The Eastern Box Turtle Documentary 

My Dad was a science teacher. A student brought in a newly hatched eastern box turtle. I had him as a pet for 4 years. He was so awesome. I built a indoor and outdoors area for him. One day the turtle somehow got out of his summer place. Sadly Dad was mowing grass and I think you know the results. The whole family spent most of day crying. I learned a bitter lesson. Wild things need to live wild. Im 67 now and still cry when I think of that horrid day.

Thirty years ago, toads and box turtles were all over the place, even in the yards of suburban houses. Now, it's a rare occasion to see one.

We purchased an Ornate box turtle for my son from a pet store for a Christmas gift when he was 7. My son will be 33 this year, and his mother and I still have the turtle.

I just found an Eastern box turtle in my backyard. This video helped me understand the species more. Thanks!

Good documentary, thanks for uploading this! I found a young female eastern box turtle today crossing the road. I slammed the breaks almost giving everyone whiplash picked her up and relocated her to safety. I see them all the time where I live and had no idea they were endangered.

funny thing; I recently helped out a little box turtle in front of my house. My brother and I were leaving and I noticed a small yellow shell and I recognized it instantly because I used to go into the woods and find them all the time as a kid (they were really cool to me and I always just liked looking at them). So anyways the turtle was crossing the street and we were passing by so I stopped and helped it across C:

Here bc the calmness and simplicity of turtles is very relaxing to me. They remind me of myself lol

I have a male and 3 females, I breed them and after the eggs hatch I release them into the wild

I rescued a male boxie from the road today! I walked him across the road in the direction he was going. Hopefully he gets to his habitat safely to feed and reproduce. I found it fascinating that in some states they are a threatened species. We have them everywhere here. Good Video!!!

Well done, good documentary!

I live in on the North Carolina/South Carolina line. I ride the roads in the spring and move box turtles off the road. I see hundreds of them when it’s baby making season.

Awesome video! Thanks for the great info & great video! 🐢👍❤️

I didn't know these were a threatened species? I live in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky and spend A LOT of time in the woods enjoying nature and finding reptiles: I literally come across these guys EVERYTIME I go out in the woods, they're legit all over the place here.. Earlier this month I probably came across 5-7 of them in less than an hour. I guess if anyone wants to study them come to Central City, Kentucky.

Very nice video Heather. We see the box turtles a lot this time of year in NC. Thanks so much for sharing.

I don't think it mentioned the low survival rate of hatchlings and low chance of mating due to low population. Only 1-2 turtles out of 100 fertile eggs make it to adulthood (about 6 years for sexual maturity which is a long time). Mating happens by chance meeting between opposite sexes which is rare. Box turtles are in decline. Please help these beautiful animals to flourish.

What an informative piece on the endangered box turtle species. After watching this highly educational documentary, I will definitely look into charitable organizations whose efforts are directed towards preserving the natural habitat of these wonderful reptiles.

When I was young, I came across a small turtle by the curve of a road next to the small whittle forest. There was a dd cup next to it so I used it to scoop the little bugger up and put them back onto the grass towards that whittle Forest.

4 box turtles 3 of them are the size of an adults hand and the last 1 is the size of a quarter im only 12 and i know a ton of stuff about them my favorite animal is the box turtle and i have these turtles because im keeping them and they are having babies and all of the turtles that the adult turtles have had have grown up and we let them go to a specialist at nature and they are all so cool and i love them they are growing up and we give them to a specailist

Thanks. I just love these little critters. Just watching Fred, my russian tortoise, is just as relaxing as sitting in front of the fish tank.

Loved this documentary!

I remember finding these a lot as a kid, I moved years later further north and outside their range sadly, they were fun to see.

Thanks for the video on turtles.

Box turtles tripping out on mushrooms, love it lol.

I have a male and female Eastern Box living on my 3 acres of property in Delaware. I have caught them both quite a few times over the yrs. and released them in the wooded part of my property. I worry that they might get ran over by my tractor while I'm cutting grass. I am 51 yrs. old and have had these Turtles in my life as far as I can remember. I want to make a difference to keep the species alive. They are very cool Animals.

