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When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, a hundred years ago, for as long as I could remember there was a box turtle living in our yard. We were never allowed to feed it. My Dad said it was wild, and free and didn't want it to become dependent on us. We knew winter was on it's was when my Dad raked all the leaves into a pile in the back of the yard, just in case Frank (named after our Uncle who we thought he looked like) needed a place to sleep. Then we didn't see Frank until the Spring. We couldn't wait to see which one of us saw Frank first. My Dad had a big vegetable garden, many fruit trees, and loads of compost which he made in the back of our yard, which was filled with bugs. (so much for Frank not being dependent on us) If any fruit fell, and we didn't pick it Dad would say "leave it for Frank". The same with the vegetables. We always saw him munching on a tomato, or a fig, or an apricot. We also had a big strawberry patch where you could always find Frank taking a nap. The only thing my Dad did was always keep a really big dish filled with water in case Frank needed a bath or a drink. When I got married I was 22, and Frank was still there. As the years passed I used to bring my kids there to see that old boxie. He was never sick as far as we could tell. When my parents died, my sister took over the house, and there was no more vegetables. Frank left...moved into the yard next door, and now and then my sister saw the new neighbors giving him a plate of dog food. At least we think it was Frank. Life was so easy then..no vets...no soaking...just fun, and a healthy old boxie. Just thought you'd enjoy some of my memories.

Thanks for sharing....

I can vividly remember my first turtle. It was your classic red eyed slider.

Living in the concrete jungle of Jersey City at the impressionable age of six left few choices for proper husbandry and a safe place for my precious slider. I remember my parents stating that he probably would do better if exposed to actual sunlight. But it was December and living up on the 5 th floor apartment building didn't offer many opportunities. I opened the window and to my amazement it was sunny and about 65 degrees on the firescape landing. After cleaning his water bowl; I set it with my slider on the landing and reminded myself to take it in after an hour.

Unexpected relatives visited and later that night; I remembered my slider. The temp had dropped drastically and he was outside for over four hours. I ran over to the window, pulled hard in an upward direction only to find it stuck from being partly frozen. Frantic, I begged my mom to let me disturb the neighbors who shared the common firescape landing for access to my slider. The bottom rung from our concrete yard was broken for years.

Being good friends with their son helped in letting me in; and finally getting their window to open. I was horrified to find my slider frozen solid under water in his plastic turtle island bowl. Sadly I thanked them and carried him back to my apartment with a terrible feeling of guilt. My parents tried to explain it was an accident; and not to feel bad.....But I was crushed. As they talked, my mom started to run warm water slowly over the ice covered green slider; and I remember a shriek and "Oh God!"

I looked over to the turtle water bowl only to see him moving ever so slowly.

I had him for six more years- with a big switch in turtle husbandry; before having to give him to a friend due to a move down to the Jersey Shore. I never forgot that moment and was hooked for life.

Ric K.

Thanks for sharing- both of you.
I enjoyed the stories very much.
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PHRatz

Terryo, I really enjoyed that story. It is amazing that box turtles still exist in nyc, a testament to a hardy reptile.

Well that was many, years ago. I live in SI now and have taken my kids on so many nature walks through the greenbelt, but have never seen a Box turtle. There are so many snapping turtles. We find babies almost every Sept. that the seagulls drop while snatching eggs. Loads of painted sliders. There are so many ponds around here. Never have seen a Boxie though. My sister says that lots of her friends in Brooklyn have them in their yards

I wonder how old some of those boxies are. I've never been to brooklyn or know what the area even looks like. But I doubt these guys are breeding still. Most of those turtles must have been there for decades.

It was interesting to read about the "urban box turtles". I have to admit that I'm shocked! I've been to Brooklyn many times. I had a friend from my days at Rider University in NJ that hailed from Brooklyn, and I really can't fathom that a box turtle could survive there in our lifetime.

Of course, I shouldn't be so shocked. My male, Egbert, was rescued from the streets of the Bronx. There was an empty lot with some trash, tall grass, and a few small sapling trees that was cleared for a park. Very shortly after that, Egbert was found lumbering across the street directly in front of the park. Long story short...city boy moves to the South, his sister takes a job at a Nature Museum, he surrenders his "pet" to the Museum, Egbert constantly harrasses the female box turtles, Egbert is given to me.

Old population relict, or released pet? Who knows? He does appear to be quite an old guy. If he was a relict, he'd have to be pretty darn old..."The Bronx" has been around since Ellis Island days!

Hey Egbert, how you doin'?

It was interesting to read about the "urban box turtles". I have to admit that I'm shocked! I've been to Brooklyn many times. I had a friend from my days at Rider University in NJ that hailed from Brooklyn, and I really can't fathom that a box turtle could survive there in our lifetime.

Ok...I will tell you how long ago that was when we had the boxie as a kid. I was born in 1943, and all my life living there until my parents died, and my sister took over the house , we always had box turtles living in the yard. Now, 2007, my sister still lives there..she has a koi pond now...and next door to her they feed a box turtle dog food. (we always wonder if it is ours, and it left because of the renervation and no more veg. garden.) So there must be turtles there..oh yeah..her friends across the street have two in their yard that have been there forever. Now I couldn't tell you how ours got in our yard. My Dad could have gotten it somewhere, although that would not be like him as he believed everything wild should be kept thay way. He wouldn't even let up pick her up. But I do know for a fact that there are turtles living in Brooklyn. (now you know how old I am..haha lol )

Hey, to a box turtle, you're still a young whipper snapper. Someone should contact the local paper about those turtles. They could be pushing a century old. If there are two in the neighbor's yard, they could even be breeding! That would sure be something. Either way, it makes for a nice story.