AMERICAN BOX TURTLES

North American box turtles are a common pet reptile. They are often sold as an easy-to-keep, problem-free pet that requires minimal care from their keeper. Although their care requirements are not as time consuming as that of a traditional pet like a dog, box turtles are not necessarily a simple pet to care for. Some specific requirements must be met for them to live well in captivity. They also have a long lifespan, and some have been documented to live for over 100 years in captivity. It’s important to consider both that their care requirements may be difficult to meet and that they have a long lifespan prior to purchasing a turtle. If the proper research is done before buying a box turtle and it is a well-planned decision, box turtles make great captives and are a pet that can be enjoyed for decades.

North America is home to diverse populations of turtles and tortoises. This webpage will cover some of the more common turtles encountered in the in the pet trade. This is a new page, with only three genera so far, but more info and more species will be available soon.

Box turtles are lovely creatures, and they can be good pets, but you need to think long and hard before you bring one home. While juvenile box turtles usually adjust to an indoor terrarium, most experts agree that the best housing for adults is outdoors. Unless you have the facilities to build a good sized outdoor pen for your box turtle, where it can spend at least a good part of the year, they you should think twice before getting a box turtle.