I have a few box turtles myself, I got them when I was 5 years old and form a cousin that breeds box turtles. The are my favorite reptile I have and they are true sweet hearts. 🐢

I recently found one of these in woods and picked it up. It was so cute and it was a female with brown eyes. I walked miles back home with it back home to show my brother. Then released it back into the wild. So cool

I have three eastern box turtles that I keep as pets. One of them I caught when I was little. I didn't know better so I kept her. The second one (male) I caught a good while after the first. Again, I was still young and didn't know better. A family member recently gave me yet another box turtle (another female). I didn't know how long they had her captive so I (yet again) didn't let her go. They're all very healthy, happy, and active living in their outdoor pen. They get fed plenty, get all the sunlight/shade that they need as well as plenty of water. Their names are garnet, Ursula, and toki. (First two female, third male). I love my box turtles! I intend to take them to a breeder so I can at least give back to nature for taking the turtles out of their true home. Hopefully it goes well.

My grandpa is a eastern box turtle breeder and he has always released the box turtles on a protected nature trail! So is is helping a lot

I live in Southeast Kentucky and I see box turtles all the time.

Wow makes sense... I haven't seen box turtles in years either. I was thinking about getting one for my son. Glad I saw this video!

I found one of these eastern box turtles in my suburban backyard of Willoughby, Ohio! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! I am not sure how it navigated throughout the neighborhood as most yards at fenced in.

Great video. I really enjoyed it.

This was a good Documentary

What a great informative video. I think it should be played in grade school to educate the kids.

Humans, the ultimate invasive species.

Extremly good! Very educationnal!

When I was younger I did not know any better and Several I found as pets. I have most all of them still living in a fenced in area on my property designed to be like their natural surroundings. All the babies they have I keep for a year or two then release them. Now people that visit the nature park I released the men say they see them more than ever before, but I recommend most people do what they say in the video and just don't mess with them. These are truly awesome and intelligent animals.

Very nice documentary!

My 88 year old father in law gave me his 40+ year old box turtle. I love when she looks side ways to see me and it's as though she is winking at me. She loves Fancy Feast Shrimp and tuna cat food, lettuce, strawberries. I went to pet store and bought turtle food but she won't eat it.

The person that swerves their vehicle to kill a Box Turtle trying to cross the road deserves death but not before enduring a long horrific torture.... OK maybe not... but you get my point....

My friends would mark them with fingernail polish,put it in a spiral notebook. Sometimes one would be several years before it walked into the yard again. The numbers would be almost worn off .

I just found an eastern box turtle in my backyard and right away Google it for the correct species. After I watched this video....... bingo... back to where I found it 😍😍. Hope more of them visit me, planting more wild berries.

We have an Eastern Box turtle living in our backyard here in South Mississippi. We admire him but he’s free to come and go in his wild environment.

I just found a beautiful female box turtle this evening in our yard while I was watering some of my flowers

thanks, i love the land dwellers and the water dwellers. nice informative video. I live in indiana next door, and the last one i found was about 10 years ago, as a kid i remember finding them somewhat regularly, maybe when i was 10 i can remember at least 5 to 10 box turtles, now they seem to be so rare it's sad..

At my home in Florida, my dog and I found a dozen adult box turtles in our first six months living and walking there. We walk an area about 1 sq mile through wilderness and residential areas bordering a salty bayou. I was amazed that these turtles get around as much as they do and also, stay in the area. Definitely a robust population in NW Florida. Also, in the past 2 years, we've seen new babies each year too.

My mom found a eastern box turtle, she wanted to keep it as a pet but like she keeping it all wrong like it stay in cage and no setting temperature so I told my mom to release it after I watched this vid. Thx! 😊

The Box Turtle is a member of the American pond turtle family. It's sometimes called a Box Tortoise, but is not in the tortoise family.

Important message. Thank for you this video

Great Video!

Just found one in the back yard- wanted to know about it, found this video- very happy I did. I'd considered bringing to a friend to "rescue" it, but I won't do that now, since this patch of neighborhood is perfect for her survival, as long as she doesn't stray into dangerous yards or into the street. I'll keep an eye. [Good video, Cinci Parks- I recognized the areas in the video immediately- our neck of the woods, so to speak]

Awesome! I have a 3 legged box turtle also. went to move him out of the road and his front leg was hanging on by a piece of skin. didn't want to leave him. he's definitely a cuddle bug now. you can always tell where he's going when he moves because his shell hits the floor when he walks.

