Proper heating is critical when caring for box turtles in captivity. Without proper heating, many box turtles will become ill. The most commonly seen illness caused by lack of proper heating is respiratory infections. Box turtles with respiratory infections often wheeze with labored breathing and produce bubbly mucous from their nostrils. If your box turtle has these symptoms, take it to a qualified reptile veterinarian. Not all veterinarians are qualified to care for reptiles, so be careful to check out their credentials. A good way to find a qualified reptile vet is to contact your local reptile society and ask for a reference.

Many box turtle problems can be avoided by simply offering one area of the cage that is heated to 85-88°F. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. First of all, heat rocks are not suitable sources of heat for box turtles. If an employee at a pet store tells you they are and tries to sell you one, leave, because they don't know what they are talking about. If you already are using a heat rock and don't want to use anything else to provide heat, give your animal to someone who will take care of it properly. Heat rocks, if used at all, should be buried in substrate such as peat moss to prevent box turtles from burning themselves. The best sources of heat for box turtles are either overhead incandescent heat lights or quality undertank heating pads. They can be used in conjunction with each other quite effectively to provide daytime and nighttime heat areas.

Whatever source of heat is used, it must provide an area of the cage where the ambient (air) temperature where the animal is basking is 85-88°. Undertank heaters can be left on a night to keep one side of the cage warm without disturbing the box turtle's sleep. During the day, the heat light and heating pad should be left on for 10-12 hours. At night, turn off the heat light, and if temperatures in your house do not drop below 75°, you may turn off the heat pad as well. The enclosure the box turtle is in must be set-up to provide a thermal gradient, so that the turtle can warm up if its too cold, or cool down if its too hot. Hiding spots should be placed at both the warm spot and the cool spot so the box turtle can feel secure in either spot.