Welcome to the Turtle Page of the Ornate Bird Garden. I live in the American southwestern high desert, which means dry and mild-to-hot weather from May until October. Turtles here want to hibernate November through April when the temperatures range between the 40s to the 20s Fahrenheit (4 to -6 Celsius). 

I have two ornate box turtles (one male and one female) and one three-toed box turtle (female, in the photo to the right).  The females share one fenced-in area (4-feet by 20-feet) and the male has the run of the side-yard (7 feet by 30 feet). See My Turtles. Please visit the Turtle Photo Gallery for large photos of turtles.  (You are welcome to email me your turtle photos which I will put in the gallery!)

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Box Turtle Articles Index: (the titles without links are coming soon!)

• Turtle Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Build an Outdoor Habitat for Three-Toed Box Turtles Who Love to Swim -
  guest article by Becca Anderson
• The Best Outdoor Home For Your Turtle - Loose in the Yard, or in an Enclosure?
• Create an Outdoor Turtle Habitat for Your Box Turtle
• Escape-Proof Your Turtle Yard
• Get Your Turtle to Eat
• How to tell Male Box Turtles from Females
• Is a Box Turtle the Right Pet For You?
• Ornate Box Turtles
• Post-Hibernation Turtle Care
• Practice Turtle Hygiene to Prevent Salmonella Infection
• My Turtles
• Three-Toed Box Turtles
• Turtle Mating and Other Sexual Situations
• Which Turtle Makes a Better Pet - a Male or a Female?

Note:  I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It’s available through Amazon through this link:

The Box Turtle Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)