Turtle Dip

This Western box turtle paddled by us yesterday at the Bachechi Open Space. They’ll eat from a menu that may include earthworms, grasshoppers, beetles, slugs, fruits, or plants, depending on the season. If you want a box turtle for a pet be sure to get educated first. They’ll need to hibernate for the winter soon, necessitating the right “substrate” – that’s the stuff they burrow in. The Rio Grande Turtle and Tortoise club loves to teach folks how to give these gentle creatures good homes. But they are wild animals who belong in the wild. Don’t try to catch one and make it yours. But if they visit your yard you can make their lives excellent.