How old are your box turtles when you move them to an outdoor enclosure?
When do your boxies move outside
- Thread starter Becca267
- Start date
Hello! Honestly, it depends on the type of outdoor enclosure one can provide. I keep juveniles and yearlings outside in the summertime in an enclosure like this:
Simply for predator protection.
Subadults roughly 4-7 years (based on their size) are moved to the bigger enclosure
I kept mine exclusively indoors for the first year. In the second year, I put them outdoors in a predator proof, well planted enclosure on warm days. Now, in their third year, they are kept outside almost everyday (during the warmer months) and brought in at night. Next year, I'll most likely hibernate them as well.
That's fine. These guys exist in areas that can reach those temps. The key is to create a well designed enclosure. That means a large portion has to be in the shade with several microclimates. A large pile of leaf mulch in the shade can be 30 degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature. You'd want to include hiding areas(pile of logs, flower pots, deep mulch), microclimates(heavy planting, areas with deep mulch), and a water source(a shallow pond with sloping sides). And on extremely hot days, hosing the enclosure down will keep the turtles nice and comfortable.
Do you have suggestions on the substrate I should use, maybe something from a home and garden store or landscaping company. It'll be cheaper than a pet store bag of coconut fiber. Also the types of plants that won't be toxic to her.
Greta16
Active Member
Looks like a nice place for a turtle to live!
Outdoors, you can use the dirt on your property. I'm guessing your backyard has soil that is rather compacted, so I'd loosen up the soil in a small area, about a foot deep, and add a few inches of leaves. This will provide a nice area for your box turtle to dig in on hot days. You'll want to make sure the leaves come from an area that doesn't contain pesticides. If you have a good source, you can add leaves to most of the enclosure. This will provide a substrate that traps moisture underneath, creating cool ground temps and an area for prey items to live. Ideally, your enclosure would be in an area that gets lots of natural shade from a tree or other structure. Sun in the morning and late afternoon is ideal as midday is the hottest time. You can plant your enclosure with all kinds of trees as long as they don't drop poisonous fruit or berries. Many people like to plant fruit trees as an overstory. Low growing plants including hostas, grasses, mulberry shrubs, lavender, rosemary, salvia, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, grape vines, and spirea can provide natural hiding areas and an edible landscape.
