Reptile & Amphibian Forums

As I have read the debate that I unintentionaly began, The tones certain individuals have taken concerns me. I proposed a simple statement " I hope I am doing the right thing" to which some have chosen to, impatiantly, request answers pretaining to the wellbeing of my friend. Yes I do call him a friend not a pet. As I stated pictures will be posted as soon as possible. From them I request a statement of the conditions of his habitat. Sudgestions ARE welcome and I take no offense to strong opinions and feelings in these matters as I am only looking for the best for Terri.

Brief description of the habitat:

5' x 14'
walls 1.5 foot panel board above ground 8" under ground
outside the walls are slate rocks of verried sizes burried 6" with gravel under them
2' x 1.5' in ground concrete pure water " bottled" sloped pool
1' square slate cave
mulch pile about 4' square
native grasses many kinds tall and short
wild strawberries and sweet clover

Brief descrtption of Terri:
Native Alabama 3 toe regular boxie
5" Adult
eats very well
is very active in the habitat
could be a world class sprint turtle

Reasoning for wanting to keep Terri:

I live in a very high traffic residential area that is growing fast with no regaurd for the impact its having of the native animals of all kinds. I do not see myself as rescueing him or that he needs me in any way. I have given much thought into the needs and care that he will require. I feel confident that I can and will provide a safe and inriching life for him and he in return gives me great joy to watch and learn from him. He has an outstanding personality. I regret to say that I had a 6.75 foot green iguana that I raised from 1 year old to 11 and sadly lost him due to poisoning by pesticide. I do not want harm to come to any animal, having lost a dear friend in the past, and with guidence I will keep Terri safe and happy as best I can.

I am Not looking for a pat on the back for a "good deed" you should never.

The dicussion my simple post has sturd up gives me alot of insite into the different attitudes people have on the "pet" topic. None of the animals I have owned have been pets, I relate to them as I would a person because they do react to it posatively.

Thank you for all of your varried insite into the many attitudes reguarding captive and wild turtles. I did not mean to start a debate over what right and whats wrong, I just wanted to know if my approach was going in the right direction. Thank you again.

P.S. I have been away from the net for a small amount of time. I have to have time to respond to any questions or statements I recieve. Patience is a virtue.

Thanks for filling in some of the gaps.
I may have taken a different approach, but since I don't really know how dense the housing is in your area, or how its being developed, I'll reserve comment about your decision. I will however share some observations.
I live in a neighborhood that was 'developed' nearly 100 years ago, and I still see box turtles in the immediate area.They are not ancient relicts, either. They can, and do, survive in residential areas, probably better in some newer subdivisions with there buffer-zone requirements, etc., than in some older ones that a more crowded.
So the idea that a turtle would be better off as a pet is somewhat debatable.
I did a double-take recently when I saw one crossing the sidewalk near my house. Yup, sidewalk. I have no doubt that he had cossed the street to get there, too. I decided to let him continue on his way, and called the homeowner living nearby, and alerted them that they may have a resident, and to check their lawn before they mow. Which they do: they also shared the info with their neighbors, and the little kids enjoy going on turtle patrols before Dad mows.

Stephanie

Steph, unfortunately the residents of my neighborhood have no remorse when it comes to wildlife. The problem I am faceing is this. If I go to the local pet store they also cary native turtles captured from the wild just at adulthood. If I was to pay for a person to hunt them like foxhounds what good would that do? I did check and I am allowed to "domesticate" two wild turtles but no more. I would only like to have one and only one. Unless I feel in the future that I can confedently atempt breeding. Then and only then would I concider getting another one. Although I would, in that case, contact a rescue center for his mate. Not a pet store.

I know of one store just around the corner that had for sale, until it became illigal to sell them, a pair of LA striped "zebra" water turtles. They are very endangered and extreamly difficult to care for. He now keeps them as his personal pets, not for sale. They cannot be released into the wild now. He told me how he came by them. A boy and his dad brought the pair to him after a trip to LA where they found them near a gas station in a stream. That is the blatant disreguard for their well being. The climate here is not suteable for them and they would certainly die if not carefully tended to.

My friend Terri was born here within 3 square miles I believe. I have let at least a dozen go on their marry way over the years but I happened to find Terri very special and of the ones I let go on I can only hope they made it. yet I see more and more empty shells all the time and I just couldn't bear the thought of that. I know let nature take its course, and I am all about that for the most part, if only it were nature I was worried about.

thank you

I too kept a box turtle found near my door and built a habitat. We also live in a very populated area and were concerned for it's future with all the traffic, mowers and dogs in the neighborhood. After doing some research, including consulting this site over the years, it was decided that we could provide a safe haven in what was obviously her home territory. I read the posts here regularly for the good information and OPINIONS posted. I rarely post messages myself as I do not wish to be judged for a decision I made after much consideration. I have successfully hatched 9 eggs (now yearlings) and am incubating 5 more eggs now. My mama turtle is doing just fine and we are building a larger habitat this summer. I think the home you describe sounds very nice and I wish you luck in the care of your new friend. There is so much good information to be learned from the keepers who post here, I hope you will continue to read these posts (as well as other sources) even though the opinions you generated were a bit strong.

