Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

Has anyone experienced their turtles being STOLEN? I've had 2 adult box turtles living in my outdoor pen for almost 2 years now. Just today I saw one of them was missing, but the top was secure, the nooks and crannies were blocked, etc. It looked like the way it's always been since I've had them. I've pretty much excavated the entire pen thinking he might've dug himself pretty deep (the bottom is lined with tiles and brick to prevent escape) but I still couldn't find him. Now the only other people who know of their existence are our gardener and his workers and perhaps the garbageman? Grrrr..I'm so pissed off right now.

Can I successfuly raise an adult eastern Box Turtle indoors? They've been benefitting from the outdoor air and sunlight, etc, but what can I do? Put on a surveillance cam just for turtleS?
Where's Ace Ventura when you need him...

Oh ya, I've already contacted my gardener to tell him of our situation and whether he's hired new workers or fired any lately. According to him, his people have been with him for a long time now...he's been in the business for 10 years, if anytying happened he would be responsible, yada yada...sigh...I mean what can you do?

Right now the other one is in a tupperware container inside my house.

If I do choose to raise her indoors, can I do it in a huge tupperware (4 ft by 1 foot) container? What kind of bedding should I use? I've used both soil and woodchips during the winter but that gets moldy and flies hatch from them since I keep the container humid. Plus, I'd hafta get UV bulbs, heat lamps, ARGH!!! And I hear box turtles HATE glass enclosures cuz they can see through them.

Thanks again.

Are you positive they aren't buried under ground out there? Is there any way they could've climbed out on their own?
That's how I lost one out of the pen, the fence wire got bent & out she went never to be seen again,::sigh::
I have one box turtle who lives indoors year round because she's missing too much of her carapace to safely stay outside 24/7/365, although during warm weather she gets to go outside often.
I keep her in a Rubbermaid tub, I use a towel for substrate because she got used to that as she healed from her injuries. She gets out for bathing every day & I've "turtle proofed" a couple of rooms so that when she can't go outside she can roam that part of the house. She seems content this way.
Last year I had her outside & when it got to be close to bedtime she stood at the door like ok I'm ready to go in now.
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PHRatz