Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there,
I currently have 2 Box Turtles, 1 Eastern that I have had for years and 1 Western Ornate that I have had for 6 months. Honestly, these require more care than my dogs, but I dearly love boxies!! My local Herp shop has 2 hatchling Chinese Box Turtle babies that are the CUITEST litle creatures that I have ever laid eyes on ( one especially) However, they are $150 each. ( They are not more than the size of a half dollar) I may be able to get one a bit cheaper as I have 2 beautiful toddler snakes to trade. Anyhow, does anyone have any experience with these Chinese Boxies? Everything that I read in books and on the internet says that they are way easier to keep than American Box Turtles, but tend to soak a bit more. Any advice is GREATLY APPRECIATED!! Feel free to e-mail me directly!
Lloyd

I recomend you file a complaint about the pet shop, find the info you need and find a breeder online or perhaps one locally, this will increase your chances of getting a healthy turtle.
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1.2.1 Terrapene Carolina Triunguis
0.1 Nymphicus hollandicus
1.1 Melopsittacus undulatus
1.0 American Cocker Spaniels
1.0 American Short Hair? Cat
1.1 Rouen Ducks

The Chinese Box Turtle is much more of an aquatic species; and from a very different environment. As such, it would be very risky to keep them with local native boxies due to virus transmission. Nature kept them thousands of miles away for thousands of years; while evolving different immune systems. A bacteria or virus that is harmless in either one of them could be potentially lethal to the other species.
Due to pet trade collection over the last decade; their numbers in their native lands are very low.
Ric