Desert Box Turtle

Desert box turtle are quite admired by people as a pet because of their different looks. It is a member of emydidae family and is mostly found in Trans Pecos region of Texas, New Mexico, south east Arizona, United States and Chihuahua in Mexico. It has a dull brown body with indistinct dark markings on it. The skin of this turtle is dark with some yellow greenish markings. The head of this turtle has greenish markings. Male desert box turtles have red eyes whereas female turtles have brown eyes. The average size of desert box turtle is 35 cm.

1. Why desert box turtles make good pets: Desert box turtles make good pets because they are attractive, intelligent and interesting. They are hardly noticed because they are quiet, calm and slow moving animals. They can be hardy when provided with the right environment and have quite modest requirements. It is a good idea to keep them as pet as they have long life span. If you are thinking of keeping adult desert box turtle then keep in mind that that the adult turtle requires large space to stay in.
2. Housing for desert box turtle: Desert box turtle tends to do well either outdoors or in a large indoor enclosure. They require large space to stay and roam in. One should add a substrate of a mixture of play sand, peat moss and pea gravel in their turtle enclosure. Enclosure of this turtle should be kept more arid. It is a good idea to place the enclosure in a sunny area. The enclosure should be properly ventilated. Plant such as succulents and cacti can be placed in their enclosure. One should spray water under their shelter every week in order to keep the area humid. It is important to provide two UVB emitting bulbs in their desert box turtle habitat. This turtle requires arid, open prairie areas to survive.
3. Feeding habit of desert box turtle: They are omnivorous animal and love to be fed on live foods like – earthworms, red worms, wax worms, crickets, pink mice and goldfish. It s advisable to avoid giving cat food to your desert box turtle as it is high in fat and protein which can cause obesity and shell deformities.
4. Breeding desert box turtle: Male desert box turtle reaches maturity at the age of eight to nine years whereas female reaches maturity at the age of ten years. Mating usually takes place in spring season. They can be good breeder if they are provided with secure and healthy environment. They can produce multiple eggs in breeding season. These turtles can go downhill very quickly if kept in too dry, too cold or too wet area. This type of turtle requires high humidity to breed. One should not remove the hatchling turtle from the eggs because they require 2 to 4 days to fully absorb the yolk after breaking through the shell.

Desert box turtle require proper care and attention to become great pet. Before purchasing desert box turtle for your home make sure that you are able to fulfill the above mentioned requirements.