• Amused
  • Angry
  • Annoyed
  • Awesome
  • Bemused
  • Cocky
  • Cool
  • Crazy
  • Crying
  • Depressed
  • Down
  • Drunk
  • Embarrased
  • Enraged
  • Friendly
  • Geeky
  • Godly
  • Happy
  • Hateful
  • Hungry
  • Innocent
  • Meh
  • Piratey
  • Poorly
  • Sad
  • Secret
  • Shy
  • Sneaky
  • Tired
  • Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
    Results 1 to 20 of 38

    Thread: My new box turtle enclosure

    1. #1
      jeffcopeland's Avatar
      jeffcopeland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2005
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      2,188

      My new box turtle enclosure

      This is some photos during the construction and final completion pics of a home created for an Eastern box turtle.
      The stream is filtered by a water garden on the "outside" of the enclosure. Some box turtles are not good swimmers and could drown, so the pond was built as a filter only.

      Besides the stream their are two caves, driftwood and a pile of old leaves for cover. Box turtles are land turtles so they spend most of their time buried for protection from predators. They can live 80 years or more. This turtle was rescued from a family who kept her in their basement for many years and grew tired of caring for her. For best health they should be kept in an outdoor enclosure.
      Attached Images Attached Images          

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    2. #2
      jeffcopeland's Avatar
      jeffcopeland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2005
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      2,188
      If you look closely in the center of the first picture w/berries you will see her head peeking out from under the weeds and leaves
      Attached Images Attached Images     

    3. #3
      SueSTx's Avatar
      SueSTx is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2004
      Location
      Texas Panhandle
      Posts
      3,831
      A pretty addition to your landscape.
      RedNecks R Us

    4. #4
      Joey S's Avatar
      Joey S is offline Supporting Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2006
      Location
      Jacksonville, FL
      Posts
      21,987
      Well, isn't that just the cleverest little home for a turtle.
      For the love of Koi
      Don't Sweat the Small Stuff





      Lifetime Charter Diamond Member #4 WWKC

      JOIN THE WorldWide Koi Club NOW



      Certified Koi Keeper (CKK)

    5. #5
      kev is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2008
      Location
      nj
      Posts
      192
      cool.do you just have the one female?we had 5,then 11 as people kept bringing them over when they found them hurt.then they had many babies.(like 45 the last year we had them).we rehomed them as we couldn't keep them all and we exhausted people willing to take and care for them.

      your enclosure looks pretty good.i guess you have the rocks to wear her claws down,do you feed her on a rock sometimes to wear down her beak?
      here's some babies.



    6. #6
      gray cat's Avatar
      gray cat is offline Administrator
      is looking forward to Spring
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2004
      Location
      Winston Salem, NC. Zone 8A
      Posts
      55,427
      That is very nice! She is so cute. I love your landscaping looks great. I love the little pond.

      Will you bring her inside in the winter?
      Nancy



      Koiphen 2013 Koi Person of the Year!

    7. #7
      jeffcopeland's Avatar
      jeffcopeland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2005
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      2,188
      Quote Originally Posted by kev View Post
      cool.do you just have the one female?we had 5,then 11 as people kept bringing them over when they found them hurt.then they had many babies.(like 45 the last year we had them).we rehomed them as we couldn't keep them all and we exhausted people willing to take and care for them.

      your enclosure looks pretty good.i guess you have the rocks to wear her claws down,do you feed her on a rock sometimes to wear down her beak?
      here's some babies.


      This is my first box turtle all my other turtles are aquatic and they live in my ponds or aquariums.

      The family had been asking me to take their turtle for a long time. I told them once I had the right habitat built I would take her in. The turtle eats "Turtle Bone" which is similar to cuttle bone that they feed birds which helps keep her beak trim.

    8. #8
      kev is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2008
      Location
      nj
      Posts
      192
      yeah,that'll work.mine would never eat cuttle bone,so i fed them on slate once a week.your enclosure looks beautiful.it's a nice addition to your yard.good luck.

    9. #9
      jeffcopeland's Avatar
      jeffcopeland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2005
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      2,188
      Quote Originally Posted by gray cat View Post
      That is very nice! She is so cute. I love your landscaping looks great. I love the little pond.

      Will you bring her inside in the winter?
      Thank you.

