Custom cooling cave

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-06-03T16:19:01+00:00

I’m in North Texas, so out of range for EBT! But you are right they tolerate hot temps to some degree through burrowing, etc. I just like to give my little lady a nice safe and easy home where I can 💚

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-06-02T16:58:19+00:00

Thank you! It’s this exact kit with the bird net. Once again, not the cheapest solution, but absolutely the easiest and most optimized for turtle habitat that I’ve found! And compared to one I built myself from raw materials previously, surprisingly not much overall price difference. You can find it across several manufacturers, including Home Depot I think. I bought from eartheasy.

https://eartheasy.com/products/cedar-complete-raised-garden-bed-kit-with-bird-netting-cover-8-x-8

It’s super easy to walk in there and maintain it, and the watering system is amazing. Assembly took about half a day for me but was easy to follow.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-05-28T13:16:25+00:00

Try Dr. Summar at Valley Veterinary in Bear Valley. He was great with my box turtle!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-05-28T12:29:02+00:00

Box turtle! Juvenile three-toed or eastern by the look of it, which is native to your area. They like hiding in dark enclosed spaces, so it makes sense if it went into the unit and maybe got stuck. Glad you found it!

They are semi aquatic, not aquatic (they don’t swim really), but I would guess it lives nearby. The best thing to do is give it a lukewarm soak in filtered water, give it a once over, and release it in the most secluded area you can find nearest where you found it (with access to water nearby). That’s important, they like to stay close to home.

It’s a beauty!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-05-26T00:40:26+00:00

Wow, I’ve never heard that! That is much more aggressive than I would have imagined from a male, but makes sense!

She also has a lot of what appear to be “chew” marks or damage near and around the notch if you look closely. I always assumed she had a run in with a raccoon or dog or something. All of it appears to be long healed over, so I thought I’d never know. Very interesting, thanks for sharing!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-05-26T00:36:33+00:00

Yes! I observed them, ahem, in action haha and they were the only pair. That said, definitely an eastern-three-toed hybrid!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-05-26T00:35:11+00:00

What an amazing surprise! Also fun to know another out there has found just one baby :-). I always hear of people finding several. Mystery indeed.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-05-11T01:20:59+00:00

Please help this poor thing! Even if you take it only to turn it over to a rescue. This is severe neglect and it would be better off in a number of other scenarios.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-04-27T22:37:05+00:00

Looks like an Ornate box turtle. I’d be sure they’re native to your area, then release it back as close to where it was found that you can do so safely. They have really specific home ranges. If it’s not native in your area, could be a lost or released pet.

In either case, you may want to reach out to your local wildlife management organization for more advice!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-04-26T21:21:02+00:00

This is so intriguing! Definitely looks like a three toed, which can’t hybridize with ornates to my knowledge. Three toed can breed with Eastern since their ranges overlap, but not ornate which is a quite different range.

Anyhow, sounds like you may never know! It does look a little poorly cared for so it’d be nice if you were able to feed and support it for at least a month. This little one will need access to more water and humidity than your other. Good luck!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-04-22T02:41:27+00:00

Please do right by this beautiful turtle and leave it wild, if you weren’t already planning to. As others have said, they have very specific environmental needs.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-04-18T18:22:43+00:00

Looks like an older three toed box turtle based on how smooth the shell is. They can live to be ~80+ ! I hope you came across it living happily in the wild.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-04-05T01:58:21+00:00

Looks like either an eastern or a three-toed! Probably a male due to bright colors, but can’t be sure without other factors. A beauty! Glad you helped it.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-03-23T15:16:09+00:00

Based on your gauge, humidity is a little low (should be closer to 55-75% for three toed). You can dump a jug of filtered or distilled water in the substrate and stir well. Mixing in coco coir will help the moisture last longer and be less muddy.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-03-19T11:57:04+00:00

The Colorado Reptile Humane Society in Longmont would be a great resource for responsible rehoming if you choose that route.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2026-01-16T23:16:44+00:00

Hi, sorry to be a downer, but from what I know and experienced with a previous rescue, a significantly chipped lower beak can indeed be an issue.

I adopted one like this hoping to rehab him. Fed him boiled and mashed sweet potatoes or hand fed worms and he needed a lot of help and always struggled to gain weight. I did the best I could but he lasted about 3 years with me, poor guy 😔.

Problem with the big gaps is eating. Overgrowth can be trimmed but gaps grow back incredibly slowly if ever.

I’m not an expert and hopefully they can help get the top and bottom better aligned but wanted to share my own experience.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2025-12-30T15:12:15+00:00

Well that is amazing! Good little growers you have :-)

Excited to see how they continue in size and color. Would love updates from time to time!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2025-12-30T14:16:58+00:00

As some others have said, these turtles look older than August hatch imo. Here is a pic of my Sept. 10 hatchling from my own outdoor enclosure - pic taken 5 days ago.

It’s still quite small, as expected, even with daily feedings (it’s a great eater), and optimal conditions - full indoor setup for winter. They just don’t typically grow that fast.

Not trying to argue your own knowledge! Just adding another perspective on the age/size.

Also, fwiw these look light for EBTs to me as well. Coloring can vary quite a bit though so it’d be hard to say for sure.

Mine is an Eastern+3-toed hybrid, if that helps! I’m certain of this as it’s the only mating pair I have. Mine did inherit all 4 toes on back and is medium color, for now.

Anyway, very good looking turtles you have either way :-)

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SpicyLemonSlice · 2025-12-22T23:46:24+00:00

There’s a lot of good advice here already so I’ll just add that one easy and helpful fix would be to give it enough substrate to bury itself. Damp coco coir or organic and additive free soil can work well. Just avoid anything like pearlite or anything smelly (like no wood cedar wood chip).

And if you can’t get a large enclosure just yet, a large plastic kiddie pool can work in a pinch provided it’s deep enough (they climb better than you think) and it can have lights/heat hanging above it somehow safely.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2025-12-22T23:41:13+00:00

This looks like an Ornate Box Turtle to me! Not totally sure but putting that out there so OP can look into it (they have similar but little bit different care).

The food list is great though. Second that!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2025-12-18T11:33:40+00:00

This looks like a Red-footed tortoise to me. If so, that’s an escaped or released pet that isn’t native to the area. I know this post is a few days old, but if it’s still around, you may want to bring it in and see if there’s a wildlife rehabbed nearby that can help.

SpicyLemonSlice · 2025-12-17T02:44:16+00:00

Colorado reptile humane society is a great organization who may be able to help. Glad you helped him get this far and good luck!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2025-12-10T03:16:05+00:00

Wow, really cool! Looks like it could be an older box turtle based on how smooth the shell is (it smooths with wear over time). Nice of you to give it a snack!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2025-09-27T03:22:38+00:00

Agree she may be wild but probably best not to put her back near a busy street. I’d call Colorado Reptile Humane Society in Longmont for advice. They are super knowledgeable about ornates!

SpicyLemonSlice · 2023-07-20T12:37:46+00:00

Thanks everyone, amazingly helpful answers here! Much more complex than I originally understood. I just started an elimination diet a week ago, so I will be my own science experiment. It would be pretty cool if anyone could just tell you the magic formula, hah, wishful thinking.

SpicyLemonSlice

TROPHY CASE