Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My wife and I are thinking about buying a Box turtle for our son. He would be supervsed at all times when handling it. Our son loves them at the stores, but we pride ourselves on being responsible pet owners.

I have read general care facts, but wanted some owner advice. Are they hardy animals, do they require a very narrow diet, do they have to hibernate, is one species more prone to survival than others?

Thanks for any help you can spare.

You'd be better off adopting an unwanted turtle. Box turtles sold in stores are almost always wild-caught. These animals don't always adapt to captivity and usually carry parasites. In addition, some box turtle populations cannot withstand animals being collected and taken out of the environment.

There are a number of places with turtles for adoption. They can give you detailed information on the turtle you're interested in. Here are links to some of the places:

http://www.corhs.org/turtles.html?gclid=CP_5xp-6vIgCFSAeWAodGm7MaQ

http://www.gctts.org/database-ro/adoption/

http://www.sdturtle.org/Adoptions.htm

http://www.boxturtle.org/Adoption.htm

http://turtlerescues.com/turtle_tortoise_adoptions.htm

http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/adoptions.htm

http://www.turtlehomes.org/

http://www.arrowheadreptilerescue.org/adopt/turtles.htm

http://www.reptilerescue.net/

http://maturtlerescue.org/turtleadoption.htm

Tim

Third Eye

This is EXCELLENT advice! It may take some more time, but you'll generally get an animal that is well-started by people who truly care. Plus, it is a great idea to begin a relationship with a rescue organization. If your son outgrows his love of turtles, you will have an avenue for placing the animal in a good home. It's worth the extra effort and wait to rescue a turtle.

"I have read general care facts, but wanted some owner advice. Are they hardy animals, do they require a very narrow diet, do they have to hibernate, is one species more prone to survival than others?"

To answer this, we'd need to know which species you're considering and where (generally) you live. Species hardiness varies greatly depending on where and how you plan to keep it. A great rule of thumb is to pick the species and subspecies that is native to your area and construct an outdoor pen. We can give you parameters if choose to go that way. There are some wildlife laws to consider, though. Permits are often available for those who rescue from a bona fide organization.

IN GENERAL, juvenile and adult box turtles are hardy. They have a very varied diet that isn't difficult to provide. Hibernation is a matter of personal choice (and much debate), and it can depend on whether you intend to breed or not. Yes, I think that some are better suited for captivity than others...but like I said, it depends on your situation.

I commend your effort to research this before bringing the animal home and making a serious commitment. Welcome, I hope we can be of help to you.

The better question is do YOU want a pet turtle ?
Are you prepared to care for this animal for a very long time?
When the son is off to college, married, has kids, you may still have the pet turtle. Are you willing to provide a varied diet of veggies, greens, and insects?
That aside, if you live in a eastern climate one of the species more adapted to that enviroment will be better. Western climate, maybe an ornate or desert. To keep them healthiest it's best to build them a fairly good sized outdoor pen. As was already suggested, consider adopting if you can.

Thanks for the responces everyone!

My wife and I are well aware of the life span of these beatiful animals, and are willing to effectively care for the turtle through it's life time. Any animal we bring home is a family member to us.

We live in Los Angeles California, and have a paved outdoor gated backyard. We are extremely open to adoption, so thank you for the suggestion. We have not looked at many species, as what was in the best intrest of the animal was first to us. But of the animals we've seen pictures of....

the three toed box turtle, and the mexican box turtle looked beautiful. Hope this gives you all enough info to suggest how they would fare in Los Angeles climate.

Thanks again for the communication on this!

You should definitely contact these folks, then:

http://tortoise.org/

which is the website for the California Turtle and Tortoise Club. They do adoptions and have a network of resources in your area.

I think it is great that your family is interested in a boxie and that you have been doing your homework. Adoption is a great idea to help an animal that has already been in captivity find a caring home. I presently have 7 turtles of various species. 6 were adopttee/rescues. They have wonderful personalities. I like 3 toes because they have the most outgowing personalities of the 3 boxies I keep. My 3 toe will sit up and beg for earthworms and loves to interact with me. I think that Steph's reccomendation was great. You might also check out www.petfinder.com I often see boxies there. Also remember to check out the adoptees listed in the classified ads here at kingsnake.

Let us know what you get and if you need any other help in finding information etc....

Living in LA, you could choose to keep any of the subspecies of box turtles with relative ease. The toughest thing for you would be making sure the turtle was kept moist (if it's a moisture loving type), and cool. A paved backyard would be a lot like a pressure cooker on a hot, sunny LA summer day. You'd have to be very choosy with any spot for an outdoor pen.

Three-toes are absolutely wonderful and personable animals. They are one of the more common box turtles available for adoption. The Mexican box turtle is protected under CITES. They can only be imported with proper permits, which are difficult to obtain. If someone is offering a Mexican box turtle to you, I'd be suspicious. In the US, they are typically worth well over $1,000.

If you can construct an outdoor pen that has some shelter from the heat and can retain some moisture...I'd go this way. Living in LA, it would just be plain mean to keep the box turtle indoors

I've had a boxie for two years. I also have numerous geckos, a snake, a red footed tortoise, dog, cats, cockatiels, fish...
Of all these, I've spent the most in vet bills on the box turtle. Definitely not an animal for a child.

The list of things that can go wrong is longer with the boxies. And, they are not as personable as other turtles, which can make a child feel frustrated.

Do you want a puppy in a shell? Go for a red footed tortoise. The one I have has been sturdier, not prone to infections as the boxie, does not hybernate, and eats like a little pig. Many say that of all tortoises, this is perhaps the species with the most personality.

