Box turtle -- their nutritional needs?

[researcher]

I introduced a large box turtle into my 1,500 gal backyard pond a few weeks ago. It seems to've taken to its new digs, but I'm wondering: what do they eat? Is there anything I can add (at times) for its nutrition? Is there an actual "large-turtle" food out there, and if so, would that be a waste of time/$?

Thx for any feedback .....

 

[Jhn]

Is your pond fenced in, otherwise it’s going to leave.

I have one in my pond enclosure for about 10 years or so and feed it pellet food for box turtles, it also gets in the pond during feeding time and eats the fish food. Also, have a magnolia tree that creates a ton of leaf litter under it that the turtle spends time in eating various insects, worms etc., and wild strawberries growing in there as well.

 

[researcher]

Hi; nope, not enclosed. I may try the pellet food. My yards are practically jungle, with lots of leaf-litter, etc, so .... the turtle would be insane to take off. But then again, the yard's also been called "bee heaven" by people -- and my hives still swarm and the bugs (despite bait boxes I put out) sometimes still leave......
Thx much for the input.

 

[SarahT]

We inherited an eastern box turtle from a (deceased) family member and he has been a pet for 25 or so years. Every couple of days, we feed Buddy earthworms, berries, and salad greens and he forages on his own the rest of the time. He has amazing eyesight and can see us putting dinner together through the glass door 15 feet away and comes running (well, turtle-running) to the feeding spot. I think it's by sight, not by indoor footsteps transmitting through the ground. Even in Florida, in the "cold", he will dig himself under leaf litter to stay warm.

 

[Jhn]

Hi; nope, not enclosed. I may try the pellet food. My yards are practically jungle, with lots of leaf-litter, etc, so .... the turtle would be insane to take off. But then again, the yard's also been called "bee heaven" by people -- and my hives still swarm and the bugs (despite bait boxes I put out) sometimes still leave......
Thx much for the input.

Whether you have the right environment/setting for the turtle or not is irrelevant to it, it will leave if there is nothing to prevent from doing so. It may come back, but then again it may not.

Also, just an fyi if it is a box turtle from out of the area, and it wanders off more than likely it will die, as they have there territories and know where their water source is within the area.

 

[researcher]

Thx, Sarah; "my" turtle isn't used to me enough yet to not duck under the water when he (could be a she?) sees me approaching the pond.

While I'm thinking of it .... can a box turtle over-winter under water (like, at the bottom of my 3'-ft deep pond; There's some thick mud at the bottom)? The frogs seem to do pretty well down there in cold weather (and the pond surface can freeze over for several days at a time, when cold enough).

Mitch

 

[Jhn]

@researcher No box turtles do not winter/brumate underwater, they do it in leaf litter under logs, burrowing into soft ground.

Are you sure you have a box turtle? Box turtles aren’t aquatic turtles they go into water, but I haven’t seen one dive underwater, they just float around up top.

 

[SarahT]

Thx, Sarah; "my" turtle isn't used to me enough yet to not duck under the water when he (could be a she?) sees me approaching the pond.

While I'm thinking of it .... can a box turtle over-winter under water (like, at the bottom of my 3'-ft deep pond; There's some thick mud at the bottom)? The frogs seem to do pretty well down there in cold weather (and the pond surface can freeze over for several days at a time, when cold enough).

Mitch

As @Jhn said, box turtles don't swim, so I think you might want want to take a picture and ask a turtle expert (not me; don't know enough). Be very careful if it's a snapping turtle, as they are well-named and can take off a finger.
Enjoy Tutt the Turtle (have you named him yet?)

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I agree that this doesn't sound like normal box turtle behavior. They swim/float on the surface, but they don't 'dive'. They might pull their heads in if startled while sitting still on a shelf, but I'm not sure they could even go fully submerged.

 

[researcher]

OK, guys -- plainly, I'm not a herpetologist/turtle-ologist. The shell is all dark, but has "designs" on the shutes (I think that's the right word; "scutes"?). And it's bigger than any actual box turtle I've ever seen. When I picked it up (initial encounter), it didn't hiss at me, attempt to snap, or do the usual snapping turtle moves, so ..... ? I do know, though, it's not a slider -- I've seen one of those jump into my pond a few years ago.

Re: a photo .... it wouldn't let me near enough to take a shot, and I haven't seen it on land since the day I placed it near the pond. Maybe if I ever see it sunning on a rock, I can take a shot and send it along.

Thx a heap for the input .....

Mitch

PS: and no, haven't named it yet. Don't know the sex, so ..... Considered "Shellie", but ... that might be a tad over-used.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

You're in NC, right? Perhaps you could take a look through this website & figure out what type s/he is?

Turtles

herpsofnc.org

PS - The turtle pictured in my previous post was named Shelly. Just because a name is over-used, doesn't mean it's not classically perfect.

 

[Jhn]

Definitely not a box turtle, if it doesn’t leave your pond and goes under when you come near. There are various species of sliders and semi aquatic turtles native to the U.S., it is most likely one of those. Either way, whatever species it is enjoy it while it’s around at some point without a fence it will leave.

 

[researcher]

Hi; thx (pondcritters) -- never knew of that website [and yeah -- I'm in Greenville, NC]. So far, the most likely culprits could be: yellow-bellied cooter, FL cooter, maybe even ... mud turtle? Whichever it is, as long as it's not a snapper, I'm OK. It's a shy, inoffensive little reptile, so I'm totally onboard with it.

Much obliged, again, guys ....

Mitch