M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
I really wanted to make a thread about box turtles and water, but I see I already made a crappy one.
After Bob died I decided I'd block in his pool so I could put my box turtles in it safely. It was just a strange idea I had instead of sleeping. But holy sh*t! When I turned them loose they headed for the water like they had just been thru the Mojave. I've had box turtles for a number of years, but I just never realized how much they REALLY like water. All of my chelonia have a paint roller pan in their habitat, I keep the water clean, and several, for different reasons are soaked in the kitchen. So they are all well hydrated. But they like swimming.
This day I fixed 4 of them a picnic of berries, cantaloupe and bananas as they're all ripe now.
So after eating it was time to go in the water. All but Frankenstein, she has a green head but only 3 legs, so the water scares her. So she works on her tan instead. You will notice, if you are the least observant, that the third picture is of a very large box turtle, he swims also. She used to be La Chiquita, only she showed me something I would rather not have seen, so now his name is Sam, so as an adult he will be Big Sam, like the head of the field workers at Tara. He's going to be 2 next month and weighs 5 pounds and his carapace is as smooth as a baby's butt.
Anyway, I am hoping you will see that box turtles really are kinda semi aquatic and need more water than they usually get. Their substrate in the house needs to be wet, not just damp. They need clean water daily, and the opportunity, like mine, to play in the water. When they don't get enough water they get deformed, I have 2 now that were given to me, all hunched up. I'm gonna feel bad for all of them in the winter, maybe they will enjoy ice sliding......anyway< I also have a blind ornata who passes around a paralyzing disease, so she can't go in the water. Maybe I'll make her a private pool. She can't be with any other turtles at all. It rains for 7 months a year here. So our picnics are important......I also have others who can't go out with the 4....but they get out....guess that's enough for now.....
After Bob died I decided I'd block in his pool so I could put my box turtles in it safely. It was just a strange idea I had instead of sleeping. But holy sh*t! When I turned them loose they headed for the water like they had just been thru the Mojave. I've had box turtles for a number of years, but I just never realized how much they REALLY like water. All of my chelonia have a paint roller pan in their habitat, I keep the water clean, and several, for different reasons are soaked in the kitchen. So they are all well hydrated. But they like swimming.
This day I fixed 4 of them a picnic of berries, cantaloupe and bananas as they're all ripe now.
So after eating it was time to go in the water. All but Frankenstein, she has a green head but only 3 legs, so the water scares her. So she works on her tan instead. You will notice, if you are the least observant, that the third picture is of a very large box turtle, he swims also. She used to be La Chiquita, only she showed me something I would rather not have seen, so now his name is Sam, so as an adult he will be Big Sam, like the head of the field workers at Tara. He's going to be 2 next month and weighs 5 pounds and his carapace is as smooth as a baby's butt.
Anyway, I am hoping you will see that box turtles really are kinda semi aquatic and need more water than they usually get. Their substrate in the house needs to be wet, not just damp. They need clean water daily, and the opportunity, like mine, to play in the water. When they don't get enough water they get deformed, I have 2 now that were given to me, all hunched up. I'm gonna feel bad for all of them in the winter, maybe they will enjoy ice sliding......anyway< I also have a blind ornata who passes around a paralyzing disease, so she can't go in the water. Maybe I'll make her a private pool. She can't be with any other turtles at all. It rains for 7 months a year here. So our picnics are important......I also have others who can't go out with the 4....but they get out....guess that's enough for now.....
, my eyes aren't as sharp looking on my iPhone, Old age has started to effect my vision. 
