Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello All,

I'm looking for more breeding projects. I have a couple of large outdoor pens, but I live in southeastern MA. I am looking for other cold tolerant species. I currently have Russian Tortoises and Three-toed Box Turtles (Terrapene). Any other suggestions? They would have to be fairly terrestrial species as I don't have any pooles deep enough to stay ice free.

Thanks,

Brian

Well, there are two famously cold tolerant turtles indigineous to the north east but they are both protected to differing degrees and adults (legal or otherwise) can be hard to come by and expensive when they are available. I don't think you can keep wood turtles in Mass but you may be able to keep Blanding's. Both will require substantial water areas though.
There aren't a large number of terrestrial turtles from temperate climates. The eastern box turtle comes to mind and the reeves turtle may do well in a surprising number of conditions but I am not sure all populations naturally hibernate (these too, would require some water).
Most tortoises, both forest and desert/grassland species come from relatively warm places and either hibernate for very short periods or not at all. The Iberian and Greek toroises might do okay but in Mass you wouldn't see them for much of the year and many people report high mortality keeping these species outside.
In New england i think there are many more aquatics and semi aquatics and semi terrestrialas that yu could keep outside than there are terrestrials.

We can not keep wood or Blanding's turtles in Mass. They are both native to the Bay State and are listed as Threatened.

Semi-aquatic turtles would be fine. I just won't be able to keep anything that needs to be submerged for the winter as I will not be able to build a pool deep enough to not freeze solid. Any species that could hibernate terrestrialy would be great. Do Reeve's turtles come from such cold latitudes? I'm going to look into the other tortoises.

Thanks for the info and any more would be greatly appreciated!

Brian

Nice enclosure, is that concrete that you made it out of? If so how did you mold it to stand when it was wet? Thanks,
Chris D.

Actually they were old cold frames used for vegetables. They are probably 50 years old or more. They haven't been used for veggies in at least 10 years. I figured they should be used for something...why not herps?

I would guess that whoever build them used wooden forms to pour the concrete. I included a photo of my bluetongue skink pen I made by splitting the larger cold frame in two. I don't know what I'll do with the other half yet. That's why I was asking about cold tolerant turtles.

Brian

That's a big problem. Every species I know of that frequents water will hibernate in water. I know some can survive without it (wood turtles kept in NC for instance, can hibernate in a muddy hole just fine), but I don't know if they can do this as far north with as harsh of winters as you have.

Perhaps you can talk to koi pond keepers in your area and find out what they are doing to build their ponds so they make it through winter. Hardier turtles should survive just fine that way as long as koi can survive, then you can look at cold hardy species like the european pond.

Not only are woodies illegal to keep in MA (Here they are native and listed as threatened) but they tend to hidernate in streams.

Thanks,

Brian

There are tricks you can do to keep a pond (even a shallow one) from freezing over. One is to use stock tank de-icers set at 40 degrees during the winter. It will keep immediate area free of ice. Another would be in conjuction with a de-icer would be an airpump and air-blocks to defuse air into the pond. Even if top freeze over, sufficient air in water. De-icer and airpump would circulate the water and keep more of an area free of ice.

You still need a pond 2 and half feet deep (a minimum). But its not that hard and almost the size of the pen's walls in your photograph.

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