Box turtles are wonderful turtles, but they do not make the easiest of pets. They have fairly specific requirements which are hard to meet unless you can build them a nice pen outdoors. In addition, many species of North American box turtles hibernate, which complicates their husbandry. Still, if you have the time and space, you may be interested in a box turtle, and I have profiles of four of the most common pet box turtles native to North America:
-Eastern Box Turtle
-Three Toed Box Turtle
-Gulf Coast Box Turtle
-Ornate Box Turtle
General information on choosing a box turtle as a pet and species information can be found in "Box Turtle Species"
Image Copyright Steve Cole / Getty Images
Comments
Box turtles make amazing pets! I had named Tommy as a child — he was very sweet and outgoing, and never bit me once! I was able to keep him until there was a law passed that prohibited the keeping of turtles in Tennessee. He was, however, one of the neatest pets I’ve ever owned!
Thanks for the comment Alyson – they are indeed lovely animals. They are a bit trickier to care for than many people realize, but as you say, with the right care they can be very nice pets!