Box turtles are commonly seen in the pet trade. Unfortunatly, many people purchase these animals without the knowledge to care for them properly. The vast majoity of box turtles seen in pet stores are wild-caught adult animals. Few babies are offered for sale because, by federal law, it is illegal to sell any turtle under 4" in length -- a size box turtles do no reach for several years after birth. Each year, hundreds of thousands of box turtles are taken from the wild to supply the demands of the pet trade. This trend cannot contiune. With current harvest rates, it is likely that box turtles will be an endangered species within the next ten years.

Box turtles do make excellent pets for responsible reptile lovers, but they do not make good pets for children because their captive care requirements are rather elaborate. If you desire to purchse a box turtle for your child (or have already done so), realize that most children are incapable of providing for the elaborate captive care needs of a pet box turtle. If an adult is willing to accept the responsibility of caring for the animal, box turtles make good family pets. If you desire a pet box turtle, the best choice is a captive born animal.

If cared for properly, box turtles make fascinating and long lived pets. If your intention is to purchase a box turtle as a pet for a young child, realize that children cannot care for box turtles by themselves and require constant supervision when handling box turtles, both for their safety and the turtle's. Box turtles are demanding as pets, but are worth all of the effort required to maintain them properly in captivity. If you do not have the money, time, or inclination to provide a box turtle with the requirements it needs, by all means DO NOT BUY ONE! Box turtles are one of the most abused animals in the pet trade because many people who buy them do not know what they are getting into. Do not contribute to this problem. This care sheet is not intended as the sole information required on box turtles. If you do decide to purchase one, there is a lot of other information you must be aware of, so purchase a full length book such as The Box Turtle Manual, published by Advanced Vivarium Systems.