Hi,
I read in your post that your turtle is a 'Bama turtle, guessing your from AL? Just curious....I'm a 'Bama gal and I know what hardships the turtles in our area face. Last year I saw a boxie hit by a truck. I stopped and checked on him, he was still alive, but in really bad shape. Most of his plastron was smashed and organs showing. Well, I took him to the vet and they wanted to put him down, but I just couldn't do it. I brought him home and took care of him. I did some research on the web and found out how to make a fiberglass shell. Anyway, I still have 'Patches'. and he's doing wonderful.

I know the whole 'keeping wild turtles as pets' issue is a bit controversial. But when some people make a sport out of hitting these animals as they are crossing the road, I really can't argue with someone with a good heart that just wants to provide a safe place for one of these amazing creatures. I know that I'll probably get some flame for saying that, but it's just how I feel. I've seen way too many box turtles killed on the roads, truely sickening! Best of luck with your turtle! ~Christy

YOU definitely have my respect. YOU are also much better person than me. I would have put the turtle down in that situation also. I am really impressed by you. GO GET EM GIRL!.

Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate that! When I took on the responsibility of this turtle, alot of folks thought I was looney, but Patches seemed to have a strong will to live and I just couldn't give up on an animal like that. Hopefully sometime soon I can get some pics posted of him, he's truely a character! ~Christy~

I know what you mean about the loony part. In 1993 I think it was I took a turtle to the vet & got flack from a neighbor over that for years. We've outlasted him now though, he's moved away & we haven't. There is nothing loony about taking them in & helping them.
We adopted our sulcata tortoise 3 years ago after she'd been dumped out in the country then some stupid teenaged boys shot her 3 times with a .22 caliber rifle. People thought we were nuts for keeping her but what better place can she be in? It's the desert, yeah she's getting big but she has a half acre of Bermuda grass to graze.. everything she needs is here. If we hadn't taken her she'd be dead now.
Too many people just can't seem to grasp that animal's lives have meaning & they are important too, even a little turtle.
I think those who don't see that are missing out big time.
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PHRatz

Some people will ride down the road and line up their pickup truck wheels to run over a boxie. They do it just for the sick thrill of hearing the shell pop. Unfortunately I have witnessed this all too often.
And my bazooka was unloaded.

And then there's the rare individual who faces the toughest odds in saving a boxies life from an incident like above.

It takes time and dedication; but mostly the belief that this boxie's life is worth it.

I Thank you for your insight; and knowing that there are another kind of people who do care.

Ok ..so I don't own a bazooka
But I am working on a potato shooting cannon.

Thanks again,
Ric

Kudos to you for going ahead with getting that box turtle repaired instead of just putting it down!! How is that one doing today? Is it healed, still healing? If it's totally healed, how long did it take? 1-2-3 years?

What ya'll are saying about people running them over on purpose for sport is what I've seen too often on the very same highway we took Janie from. It is controversial - keeping wild box turtles as pets but ya know sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!
Spinner isn't mine he was brought to me & my vet has him today. He's alive & well being kept by a human but she is a DVM so ya know whatever she thinks is best for him.
He wasn't crushed but went spinning off the road when a car hit him. He seemed rattled by the ordeal, I saw no obvious injuries but still..
(I mention him because I've been playing around with building a photo album & this subject is a good excuse to post his picture.)

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PHRatz

That's a nice lookin' boxie, is it an ornate?

It took a while for Patches to start showing any signs of healing, but after all, turtles are slow healers. For about four or five months I had to keep the massive wound cleaned out, sterilized, and medicated. I would have to do this at least once every day to keep infection out and yeah, it's stomach-turning work! Once I would clean it out and medicate it, I would place a large gall bandage over his shattered plastron then wrap him up with medical tape. He was always a good sport about it, though every now and then he would hiss at me, I know the peroxide had to be unpleasant!

It took about three months before I began to see any improvement, but even the slightest change for the better was well-welcomed and a victory for me. A yellowish tissue started to form in the places where shell was missing. I've had him a little over a year now and though his plastron is not 100% healed, he's well out of the danger zone. I don't think he'll ever be 100% , though the thick tissue formed in the place where there's missing plastron and protecting his organs, he still has the jagged, rough edges and I was fearful that he would get snagged on things. That's why he got a fiberglass patch.

