YOU CAN BE A MASTER NATURALISTS ALSO. PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: http://home.arkansasmasternaturalists.org/
Here is a photo of a my box turtle—I call her Dolly—laying her eggs in late June.
The night before she’d entertained folks from Central AR Horticultural Society who came to enjoy my wildlife garden. She looks much more serious than usual here.
The babies may hatch as early as late August, though I hear they usually stay in the nest for up to a year afterward. It’s a cruel world out there, especially since the nest is in the middle of my St Augustine lawn.
I am acquainted with an additional 9 box turtles who’ve spent some of their time at my place. It seemed like I ran a Box Turtle Free Love Compound last summer. Scuffy was “keeping company” with a number of the ladies, including the old turtle who has lived in my yard for 40 years:
It is very easy to maintain optimal box turtle habitat. They love to rustle around in leaf litter, so I leave my oak leaves in most of my garden beds as mulch. They enjoy a drink or a dip in a ground level plant saucer. They like fruit and veggie scraps and will return to the spot where you put them regularly to check for a hand out. Old strawberries and overripe tomatoes are a hit with my crew. They also eat a number of common garden pests like slugs and bugs.
Two of the younger crowd, both around 4 inches long:
Both immature box turtles are probably male, given the red markings and red eyes. The scuffs on the one were likely to be dog-inflicted. Dogs seem to really enjoy gathering up box turtles and carrying them around. My cat is indifferent to them, which no doubt improves my chances for turtle fostering.
Written by ‘darcia’ , Central Arkansas Master Naturalist
