Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,

My little one is finally outside. The weather has been pretty unpredictable so I waited a little longer. His new habitat is built within my adult box turtles enclosure. The inset has an overhang on both sides to keep him in and her out. It is about 4' by 18". In the one corner I have cypress mulch mixed with spagnum moss. I have a board over this area and a fern for shade The whole enclosure has a heavy screen top and a lock for safety. The bottom of the enclosure has a series of holes drilled for water drainage

Let me know if it would be safe to leave him out the rest of the summer. He is a whopping 65 grams now. I ask because it seems some people only leave the babies out when they can watch them.

Thank you
Linda

My little Three Toed is about a year old now, and I put her in a planted Christmas tree storage bin. I made drainage holes too. If the night time temp. doesn't go under 70 I leave her out, otherwise I take her in for the night. Mine is on the side of my house right near my large turtle garden, and has a screen cover. I notice she comes out in the morning to eat and then spends the rest of the day in her hide, and then will come out again in the late afternoon to eat again, and then in the hide for the night. That is a very nice and secure enclosure you made for her.

I will take your advice on the night time temps. Right now it is humid and only going down to about 69 at night.

How much does your baby weigh? I am trying to figure out how old mine is. I don't think he is a hatchling like the vendor at NARBC said. His shell is domed and not flat.

Linda

Looks like a great setup. I have had my hatchling outside in a protected cage for the last month and plan to keep him outside untill it gets close to freezing in october, a little sun during the summer months will do wonders. When I first put him outside he remained hidden for about a week, lol, but lately he is out and about every morning now just like the adults doing his normal morning business.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

Got home yesterday and the inside of my enclosure had been disturbed. I found my little turtle out of his hide at the far end of his enclosure. On inspection I found my adult turtle buried in the babies hide. Somehow she climbed over the partition. She trampled his little fern and made a mess but thank goodness she did not hurt him.

I am assuming it is not safe to house them with adults?
Linda

I would put some kind of a over lap (I hope that's how to say it) on top of that divider so he can't climb over. I don't keep any hatchlings with the adults, until they are at least two years old.

It depends Linda-some adults would not harm a smaller turtle, but others will try to dominate it and may bite. Killing is not on the adult's mind, but it could hurt it. Better safe than sorry. Just add a taller partition Other than that-it looks great! Tess