Posted by Bers "Box turtles were recently added to the CITES treaty as a "threatened" species and their export is now legally regulated. The Three-toed subspecies, from the southeastern US, is the one most commonly found in the pet trade, along with the closely related Ornate box turtle. Both are largely terrestrial, with the Three-toed variety having a greater affinity for an occasional soaking. Most adults reach about six inches in shell length." I think Box turtles are fairly easy to care for (I wouldn't know for sure, since I keep aquatic turtles), and as you see, they stay pretty small. However, they do have the longest lifespans of all animals, and commonly live over one hundred years, so you have to take that into consideration. Breeding turtles is a tricky business, but my book recommends you do if you can manage it, since breeding by amateur hobbyists allows turtles to be sold without there being a need to take them from the wild. Box turtles are one of the easiest species to breed, so that might influence you in their favor as well. Again, I'm sorry for the loss of your turtle. I recommend you get yourself a good turtle book, so you don't have to rely on the information of someone who might not know what they're talking about. I wish you the best of luck!
on 1/19/2002, 9:49 pm
The tortoise most commonly kept for a pet is probably the Box turtle. Here is some Box turtle info from my turtle book "An Owner's Guide to a Happy, Healthy Pet: The Turtle" by Lenny Flank, Jr.
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