Can I see your Eastern Box turtle habitats/enclosures?

[Bubbus]

We are looking to make a new habitat for our boxie, Bubbus. Just wanted to see other setups for ideas. Thanks!

 

[The_Interloper]

Here's my 8'x8'x2' enclosure that houses 1.3.0 ETB's.

 

[bigjej]

Thats a very nice enclosure. Do you have an underground guard to prevent them from burrowing out?

 

[bigjej]

Also, what kind of wood did you use? I've been pondering building outdoor enclosures for my 3-Toed BT and RFT but can't really figure out how to do it without risking escapees. Heck cant even figure out the proper non-treated wood to use that wouldnt rot.

 

[The_Interloper]

Thanks. No, I don't have much of an underground guard. The pen is buried about 3" into the dirt but that's about it. I've been keep these same turtles for over 20 years in the same type of pen and I've never had one try to dig out. The trick I found to keeping turtles from escaping is to trick them into thinking they're not penned in. When a turtle come to an obstacle it's either going to a) go around it, b) dig under it, or c) climb over it. To keep my turtles from feeling like they're not penned in I use large spaced rabbit fencing that is green in color.

Here's an extreme closeup of the wire I use.

I used pressure treated lumber for this pen. The new stuff doesn't have all the bad copper/arsenic in it like it did in the past. But if I was to build a new pen I would use that new synthetic wood that they use for decks that's made from recycled plastic. Obviously this stuff with last for pretty much ever. It's a little more expensive but would be well worth it.

 

[geckobabies]

That is an amazing enclosure and beautiful pets! Great job!

 

[The_Interloper]

Thanks!

 

[beastquake]

 

[beastquake]

i own a small landscaping business and took landscape design. im the only person in nj, pa, and de that i know of that designs and builds these. ive done them with streams, ponds, for water turtle...you name it. my next one for myself is gonna be 900sqft eith arbor and dock

 

[beastquake]

We are looking to make a new habitat for our boxie, Bubbus. Just wanted to see other setups for ideas. Thanks!

i would love to discuss this with you. having done so many, ive learned the location can affect the eggs and they wont hatch. i prefer a running water pond kit that is cheap. if you want a drawing lemme know cause i was a draftsman and the engineer before landscaper.

1. they love hastas and hastas ate cheap
2. go to wal mart and plant a black berry bush and blue berry bush
3. i put lattuce up and am growing grapes now
4. i like to go 6 or 8 inches down with chicken wire and curve it into the pen and bury it

 

[goReptiles]

Those box turtles are some of the nicest I've seen. I love the pens.

 

[BuddyS]

My new turtle pen

Just got done with my new turtle pen, it is 8' x 8' with pull out deviders, one side for the box turtles and the other side for the cherryhead torts(not in it yet, need to get another water pan). Their old pen was only about a third of the new pen with no dividers. The cost was only $88 and one day off hard labor due to burying the bottom third panel into the ground by choping roots etc. so they dont dig out. Next thing to do is to make a hibernation hole, but I have time for that.

 

[BuddyS]

My new turtle pen, larger pics

larger pics of my new turtle pen

 

[Bubbus]

Wow! Everyone's enclosures are great! Thanks for sharing pics!

 

[timebider]

i would love to discuss this with you. having done so many, ive learned the location can affect the eggs and they wont hatch. i prefer a running water pond kit that is cheap. if you want a drawing lemme know cause i was a draftsman and the engineer before landscaper.

1. they love hastas and hastas ate cheap
2. go to wal mart and plant a black berry bush and blue berry bush
3. i put lattuce up and am growing grapes now
4. i like to go 6 or 8 inches down with chicken wire and curve it into the pen and bury it

Hey, Beast, can you share what kind of water pond kit you use? How easy is it to maintain? I'm thinking about installing a turtle pen that would be about 2/3 under my deck, with 1/3 in the sun. I'd fill it up with hostas and ferns, and I do have established blueberry, grape, strawberry, raspberry and blackberry plants (though they're all in beds). I work at a drafting table in front of the windows under the deck and it would be really cool to have that view - I must confess, I have also always wanted a mini-pond!

 

[mbm6]

Box turtle pen

1.1 ornate Boxies have lived here for the past two years. Alll year long.

 

[bigjej]

How do you keep the ornates from digging out ?

 

[mbm6]

I dug a trench and buried 8"X 16" X 3" solid cement blocks arround the entire edge and the fenciing is also buried 8 inches beside the blocks.