Is Aspen bedding ok for eastern box turtles?
I don't know where you read that aspen is the best substrate for a box turtle, but they are wrong. Box turtles need substrate to facilitate moderate humidity, and the added benefit of being able to dig in it. If you're using the right substrate, the boxie will be a little dirty, but that is normal and as it should be. Organic potting soil is cheap, especially if you get a generic brand. You can also use Bed-a-Best, Jungle Bed, and other coconut coir bedding. Keep it lightly moistened and well mixed. Soaked and compacted bedding will grow bacteria and fungus. If the substrate is kept at the correct consistency, the bedding shouldn't stick to her very much. If a boxie is kept excessively dry they can become dehydrated, have trouble shedding, and even have eye problems, especially if the bedding is dusty.
Do Eastern Box Turtles get along with other turtles?
Im planning on building a Outdoor enclosure for my turtles, and also want to put my 3 adult Eastern Box Turtles with my 2 baby Red-Eared Sliders by making a habitat with both a little forest area for the box turtles and a pond area for the sliders all in one spot. Would they get along?
What do eastern box turtles eat. WE gave it some veggies and fruit and water. It might be carnivorous. help?
If it's injured, it needs medical attention beyond filling the crack in with superglue. If that is done before any possible infection is dealt with, you have sealed the infection into the wound, and I've seen several turtles die from this. Take it to a wildlife rehabilitator, turtle rescue group (make sure they know it was a wild-caught specimen) or at the very least a vet who knows a little something about reptiles. Wild box turtles do not tend to do very well in captivity, especially if the new keeper has no experience. The best thing to do would be to patch it up and let it go somewhere near where you found it.
When do eastern box turtles come out from hibernation?
If you are talking about eastern box turtles in general, they are done hibernating in about April or May. From October to April, box turtles hibernate by burrowing into loose soil, decaying vegetation, and mud. They tend to hibernate in woodlands, on the edge of woodlands, and sometimes near closed canopy wetlands in the forest. Box turtles may return to the same place to hibernate year after year. As soon as they come out of hibernation, box turtles begin feeding and searching for mates. The breeding season begins in April and may continue through fall. Box turtles usually do not breed until they are about 10 years old. This late maturity is a result of their long lifespan, which can range up to 50 to even over 100 years of age. The females do not have to mate every year to lay eggs as they can store sperm for up to 4 years. In mid-May to late June, the females will travel from a few feet to more than a mile within their home range to find a location to dig a nest and lay their eggs. The 3 to 8 eggs are covered with dirt and left to be warmed by the sun. During this vulnerable time, skunks, foxes, snakes, crows, and raccoons often raid nests. Sometimes, entire nests are destroyed. If the eggs survive, they will hatch in late summer to early fall (about 2 months after being laid). If they hatch in the fall, the young turtles may spend the winter in the nest and come out the following spring. As soon as the young turtles hatch, they are on their own and receive no care from the adults. This is a dangerous time for young box turtles because they do not develop the hinge for closing into their shell until they are about 4 to 5 years old. Until then, they cannot entirely retreat into their shells. Raccoons, skunks, foxes, dogs, and some birds will prey on young turtles. If you are currently owning one as a pet and you are setting it for hibernation please be very careful. Since the turtle can freeze to death by the cold temperature, or be unhappy with the warm temperature. You can breed these turtles anytime you want in the year, and the freezer is a good place to put them in. If you want more information, you can visit these sites: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Reptiles-704/Eastern-Box-Turtle-hybernation.htm Or... www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2723&Q=4...
What do arkansas box turtles eat?
Snails, slugs, flys, insects etc.
Do turtles hybernate?
Depends on what kind of turtle you have.
Are eastern box turtles illegal to have as pets in some states or areas? Where? Are they endangered?
I recently acquired 2 eastern box turtles from a family who was neglecting them and was not giving them proper care or nutrition. They were severely underweight, with long beaks and nails, and were being fed dry cat food. They had a heat lamp, but no UV bulb. They also had no opportunity to burrow, and a very small water dish. I've since filed their beaks down, gotten them on a diet of soft turtle food, the occasional nightcrawler or recently deceased fish or pinkie mouse, fresh fruits and vegetables, and box turtle pellets, and have moved them into a bigger home with a dirt and reptibark mixture as a substrate. They also have a UV bulb now. What is the proper temperature to keep them at? Also, they like to fornicate a lot - how would i go about making the environment suitable for mating? I heard that they were a species in danger of becoming extinct. I also read in a book about turtles that it was illegal to keep them in captivity. Is this true? Where? More info please?