Three Toed Box Turtles outdoors year round?

[Geomyda]

As Kirkie and Box Girl state these delightful Turtles make shortwork of Slugs and Snails:

I personally keep the adults outside in heavily planted Coldframes from Easter, through to October/ early November. However, hatchlings and young are kept in the animal room, or at least a greenhouse:

The Coldframes are of Aluminium construction, and are covered; 1/2 plexiglas, and the other 1/2 galvanised wire mesh. Each frame has a small pond which during the Summer is flushed out most days, and has small group of Adults in each:

[Henry-flash]

That's a stunning enclosure, Paul. Definately something I could recreate here. What size is it? Do you artificially hibernate your adults?

[jeff]

Wow great stuff,I would love to keep a group of these one day.

[Geomyda]

Originally Posted by Henry-flash

That's a stunning enclosure, Paul. Definately something I could recreate here. What size is it? Do you artificially hibernate your adults?

I do hibernate the Three toed Box Turtles and the Gulf Coast Box Turtles, but not the Coahuila Box Turtles, which are kept in the Tropical room, and tend to prefer more aquatic conditions.

[Kirkie]

This is my outdoor enclosure.....

Not really , this is three toed box turtle natural habitat, Texas I think. Might give some ideas as too what they like.




Geomyda raised an important point back there, water quality. Keep it really clean. They make a daily mess of their bathing pools, I too flush them with the hose every day and I have additional regular water bowls for them, small enough that they can't fully climb in and make a mess.

[jeff]

Hi Dave,Has your female laid her eggs yet?.

[Kirkie]

Hi Jeff.

Nope. She's been digging a few trial nests outdoors. I spoke to the breeder of some of my littun's and they are experiencing the same, lots of trial nests, no laying at the moment. They say its quite common for theirs to take an age to lay. With the weather set to turn cooler again I may bring her inside and have another go at setting up a nesting site for her.

[jeff]

I think its strange how they bury them selfs when nesting,Quite clever boxies are.
Dave best of luck with her,Im sure she will get there in the end.

[Geomyda]

Originally Posted by Kirkie

Hi Jeff.

Nope. She's been digging a few trial nests outdoors. I spoke to the breeder of some of my littun's and they are experiencing the same, lots of trial nests, no laying at the moment. They say its quite common for theirs to take an age to lay. With the weather set to turn cooler again I may bring her inside and have another go at setting up a nesting site for her.

I agree that the best chance of getting a successful clutch, is to bring her back indoors and provide supplementary heat, with high humidity.
In my opinion, also best kept on her own as disturbance from other Box Turtles can put off egg deposition. North American Box turtle eggs are very thin shelled, and will dehydrate very quickly if not discovered soon after egg deposition.
One problem I have had in my garden set up is the Three Toed female will often lay a clutch of eggs in the Cold frame. Having nested successfully, I fail to find the eggs until the autumn, when I dig the adults out for their winter accommodation. Once laid, typically they do a damn fine job on hiding the nest site!

[harwood09]

Anybody read this http://www.herpconbio.org/McCallum/b...e%20change.pdf ? I reckon that means all those lovely box turtles in the US should come live in the UK