When it comes to pet turtles, box turtles are among the most highly sought-after species by pet lovers. This is because these creatures make excellent pets.
But why do box turtles make wonderful pets? Read on to find out!
4 Reasons Why Box Turtles Make Great Pets
Box turtles can make amazing pets for several reasons, including:
1. They’re friendly
The box turtle is a gentle animal that can even be friendly and playful. It may be nervous and shy around you at first, but if you spend enough time with it and treat it right, it will eventually grow attached to you and seek your company. It will also display its affection toward you via body language and vocalizations. For all these reasons, box turtles make awesome great pets.
Unless you go out of your way to stress or aggravate a box turtle, it’s very rare for these reptiles to bite. If one starts hissing or snapping at you, it’s likely feeling threatened. As this may encourage it to attack, leave it alone for a while to give it a chance to calm down. It’s doubtful a box turtle’s bite will hurt an adult, but it could cause a child pain or maybe even minor injury.
2. They’re low maintenance
Box turtles are among the easiest creatures to care for, making them an excellent option for people with busy lifestyles.
These reptiles don’t need walks or lots of exercise to stay happy. You don’t need to play games or cuddle with them to ensure they feel loved. In fact, as solitary creatures, just a little attention each day is enough to keep a box turtle healthy in both mind and body.
Not to mention box turtles won’t chew your furniture, steal food off the dinner table, knock things off bookshelves, or soil your carpet. Being smaller critters, they’re also easier to pick up and handle.
Not to mention these critters enjoy a simple diet. Most of what they consume can be purchased from supermarkets, groceries, and pet stores, so you won’t have a hard time looking for what to feed them.
Perhaps the most challenging thing about owning a box turtle is keeping its tank clean, which means washing the interior and replacing the water regularly. This is relatively simple to do, however, and will only take a few minutes of your time per cleaning session.
3. They’re small
As previously mentioned, box turtles are small reptiles, even when compared to other turtle species.
On average, a mature box turtle can reach a diameter of between 5 and 7 inches (13 and 18 centimeters). An individual that’s well-fed and properly cared for can reach this adult size between the ages of 4 and 6 six years.
This makes the box turtle easier to pick up and move around. You won’t have any trouble transferring it from one tank to another or bringing it to another part of the house for play. You won’t have to worry about your pet struggling out of your hands when bringing it to the vet for a check-up, either.
Its smaller size also means it won’t need to eat a lot of food, allowing you to avoid expenses typically associated with caring for bigger pets such as dogs or cats.
4. They live long lives
The box turtle is a long-lived species, making it the ideal pet for anyone who wants a lifelong companion animal.
In general, these creatures live for 25 to 35 years. Some, however, are known to live even longer, reaching 50 or even over 100 years old!
6 Things to Remember When Caring for a Pet Box Turtle
Taking care of a box turtle is easy. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind to ensure your pet lives its best possible life and you come to no harm.
1. They’re omnivorous
As omnivores, box turtles eat both animal and plant matter. In general, these creatures enjoy a diet that’s 60% meat, 30% vegetables and plant parts such as flowers, and 10% fruits. If you plan on keeping a pet box turtle, keep these values in mind, as feeding it too much or too little of any type of food can lead to problems.
You should feed a pet box turtle a diet that mimics what it would eat in its natural habitat. However, it’s best to purchase its food from supermarkets, groceries, and pet stores, as edibles harvested from the wild could contain diseases and toxins that can make your pet sick.
It’s also a good idea to feed a captive box turtle supplements. This is because some foods don’t contain enough or are completely absent of nutrients it can benefit from. Consider giving your pet box turtle supplemental vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus.
In addition, you can give your pet commercial turtle food, which is formulated to provide pet box turtles with nutrients that can boost their health.
Before giving your pet supplements and commercial turtle food, however, get advice from a veterinarian, as they can determine what nutrients your box turtle requires and whether or not it needs such additions to its diet in the first place.
2. They beg for food
Once a box turtle has been in your home for a couple of weeks, it’ll grow more relaxed and open to being around you. The more it trusts you, the friendlier it’ll become.
If you feed your pet properly, a point will come when it’ll follow you or try to gain your attention to beg you for food whenever you’re nearby. Do your best to ignore this behavior, as giving in to its demands can result in overeating and obesity.
3. They require specific housing
A box turtle is best kept in a safe outdoor pen. If this is impossible, you can keep it indoors as long as you replicate its natural environment to the best of your ability.
Provide your pet with an enclosure that it can’t climb out of. If kept indoors, make sure to give it opportunities to spend outside in the sunlight. If it stays outside, bring it inside whenever the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A box turtle continuously exposed to such low temperatures will be forced to hibernate.
Wherever you keep your box turtle, keep its enclosure around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. You should also give your pet a basking lamp and ceramic heat emitters, as these can help with temperature regulation.