      Hibernation scares me. It's not easy like it is with koi. I'm really undecided at this point. I've only had her since the middle of June. Many people hibernate box turtles in refrigerators because stable temps can be maintained.
      If she doesn't hibernate, I will have to buy something to keep her in the house for the winter. We will enjoy the summer for now.

    10. #10
      kev is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2008
      Location
      nj
      Posts
      192
      we just filled the enclosure with hay in the late fall.they would burrow into it and come out when it was warm enough.are you in north or south jersey?

      i never lost one and hibernated them outside in hay for 10yrs or so.

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    11. #11
      Swimming Jewel's Avatar
      Swimming Jewel is offline Queen of the Jungle
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      Southold, Long Island
      Posts
      15,196
      Cute habitat!

      I'm thinking that's a boy though because of the red eyes.

      http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/m...le/boxinfo.htm
      ...Joyce

      www.peacefulponds.org

      “Guilt is always jealous.”
      John Ray


      “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature.
      It will never fail you.”

      Frank Lloyd Wright


      “There is only one good; knowledge, and one evil; ignorance” ...Socrates

      'When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.' ...Sinclair Lewis

      No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy ... USMC



    12. #12
      KatR is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2004
      Location
      texas
      Posts
      4,173
      Very nice & love the little stream inside the enclosure. Bet the turtle is really enjoying it. The lily pond is a nice touch.

    13. #13
      jeffcopeland's Avatar
      jeffcopeland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2005
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      2,188
      Quote Originally Posted by kev View Post
      we just filled the enclosure with hay in the late fall.they would burrow into it and come out when it was warm enough.are you in north or south jersey?

      i never lost one and hibernated them outside in hay for 10yrs or so.

      I'm in central NJ (Monmouth County) I've only hibernated one turtle a Common Musk and she died. I've never lost a koi. I will probably do hibernation, but might skip this winter. I'm not sure how well she was cared for prior to me. This will give me some time to give her a proper and nutrition diet and make sure she is in the best of health before going through with it.
      I'm glad to hear you've had good results

    14. #14
      Rick Gippner's Avatar
      Rick Gippner is offline Supporting Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      May 2006
      Location
      At work mostly, sometimes at home
      Posts
      8,290
      Any concern of a raccoon carrying it off?

    15. #15
      jeffcopeland's Avatar
      jeffcopeland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2005
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      2,188
      Quote Originally Posted by Swimming Jewel View Post
      Cute habitat!

      I'm thinking that's a boy though because of the red eyes.

      http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/m...le/boxinfo.htm

      They told me when they first got her, she laid eggs so.............

    16. #16
      jeffcopeland's Avatar
      jeffcopeland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2005
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      2,188
      Quote Originally Posted by Kat View Post
      Very nice & love the little stream inside the enclosure. Bet the turtle is really enjoying it. The lily pond is a nice touch.
      Thanks, yeah I'm going backwards. I started with a large koi pond and now I've got a little $80 preformed water garden from Home Depot.

    17. #17
      jeffcopeland's Avatar
      jeffcopeland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2005
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      2,188
      Quote Originally Posted by Rick Gippner View Post
      Any concern of a raccoon carrying it off?
      Yes, I do think of it often. I've only seen a raccoon once in 14 years in my backyard last April though.

      I've bought a motion detector light which I haven't hook up yet. I also have a motion detector Scarecrow that I don't use because I kept squirting myself when using it around my birdfeeders to discourage cats. Might try hooking that up again.

    18. #18
      prestongohlke is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jan 2009
      Location
      Fort Worth
      Posts
      546
      Laura told me she asked about turtles at petsmart the other day and they told her it is no longer legal to buy/own turtles in texas ????

    19. #19
      JanR is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Feb 2007
      Location
      Boise, Idaho
      Posts
      289
      That is really pretty!! If I was a turtle, I certainly would want that for a home.

    20. #20
      jeffcopeland's Avatar
      jeffcopeland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2005
      Location
      NJ
      Posts
      2,188
      Quote Originally Posted by prestongohlke View Post
      Laura told me she asked about turtles at petsmart the other day and they told her it is no longer legal to buy/own turtles in texas ????

      Turtles are legal to own in NJ you just can't sell them. You have to buy out of state. I've bought most of my turtles from Florida

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •