Box turtles (Terrapene sp)

Enclosure
Box turtles can be kept outdoors in the back yard the warmer months of the year (form late spring, summer and early fall) in winter they will hibernate, when kept indoors they need enough room in the enclosure to feed, bask, hiding space and exercise a 20 gallon tank will do it but the bigger the better, clean the feces on a weekly basis, the enclosure should have proper ventilation too, the turtles need a hiding place is important they can get out of sight.

Water
When kept outside put her in the back yard or a pond and put a shallow clean dish with water and clean it every two days when kept indoors clean fresh water should always be available use a dish big enough so the turtle can easily get inside and out of it, clean the dish daily if possible and always be sure that the turtle can have access to the water dish at all time.

Lighting
When kept indoors a UVB light is a must UVB lighting 290 to 320 nanometer will allow the production of vitamin D3 in the body, also called cholecalciferol. these lights should optimally be placed within 18 inches of the animal for maximum utilization (or follow recommendations that come with the bulb), this light is filtered by glass and plastic also a full-spectrum light or proper equipment to heat the cage is needed. Most reptiles need the lighting to be able to synthesize vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). That's why many herpetoculturist use 290 and 320 nm for this propose, and heat lamps are useful to boost their metabolism and help them to present normal behavior.

Substrate
Change the substrate every month box turtles like to borrow so keep in mind this when you get the substrate, scoop the feces off the substrate every week, box turtles are borrowers use loose substrates. Here some options recommended or you can use large wood chips peat moss, alfalfa pellets, substrates to avoid are gravel, sand, kitten litter, potting soil will cause intestinal blockage.

Reproduction
Box turtles lay eggs from, May throughout July sometimes they fail lay eggs in captivity but if they do means they are happy, females usually lays four to eight eggs, hatchling period is 2 to 3 months, if you kept a male and a female together the eggs should be fertile and if they are outdoors she will buried the eggs some were in the pond she's kept you can leave the eggs out and they should hatch but because they are not in wild and is not the same this could fail they can have more chance to hatch if the eggs are incubated to do this you need to handle the eggs be careful they are very fragile also because the embryo is easy to kill, reptile eggs unlike bird eggs should not be turned. Incubation eggs should be place in a pre warmth incubator the key is to maintain constant temperatures ranges of 80-82ºF the incubator the eggs can be placed in a small inner container, which is then suspended within a large container, this small inner chamber is suspended in water bath, placing a submergible aquarium heater in the water bath is an excellent method for warming. The incubator should be set up and operational several days before the expected arrival of the eggs to allow for equilibration of the temperature within the entire system after you has this setting (or just buy a harvator) buried the eggs only half way in slightly humid vermiculate this must have a proportion of 1:1 of water and vermiculate by weight. The aquarium should be partially sealed to keep the humidity levels and also need some holes to ventilate; if the eggs are fertile some vessels forming are visible in a few weeks of incubation the temperatures must be keep at a constant level to ensure this place a thermometer inside of the vermiculate at the level of the eggs to monitor the temperature levels at all time.

Hibernation
Indoor hibernation is easier select a dimly lit draft -free dry area that can be kept between 45-60º the winter such as the basement the garage use a cooler to put the turtle in and use slightly humid peat-based potting soil and cover up with 4-6 inches of shredded newspaper, outdoor hibernation is a bit complicated I rather to put them indoors.

Diet
Box turtle diet adults should be fed 3 or more time pre week in the morning and juveniles fed daily, juveniles tend to be more carnivorous than adults dust food with calcium lactate or carbonate, daily. Every 1-2 weeks dust food with multi vitamins 50% animal high protein foods: earth worms, crickets, grasshoppers, slugs, mealworms, Adult maintenance sardines (fresh) chopped mice, dry dog foods 50% plants (25% fruits and 75% vegetables) 25% fruits, tomatoes strawberries, raspberry, apples, grapes, peaches cherries 75%vegetables dark leafy greens (mustard, collard, radish and turnip, kale, cabbage, dandelions (leaf stems and flowers) bok choy, broccoli, squashes, sweet potatoes, carrots, alfalfa, radish, clover, or bean spurts, mushrooms, bell peppers, green beans, peas in the pod. Feed less of spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens and romaine lettuce