My 6 yr old wants a box turtle?

Question

My son really wants a box turtle we saw at a pet store and i'm thinking of getting her, he has an anole that he takes care of and earns the money for her food so I know he will take care of the turtle, but I don't know if a box turtle is good for his first turtle and i'm not sure about the proper care. We want her to live a long healthy happy life but i'm not sure how to provide it, and the pet store wasn't to informative either

It's an ornate box turtle

Answer 1

Just say "No"!
Box turtles are not appropriate pets for a 5 year old.
Ornate boxies are notoriously picky about their husbandry requirements & most of those sold through pet stores die within a year.
Plus udoubtedly this box turtle is a wild caught animal taken out of it's home range. Only buy CB - captive born - animals, otherwise you are contributing to their eventual extinction.

Answer 2

Hi. I wouldn't get him a turtle. I'm 35 and I have 2 box turtles one of which is an ornate box.Keeping them healthy takes a lot of time and money. More than you might think. They need special uva/uvb lights,Fresh food and vegetables,special vitamin and mineral powders for the food.They also have specific heat and humidity needs.My ornate likes daytime heat of 82-87 degrees with a basking spot that's slightly warmer. At night the heat has to drop to between 72- 77. His humidity I keep at 45-60%. To do this I need a daytime lightbulb,a nighttime bulb and a basking bulb.Each one cost between 3-9 dollars. I also have a heater in the room with him that can be programmed to keep the room at the right temp. and a humidifier runs 24 hours a day to maintain the correct humidity. Turtles need to go to a veterinarian to have their nails and beaks trimmed every 6 or so months. The vet has to specialize in reptiles. Finding one where you live may be difficult depending on your location. My turtle vet is 40 miles away. Pet turtles can get sick easily if their tanks get to cold,also if they are handled too much the stress can kill them. My ornate has gotten sick twice in the 4 years that I've had him. The first time he needed a series of 10 vitamin B12 shots. I had to inject him 2 times a day,which was not easy. The second time he injested some of his bedding substrate,which said it was turtle safe but it blocked his intestine. He required a 24 hour vet stay where he received a barium treatment that required an x-ray an hour for 18 hours.Over the last 4 years I've spent close to $1000.00 dollars just on vet. bills. Lastly, make sure that you know if you go on vacation you will need someone to look after your turtle. They can't be left with just food and water for a week. They need fresh food and water every day.Just something else to think about.I don't want to put you off turtles.They make great pets.Each one has a unique personality and their really cute. Just make sure you realise they are labor intensive and can be expensive.Also,turtles can live a long time. My ornate is about 15 years old and my eastern box is 50 years old(my vet gave him to me when his original owner could no longer care for him). I would recommed finding a good reptile vet in your area and talking to them about when would be a good time to get your son a turtle.Also books such as turtles for dummies can explain the care and enviorment needed for several types of turtles.You may also want to find a herpitological society in your area.Most big cities have them.Take your time and consider the expense and time needed to properly care for a turtle. Do alot of research and keep in mind your decision effects not only you and your son but also the life of the turtle. In the meantime why not visit a local zoo or wildlife center and have fun watching turtles while you learn about them.

Answer 3

1. The Ornate box turtle is one of the tricky species. Some people claim they are easy, but few keepers manage to keep them for very long. They have an especially bad reputation for indoor pens- they can do OK outdoors if you live in their natural range.

2. The websites below can help you learn more about box turtles and their needs. Boxies can be good pets, but they take some research, good set-up, and some effort to keep well.

Answer 4

North American box turtles are mainly terrestrial turtles, although they do spend some time in shallow water (Asian box turtles tend to be a bit more aquatic). Compared to aquatic turtles such as red eared sliders, they are more challenging and complex pets, and are not the best choice for beginning turtle owners. With a potential life span of up to 100 years, these turtles obviously require a long term commitment (however, the average life span of captive box turtles is probably closer to only 40-50 years).

Answer 5

Turtles are dirty, dirty pets. It is way too much responsibility for a 6 year old, and a child that age shouldn't even be coming in contact with turtles as they carry extremely high levels of salmonella.
Say no to the turtle. Find him a pet that's better suited to his age range.

Answer 6

go out to the pond and get him a "painted turtle" a.k.a. green turtles, and DON"T make the mistake of grabbing a snaper.
keep the humidity at around 70-80% and place an artificial pond in the enclosure feed him fish, sea food and of course, artificial turtle food from the local pet store.

Answer 7

Ornate box turtle:
Terrapene ornata ornata









Ornate box turtles are among the most sensitive and difficult of North American species to maintain successfully. We do not recommend this species for beginners. They inhabit a variety of environments, from grassy plains to damp forest floors. They make extensive use of burrows and microclimates. Glass aquarium tanks are categorically not appropriate for this species. They do best in carefully landscaped outdoor enclosures, or in large, indoor terraria with adequate substrate depth. For a substrate, we recommend light peat-based potting compost mixed with damp sphagnum moss. This should be at least 3-4" (75-100 mm) deep. It is imperative that Ornate box turtles are not allowed to become dehydrated - so dry tanks with excessive heat are a major source of problems. Ensure that box turtle habitats are provided with plenty of shade, have a shallow 'soaking' tray of fresh, clean water permanently available, and that temperatures are maintained from 80-85 ºF in one area to approximately 70 ºF in another. On no account over-heat or allow dehydration to occur. Spray the area regularly and ensure that the substrate retains adequate humidity at all times. Environmental problems usually manifest as swollen and infected eyes, ear abscesses and kidney diseases. As virtually all box turtles sold are wild-caught, parasitic diseases are also very common. Look out for Bot fly larvae infections, flagellate infestations and nematodes (intestinal 'worms'). All will require treatment from a specialist veterinarian. Ornate box turtles are highly carnivorous. Provide calcium-dusted crickets, mealworms, waxworms and earthworms on a regular basis. Pinkie mice are also very important. Over-ripe fruits and green-leaf salads are also essential.


http://www.boxturtlesite.org/bxbook.html
http://www.marietta.edu/~mcshaffd/boxt/care.html
http://www.turtlecare.net/box_turt.htm

Answer 8

dont give him a box turtle- they are high maintenance pets and not appropriate for 6 year olds- try a puppy, they are always great pets to get young children. they will live much longer, they are playful and you can hug them as u cant with turtles. try a labrador.

Answer 9

there is a lot of work involved in caring for turtles in general i would look up box turtles online and research research research before i buy.because they need cages cleaned several times a week and heated rocksand special food and dirt to burrow in

Answer 10

container turtles have become rarer interior the wild. RESs, on the different hand, are very plentiful. Do your analyze on the RES and make certain whether you will possibly choose one. that would desire to be my determination of the two.