Do you know why box turtles make a great pet choice? That’s because they usually stick and stay around the place where they grow up. However, many box turtle owners or aspiring owners have a common question about this pet turtle: ‘how far do they roam?’
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Do you know why box turtles make a great pet choice? That’s because they usually stick and stay around the place where they grow up. However, many box turtle owners or aspiring owners have a common question about this pet turtle: ‘how far do they roam?’
Typically, box turtles roam up to a distance of 200 to 400 meters, where they took birth and/or grew up. The fact that box turtles are ground-dwelling turtles means they cannot roam too far. That’s because it’s in their nature to spend the majority of time underground. And when kept as pets, they stay mostly within your resident area. However, these turtles can only roam far from their place when they cross a road or undergo nesting.
Now that you know box turtles do not roam far from home, you may wonder why they do so. Many questions arise when you dig deeper into whether box turtles roam far or not. This article emphasizes those commonly asked questions from turtle pet owners. Learn what they usually ask, along with a concise answer for all.
How Far Do Box Turtles Roam?
In a single day, any box turtle can roam as far as 50 yards or even more. But the good news for box turtle owners is that they usually don’t roam away from home. Typically, a box turtle spends their entire life within 250 yards of where they were born.
Simply put, no box turtle will ever roam away from their home. You’ll always find them roaming around within your residence boundary. It is their natural tendency to stay where they belong or their origin. However, imagine your box turtle got displaced and is now half a mile away from its home. In that case, your pet turtle won’t be able to find its way back home. It may take them years to figure out where its origin place is.
But this also comes with an exception. When searching for a mate, a male box turtle can roam far from its birthplace. In doing so, your male box turtle can cover miles of distance. However, that’s not the case with female box turtles, as they tend to stick to their home. Now, let’s come to a popular type of box turtle – Blanding’s turtles. These box turtles tend to roam from home, seeking extra freedom and space than their counterparts.
And at some point, you may not want to let your box turtle roam freely. They may enjoy the freedom and try to roam beyond your property area and get lost. Also, if you adopted a box turtle recently, try to supervise them while you let them roam. It will be your responsibility to make sure the box turtle roams within its enclosure and does not get lost.
Why Do Box Turtles Roam?
Box turtles can roam from their hideout or residence and explore a much more spacious territory for many reasons. These include:
Rainy Season (Monsoon)
Box turtles become more active during the rainy season. For most box turtles, the onset of monsoon means the end of their hibernation period. This is when they feel hungry after spending months of inactivity. Female box turtles may roam around during monsoon, seeking ideal nesting locations. However, the male box turtle may roam during this period to find mating sites.
Move Between Water Bodies
In many cases, box turtles roam a far-off distance to move between water bodies. They would rather prefer waterways to roam around than land. For seamless moving from one water body to another, these turtles can even find out routes of minimal resistance.
Hunting & Foraging Food
You may already know that box turtles are omnivores. Box turtles have a sharp memory of the place or territory where they were born or grew up. That’s why they may roam distances to look for vegetation like mushrooms and berries or insects, snails, etc. No matter what time of the year it is, they know how to find their way to food and water.
Laying Eggs
When it comes to laying eggs, your female box turtle pet may become exploratory and restless. These turtles likely look for nesting sites during such a period. They roam around to find a nesting site with:
- Direct sunlight
- Warm temperature
- Dampness
- Loose soil
Your female box turtle will roam to its nest, dig a hole, and lay her eggs. It is their nature to later use soil and depart to cover the eggs.
Hibernation (Brumation)
Box turtles that undergo substantially-low temperatures during winter will tend to brumate. With winter knocking on the door, a box turtle will begin its quest for the brumation location. It will roam into the forest and burrow for at least one-third of a mile to find the hibernation spot.
How Far Do Box Turtles Travel In A Lifetime?
During their entire lifespan, box turtles may cover 2.5 acres, or around 115,000 feet squared (35 sq km). The majority of box turtles spend their entire lives inside their home range. However, some migrant turtles may set off on a particular route with great purpose and never turn around!
How Fast Are Box Turtles?
The average speed of a box turtle when they walk is 0.17 miles per hour. It means they’re unlikely to ever participate in any sprinting competition. Do you know what is the fastest speed a box turtle can go? 0.25 miles per hour!
How Fast Can Box Turtles Swim?
It seems that box turtles swim more slowly than they roam or stroll. Their small, stubby legs are primarily to blame for their clumsy swimming.
Do Box Turtles Know Where They Are Going?
Yes, box turtles are quite aware of their location. Box turtles are typically isolated beings in their natural habitat. They only come into contact with other adults during mating. One other time is when a boxie is attempting to protect a female from another male attempting to mate her.
In natural settings, an adult box turtle has an unambiguous area that it rarely leaves. It will resort to its senses, particularly smell, to decide the best route for itself when it needs to travel someplace that’s beyond its own territory.
When it gets stranded or confused, it will additionally turn to landmarks to locate its home territory. The box turtle’s instincts and reflexes allow it to navigate the wild with great accuracy.
How Far Can a Box Turtle Travel in an Hour?
Based on the species and age, the typical box turtle can move up to 0.20 miles per hour or about 300 meters per hour. They aren’t renowned for being particularly energetic and move slowly. For whatever reason, the turtle won’t go as far or as quickly if it feels threatened or afraid.
A veterinarian must be consulted if your beloved turtle is going farther and quicker than usual, as this could indicate that anything needs to be addressed regarding its health or well-being.
Can a Box Turtle Find Its Way Home?
Yes. Due to their remarkable memory, box turtles can navigate their way back to a previous location. For instance, if you’re taking your box turtle for a checkup at the veterinarian, it will recall the way home.
Box turtles aren’t excellent travelers, it should be noted. Even a little distance move makes them uncomfortable. When moving a turtle, try to do so while it’s dozing off or hiding inside its shell.
Conclusion
Box turtles or boxies develop a strong sense of belonging when they grow up. For the majority of the time, you’ll find your pet box turtle within your residence.
They won’t venture out of your property as it’s their place of origin. However, you must take care that they never wander off a road as they can get lost. That’s all!