If he were to go back out into the wild, he would surly be a setting duck for a predator because his hinge was also damaged. There's no way that I would even attempt to send my guy back out into the harshness of the wild, we've been through so much together and I've gotten very attached to him. ~Christy~

Christy yes that's an ornate.
A year now, that's one lucky turtle you have there.
My box turtle Shell E was broken when she was found, it took her 2 years to fully heal. She wasn't nearly as hurt as how you describe yours was but she was in bad shape.
Hopefully yours will fully heal too by the time 2 years have passed.
Sounds like you have done an excellent job with him. I know what you mean too about how easy it is to get attached. The most needy are the ones that get to me most, I get very attached to them. Nothing loony about that IMHO
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PHRatz

Ric,
I've witnessed it all too often too! It sickens me beyond words! These people will actually go out of their way to hit the animals. I don't know how many times I've held up angry traffic in order to help a turtle or snake make it across the road. Every year I see countless smashed turtles and snakes, and the sad thing is, not all of them were accidentally hit!

LOL, If I had a bazooka, all of the heartless people that hit animals for the sake of it would be goners! ~Christy~

Ric,
I've witnessed it all too often too! It sickens me beyond words! These people will actually go out of their way to hit the animals. I don't know how many times I've held up angry traffic in order to help a turtle or snake make it across the road. Every year I see countless smashed turtles and snakes, and the sad thing is, not all of them were accidentally hit!

LOL, If I had a bazooka, all of the heartless people that hit animals for the sake of it would be goners! ~Christy~

I'm with ya "snakecharmed". Just let me get my red head bandana and we'll form the "Ramborep Injustice Punition", aka R.I.P.

Ric

n/p

Well Christy....We wouldn't have to worry!
Only the good die young...LOL
Ric
Do you have other pets besides Boxies?

Wow! That's really quite vibrant: would you say that the color is true to life? I only ask because color isn't always 'true' in photographs. Nice looking turtle.
Stephanie

Ric,
I keep more than just boxies. Just about any reptile that becomes 'unwanted' in my local area ends up here. I've got snapping turtles (though they're huge and moody, I love em' dearly) , red ear sliders, softshells, 2 diamondbacks, a Chinese big head with a very bad additude (if she could talk, I'd be cussed out on a daily basis!), 4 sulcatas, a spotted turtle, bearded dragons, a leopard gecko, 2 Savannah monitors, 2 caiman, all kinds of snakes , 2 chinchillas, a sugar glider, hamsters, rats and mice, a degu (he's evil!), 4 dogs and a cat (I'm sure that I'm forgetting something). It's pretty much a zoo around here! How about you, any other critters? ~Christy~

Christy,
WOW! I could make movies at your place. It would be great. I could Kinda like be the crocodile hunter. Imagine... “Criikkey mate that one nearly ripped me h'and off !”

I know they’re just caimans( I used to have 2) but I’d always have fun with them.

Actually I also have more than just a few boxies. I have 14 Eastern boxies, 22 Florida Boxies, T.c. bauri, a pair of three toed boxies, 3 Ornates, and 2 Gulf Coast boxies.

In addition I have (Or they have me) 6 Arizona Mountain Kingsnakes, 2 Durango Mountain Kingsnakes, 1 Oregon Northwestern Pygmy Rattlesnake( pregnant female), 15 Tangerine Leopard Geckos, all sorts of tropical fish, fresh and salt water varieties, a few Jeffersonian Mole Salamanders, CoeurDAlene Salamanders, Sarassa Pond Goldfish, Russian Dwarf Hamsters, Checkered Fancy Mice, 4 Bettas, and a Siberian Husky.

You WIN!
However in the past I did own but gave away to a friend a few common snapping turtles, several sliders, and a Tegu.

What’s an evil...degu? Is that like a bad Italian person?

Just kidding...No ethnic jokes here; I’m part Italian.

Ric

Ric,
sounds like you have your own little 'zoo' as well! Lol..I love The crocodile hunter, Steve Irwan is just amazing! His compassion for animals has always earned him my respect. I think that guy would seriously put his life on the line before he would let anything bad happen to one of his crocs!

You have a rattler ? I use to have a baby canebrake but gave him to one of my friends that breeds them. A degu is something like an oversized gerbil. He's cute, but MEAN as hell!

I forgot to mention my two C.A. ornate wood turtles (sorry guys!) They're great turtles, alot like boxies as far as personality goes. The male will sway and bob his head from side to side in front of the female, it's really funny to watch! ~Christy~

Christy,
Steve certainly loves his crocs, and snakes, and venomous lizards, and huge spiders, and.... etc. I do find him not just interesting but entertaining as well.
Yes, I have a northern pacific rattlesnake Crotalus viridis oreganos. She's becoming very tame and is quite pregnant. So although she accepts me extremely well; I ‘m a bit concerned about reaching in one day and finding live born babies.
I also forgot my huge Western Toad. He’s almost a foot long and amazing colorful. It seems... they all have unique personalities!
Ric