Hi todd -- in NC we see box & other turtles show up in urban & weird places after nearby (or not-so-nearby) woods get cleared for development. As Chris found out, they need good DEEP well-rotted stump holes to hibernate - a lacking resource after land grubbing/grading. Timber harvest alone doesnt destroy their habitat as long as stumps are left in place. i doubt they can live long-term in residential areas without LARGE tracts of adjacent woods with old stump holes.
worms, slugs, fresh-killed grasshoppers & crickets, strawberries, blackberries are good bets for a newly captured box. moist dog & cat food might work if you mash some fruit into it. Inverts & fruit seem to be their main wild diet - not big on greens, like sliders & gopher tortoise.
i've heard their homing instinct is pretty strong, & if relocated they dont often stay where you put them. if home is destroyed, they may just keep wandering until road-killed or some other human-related fate. but its worth a try if there's good habitat available nearby.
also, despite Martin's comment, turtle rehab folks get plenty of box turtles chewed by dogs.
Hope she adapts to wherever she ends up -- gerald pottern
nanfa-l-digest <owner-nanfa-l-digest-in-nanfa.org> wrote:Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 10:48:22 -0400
From: "Crail, Todd"
Subject: NANFA-L-- OT: Box Turtle Reintroduction Advice
Hi gang, sorry to use the list for herp stuff... But we've got a little =
gal here that needs a hand.=20
My parents neighbor found a female box turtle (plastron is 5") in their =
yard yesterday. As "suburbia" for as long as it is in their =
neighborhood, I imagine someone brought it home and then dumped it. =
Everyone sprays the heck out of their lawns and so forth, the nearest =
woods are 1/4 mile away along the Swan Creek cooridoor. In any case.. =
It was surrounded by dogs and kids and well (they were going to take it =
inside, but I used my Fish Guy Mind Trick gah)... If anything, she =
really lost her way. Or.. I made a mistake moving her. That's possible =
too :)
I asked the preserve manager about putting her in-in-Kitty Todd. He =
said that they die when moved from their home range. Anyone know =
anything about this? Given that we don't know its home range, what =
would you (or someone who works with turtles) suggest? To a preserve or =
back to the wooded corridoor?
It might also be good to have a herper give it a looky before it gets =
placed anywhere for disease. I've got an APB out to my local herper =
buddies-in-the Zoo. =20
Also.. What should I feed her in the meantime? I've got nightcrawlers, =
can get slugs and isopods from the woodlot next to my apartment. =
Berries? Any greens?
If there were any suggestions for care or procedure in the meantime, I =
wanted to act as quickly as possible, thus the post. =20
Thanks in advance for any help!
Todd
The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, OH
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com
Can't help with the reintroduction question, but here's some feeding info:
When I was a kid, we had lots of box turtles that wandered into the neighborhood from the adjacent woods. Now the woods have been replaced by a car dealership and a Burger King. :-(
Anyways, we had success feeding the turtles leftover moist catfood, tomatoes, and white bread soaked in water. Worms, though, were their favorite food. Our turtles thrived, actually reproducing in our backyard, until they were wiped out by a severe winter. Apparently, the turtles did not bury deep enough for their winter hibernation.
Chris Scharpf
formerly Bread and Cheese Creek
Baltimore
---------------------------------
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<DIV>
<DIV>Hi todd -- in NC we see box & other turtles show up in urban & weird places after nearby (or not-so-nearby) woods get cleared for development. As Chris found out, they need good DEEP well-rotted stump holes to hibernate - a lacking resource after land grubbing/grading. Timber harvest alone doesnt destroy their habitat as long as stumps are left in place. i doubt they can live long-term in residential areas without LARGE tracts of adjacent woods with old stump holes. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>worms, slugs, fresh-killed grasshoppers & crickets, strawberries, blackberries are good bets for a newly captured box. moist dog & cat food might work if you mash some fruit into it. Inverts & fruit seem to be their main wild diet - not big on greens, like sliders & gopher tortoise.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>i've heard their homing instinct is pretty strong, & if relocated they dont often stay where you put them. if home is destroyed, they may just keep wandering until road-killed or some other human-related fate. but its worth a try if there's good habitat available nearby.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>also, despite Martin's comment, turtle rehab folks get plenty of box turtles chewed by dogs.</DIV>
<DIV>Hope she adapts to wherever she ends up -- gerald pottern</DIV><BR><BR><B><I>nanfa-l-digest <owner-nanfa-l-digest-in-nanfa.org></I></B> wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica>Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 10:48:22 -0400<BR>From: "Crail, Todd" <TCRAIL-in-UTNET.UTOLEDO.EDU><BR>Subject: NANFA-L-- OT: Box Turtle Reintroduction Advice<BR><BR><BR>Hi gang, sorry to use the list for herp stuff... But we've got a little =<BR>gal here that needs a hand.=20<BR>My parents neighbor found a female box turtle (plastron is 5") in their =<BR>yard yesterday. As "suburbia" for as long as it is in their =<BR>neighborhood, I imagine someone brought it home and then dumped it. =<BR>Everyone sprays the heck out of their lawns and so forth, the nearest =<BR>woods are 1/4 mile away along the Swan Creek cooridoor. In any case.. =<BR>It was surrounded by dogs and kids and well (they were going to take it =<BR>inside, but I used my Fish Guy Mind Trick gah)... If anything, she =<BR>really lost her way. Or.. I made a mistake moving her. That's possible =<BR>too
:)<BR>I asked the preserve manager about putting her in-in-Kitty Todd. He =<BR>said that they die when moved from their home range. Anyone know =<BR>anything about this? Given that we don't know its home range, what =<BR>would you (or someone who works with turtles) suggest? To a preserve or =<BR>back to the wooded corridoor?<BR>It might also be good to have a herper give it a looky before it gets =<BR>placed anywhere for disease. I've got an APB out to my local herper =<BR>buddies-in-the Zoo. =20<BR>Also.. What should I feed her in the meantime? I've got nightcrawlers, =<BR>can get slugs and isopods from the woodlot next to my apartment. =<BR>Berries? Any greens? <BR>If there were any suggestions for care or procedure in the meantime, I =<BR>wanted to act as quickly as possible, thus the post. =20<BR>Thanks in advance for any help!<BR>Todd<BR>The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, OH<BR>Ihttp://www.farmertodd.com
<DIV>Can't help with the reintroduction question, but here's some feeding info:<BR><BR>When I was a kid, we had lots of box turtles that wandered into the neighborhood from the adjacent woods. Now the woods have been replaced by a car dealership and a Burger King. :-(<BR><BR>Anyways, we had success feeding the turtles leftover moist catfood, tomatoes, and white bread soaked in water. Worms, though, were their favorite food. Our turtles thrived, actually reproducing in our backyard, until they were wiped out by a severe winter. Apparently, the turtles did not bury deep enough for their winter hibernation.<BR><BR>Chris Scharpf<BR>formerly Bread and Cheese Creek<BR>Baltimore<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></FONT><p>
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