Ornate Box Turtle Care Sheet

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Before purchasing your new pet ornate box turtle for sale or any box turtles for sale, from a trustworthy ornate box turtle breeder, be sure to explore and learn about proper ornate box turtle care sheets and ornate box turtle care guide.  Housing an ornate box turtle

Ornate box turtles will do best in large and properly landscaped outdoor enclosures, but this will of course require a suitable climate. If it is not possible to keep your turtle outdoor, provide it with a big indoor terrarium that includes at least one deep spot of sand or soil for burrowing. The recommended summer temperature is 80-85º F (26-29 ºC), with opportunity for the turtle to seek out shade, moist soil and water to cool off.

Read about the natural habitat, climate conditions and behavior of the ornate box turtle and try to replicate this in captivity. In the wild, the turtle likes to be able to move around to adjust its body temperature, e.g. shelter under bushes when the weather is hot and move out into the sun when the temperature is lower. It should be given opportunity to do this in captivity as well. As mentioned above, an area where the turtle can dig down is also important. The ornate box turtle will not only burrow for hibernation purposes but to regulate its body temperature during the summer too. Moist soil is a great way for the turtle to stay cool and prevent dehydration during hot days.

You can expect your turtle to be quite passive during the hottest time of the day. As the temperature decreases in the evening, it will become more active, and dawn is also a period of increased activity for this animal. If you keep your turtle indoors, try to mimic the natural cycle of dawn, day-time and dusk by adjusting the thermostat of the heater.

A commonly used substrate among keepers of ornate box turtles is peat-based potting compost mixed with sphagnum moss. Make sure the turtle has at least one area in the enclosure where the substrate is 15 centimeters deep or more (a large turtle might need more than this to burrow). Regularly check the substrate to make sure it’s moist; spray with water when necessary. Ornate box turtles that hail from sandy plains will appreciate sand in the terrarium.

Clean water should always be available to the turtle. The turtle will not only drink it but soak in it as well, so make sure the trey is large enough.

Access to real sunlight is best, since full-spectrum light is necessary for vitamin D3 production in ornate box turtles. If you can not provide your turtle with real sun light, you need to purchase special full-spectrum lights for its terrarium.

Feeding an ornate box turtle

The ornate box turtle is an opportunistic omnivore in the wild, so keeping it on a unvaried diet in captivity is not recommend. It needs both animals and plant matter in its diet. They eat quite a lot of animals and carrion in the wild and will accordingly need this in captivity as well. Examples of food that you can grow yourself or purchase from a pet shop are crickets, baby mice, mealworms and waxworms. It is common among turtle keepers to dust the food with calcium before serving it. (However, simply feeding your turtle enough calcium will not ensure good bone and shell health, since sufficient full-spectrum light is necessary for proper bone and shell formation.) In addition to meaty fare, you ornate box turtle will need greens in its diet. You can for instance give it over-ripe leafy greens, fruits and berries.

Parasites

If your turtle is wild caught, or has come in contact with wild caught turtles, it may be carrying parasites. Keeping it in unsuitable conditions and/or feeding it an unsuitable diet will weaken its immune system, making it easier for the parasites to cause serious health problems. Flagellates and nematodes are not uncommon problems. There is also a genus of fly that can infest the legs and make it difficult for the turtle to move around. Consult a veterinarian for more advice on how to threat possible parasite problems.

References

• Yancey, Franklin R., II. 1997. Geographic Distribution. Terrapene ornata ornata. Herpetological Review 28 (2): 95
• Vinke, T. & Vinke, S. 2004. Keeping and breeding the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata. Reptilia (GB) (32): 25-30.
• Blair, W. F. 1976. Some aspects of the biology of the Ornate Box turtle, Terrapene ornata. The Southwestern Naturalist. 21 (1) : 89-103.
• Rabb, George B. 1961. Natural history of the ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata Agassiz. Copeia 1961 (1): 123-124
• Philippen, H.-D. 2004. Box turtles of the genus Terrapene. Reptilia (GB) (32): 12-18

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