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-_-Gardening with Box Turtles and Tortoises-_--_-By:-_- -_-GCTTS Members-_- Hi Brenda. Here's info that I hope will be helpful to you for the article about Gardening with Turtles and Tortoises. I do some writing myself, and was tempted to do it in article form, but I figured you'd rather have facts that you could arrange as you see fit. Please feel free to edit, and use what you want, discard what you don't want, and to ask for more info if needed. The Gulf Coast Turtle & Tortoise Society is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1994. Our goals are:
do many presentations at scout fairs, Earth Days, reptile expositions/sales, schools, libraries, etc.
turtles. We actually have a member who works full time with these animals.
and if they are native species likely to survive in the wild. If not, we have an adoption program to find proper homes for these turtles. In addition to our speaking and educational events, we have one or two meetings a year with a topic speaker, and one or two "events" a year, which might include a tour of the Zoo reptile facilities, a look at local turtle habitats in members' yards, a picnic, etc. We have an active website with scads of information about turtles and care, and with a very popular e-mail resource where people can get advice about caring for their turtles and tortoises. We can be reached at:
GCTTS at Buchanan's on November 6?We'll host an informal "open house" where people can come to get info about keeping turtles in their back yards. We'll show how to build a secure pen, the needs of turtles, what to avoid, what plants can be used, what plants to avoid (poisonous, etc.), and a bit about how to place the plants so the yard looks like a garden rather than an animal pen, but still meets the turtles' needs. Handouts will be available. Do turtles make good pets?No. In the sense that most people think of a pet as something cuddly and warm that can be toted around, petted, and taught to fetch a ball - no. Turtles are wild animals that cannot be tamed or trained, are negatively affected by stress (being touched), can carry diseases, and that are not suited to life in air-conditioned buildings. That said, if one is happy with the idea of an animal that is for observing rather than petting, and if one is willing to provide appropriate housing, food, temperature, sanitation, and medical care, then, a turtle can make an ideal "pet". How to set up a turtle habitat in your yard.Turtles are not native to concrete urban streets or air conditioned city homes. They are wild animals and must be allowed to live in conditions as close to their native habitat as possible. This means OUTDOORS in a SIZABLE enclosure that is DIG-PROOF and CLIMB-PROOF, and which PROVIDES THE NECESSARY CRITERIA. A turtle habitat can easily and attractively be set up to complement a yard or garden, as long as certain criteria are met. Once you provide all the needs of the animal, it's up to the gardener to arrange everything to please the eye as well as the turtle. What the turtle pen/garden should include:
Turtles are notorious diggers and climbers. Therefor, fencing must be installed around the outside of the garden, buried at least one foot deep, preferably with the bottom of the fencing rolled inwards, to if the turtle tries to dig out, he will hit fence and give up. Likewise, the fence should be at least two feet high, with the top rolled in, or, in the case of a wall made of landscape timbers, the top timbers should be recessed inward, or a flat board can be placed on top so that it hangs over the inner edge, preventing escapes by climbing over the fence/wall. Cautions must also be taken to protect the turtles from predators such as dogs, opossums, raccoons, etc.
Besides the escape issue, turtles need to be able to hide, as most are shy by nature and can experience health problems if their environment is stressful. They must be allowed to live in their home as if they were out in the woods, undisturbed, untouched. "Look, don't touch."
A ceramic tile, enamel pan, or glass pie-plate that can be removed and washed is fine.
A box turtle or tortoise needs only a low pan, large enough for him to get into and soak, and heavy enough that it cannot be tipped over. It must be kept clean, so use enamel or glass. A water turtle, on the other hand, needs a pond big enough to swim in and deep enough (1 1/2' - 2') to maintain a stable temperature during the winter and during the summer. It must also be easily cleaned, as sanitation is crucial to a turtle's health. (They eat, then they poop. Nasty, but a fact.) The pond can be made a focal point of the garden.
