Box turtles have been known to live for 150 years. If you follow the advice given below, you will help yours to achieve a long healthy life. Your box turtle cannot live on lettuce. He is a meat eater. In nature he eats live and dead creatures (the whole animal.) This gives him all of his nourishment. He will also eat various fruits and vegetables when in the mood to do so. In captivity, you must try to imitate his natural environment. His physical and psychological needs must be met. He cannot meet these needs in an aquarium.

He is an Outdoor Turtle! The following is a list of foods he should eat:, little bits of raw steak, snails, earthworms, mealworms and crickets. He may enjoy corn-on-the-cob (raw), strawberries, tomatoes, melons, especially cantaloupe, peaches, apricots and sometimes they will nibble on lettuce. Older turtles seem to enjoy more fruits and vegetables. Leftover chicken and turkey, bones and all, should be offered also. Box turtles need water to drink, to soak in and to 'eliminate waste' in. They cannot swim, therefore, never put them in water too deep. They also need a place to hide and to sleep which can be a nice big pile of dried grass clippings and leaves which have never been exposed to any insecticide or fertilizer. Or, you can build him a cozy wooden house and fill it with leaves or shredded newspaper. Remember, they must feel secure. Once a week you can add some vitamins to the food or water. I use "Drop A Day" vitamins for birds by Geisler which is water soluble and will not gum up the turtle or the water.. Your box turtle may safely hibernate outdoors but he must never be in an area where it floods deeply. Instead of allowing him to dig face down into the mud and possibly drown, towards the end of summer, begin building up a high pile of grass clippings and leaves. A mulch pile to be exact. You will find that your turtle will go into this area and not underneath it. A small wooden structure can also be provided, such as a dog house and this can be filled with clean grass clippings and leaves and shredded newspaper. If you do not have an area in your yard that does not flood, then you can put your turtle into a box also filled with grass clippings, etc., moisten it and store him in your garage for the winter, making sure that the turtle remains moist. Keep the box up off of the floor and away from drafts and rats. Note: Those of you in colder climates will want to insulate your turtles against the severe cold and freezing temperatures. They will naturally dig down below the frost line if left alone as it is their nature to do so. Depending on the weather, box turtles usually hibernate from about the end of November until sometime in March. He will be sluggish upon awakening. Make sure that there is water available to him and in a few weeks he will be acting like his old self again. If your box turtle develops a runny nose and swollen eyes, bring him indoors immediately and keep him warm (86 degrees F.) constantly.. Let him soak in warm water up to his nose with a few drops of the vitamins mentioned above in the water for about an hour a day. Sometimes these symptoms are caused by dehydration. If no improvement is seen in a week or two, consult a veterinarian or a person experienced in treating turtles and tortoises. If you have to keep your box turtle awake all winter, be sure to keep him warm, give him lots of warm baths and keep him feeding. A Vita-Lite (sun substitute) is recommended for any turtle or tortoise which is kept constantly indoors. Please do not use snail bait anywhere in your yard. If you have a dog, please do not leave it alone with the turtle, and many They are not thrilled with lots of people traffic around them, nor do they enjoy being handled too much.