How to Take Care of Box Tortoises

Box turtles are reptiles capable of hiding their entire bodies in a latchable shell. Shy by nature, they're still a common pet with life spans of decades. To reach such venerable ages though, requires careful care. Proper box turtle care is not difficult when taken in steps. For a pet that's with you for 30 or 40 years however, taking the proper steps can prove worth the effort.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium or rubber tub
  • Wood chips
  • Peat moss
  • Hand-held sprayer
  • Hollow log, false cave or small cardboard box
  • Scoop
  • Warming bulb, 75-watt
  • Clamp
  • Water dish
  • Flat rock
  • High-protein meat
  • Vegetables and fruit
  • Multivitamins
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare adequate housing for your turtle in a large aquarium or a large opaque rubber tub with a capacity of at least 20 gallons. Fill the bottom of the aquarium with wood chips and peat moss to provide a soft humid bedding environment for your turtle. Mist the bedding with water spray from a hand-held sprayer daily to maintain the humidity. Make the bedding deep enough for the turtle to burrow under completely.

    • 2

      Place a small hide box in the aquarium bottom. A hollow log, false cave or small cardboard box will do. It should be one large enough for the turtle to seek refuge in whenever desired.

    • 3

      Clean the turtle aquarium weekly. Use a scoop to remove droppings from the enclosure.

    • 4

      Maintain the turtle environment at a temperature of 60 to 80 degrees F. Provide a warming bulb, a 75-watt bulb with a reflector attached, on the end of the enclosure for turtle basking. Use a clamp to attach the bulb to the edge of the enclosure.

    • 5

      Place a dish containing clean water into the enclosure. Use a shallow dish, large enough for the turtle to fit into comfortably, but not so deep that the turtle can drown in the water. Replace the water daily to remove turtle droppings from the water.

    • 6

      Feed young turtles daily and adults three or more times a week in the morning. Place the food on a flat rock in the bottom of the aquarium. Provide your turtle with a diet consisting of 50 percent high-protein meats such as crickets, snails or baby mice, and 50 percent plants with a mix of one parts fruit and three parts vegetables. Wash the plants and chop into small easily eaten pieces. Maintain a large variety of foods, and add a light dusting of multivitamins to the food every two weeks.