In addition, the enclosure should have a humidity level of about 60%. To maintain this humidity, the bottom of the cage should be filled with the right substrate, which can be a combination of moss, leaves, and topsoil that doesn’t contain any chemicals. This natural substrate should have a minimum thickness of 4 inches so your pet can burrow into it whenever it wants to.
4. They get stressed easily
Creatures that prefer solitude don’t like being handled frequently. So while a box turtle will enjoy spending time with you, give it lots more opportunities to be by itself. This reptile also likes consistency in its surroundings, so don’t take it out of its tank or move it from one place to another too often.
If you’re always interfering with a box turtle’s need for solitude and environmental consistency, it could end up getting stressed and unhappy, which could harm its health and make it more likely to bite you.
5. They may carry Salmonella
Some reptiles, including box turtles, are carriers of a bacteria known as Salmonella. They can transmit this to other animals and even humans to cause an illness known as salmonellosis, while other Salmonella types can result in typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever.
For these reasons, you should avoid cuddling with or kissing your reptilian friend. You should also thoroughly wash your hands after handling or feeding your pet or cleaning its enclosure. Its habitat should be cleaned outside, not in your bathroom or kitchen. Avoid letting your pet freely roam in areas where you prepare or store food.
Make sure to see a doctor if you experience the following symptoms after handing a box turtle:
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Stomach cramps
These symptoms typically start between six hours and six days following infection. They can last between four and seven days.
In severe cases, Salmonella can cause infection in the blood, joints, bones, urine, or the nervous system (the brain and spinal fluid). It can even lead to severe disease.
6. There are various ways they can get sick
While box turtles are healthy creatures that rarely become sick, they’re not invulnerable to health conditions and illnesses.
Among the most serious issues a pet may experience is a metabolic bone disease caused by insufficient UVB exposure. As this can cause pain, weakened bones, and even death, make sure your pet gets sufficient natural, unfiltered sunlight.
Another problem is shell rot, which is due to fungal or bacterial infection. This is painful and makes the shell dry, cracked, or even stinky.
Then there are parasitic infections, respiratory issues due to low temperatures or humidity, and others.
Thankfully, a veterinarian can treat all these concerns.
5 Best Box Turtle Species to Keep as Pets
The turtle subspecies described below make for the best box turtle pets for both beginners and anyone who loves shelled reptiles.
1. Eastern box turtle
The eastern box turtle has a dome-shaped shell consisting of a dark brown carapace splotched with yellow, red, or orange. It’s one of the most popular box turtle species among pet lovers thanks to its docile nature and beautiful appearance. It’s also easy to maintain.
These reptiles are typically 4.5 to 6 inches long once mature. They can live 40 to 100 years and are naturally found in humid woodlands or dry grassy fields. Their average price ranges from about $50 to $300.
2. Gulf Coast box turtle
The Gulf Coast box turtle boasts a spherical carapace with a solidly colored plastron that sometimes comes with many spots.
This turtle is usually around 6.5 to 7 inches long, though a particularly large one was measured at 8.5 inches long. It makes its home in swampy areas between eastern Texas and western Florida. If given proper care, it can live for more than 75 years.
On average, a Gulf Coast box turtle costs between $100 and $400.
3. Florida box turtle
The Florida box turtle has a dark brown carapace featuring golden starburst markings.
It can grow to a size of around 4 to 6 inches. It can be found in swamps, marshes, and damp woodlands. A young Florida box turtle will enjoy living in a terrarium or tank with plenty of leaves as cover, so it’s a good idea to put some plants in its habitat.
On average, a Florida box turtle can cost between $200 and $400.
4. Three-toed box turtle
Three-toed box turtles have a shell with a dome that’s a bit taller than other turtles’ but that’s also thinner and longer. Said shell comes in a variety of colors, including brown with lines or spots.
These turtles typically reach lengths between 4 and 6.5 inches. They prefer humid environments with lots of food and hiding places. They inhabit many areas in the Southern and Central United States. Though they usually live around 20 to 30 years, they can reach 50 or more years with proper care.
Three-toed box turtles are among the cheapest turtles you can purchase.
5. Ornate box turtle
These reptiles are a little more challenging to care for as they do better outdoors than indoors. They’re also adept climbers, so it’s essential their enclosure has high walls.
Nevertheless, ornate box turtles are beautiful creatures with a domed brown upper shell boasting yellow starburst patterns. They’re also friendlier than other species, making them great for kids.
Ornate box turtles grow 4 to 6 inches long, live 30 to 40 years, and can be found in oak savannas and dry prairies featuring deep sandy soils. They’re among the most popular turtles you can buy and typically cost between $100 and $400.
Conclusion
Box turtles are personable, easy to care for, small in size, and long-lived, making them fantastic picks for pet lovers, especially those who can’t afford to be inconvenienced by a more demanding animal such as a dog or a cat.
Nevertheless, caring for a box turtle comes with several challenges, including ensuring it eats properly and is given a home that meets all its temperature, humidity, and lighting needs. So if you’re interested in keeping a pet box turtle, make sure you know what you’re getting into. Also, do yourself a favor and pick the right subspecies for you!