GardenBanter.co.uk - Should Iallow a box turtle in the pond?

looks like I'm going to have to clear cut my whole yard ;)

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"jammer" wrote in message
...

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/plantsthatpoison.htm

On Sun, 16 May 2004 23:16:59 -0400, "SueAndHerZoo"
wrote:

Oh no - thank you! OK, tomorrow morning I transplant the cherry
tomato
plant from inside the turtle enclosure to outside the enclosure!
Sheesh!
I almost just loved them to death!
Sue

"jammer" wrote in message
.. .
Tomato plant foliage is poisonous to turtles.

On Sat, 15 May 2004 11:59:24 -0400, "SueAndHerZoo"
wrote:

I own two Eastern box Turtles in addition to two Red-Eared Sliders
and two
Eastern Painteds. I keep them all in an outdoor habitat that I
built
especially for them, and it includes a 200 gallon pond. The
REASON
I had
to build a special area for them is because try as I might to have
turtles
in my 4,000 gallon koi pond, they always got away. Don't know
why
they'd
want to - I raise worms just for them and bring them fresh fruit
and
vegetables and spoil them to death, but it's the nature of the
turtle
to
constantly try to "get to the other side".

Anyway, if you do allow the box turtles into your pond, make sure
they have
a way to get OUT of the water fairly easily. As much as they
like
to soak
and float once in a while, they are primarily on dry land and I've
heard
they can actually drowned. My box turtles hibernated all winter
in
the
dirt and compost and leaves, while the other turtles hibernated
under
the
water.

As far as them bothering fish? I have bought feeders for their
pond
specifically for them to eat, but they don't. The feeders keep
getting big
and I move them to the fish pond. Maybe the feeders that die get
eaten,
because I never find any bodies.

Do they eat water plants? I don't think the box turtles do, but
if
you
want to give them a treat, leave some diced tomatoes around....
mine
love
tomatoes. As a matter of fact one of my chores today is to plant
a
tomato
plant in their area so they can pick their own. :)

Talk about finatical? As I type this, I'm watching my turtles
on
my
webcam.
Sue

"Mike Patterson" wrote in
message
.. .
We have box turtles all over around here, I have several
goldfish
and
"shiners".

If one of these box turtles shows up in the pond, would it be a
problem?

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.