how big will a box turtle get? Does the size of the aquarium or tub affect how big it will get?
by Aquaboy on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 | 6 Comments
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THE SIZE OF THE CONTANER DUS NOT CONTROLE HOW LARGE ANY ANIMAL GETS.
It gets like less 8-12 inches long and about 5 incehs wide and no the tank doesnt affect it growing. It will grow no matter what.
yes the contaner depends on the size and 8-12 inches
Box turtles get from 6 to 8 inches depending on the type. They reach their full size between 4 to 6 years of age. Box turtles do better with an indoor/outdoor enclosure set up. This is where they spend most of the time indoors, and spend some days when it is warm outside.
Basic Indoor Setup
==================
Note: It is best for box turtles to be kept outdoors at least some
of the time. If you are not able to provide an outdoor setup, a good
indoor setup can be made that meets the needs of the animal.
You can then use, for example, a kiddie pool type setup as a
temporary outdoor enclosure during warm days and at daytime only.
(See below.)
* A wood or plastic box, at least 2 by 3 feet (3 by 4 recommended)
and 1 1/2 feet high (box turtles climb well). Aquariums are not
recommended. One reason is that if the enclosure is going to be anywhere near a sunny
window. When the sun shines at an aquarium, it gets very hot inside,
and your turtle can die of heatstroke before you know it.
A cement mixing box would work well; or you can make your
own box from Formica, or regular wood that you coat with epoxy.
* An incandescent lamp or ceramic bulb that will heat an area of the
enclosure to 85-90F.
* A full spectrum light. Even if a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D3 is fed,
the full spectrum light is beneficial.
* A hide box. A wooden box, flower pot with a hole, or wood bark
are all excellent. Even a cardboard shoebox will do. It is
essential that a turtle has a place to hide. Stress can cause
disease and even death.
* A water dish large enough for the turtle to soak in and hang out.
About 1/2 inch of water. The turtle must be able to easily get in and
out of the dish. A flower pot saucer, shallow dog dish, or a paint
tray works well. American box turtles cannot swim! (Asian box
turtles love to wade and are able to swim for short distances.)
All turtles love to soak, especially on hot days, and all turtles
must have drinking water available at all times. (As a rule of
thumb for the depth of the water for American box turtles, the water
can cover the first circle of scutes of the carapace (top shell) when
the turtle is sitting in the water. For Asian box turtles, about an
inch or two of water are best; make it so the turtle can comfortably
stick its head out.)
READER COMMENT: Notes that American Box Turtles do know how to swim and
are seen doing it even in the wild on occasion.
* Substrate for the box. (There is some controversy on this
subject). If newspaper or grass carpet is used, you may want to
provide a box with peat-moss based potting soil for the turtle to
dig in. Box turtles love to burrow. Or you can use wood chips.
If you use newspaper, change it every couple of days. Grass carpet
needs to be cleaned thoroughly every few days (use weak bleach
solution and rinse well). Wood chips need to be replaced every
one to two weeks and must be kept dry to prevent growth of
bacteria. More cleaning is better! If you are lucky, your turtle
will defecate mostly in its water bowl, and you can leave the
substrate unchanged longer. Change the water bowl the moment you
notice fecal matter in it!
The dust from shavings seemed to cause some irritation leading to
prolapses in my turtles. I now use newspaper or grass carpet
exclusively indoors.
An ideal substrate from the turtle’s point of view is peat-moss
based potting soil mixed with orchid bark, slightly moistened. It
is messier and must be monitored for fungus growth, but the turtles
love it.
I have also used AlfaAlfa hay. The turtles love it. It needs to
be changed often, and it has a strong smell. I stopped using it, since
I didn’t want my room to smell like a stable all the time.
A colleague swears by Bed-a-Beast, a ground up coconut
shell litter that you soak to expand. Retains moisture but is less likely to
get moldy than soil (even sterilized potting soil). Fluffy, doesn’t compact,
so great for digging. Only drawback so far is with baby boxies–feces small,
harder to see & clean up because tend to get lost in the bedding. Still,
have had better results with this even with the babies. NOTE: Copycat
bedding by T-Rex is NOT as good (not just my experience), though I sure
couldn’t say why.
* Do not use pine shavings. The pine oil is poisonous!
* Avoid coarse and soggy media.
* Corn cobs are not recommended.
Basic Outdoor Setup
===================
* Keeping the turtles outside at least in summer, mostly duplicates
their natural environment.
* If you don’t want to hibernate the animal, you have to take it
indoors as soon as it gets cooler and the turtle slows down and
does not eat as much. You must take Asian box turtles indoors–they
do not hibernate and will die outdoors if the temperature drops too
low.
* Pay attention to the following:
* Don’t let turtles roam/eat in a yard that has had
pesticides applied to in the last few years.
* The enclosure must be escape-proof against burrowing.
* A screen top should be used to keep vermins out.
* A hide box in the shade must be provided.
* The turtle area must be free of poisonous plants.
* I use the following setup: An old kiddy pool filled with grass
clippings and leafs (only if you don’t fertilize your grass, or
use any kinds of weed or other killers on it!), or with newspaper.
A flower pot for hiding. A board over some of the pool for shade.
A large flat bowl with water. Of course, from there you can take
it in many directions for a more beautiful and and fancier setup!
Many people build beautiful covered wooden outdoor pens for their
box turtles.
* Make sure the outdoor setup has at least partial shade during the
hottest part of the day.
* If you leave the turtles outside overnight, make a cover to keep out
opossums or racoons. Cats aren’t usually interested in adult turtles.
You can use 1 by 2s and screen to make a cover.
The cover must be firmly connected to the base, otherwise a racoon
can lift it and still snatch the turtle. Racoons are smart!
Visit a helpful website (quoted above)
http://www.turtlecare.net/box_turt.htm
As far as the size of the container affecting the size of the animal, it may seem that way. I don’t think that there have been any studies that prove or disprove it. I know that it at least seems like that with goldfish. So I imagine it does with turtles too. If given enough room, I doubt it will out grow its tank size.
No it wont. It depends how much food it eats.
i raise box turtles and none of mine are more than 8 in long
and they are all over 25 yr
the only time i saw one larger it was about 12 inches and it was the Florida box, we couldn’t keep it with our others as he was just too big and aggressive