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eastern box turtle main xl
This is the Sensational Eastern Box Turtle main picture

The Eastern Box Turtle is not necessarily the best turtle to get for total beginners, but it certainly is one of the most popular.

Eastern Box Turtle

The Eastern Box Turtle is incredibly easy to distinguish from other turtles. They are not very big (or small for that matter, at 5-6 inches) and they are covered in yellow and orange blotches.

They are an extremely popular pet for turtle enthusiasts, however, they are not exactly the easiest pet to optimally maintain.

Common Name: Eastern Box Turtle

Size & Weight: 4.5 – 6 inches

Distribution: Eastern United States

Unique Features: High rounded shell, skin covered with bright yellow or orange blotches

Characteristics

The Eastern Box Turtle certainly is a unique looking turtle!

They are extremely easy to spot, in fact, many people think they look more like monsters than turtles!

They aren’t generally very big. Full-grown they are usually between 4.5 to 6 inches (11 to 15 centimeters).

Their shell is high domed and rounded, and they often have reddish, almost penetrating eyes.

But what gives them away isn’t their high dome or deep red eyes, but the enormous blotches of yellow or red that cover their shell and body.

Hatchlings and juveniles do not have these features just yet, as the beautiful patterns and blotches which cover them don’t develop until they grow older. ​

Habitat

Eastern Box Turtle in Content XL

As their name suggests, Eastern Box Turtles are naturally found in the Eastern portion of the United States. They are poor swimmers and they are not found in open bodies of water, but rather in densely covered forests and especially wetlands, oftentimes foraging around among wet leaves. 

Sometimes they will soak in shallow puddles or wet mud or dirt for hydration. They also at times do this to hibernate or escape from the sun. 

Because they spend the majority of their time outside the water as opposed to in water (like the red-eared slider), they are often at risk from human activity that intrudes into their environment.

Every year, thousands and thousands of eastern box turtles are unfortunately killed and seriously maimed as they try to crossroads that cut through their native habitats. ​

Eastern box turtle food

Eastern box turtles are omnivores, and will eat a wide range of fruits, vegetables, insects, and fish.

Popular eastern box turtle foods include: 

  • Earthworms
  • Turtle Pellets
  • Crickets and other insects
  • Small fish (if they can catch them!)
  • Mushrooms

When they are juveniles they prefer to eat meats and protein-packed food along with a lot of other species. As they grow older, however, they tend to eat more and more plants, greens, vegetables, and even fruits.

Check out this article on the best turtle food brands.

Eastern Box Turtle Care

Compared to other aquatic turtles such as red eared sliders the eastern box turtle is a bit harder to take care of.

For starters, they are poor swimmers and are best not placed in with tanks full of water.

It’s also a good idea to refrain from putting more than one male in the same tank or area, as they often times will fight and maim each other. The females generally seem to get along very well. ​

The best type of environment for these types of turtles would be to have ​an outdoor enclosure for them. An area with a small pond, lots of wet leaves and dirt, plants and other vegetation is ideal.  Furthermore, they would need a place where they can burrow into the ground to hibernate during the winter months.

Eastern Box Turtle Tub Guidelines

As that is not possible for a lot of owners, the next best option would be to recreate that environment inside a decent sized tub or two. You can do this by ensuring that the tub is of a big enough size and has access to:

  • About a 50/50 split between water and land.
  • The water should not be too deep (enough for the turtle to sit in and eat food in).
  • An area covered with soft dirt or mud.
  • An area for the turtle to retreat and hide.
  • Wet leaves, moss, grass or other natural vegetation.

If this is not possible, it might be a good idea to care for another species which is more manageable. 

Lastly, this turtle tends to be a bit fragile, so even if you are able to provide an optimal environment with all of these things, it is still relatively common for a good number of them to die (around 3 out of every 10). They aren’t the hardiest of turtles and do not like to be handled.

However, if you can provide all of these things, the eastern box turtle is certainly a turtle that is worth the effort! 

Sources

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