Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Janie, the one from the highway. Could it be she really was a lost or dumped pet? She spent her first 4 days here alone because we were out of town. Then the first 2 weeks she was here, I barely saw her because I've been so busy & away from home every day.
Then Friday evening which was the 2nd day of her third week here Janie boldly walked up to me demanding more food, then Sat. evening she was at the tree waiting for me to make a puddle. Then there is today.
I know the box turtles wake up early & use the water dish because they get it dirty in a different way than wild birds do. They get a lot of sand in the dish so that's how I know they've been there.
By 11 AM it's already hot here, & they go into their houses to sleep away the hot part of the day usually by 10 AM at the latest. They wake up in the evening & come out again. I went out at 11 AM today to freshen up water dishes & the bird bath, Janie came barreling out of her house, walked right up to me again apparently wanting food.
I got her another berry & that is what she wanted.
Have any of you seen a wild turtle behave like that? Hobo still avoids me as much as possible. She's weird! She makes me feel less guilty about letting her stay here because I really do think that this is where she wants to be. But still she's freaking me out, lol I've never had one who behaves like she does.
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PHRatz

Then yesterday evening I was creating the puddle for them again. I'd seen her out but I came into the house for something while the puddle was forming. When I went back outside to get her she was back in her house. I sat there in front of the door & made kissy noises, patted the ground, she came right to me.
I've never seen any box turtle do that before.
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PHRatz

I don't know how ornates are, but one of our easterns is very outgoing and curious, and, it seems, perpetually hungry. Your found ornate may be the same way, and not necessarily a former pet/captive.
We have to be careful about walking around in the pen barefoot 'coz he'll come over to see what's going on, and goes after our toes. He always investigates when there's human activity, and I think learned to associate human presence with feeding very quickly.
He's not aggressive in a mean way, and I don't think I'd say he's particularly friendly: just pretty brazen about looking for or expecting food.

Stephanie

Come to think of it I did come upon some fairly brazen wild ones several years ago when we lived in a different place. I learned back then not to walk barefoot with painted toenails when box turtles were around. Now I just don't walk barefoot & don't paint my toenails at all so it's not an issue. I have learned though not to wear red, pink, or green socks around a big tortoise. lol
Yesterday around 7PM I was out filling water bowls again & here came Jane right up to me. I didn't realize they were already out because it was still pretty hot so when I saw her I came inside to get a little food again. I don't want to feed them too much but I have a little paver brick near their water dish that I sometimes use as a plate. I came back to put something on the plate & didn't see her. I said out loud Jane where did you go? Here she came from behind me, straight to the plate. No fear whatsoever. She's a pill!
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PHRatz

She likes her new home Sounds like she is settling in nicely to her new comfy life style. It is always possible that any wild boxie was kept as a pet for alittle while. So many people like to keep them in their yards and then let them go when they are sick of them, she could have been a temperary pet for several families and we would never know.