Picking a Healthy Turtle

Try to find a captive bred turtle, as wild caught turtles tend to be stressed, dehydrated, and prone to disease as a result of their stress and environment during capture/transport. In addition, support of the wild catch/pet trade in box turtles may further threaten their numbers in the wild (and taking in native turtles is illegal in many states). An alternate source is shelters or rescue groups.

Find a turtle in the late spring or summer months; it is best to avoide purchasing a box turtle during the fall or winter when it should be hibernating. Make sure the turtle feels “solid” (i.e. not like an empty shell), and has clear eyes and nostrils and a firm, solid shell, and no swellings. It is wise to get a stool sample checked by a veterinarian and deal with any parasites, and take the turtle to a vet immediately if it is not eating shortly after arriving home (it may need rehydration). Also keep in mind that box turtles, like other reptiles, can carry Salmonella so careful hygiene is required during handling of turtles and cleaning their enclosures.

Housing Options

A well designed outdoor pen, providing appropriate substrate, humidity, access to water, and protection form predators will work well in appropriate climates (generally speaking, this is probably limited to areas where box turtles are indigenous). Given an appropriately sized enclosure with provisions for heat, humidity, and lighting they can be kept successfully indoors. An indoor set up will require considerable planning to provide a land and water area, a heat source (under tank), a basking light and a full spectrum lamp (important for Vitamin D metabolism).

Feeding

A varied diet must also be provided. Box turtles are omnivores, but different species and different aged turtles tend to have preferences for either more animal protein or more vetation in their diet. For example, in some species of box turtle are more carnivorous than adults. They must be feed a variety of foods from both groups including plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, insects, low fat meats, pinky mice, and other foods.

Hibernation

North American box turtles hibernate and this complicates their husbandry somewhat. Appropriate conditions must be provided sheets for hibernation with a warning that turtles that are not in good condition/health should not be allowed to hibernate as they will not have the reserves and strength to survive. Do everything possible to ensure good health prior to the time of year that hibernation should begin. For unhealthy animals a period of hibernation, when all bodily functions slow considerably, hibernation will only make health problems worse, if not kill the turtle.

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Tortoises can also live a very long time (anywhere from 50 to over 100 years), which means you must be prepared to provide a lifetime of care and consider that your pet might even outlive you.

A couple of important notes: when constructing an outdoor pen, make sure it is strong and bury your fences if you have a burrowing tortoise. Tortoises are quite strong, especially the larger ones, and flimsy enclosures won’t hold them long. Some tortoises also climb surprisingly well so some may require a roofed pen. It is also very important to make sure the enclosure keeps predators (including dogs) out. Make sure there are no dangers in the pen – no poisonous plants, shallow water only, and no sharp objects or small inedible objects which may be accidentally ingested. Also for some tortoises, trying to climb steps or other obstacles can result in them tipping onto their backs, which may result in their untimely deaths. Most will need some sort of shelter outdoors as well, such as a doghouse (perhaps heated as well).

It is also best, as with any reptile, to get a captive bred specimen if at all possible. This isn’t easy for some species, but the capture and shipping conditions can be appalling, and result in stressed animals which are then more prone to disease. It is also possible in some areas to locate tortoises from rescues. Any new addition should be checked for parasites and quarantined for a while to ensure that it is healthy (if other tortoises are present). Some species are quite aggressive with other tortoises, and if a couple of males are kept in too small of an enclosure, fighting may result producing potentially serious injuries around the eyes and on the legs.

It is vital to choose a tortoise species well – based on housing and environmental needs, and diet requirements. Different species have markedly different adult sizes, temperature and light needs, diets, and some need to hibernate and some do not. Rather than try to get into the details of care here we’ll just compare of a few species, and refer readers to the excellent care sheets that are available on the net.

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