Still, plan on taking your turtle to the vet for an initial assesment, a fecal test, and maybe blood, if the vet feels there is a reason for it. That can be an expensive matter all by itself, as you should take the animal to a reptilian specialist. In some states, tehre's only a handful, and you may have to travel to get to one. A vet who focuses his practice on dogs, and cats may be spinning his wheels with a turtle. In the end, you'll lose more money.

So, I'd read a little more about other turtles, and tortoises. If your child is anything like mine, guess who will end up responsible for the care and husbandry. Select what you see yourself as being capable of doing, and check your nearest turtle rescue facility. It can be a very good, hands-on start and you may have all the contacts you need right there.

Wanda

"Do you want a puppy in a shell? Go for a red footed tortoise. The one I have has been sturdier, not prone to infections as the boxie, does not hybernate, and eats like a little pig. Many say that of all tortoises, this is perhaps the species with the most personality. "

I was thinking this too when they mentioned being in California.

I'm not sure what the laws are concerning box turtles (but it is California after all so...), maybe a non North Amercian native would be easier regarding that.

How old is your son, and what does he expect to do with a turtle (what do you expect to let him do with a turtle) ? These two things are much more important than climate or purchase source or anything else.

LOL... My oldest is 17, my youngest is 14. If they were in their 20s, they still would not care for a boxie.

Temperature, the humidity, feeding preferences, a discolored patch here, a swollen eye there, a runny nose, an abcess... Then there's vet bills, which *should* be from a reptilian specialist, if you want a bullseye.

If the child wants a responsive animal, a dog, cat, even a cockatiel, guinea pig or bunny is best.

But my most honest advice is, don't start with a tortie. If you must have one, then go for a red footed. They eat all year-round, do not hybernate, handle attention very well, learn to respond to you, and even follow you around.

If you can avoid the issues of a turtle breaking a seasonal fast, please do it, believe me.

Wanda

My son is 5. I plan to suprevise his interaction at all times. We own a yorkie, so he is very use to being gental at all times with animals, and understanding that they have feelings too.

I wanted this is a first pet for two reasons. 1. He loves them, and 2. I thought that it would be low interaction as he could watch, observe, feed, handle slightly, and take care of.

He is aware that these animals are not to be cudddled, held alot, carried to bed, etc.

My wife and I love the red foot tortise, but our prelim research suggest that they should be kept inside, and in a more hummid climate. Would this be consistent with california. We are prepared to build a outdoor pen, but should this breed be kept in doors?

Thanks

For your purposes, a box turtle won't be the best option. Reason being, any one you get that's grown, will likely have come from the wild. They're about as comfortable with change as your average American (grin), which doesn't make them easy house/garden pets. Captive-bred ANYthings are always easier, but baby box turtles can present their own host of troubles.

Actually, ANY young land turtle (tortoises included) will not be much fun, because they're engineered to always hide. They don't handle well when young, either (they just can't perceive it as harmless). They're sensitive to humidity (too much, too little, etc.) because small things dry out quickly. Tortoises are sensitive to their diets, too.

(Drumroll) Water turtles are the best option for a visual pet. There's not quite as much compulsion to hold/touch (sortof like with fish), and many species are available as babies that are far more outgoing, tolerant of mistakes, easy to feed, etc.

Much like others have said already, you must always perceive any reptile as an adult's responsibility (I killed more turtles than I bred till I was in highschool), and a visual enrichment for the child. I think turtles are suitable for responsible, educated PARENTS who want children to have animals they can look at. Reptiles don't interact well (whether or not they show signs of aggression). They don't comprehend good intentions when picked up from their environments for handling (although some come to stress but little over it). Because of this, they demand a very different pet-keeping mindset from their owners if they're to thrive.

Do consider those water turtles. You'll be hardpressed to see strong attitude as this from shy little land turtles. Ask more questions.

Here's that attitude picture

This is actually good advice. An aquatic turtle would require a fairly large indoor aquarium eventually, or an outdoor pond (You could construct one to sit directly on your paved yard with some landscaping timbers and a PVC liner). Even so, it would be no larger than an adult box turtle would need. Certainly, a Redfoot tortoise would need a very large enclosure as they can grow 18 to 24".

In my experience, most commonly available aquatic turtles are more forgiving to a young boy than box turtles. They are fun to sit and observe, whereas the real fun with most box turtles is in interaction.

You're more than capable of choosing which animal is right for your family. I hope our advice helps. Speaking from experience as a former little boy who had too many turtles ...it doesn't matter what he likes in the pet store, he'll fall in love with whichever turtle ends up in your family.

P.s. If you decide on a tortoise, which is a great choice for your climate, I'd go with a Russian tortoise. They're about the size of a box turtle, fairly hardy, SWEET personality, easy to feed, and there's a desperate need for people willing to adopt them. Many rescue groups are overloaded with Russian tortoises.

Those red-eared sliders were many of us' first turtle, in our child years. I recall killing a few of them babies, out of complete ignorance... They were often sold in plastic "lagoons" with a palm tree in the middle.

Not a bad choice, but it all goes back to how much care you are willing to give an animal. A 5 yr old child will not be able to care for a turtle. And in the case of a RES, now you have to upkeep a tank as well.

Listen,
1. Contact a turtle/tortoise adoption site, get advise
2. FIND your nearest reptilian specialist, if you do decide to get a turtle for your child.
3. Find the species you like, and scrutinize what is needed to best care for it.

Turtles are animals that fascinate and dazzle many of us. But that is not enough reason to take one as a pet for a child, and watch it suffer a long death because of our inadequacy to provide what it needs.

..From a turtle lover, to another.

Wanda

I love that pic...

Please, along with your commitment to care for a turtle, make sure you take time to locate a reptilian specialist in your area!

Wanda