New baby box turtle owner. Habitat help?

Question

I have a glass aquarim and I want to add some simple bedding that can be easily cleaned. I was thinking sand or small stones. Any advice? I keep hearing I need to add dirt but I'm keeping him indoors and dont want to attract bugs.

p.s. be gentle.. I'm a new owner. :P

Answer 1

Glass Aquarims are bad for turtles  Some box turtles will obsessively try to get through the glass to get to the larger area that they can see on the other side. Others become frightened by any activity in the room and will not relax until the sides are covered....One type of indoor container that actually works quite well is a large Rubbermaid tub.

One substrate that works well is a combination of potting soil, sand, leaf mulch and sphagnum moss. When misted every day, it holds humidity well. A product called "Bed-a-Beast" is recommended by many people for the same reason.

Burrowing into the substrate and/or hiding under a hollow log or "cave" of some sort makes box turtles feel secure. Just a small cardboard box will work fine, but a variety of logs and caves are sold at many pet stores. You should also make the substrate deep enough for the turtle to burrow completely under

Flat rocks in one area will help keep the turtle's toenails in good shape.

All box turtles need high humidity. Dry air can cause eye irritation and even respiratory illness. It can literally kill a box turtle. Even the so-called desert box turtles (Terrapene ornata luteola) do their best to avoid dry air. They burrow into moist soil and come out at dawn and dusk when dew moistens everything at ground level, and become highly active in rain. Thoroughly mist the terrarium every day. Your turtle is likely to be most eager to eat right after being misted. Keeping potted plants in the terrarium will offer a comforting natural look, and also help maintain high humidity.

Box turtles enjoy wading and soaking in water, so provide some sort of pool. They will often defecate in their water container, and that helps keep the enclosure clean, if the water is replaced daily. Box turtles kept indoors should be placed in water to soak every day. Box turtles may be clumsy swimmers, but many of them do seem to enjoy it if a deeper pond is available in an outdoor enclosure. Some box turtles will swim in an outdoor pond for over an hour almost every warm day. Others just wade and soak in the shallow end. Make sure there is an easy exit so a swimming box turtle does not become exhaused. Also, cold water can disable a turtle that falls in or enters to swim. A warm water pond with an easy exit will be appreciated by many American box turtles and poses no significant danger of drowning.

PLEASE DO NOT USE SAND OR SMALL ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

first off the glass aquarium will not work, the turtle will continuously slam its head into the side of the tank.

What you can do is get a shallow storage bin, that are really cheap.

When I first got mine, i too was skeptical about the dirt, but it has been fine for me. You can get a bag of potting soil, which works great.

Dirt is needed so the turtle can burrow in it. It rarely needs to be changed. Mine usually goes to the bathroom, while in her water. The only thing I don't like about the dirt is when she walks around the house, she makes a little mess. But as long as you wipe off the turtle first it should be fine.

I have heard sand isn't good for them, but I'm not positive. You may want to look into it.

Also, if you are keeping it inside (which isn't the best for it)

make sure to take it outside to walk around in the sun for a while, and keep a uvb light in the tank.

hope I helped, feel free to e mail me if you have any questions.

Good luck :)