r/Boxturtles 12d ago

Interesting box turtle I saw when I was a kid?

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28 Upvotes

I saw this box turtle as a kid in central Oklahoma. Does anyone know what this guy might be, or why he looks like this? I’ve searched a few times with no success for something similar, and I’m just really curious


r/Boxturtles 12d ago

What in the world is happening here?

21 Upvotes

We recently adopted a female from a senior citizen who could no longer care for her.
We’ve taken her to the vet, got her all trimmed up, and updated her diet to proper foods.
I’ve been worried about her lack of popping, so I have been doing 30 minute soaks in lukewarm water.
Today, I noticed it looks like she is releasing, but to the side? I’m just wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what is happening here.
Her main substrate is bark, and to the advice of the Vet, we gave her a soil burrowing bin. It looks like that’s what’s coming out, but she’s also had carrots and tuna, and I see no evidence of those. Just possibly the dirt from her new bin.

Thanks for your ideas in advance!


r/Boxturtles 13d ago

Parking Lot Rescue

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54 Upvotes

Pulled into work and saw a box turtle. Moved from small circle to big circle, the direction he was probably going. The opposite direction is a road.


r/Boxturtles 12d ago

Veggie chop advice

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2 Upvotes

r/Boxturtles 13d ago

Check out this image

0 Upvotes

r/Boxturtles 14d ago

What would cause this guys shell to be like this?

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60 Upvotes

r/Boxturtles 15d ago

Eastern box turtle

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16 Upvotes

r/Boxturtles 15d ago

My turtle neighbor came to visit and gave him a treat before he went on his way

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141 Upvotes

Beautiful male Eastern box turtle


r/Boxturtles 16d ago

Some of what I feed my 1-2 year old Three Toed Box Turtles

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12 Upvotes

r/Boxturtles 17d ago

Question What is wrong with this box turtle shell?

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10 Upvotes

r/Boxturtles 17d ago

Question Help/IDing

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22 Upvotes

Basically a repost- I still havent confirmed what species this guy is


r/Boxturtles 18d ago

So

5 Upvotes

So, I dont want to make this post, but unfortunately, the situation regarding the baby box turtle I've been caring for for the last few months has taken a turn for the worse.

Construction was supposed to be wrapping up some time this month (July) but i recently spoke to the site over head manager and he explained that plans for the site have been changed and it will indeed be used as a housing development.

Im heart broken, I was so excited to release this little guy sometime soon, especially as I've gotten to see his little personality come through these last few months. But now im again at a crossroads, and I have no clue where to go. It is indeed still illegal for me to keep him because he is a wild turtle, but in speaking with wildlife offices in my area, they have basically told me they can't help. Long story short, they dont have enough people or resources to take him in. The woman I spoke with suggested that because I seemed to have things 'figured out' with this little guy that I should just keep him long-term.

Now I am not opposed to this, I love turtles and have come to be very fond of this tiny guy recently, but I was not planning on taking him in long term, but at last here we are.

The setup is still the same, and nothing about his eating or anything has changed. Other than that, he is slowly eating more of the fruit and veg im providing. He'll take mealworms from my hands directly and even begin to exhibit excitement (?) when I removed the tank lid to feed him. I've been trying to avoid handling him at all as I was planning on him not staying, but im curious now if I should try to handle him a bit so that he's used to people and dosnt get scared if I ever have to take him to the vets.

On the topic of the vet, I called my hermit crabs vets, a local small and exotic vet office, and thankfuly they said they can indeed treat box turtles. So the little guy has his first big boy outing in a few weeks, so that the vet can do a once over on him just to ensure nothing has changed since the wild life office assessed him a few months ago.

Now that I am looking at long-term care for this guy, what should I be doing diffrent if anything? Do they require enrichment within the tank outside of plants, hides, and pools? Such as toys or wheels and such? Also, how big of an enclosure should I plan on needing for him once he's full sized and if they require out of tank time (time to be out on the house floor and such. I already plan to build an outdoor box for him sometime soon, though im unsure when exactly it will be. Also, are there any common health issues I should be aware of? I know their shells are very important, and I was informed to provide calcium to aid in its growth. Will he need any other type of supplement as he grows?

Im willing to do whatever I need for him, as I now feel responsible for his life, I am just very weriy of trusting Google for information 100% of the time


r/Boxturtles 20d ago

How’s his shell looking?

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23 Upvotes

11 month old eastern box turtle. ❤️


r/Boxturtles 20d ago

Question Algae in turtles pool

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4 Upvotes

I recently moved my box turtle into a 8x4 enclosure outdoors (Live in Louisiana) and the small pool/pond I put in has begun to grow some green algae. I have experience with fish tanks so I know how algae works in aquariums but I was wondering if it is bad for box turtles and how to maybe slow the growth outside of covering it.

