Habitat Guidelines: Outdoor Pens for Box Turtles
- pen must be predator-proof as
appropriate to your area (dog, raccoon, fox, skunk, coyote, etc.)
- fencing must be opaque, at least 18" high, and buried
at least 4" in substrate
- in Colorado,
nighttime low temperatures should be at least 45F by May 15th and turtles should
be able to live outdoors for at least 5 months of the year
- minimum size for one or two turtles/small tortoises: 80 sq. ft.; Three: 100 sq. ft.
- recessed
water dish accessible from all sides for entry and exit
- artificial or natural hides (one for each turtle plus
one additional)
- brush pile for
burrowing
- live vegetation
- CoRHS recommendations: Spiderwort(Tradescantia ssp.
), strawberry, squash, sunflower, dandelion, globe mallow, bindweed,
grasses
- for a list of toxic plants to
avoid, please see the California Turtle & Tortoise Club's list of poisonous
plants: www.tortoise.org/general/poisonp.html
- areas of shade and areas of
morning sun
- males should not outnumber
females
Habitat Guidelines: Outdoor Pens for Box Turtles - Colorado Reptile Humane Society