This is where the plants and garden decor come in. Turtles need places to hide, and to escape the sun. They like to hide under logs or other items, so you can place hollow logs, architectural fragments, statues, etc. in the garden. They will also like to hide in grasses and under bushes, or among thick plantings of plants such as ivy or ajuga. All of these plants can be arranged to please the eye of the gardener. Just remember that turtles have a way of digging under plants and sometimes upheaving a carefully placed specimen. They also like to eat, and if something is edible, you can expect them to do away with it. Violets never survive in a turtle pen! On the other hand, a hibiscus bush will provide both a hiding place and food (they eat the flowers that fall). A list of plants that can be used, as well as those to avoid is attached. (coming under separate e-mail from "Logan")
There must be open areas where the turtles can sun themselves (cold-blooded animals need heat to function, Vitamin D, sun allows the shell to dry and kills fungus, etc.). There should also be places for the turtles to dig in for winter's hibernation, and for females to dig nests and lay eggs in the spring. Work the soil well before putting turtles into the pen, so the ground will be loose enough for them to dig. Besides loosening the soil, you usually don't need to provide a special area, as the turtles will pick out their own spots to spend the winter and to lay their eggs. There is full information about both land and water turtle habitats and care, as well as tortoise habitats and care on our website, or from us by mail. What type of turtles would do well in Houston's climate?The best turtle to keep in Houston is one native to this area. It's NOT a good idea to buy an exotic animal from a pet store and try to get it to live in Houston's humid climate. The three toed box turtle, Gulf Coast box turtle, and to a lesser degree the ornate box turtle all will do well here. The easiest water turtles are the common red eared slider. Others might include cooters, map turtles, mud, and musk turtles. (These last two are rather pugnacious so are better "for adults only".) (Note that those cute little green baby sliders, cooters, and maps all can get quite large, sometimes over 12 inches long.) Snapping turtles will thrive, but they get quite large and can be dangerous, so they are not recommended. There are no tortoises native to the Houston area, so tortoises are better left to experts. Besides, many can grow quite large, and their size and their appetites can spell catastrophe for the home garden! The Texas Tortoise is a desert animal suited for arid climates that will NOT thrive in Houston. Besides, they're listed as threatened by the state of Texas, so it's illegal to keep one unless you have a permit. There are some tortoises that may do well, if the owner studies their needs and provides appropriate housing, temperature, food, etc. One is the yellow foot (24"-30", South America) and another is the sulcata (up to 150 pounds, Africa). Keep in mind that these animals grow large and can plow through very strong fences, not to mention eat every beloved poesy a gardener plants. Don't obtain an animal if you are not prepared to care for it throughout its lifetime. It is recommended that you not mix species of turtles, and you must NEVER allow tortoises and turtles to share the same pen. Where to get your turtle.NEVER remove a turtle from the wild. Poaching and overharvesting has devastated wild turtle populations across the globe, especially in Asia and Africa. Most animals imported as pets have been held in crowded, unsanitary conditions; many arrive here dehydrated, malnourished, and ill. Few are acclimated to the new climate into which they are sold. Fact: Most die within 90 days in captivity. For this reason we do not recommend buying from pet shops or dealers that sell animals captured or handled in this way. We do advocate acquiring only CAPTIVE BRED animals - those that have been raised from the egg by a breeder who practices good husbandry and conservation. Some pet shops meet these criteria. Other sources for turtles are breeders' expositions (Houston hosts two such events each year), and the Gulf Coast Turtle & Tortoise Society, through our adoption program. (You must prove that you have an adequate set-up and the knowledge (or willing to learn from us) in order to qualify for adopting a turtle through our society.) How many turtles?Do not overcrowd your turtles. If you have committed the entire yard to a turtle habitat, the average Houston back yard would probably support five or six turtles. But an 8'x10' garden should house only one or two. For water turtles, the number of turtles depends on the size of your pond, but, generally speaking, you can keep far fewer turtles than you would like to. Turtles can be territorial, so plenty of space is important. What to do if a turtle appears in your yard, or if you find one on the highway or in the woods.Turtles who are found out in the wild must be left in their native habitat. If you find one crossing the highway and are afraid he might be crushed, it's OK to move him to the side of the road. (Put him on the side to which he was headed, because if you don't, he'll turn around and try to cross the highway again to get to wherever he was going.) If a turtle turns up in your yard, do not touch it until you have determined that it is not a dangerous variety. SNAPPING TURTLES BITE! You can call Animal Control, the Zoo, an animal rescue group, or GCTTS. If you live near a natural area, chances are the turtle is wild. It would be fine to let him enhance your garden for a few days. Then he will probably wander off back to his natural home. You could also take him to the natural area, to help him avoid encounters with dogs, children, cars, and other hazards. If you live in an urban area, chances are the turtle escaped from someone else's yard. In this case, one of the above-mentioned groups can help find a qualified home for him. DON'T KEEP A TURTLE JUST BECAUSE IT IS "CUTE". Taking on any kind of pet is a commitment, and reptiles present challenges all their own. You must be willing and able to provide the appropriate housing, food, medical attention, etc. Remember: Turtles can carry diseases like salmonella, so be sure to wash your hands after handling. Mistakes people make when welcoming turtles to their yards:
well-being. ... Proper food, shelter, water, sun, shade, sanitation, peace, protection from predators.
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