Hello again, it's been a while, I hope every one is well. I'm bad with turtle species, and was wondering if anyone could help me determine what species this was: I live in NW Georgia if that helps at all, a friend found it. Thanks.
definitely a box turtle but i'm leaning towards an ornate box. search the web for box turtle pictures. I would release we need as much of the wild population of boxies as we can get.
Tinkerbell is right, release the turtle. It's September and you're interfering with it's preparation for winter. Trying to keep a wild turtle this late in the season with be very troublesome as well, it will try to follow it's natural cycle. These are not like aquatic turtles, they need large enclosures, a balanced diet -you can't cheat with commercial pellet foods, supplementing, and they can get sick easily if you mess up at all with humidity levels. If you seriously want a box turtle, use this winter for studying their care requirements, then look for a local breeder or adopt in spring. Make sure to save all paper work concerning where that turtle came from, laws can and do change concerning native species. Also - in the future know what you're messing with, just in case you end up with something that's illegal to have in your possession. http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/con...txtDocument=514 BTW- It is an Eastern box turtle, and male too from looking at the top head. Ornates do not have such bright coloring. Enclosure would be a minimum of 4 foot by 4 foot enclosure or larger, outside.
I'm fully aware of the situation and requirements. Someone basically found it and dropped it off at my house, I'm caring for it until I can bring it to an adequit place to release it. So I want to do it right until then.
It is the middle of september it needs to be released SOON or it will not be able to properly prepare for hibernation and it will end up dead from either being let go too late or being kept in captivity as a wild animal. Leslie
I understand this, but if it is released NOW it will die trying to find a patch of grass. I have it under control, all I was asking was how to properly care for it FOR THE TIME BEING, but apparently making me feel inadequate and proving how much you know is more important than the actual welfare of the animal.
Time being - a very large rubbermaid tub - largest you can find UVB lights, highest output %, basking light or red bulb for heat. Or just use an MVB. Digital thermometer and a humidity gauge. Topsoil and peat moss mixture for substrate, and water dish for daily soaking. Complex diet of balanced veggies - good sites for vegetable info http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm and http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html Some insects, plus you must supplement. All in all, an expensive and difficult animal to temporarily keep. http://www.boxturtlesite.info/ It needs to be released where it was originally found, otherwise it may very well die trying to get back there. Even it if stays in the area of your choosing it may not make it through the winter because it will not know the area well enough to find plenty of food to fatten up on, or even a proper hibernation spot. Trying to keep it over the winter is not a good idea either, it could very well try to follow it's natural cycle and stop eating in an attempt to hibernate. Also by attempting to keep it at this time of year, even for a few days, you can mess up it's cycle. They use daylight length and temperature to tell them when to start preparing themselves for winter. We're telling you this because we do care about the turtle's welfare, not because we're trying to prove how much we know.
