Ornate Box Turtle

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

A prairie turtle, not a woodland one

Ornate box turtles, Terrapene ornata, are the yellow-streaked box turtles of the plains. Adults are about 4 to 6 inches. 30 to 40 years or more. They still close the shell like other box turtles. They do not want the soggy forest floor that suits a three-toed.

Keep the pen at 70 to 85°F with a basking spot, UVB or sun, and humidity around 50 to 70 percent. Soil they can burrow in matters more than decorations. A shallow soak dish is enough water. Deep pools drown them. The diet is insects and worms first, then greens and a little fruit. Care is intermediate.

Papers, then the pen

A 4 by 2 foot box or an outdoor pen is a fair size. Outdoor summers suit them if nights are warm and raccoons cannot dig in. Winter indoors needs light and heat. Some keepers brumate healthy adults. Skip that unless a vet who knows tortoises walks you through it.

These turtles are protected across much of the central United States. Captive-bred animals are the legal and the healthier choice. A bubble at the nose or a week of refusing food belongs on the reptile appetite page, then at a clinic from the ARAV directory.

Ornate box turtle questions

How is an ornate box turtle different from an eastern box turtle?

Ornate box turtles come from drier prairie. The yellow radiating lines on the shell are the usual look. They need less humidity than a woodland box turtle and more insect food.

Are ornate box turtles legal?

They are protected in much of their range. A wild turtle in a bucket is often both illegal and unhealthy. Buy captive-bred, and check your state before the sale.

What do ornate box turtles eat?

Insects, worms, greens, and a little fruit. That mix is the diet to actually feed. A diet of only berries or only pellets leaves a gap.