![]() ![]() The best of both worlds: at times they behave like a tortoise, slowly and deliberately going about their routine as if they planned out their whole day ahead of time. They readily adjust to new environments and soon learn to recognize their keepers. The trick with this species is to start with very well established individuals carefully help them to acclimate and keep their husbandry and habitats consistent. Ours readily eat pellets, cut up beef heart, super worms and earthworms and dark leafy greens. Mainly carnivores, Desert Box Turtles will eat meat, insects, some greens, vegetables & fruits. Many Desert Box turtles have lived over 30 years for their keepers (some have lived more than 40). They spend most of their time, basking, foraging for food and resting. With full sized adults reaching only 4 - 5 inches, Desert Box turtles are an excellent condo or apartment turtle. Once acclimated, Desert Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata luteola) are excellent turtles to keep. They do well in a land set up with a small water basin. Remember that hatchling Box turtles are a bit more demanding than adults, and are not for keepers just starting out. They are feeding well on small earth worms, baby super worms, cut fish, small insects, pellets, greens - and anything that moves. Ranging in West Texas and South Eastern Arizona and Mexico, Dessert Box Turtles are the rarest of the American Box Turtles - in nature, as well as for keepers to find. They will make use of a small, clean water bowl. Adults are even more cut out for dry/arid living than their Ornate cousins. Hatchlings have extraordinarily large heads for their bodies - making them excellent feeders. Like Ornates, Desert Box Turtles have both the high contrast and the faded & spotted patterned shell colors. Their shells are a bit lighter and their skin and head coloring tends to be brighter than Ornate Box Turtles. Desert Box Turtles are the Western sub species of Ornate Box Turtles. Almost never seen, Desert Box Turtles are protected through out their natural range, and are only bred in limited numbers. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |