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Description:
Florida Box turtles are one of the prettiest box turtles,
even though that is hard to argue since they are all
beautiful. These turtles have a black shell with yellow
specks scattered acrossed the carapace. They have yellow
plastron with some black blotches at random. Their heads
tend to match their carapace. The shell of the male will
have a concave plastron for breeding and a longer thicker
tail. Females will be more round or oval looking with a
flat plastron and shorter tail. They range in size from 4-7
inches. Males are usually larger.
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Distribution:
These turtles roam most of Florida and also into some parts
of southern Georgia. These turtles are not as common in
Florida as Eastern box turtles are to many other states.
Their habitat has been destructed and is causing them to
wonder in to the roadways where they are run over.
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Diet:
Florida box turtles, as most box turtles, will eat a large
variety a foods. They eat melons, corn on the cob, beef,
chicken, romaine, banana, strawberries, raspberries,
blackberries, worms, crickets, pinky mice, small birds,
frogs, even small hatchling turtles. Their favorite tend to
be any kind of insect. It is good to offer them a large
variety of foods to make sure they get their nutrition.
Calcuim and Herptivite powder can be sprinkled on their food
every once in a while. Rep-cal makes a good product for
that. |
Enclosure: The
best way to keep florida box turtles is to place them in a
large tub or create some kind of outdoor wooden box or
turlte pen, just as long as the weather is good. You can do
this by using 2 x 12 lumber and build 4 standing walls
preventing escape. A wired hinged lid would definitely
prevent escape as well as help with keeping predators out.
Sometimes you even have a neighbor or friend that decides
they want your turtle, so locks are a good option to go
with.
Plants, shrubs or grasses should be added for comfort for
the turtle. On really hot days, these turtles will look to
get shade to keep from over heating. A pan of water or
small pond would work as well so the turtle can go for a
little swim when it is thirsty or hot.
Dirt as a substrate will work very well as it is soft on
their feet and will provide a nesting area incase a female
has to lay her eggs. If you are not breeding your Florida
box turtles, then pine chips could also work as a
substrate. Peat moss is a decent substrate as well for this
species.
Make sure you dont keep a lot of males together as they can
get a little territorial with one another, especially when
they are wanting to breed. They will sometimes bite at one
anothers face. Its not really a big deal as I have kept 7
males and 4 females in one 300 gallon tub with no problem.
The best ratio though is 1 male per 2 females as they become
very aggressive when breeding. Females can sometimes be
stressed if too many males are present.
They prefer day time temperatures from about 70-90 degrees
with a basking area of 85-90 degrees. They also like high
humidity. If kept inside, be sure to provide a heat lamp
and a UVB bulb for artificial sunlight.
Florida box turtles have been reported to be able to
hibernate outside in very cold area's such as NJ and NY, but
it is not recommended. |
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Breeding:
Breeding with Florida box turtles is very easy. Sometimes
right after a soaking will do the trick. I soak mine in a
tub every few days in about 2-3 inches of water, when this
happens the male will actually climb on top of the female or
right when I take them out of the tub. When kept outside,
an afternoon thunderstorm always seems to do the trick.
The concave plastron on the male allows him to climb on top
of the female easier. The breeding will take place usually
from a couple minutes to several hours. Be sure that if you
see breeding to check back every once in a while as the male
and female's tail get locked together sometimes and the male
can actually be stuck upside down for several hours causing
him to over heat.
They will breed anywhere from February through November,
especially when it rains outside or they are splashed with
the sprinkler or garden hose on a nice day.
Females will usually dig a nest in the ground as far as
their hind legs can reach. They prefer to pick an area
where there is a grass that has an overhang where the eggs
will not bake in the sun and the female will feel secure and
protected when she lays. She will usually lay anywhere from
2-7 eggs depending on how recent she was she bred and how
old she is.
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Hatchling:
Hatchling Florida box turtles will feed on basically
anything thats alive and small enough to fit in their
mouth. They will also feed on reptomin, however it is
really only possible when the reptomin in wet, so its a good
idea to have a small pan in their enclosure where they can
walk into and out of. They will eat the reptomin while
soaking in the water. They should double their size in 4-6
months after birth.
When they first hatch, they should have a yellow line down
their carapace and lack many of the yellow specks scattered
on their shell but they will appear as the turtle starts to
grow and become very abundant in a year or two. |
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