I found an eastern box turtle (female) about 6 inches long. My son wanted to keep her so I bought a 40 gallon reptile tank with a UVB lamp and a heat lamp. I put a turtle tub full of spring water in the tank and every morning she comes out of her hiding log, and swims in the tub for 1 to 2 hours then gets up on the log and sits under the lamps for a while. My turtle will go into the water every day so i don't understand it when they say that they don't belong in water. she is a very good eater also, I feed her earth worms, blueberries,strawberries, and greens. Once a week I sprinkle just a tad of calcium powder on her meal. I have had her for some time and she is doing just fine.

This was filmed in Cincinnati Ohio where i used to live. I used to cruise one of the major parks there and see these guys all the time. I would always pick them up out of the road when i saw them and put them wherever they were headed. I even had a pet box turtle at least twice in my life. I never knew they could forget their wild instincts. But it makes sense. Hope they make a strong comeback.

thanks. great small documentary :)

one summer in Maryland, I was sitting on my front stoop with my mom when a female box turtle arrived in our front garden and started digging a hole with her hind legs. It was amazing to watch her dig that hole. When she was done, she laid a clutch of eggs and then took a while to cover them up. I remember that she was missing all the claws on one of her front legs. She rested under some bushes for a while before heading back to wherever she came from. I was afraid that some predators would come and dig up her eggs, so I put a little terra cotta pot on top of them. I don't think they survived, but it was still an awesome experience

Found one yesterday in the woods. Took some video only. Very beautiful!

I saved a box turtle it was was hit by a coal truck... years ago we took him home. Took him to the vet and survived for 5 years then passed away. I miss "lucky"Virginia Kidd.

I just watched a documentary on turtles... BEST VIDEO EVER 😂🐢

I just spoke with a Naturalist. Box Turtles can float, but not well. They can indeed possibly drown. This naturalist was featured in the video and actually saved a drowning box turtle yesterday who was put into a deep lake.

Been finding them since a kid this is trevor from martin Kentucky

We have an eastern box turtle in our back yard that is female and have seen a male also. Great video.

Awesome!

One box turtle typically has a range of about a football field in the wild but are commonly known to roam for miles.

I looked up videos about box turtles cause I just found one underneath one of my bushes in my back yard and I live in Cincinnati haha. They are so cool to see I’ve probably found around 10 or so in my lifetime but I thought it was really great to see in my backyard. I figured I would just leave him go didn’t pick him up. I want it to feel safe to come back again sometime. I live on the edge of some woods in a suburban area. So it’s great to see they are hopefully doing well near me.

I used to see these guys slit as a kid, but they are scarce now.

I found some before when I was a little kid. last summer I found one on my drive way good thing I didn't keep it as a pet I just picked it up and put it in the woods

Thanks for sharing

I was fortunate to grow up in a small town with plentiful woods surrounding our home. Box Turtles were everywhere in those days. I was even able to find a female laying eggs at a neighbors. I was able to incubate 2 of the 3 eggs and I released the 2 hatchlings into the woods. 30 Years later all of the woods surrounding my old house have been cut down.

I have a captive bred box turtle and he floats. It's not the research that you asked for but it is personal experience. :)

I found one today was trying to cross the road almost run over him but he got lucky drove over him than I stopped and helped him to cross o almost make my mind to keep him as a pet but I didn't I hope I made the right choice to let him go

I taught my turtle to say "Ta-Da!"

with captive breeding the pet trade could be a boon to the turtle population. it worked on the Peregrine Falcon.

I own a box turtle and I watched this for shits and giggles

I found a male eastern box turtle earlier today (I live in southern maryland), I'm doing as much research as I can to make sure that it has a good life in captivity and not near the roads where he was found. I hope that I could breed him and keep the babies in the wild so that the natural population could be preserved

Just saw one of these guys cruising around in my backyard with my binoculars. I was concerned he wouldn't be able to get out bc of the fence so I put him near an area that has a dug out portion from other animals so he could get out into the woods. Placed a strawberry down to hopefully coax him out, I'll go check in a while to make sure he gets back into the woods! Was so cool seeing one though.

I found a box turtle under my car this afternoon. Keeping it. And I see a whole shit tone of them at this beautiful park I go to in Georgia.

