Box Turtles

Box turtles are great pets if you find one on the road keep it all you need to do is find an old tire and put him in it or find buy a small pool that is atleast a foot tall it must be hard plastic fill the bottom with sand about an inch deep and get like a foil pie pan put it to ground level so the turtle can get in it you fill it with water so he can drink and swim. Put some logs,rocks and sticks so he has some place to go sleep and hide. Feed him dandelions and fruit like strawberries and apples or veggietables like celery or carrots and lettuce. If you get a tire you must dig about 2 feet deep and put some rocks at the bottom and put chicken wire around the sides burry it and staple the chicken mire to the tire you can fill the inside of the tire with water so it can swim and drink.One more thing you can put your box turtle indoors with a fish tank put a layer of cork at the bottom then on one side put three layers of foil shiny side up then put a heating pad over that you can get those at pet stores then on top of that put a clay water basin and clay tile then all around of the other put sand then put rockes plants and other things.You will need a heat lamp above to keep it warm.You can tell the sex of the turtle bye looking at its eyes the males have red eyes and the females have yellow to green eyes tou can also tell by there tails if you have two of the turtles up together the male has a longer tail and the female has a smaller tail. If you want to breed a pair make sure they are not brother and sister and you have to hibernate the female but you don't have to hibernate the male you can keep him indoors and give him lots of fruit and veggies and he will think its spring all the time.If you want to hibernate your turtles either bye or make a box and put gravel then put dirt then leaves then more dirt and sand put the turtle in the middlethen cover it up with san leaves and dirt drill holes in the side so it can breath then put the lid over it and wait until sprin then put him or her back in the place you have for him/her and give him/her a warm but not hot or cold bath then feed it will still be sleepy for awhile(make sure the box is two feet deep)Or in your tire or something put leaves over it and carpet and it may sleep please note that it is hard for a new born to survive hibernation or any turtle in that mater in captivity.I got most of this info from books that I have no clue what their names are. I hope it works for you they really are great pets.!!!!!!!!!!!!

~Paul Andrew