have and lay a 'foundation' to keep the posts off the ground. Lay the posts on the bricks,get some garden stakes and stake/support the posts.
You can build it anywhere, its easily moved, and it will look nicer then you have now. When at the garden center se if they have older dying plants that they arent selling anymore... pansies etc and plant them in the new enclosure. Get a bag of top soil and make a nice mulch pile for the turtle.. keep it wet and worms will come.. Free food!
If you show your dad you can make one look nice, maybe you can build two!

 

[doubledfight]

well , i did rebuild my enclosure , i posted pictures of them on a thread. go look