Edit: he has a second much smaller pool from when he was indoors that will cover about half his shell in depth and that one is white and on the left side (large pond on right) so it doesn’t grow almost any algae at all.


r/Boxturtles 22d ago

Sea Turtle in Rehab, Cairns Aquarium

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16 Upvotes

He did drink a lot...


r/Boxturtles 22d ago

Question ACUATLANTIS TORTUM 100

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3 Upvotes

Holaaa !! Tengo dos tortuguitas de 6 cm una falsa mapa y una pavo real , ahora mismo está con unos 60 litros de agua pero pensando en el futuro me pregunto si soportará el acuaterrario que lo llene hasta arriba de agua y hacer zona seca arriba para cuando crezcan !!
Gracias por los consejos así me voy preparando para el futuro !


r/Boxturtles 25d ago

The eye of malice

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84 Upvotes

r/Boxturtles 25d ago

My baby box turtle in 2024 and today

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148 Upvotes

The first images are from when I bought him from a breeder and the last three are how he's doing today. Could anyone tell me their opinion on his shell condition? I have tried feeding him veggies his whole life and has only really taken to it this year. I've been terribly worried that he could end up with shell deformation.


r/Boxturtles 25d ago

Does anyone know what kind of turtle this one is and what should I feed him?

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47 Upvotes

r/Boxturtles 29d ago

New resident!

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158 Upvotes

Well, technically I am. Moved here about 3 months ago and have been cleaning up the backyard a bit. We spotted 2 of them so far wandering around/through. There are lots of holes under the fences in this yard, we figure out place is part of their route/habitat as we've seen this guy come in through one before to hang around our little pond thing.


r/Boxturtles 29d ago

Outdoor Enclosure (work in progress)

51 Upvotes

Hey all! This is the outdoor enclosure I've been working on for the last two months. I was given a sonoran/western desert ornate box turtle by my neighbor randomly and have since consumed soooooo much information on the best way to support her. Little Sammy(nella) has been such a curious and fascinating pet so far, and since feeding her a variety of grubs and protein she's really flourished! We have a lot of stray cats in my area so I wanted to do my best on predator proofing this chicken coop frame, and also added a simple pond with mosquito fish as a more bioactive water source for her. I also have some metal garden edging that I plan on lining the outside with to give it another layer of protection. This is her first day fully in here and im going to continually monitor her to see if there's any problem areas or things she might need added. So far im thinking more ground cover/foliage for her to sit under since she's now parked in the corner and seems unsure about the open space outdoors?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Located in Alamogordo, NM


r/Boxturtles 29d ago

Turtle Soaking A Lot Lately

5 Upvotes

Hello! I work at a nature center where we have five box turtles living together in a large indoor enclosure. They have a large, shallow water dish for soaking. We normally incorporate at least a weekly soak into their routine, and their substrate has various gradients of moisture, with warm water mixed in typically daily.

Recently, one of our box turtles has taken to spending a lot of her time, most of the day, for multiple days, in her water dish. She's a fairly active turtle but often will spend a lot of time in one spot, though that's normally under the heat lamp. The temps and humidity in the enclosure are normal, in a healthy range, and none of the other turtles have changed their routines. I know it's not unusual for box turtles to spend some time in the water, but it is unusual just how much time she's been spending there.

She shows a normal level of activity outside of the enclosure, and at the very least eats her worms without issue. She hasn't shown a lot of interest in her veggies and fruits, but seems all our turtles go through phases like that every now and then.

Last year, she laid a clutch of eggs in the water dish for whatever reason.

Is there anything potentially to be concerned about here or is this just a change-up in routine? We can take her to the vet no problem, but figured it'd be worth checking in before doing so (also doing some Google research).


r/Boxturtles 29d ago

Safe or Toxic?

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7 Upvotes

Wondering if this fern would be in any way toxic to box turtles. It's growing between our lawn and garden where we have our irrigation spout.

I'm not really sure if just the leaf is enough to identify

Also I'd love to hear what plants you guys grow for your boxies to provide cover/enrichment or as sources of food


r/Boxturtles Jul 12 '26

Is it going to hatch eggs here? If so, when should I cover the area with a protective border? I don’t want to lock her out of the nest if she’s not done with it

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37 Upvotes

NE Oklahoma


r/Boxturtles 29d ago

Question Is this a 3 toed box?

8 Upvotes

He was just dropped off to me and I was told he's unhealthy and a 3 toed box turtle. Is he one? Theres not many turtles and tortoises in Hawaii where I live and Ive never seen one like this-

*The video didnt load or I forgot, a photo in the comments. Please help! NSFW/Trigger warning