Almost ran over one today while pulling into the driveway. Trying to be a generous host to anyone that visits my house, I provided some earthworms as a snack before he/she left! haha

box turtles make great pets. I had one and kept good care of him for almost 9 years. but it appears this documentary elaborated more on people keeping them as pets as the main reason them being endangered. The "real" truth why they are endangered is what was said first about trees being cut down, construction, new sub divisions etc.

Good documentary. I am fortunate to live in an area where there are still many wild Box Turtles to be seen. I am always stopping to help them cross busy roads.

just found one in the wild today... thats why im here lol

The fact that you said you have kept box turtles all your life. Keeping them makes me think you are "keeping them;" not returning them. I am happy that you are returning them to the wild.

My father found One today in the street & we wanted to give it too my sister who is a HUGE turtle enthusiasts we went to a local petstore & talked to a guy who told it to release it & not keep it we released it near a very good creek

save this vid haha... my baby loves turtles ! thank you

I have one that randomly pops up in my yard in the fall so cute and I leave it alone and love it from a distance. Lol I always have random creatures popping up in my yard between Bears, Lizards, Turtles, even a wood chuck that strolls through and eats the weeds and thankfully has enough to eat and stays out of my garden. Even the deer respectfully stay out of my garden so we ALL have this mutual respect with one another don't go next to my food and we won't ever have a problem there is more than enough native plants to feed everyone. 😄. Im very spiritual and into that metaphysical stuff so I always ask the loved ones on the other side to please keep the beautiful wild life out of my garden and it actually works there is this invisible barrier they refuse to cross especially the deer.. I live out in the woods so out here they aren't a nuisance vs the city where they will inhale ALL your plants on top of having like zero fear of humans.. 😑🤣🤣 City wild life will look right at you roll their eyes and carry on like F you I aint scared what are you gonna do about it??.. Lmfaoo

I just found a eastern box turtle in the woods, I had a old turtle and we always take them outside and watch them so they can do what they want. We are interested in keeping him and feeding him worms beetles and mealworms and fruits and vegetables. (:

I see them all the time here in NW Florida, mainly because I work outside all day

Glad I found this video. I have found 6 of these in my back yard over the past 5 months. The ones I found were fairly young, as they were the size of a half dollar. My daughter found one on the front porch today. I think our cats put it there. I fed it some shrimp. It doesn't seem frightened of me at all. It ate out of my hand and seems quite comfortable to let me hold it. This one is slightly larger that the other 5 were. I drove the other ones to the State Forest nearby and turned them loose. I'm not sure if I should do that with this one as it seems almost like it could have been someone's pet they no longer wanted. I say that because it is so comfortable around me. Any ideas what I should do?

turtles are cute!!!!!!!!love them and some tell the govmernt

The dog looks just like Bingo! (from Wee Sing Together)

You are the reason we can't have nice, WILD things.

Where I live in silver spring MD, I have seen many of these turtles, I just observe and let them be.

I live just outside of red hook ny, Hudson valley. Where I live there is at the top of the hill, a micro cosmic area, there were dozens of box turtles living. But the rich guy bought the property so as no one else would, but he put in a pond and effectively destroyed their habitat. I called the Poughkeepsie EPA, they did nothing. Now the turtles are gone, I have collected all their dead remains when I would see them, the pond has caused much damage, road crews have spring repairs, and it has dug a trench right through my own property, makes for flooding and land loss. No one would listen to me, and all this distruction has come to passs.

I had a box turtle for today I put him in a box and took him to work with me. im a pizza hut driver and when I got home I looked up what he was and found this vid so I let him go. I hope that 🐢 stays safe out there. 🐢

When I was a a kid my cousin brought home a baby box turtle (only a few days old) from the 'pet store' in KY which is where I am from. Figured out he is a eastern/three toed mixed. 14 years later I still have mine. He's health, has a huge tank for sleeping in, has a diet of worms and veggies, and gets let outside to hunt and walk around. I have taken care of him as if he was my own child...and he is... XD If I had known sooner his species was going extinct I would send him in to make some babies... XD That's all he ever seems to want to do anyway! :) They are amazing and wonderful creatures.

I had my box turtle for 10 years XD

This video is righteous.

thank you

Where I live we've got gopher tortoises. When other animals rely on the borough's at the gopher tortoises make. Whenever I see one on the road, I pick it up and I take it to the other side of the road or whatever Direction the tortoise is pointed because that's where he wants to go.

Just saved one of these today here in bowling green Kentucky