OK, anyone with more turtle experience, please chime in....

[BKHpondcritters]

I've posted previously about the box turtles that have shown up to hang around our pond this year. The last time we had a "resident" box turtle (two/three years ago), she ended up dying. I chalked this up to her being sick/old? and that she must have felt better in the water until she passed.

I'm now in another 'resident box turtle loop'. We had three. Two totally disappeared for a while. One showed up again - very (VERY) dead - - yesterday. One is still AWOL (I am hoping beyond hope that he isn't dead & rotting down in the pond somewhere. We have so many caves & hiding holes...) But the third is still hanging around. S/He seems active & wanders/swims from shelf to shelf. I'm just paranoid that she's fixin' to up & die in my pond sometime soon (and/or I have another dead turtle rotting down there somewhere)

I'm not sure what I want at this point but some reassurance that just because a box turtle is hanging around your pond, it doesn't immediately mean they're dying. ??

I love my local wildlife, but.... omg! I feel the burden at times.

 

[Mmathis]

Does your pond have a way for the turtles to safely get out of the pond, and do you have shallow areas they can utilize (they only require a few inches of depth)?

 

[GBBUDD]

YOU cant control life or death but you can control limited access or not . shallow sitting areas and logs for them to climb up on do your best in that regard and you have done all you can .

 

[GBBUDD]

Does your pond have a way for the turtles to safely get out of the pond, and do you have shallow areas they can utilize (they only require a few inches of depth)?

great minds think alike

 

[Relic]

I've had a pen of box turtles for well over 40 years, with two types: Ornate box and Three-toed box turtles. The three-toed are very apt to enter the water, swim, walk around on the bottom, and just drink and cool off. They are rarely in the water for more than an hour or two. They are a sub-species of the Eastern box turtle.

The Ornates rarely enter the water, usually just extending their neck to get a drink from the water's edge. The only time I have seen Ornates fully enter the water, they are usually experiencing some kind of health issue, and will often spend DAYS in the water, even staying there overnight.

You have Eastern box turtles in NC and they are fairly water-friendly. And it very well may be that a dying box turtle seeks out water for some reason. But you are doing the turtles a huge favor by providing another source of water for them, so don't feel bad; all animals die eventually. You are a help, not a hindrance...

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Does your pond have a way for the turtles to safely get out of the pond, and do you have shallow areas they can utilize (they only require a few inches of depth)?

Yes. The main pond has shallow shelves almost the entire way around, so they should have no problem finding places to get out. I know I can't control what the silly wildlife does, and I shouldn't get too attached. I just can't help it!

 

[GBBUDD]

Understood I feel bad muytel is gone , but at the same time she was about to be evicted as well for trying to bite at 20 inch koi

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I've had a pen of box turtles for well over 40 years, with two types: Ornate box and Three-toed box turtles. The three-toed are very apt to enter the water, swim, walk around on the bottom, and just drink and cool off. They are rarely in the water for more than an hour or two. They are a sub-species of the Eastern box turtle.

The Ornates rarely enter the water, usually just extending their neck to get a drink from the water's edge. The only time I have seen Ornates fully enter the water, they are usually experiencing some kind of health issue, and will often spend DAYS in the water, even staying there overnight.

You have Eastern box turtles in NC and they are fairly water-friendly. And it very well may be that a dying box turtle seeks out water for some reason. But you are doing the turtles a huge favor by providing another source of water for them, so don't feel bad; all animals die eventually. You are a help, not a hindrance...

Thank you. It has been quite hot & fairly dry in our immediate area so far this summer, so I understand why they are seeking out the pond. We have a natural spring that runs along the bottom portion of our property, but it's all but dried up right now, which makes my pond the only reliable source of water these days. We wondered if perhaps a sick or old turtle might take extra comfort from the additional water, so we do try to remember that they wouldn't be hanging around if they didn't want to.

We think she identifies as a red ear slider.

 

[Jhn]

It looks to me like you have more than enough access points and areas for the turtles to get in and out. I have had turtles in my ponds pretty much since I have had ponds and unfortunately stuff happens and they die despite our best efforts, which is all we can do.

Have had a box turtles in my current pond enclosure for years, had one I rescued years ago that had a bad foot and some shell damage but everything healed up nicely. He had lived in the enclosure all the time for years, no issues getting in and out of the pond until I found him floating after being away for week. Who knows what happened, just his time I suppose. We just do what we can and control what we can control, which it appears to me you have.

 

[Relic]

Thank you. It has been quite hot & fairly dry in our immediate area so far this summer, so I understand why they are seeking out the pond. We have a natural spring that runs along the bottom portion of our property, but it's all but dried up right now, which makes my pond the only reliable source of water these days. We wondered if perhaps a sick or old turtle might take extra comfort from the additional water, so we do try to remember that they wouldn't be hanging around if they didn't want to.
View attachment 153061
We think she identifies as a red ear slider.
View attachment 153062

View attachment 153063
View attachment 153064

That's a great looking box turtle. The three-toeds in my neck of the woods are a solid drab olive in color on their shell, look a lot like Nazi war helmets...

 

[Pondgal]

I've posted previously about the box turtles that have shown up to hang around our pond this year. The last time we had a "resident" box turtle (two/three years ago), she ended up dying. I chalked this up to her being sick/old? and that she must have felt better in the water until she passed.

I'm now in another 'resident box turtle loop'. We had three. Two totally disappeared for a while. One showed up again - very (VERY) dead - - yesterday. One is still AWOL (I am hoping beyond hope that he isn't dead & rotting down in the pond somewhere. We have so many caves & hiding holes...) But the third is still hanging around. S/He seems active & wanders/swims from shelf to shelf. I'm just paranoid that she's fixin' to up & die in my pond sometime soon (and/or I have another dead turtle rotting down there somewhere)

I'm not sure what I want at this point but some reassurance that just because a box turtle is hanging around your pond, it doesn't immediately mean they're dying. ??

I love my local wildlife, but.... omg! I feel the burden at times.

Sounds like you care. I agree we cannot control wildlife and the aging process. Our local park has huge snapping turtles feeding in the Spatterdock plants and storm water purification area. We had two, snapping turtles last year in our large pond and now only one baby. So they must come and go as the food sources and weather conditions vary by the season and their needs.