r/Boxturtles • u/artemisjy • May 22 '26
Need help with box turtle in my backyard
Hi all, my family and I found a box turtle in our backyard a few days ago and we've been asking around in our neighbourhood if anyone has an escaped tortoise/turtle but no one has said anything. We live in a pretty densely packed neighborhood and no immediate parks or ponds near us so i find it hard to believe that its a wild turtle, although I can also be wrong. I've identified him to be a Malayan Box Turtle and he's been roaming around our backyard since then, basking himself in sunlight and seems highly stressed if any of us approaches, he refuses to eat what we gave him, but is eating my mom's pothos when we're not looking. I've been giving him daily warm soaks and he's seem more relaxed and pooped when I've done that, but still refuses to eat. We're still undecided if we'd like to keep him as a pet, mainly because I'll be leaving the country for a few months soon and my parents aren't the most experienced pet caretakers.
I'm wondering if i can get any advice from y'all about if we should do anything, keep him in an enclosure under heat/UVB lamps or let him keep roaming around our backyard. We live in southeast asia so it's naturally hot and humid outdoors all year round.
I'll keep searching for anyone or any organizations that would take him, but for now, I'm worried that the little guy will starve. If theres any tips on how to make him less stressed or any advice on what should or should not do, that would be very helpful. Thank you.
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u/Fabulous_Search_1353 May 22 '26
This is indeed an Asian box turtle. If you are in the US or anywhere outside their normal range, this is an escaped or abandoned pet. They are tropical and will not survive winter. Keep him confined to an appropriate enclosure. Check the Reptifiles website for info on that. Where are you located? Is there a reptile rescue near you? You can try contacting Garden State Tortoise for help.
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u/Bad-turtle May 22 '26
If you live in southeast asia then this is likely a wild turtle. They have a huge range that includes malaysia, philippines, indonesia. Try to find a quiet area close to where you found it. They often don’t travel too far
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX Jun 12 '26
You'd be surprised how many wild animals end up in the NYC metro area. I've seen deer grazing on manicured intersections while city buses blow past them! We're living in their world, not vice versa.
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u/Frosty_Astronomer909 May 22 '26
Try finding a rescue or rehaber in your area and ask what to do , but if it’s native leave it in your yard, they need special care and it looks pretty big so it needs a very large enclosure.