We found a box turtle living in our backyard and my kids want to keep it for a pet. I don't want a turtle in the house, but am open to some sort of outdoor arrangement just for the summer. We have made a pen with chicken wire for now. What more should we do? And any info about the turtle and taking care of it would be appreciated.
Have you checked the turtle's feet and counted its toes yet? Three-toed box turtles are the most common land turtles in Arkansas so that's likely what you've found. The turtle should look a little off balance with five toes on each of the front feet and three on the two back feet, says Lauren Marshall, education program specialist at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in Little Rock.
The extra toes on the turtle's front feet aid in digging so they aren't needed on the back feet, which are used merely to propel the turtle forward. Marshall says box turtles are most active at this time of year, which is when people typically spot them in their yards or scuttling along in grassy areas and roadsides.
Since these turtles are not on any endangered species list, it is lawful to keep them as pets, Marshall says. Keeping it outdoors is best for the turtle, but you'll need to make sure the turtle's habitat is secure so that it will be safe from predators. Use a fully enclosed mesh pen like those used for house rabbits or other small animals. Depending on the turtle's size, you might be able to use a wire dog crate.
The pen should be placed in a grassy area that provides the turtle with access to sun and shade. An article at reptilesmagazine.com suggests that the pen be as large as possible and at least 20 inches tall. Try to make the pen environment as naturalistic as possible with dwarf shrubs, ground cover and small logs.
Marshall says box turtles need constant access to clean, fresh water. You'll need to provide your turtle with two water dishes -- one for drinking water and a second that the turtle will use as a bathroom. Place the containers on a board at one end of the pen and remember to change the water daily.
Reptiles magazine recommends using paint trays or plastic plant saucers as water dishes. Box turtles live on land and cannot swim so their water dishes need to be shallow and easy to enter and exit.
An adult turtle -- one that's 4 to 6 inches long -- needs a varied diet, Marshall says. The box turtle living at the nature center where she works eats lettuce, soft carrots, bananas and seasonal fruit such as strawberries. She says she has learned that the turtle doesn't like apples and that acidic fruits will cause it to have messy gastrointestinal problems.
Turtles need protein, which they can get from live earthworms, night crawlers and crickets. You also can buy commercial turtle food pellets at pet supply stores. Pellet food is enriched with vitamins and minerals the turtle needs to stay healthy. Land and aquatic turtles have different dietary needs so make sure you buy food labeled specifically for box turtles.
If you plan to release the turtle back into the wild, Marshall says, do so within a few months. Box turtles that are kept long term in captivity shouldn't be released because they will have lost the instincts necessary to care for and feed themselves in the wild.
If you're in Little Rock, consider visiting the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center at 602 President Clinton Ave. to get more information about box turtles as well as other wildlife.
In other parts of Arkansas, people can learn about wildlife, plants and local ecosystems at Arkansas Game and Fish Commission nature and education centers in Pine Bluff, Jonesboro, Fort Smith, Yellville, Columbus, Ponca and Casscoe.
You can obtain information about all of the centers at tinyurl.com/nyvoqly.
Family on 05/31/2017