Your turtle will need tall plants for a hiding place.

Escape-Proof Your Turtle Yard

Here at the Ornate Bird Garden, you might prefer to turn your turtles loose in the backyard, and have minimal interaction.  The turtles probably prefer it that way, too. They can earn their keep performing "snail patrol" in your garden, and you can watch them from afar and not have to tend to them every day.

Before you decide to do this, however, consider what might happen if your turtle population gets out of control.  This can cause great unrest in the reptile kingdom. The dominant turtles can make life a living hell for the meeker ones who have to stay in hiding all the time, too scared to venture forth to the communal water dish or feeding grounds.  Also, how will you find homes for them all if you no longer can care for them or you decide to move? Surely you wouldn't just move and then leave them to the mercy of the next family who might have dogs and small children!

Ideally, if you want to try the backyard turtle scenario, you have no dogs or children.  You don't use pesticides on your plants or on garden-pests like snails (let your turtles take care of them).  You keep only a few turtles, preferably just females. (See Which Turtle Makes a Better Pet – a Male or a Female?)  And you have an escape-proof yard.

The following are the steps to take before you bring home your turtle.

Step 1: Evaluate your backyard.  Get rid of any junk and hazardous materials like broken glass or scrap metal. Make sure you've got plenty of sunny spots and plenty of shade. 

If you have a swimming pool or a fish-pond flush with the ground, you will have a problem. It's almost impossible to create a barrier that your turtles won't climb over, and then they'll fall in and drown. In the case of a small fish-pond, you might be able to fence it off with wood planks set upon flagstone or poured-cement flooring.  But I would recommend building your turtles a special habitat (see Build an Outdoor Turtle Habitat).

Step 2: Evaluate your fencing. The perimeter of your backyard should be securely fenced with solid material (cinderblock is good) that extends two feet below the ground.  You don't want mesh like cyclone-fences or chicken-wire because turtles can climb it. Clear your

A brick threshold seals off gaps under your gate.

fences of any vines a turtle could clamber up.

Step 3: Secure any gaps underneath your gates. This is the single most important thing you can do, and it prevents the main way that turtles escape.  Your gates should fit securely against a threshold of concrete or brick with no gap underneath.  Your threshold only has to be about four to twelve inches wide: it’s very easy to construct one of brick, paving stones, or poured concrete.

Step 4: Mow your lawn and trim your landscaping. You want to be able to keep track of your turtle from afar, make sure she's getting enough to eat, and get her to a vet if necessary. You'll need some plants for your turtles to hide in: a flower or vegetable or herb garden.  They need hiding places in order to feel secure.

Count on keeping your back lawn manicured so that you can always see where you're stepping!  It will also help to keep your turtles off the lawn in case you want to have croquet parties with your neighbors; your turtles will be less-inclined to venture into a huge open area, and will prefer to creep around the edge of your lawn close to the hiding places

The all-important water bowl!

Step 5: Put out the water bowl, which should be big enough for your largest turtle to have a soak.  You'll need to fill it with fresh water every day.  It should be deep enough so that the water won't evaporate within a day, but not so deep that your turtle could drown.  Put a flat rock in the bottom to help him get his footing and clamber out.

You can put the water bowl on the back porch to help you keep an eye on it.  (Make sure your turtles can clamber up on the back porch.) This can give you a fun vantage point from which to watch them show up to drink.

You could also locate the water bowl under your outdoor faucet to catch the drippings from your hose when you water your plants. Don't neglect to change their water every day if you put their bowl under a dripping spigot.  Turtles like to make droppings in their water, and you will need to clean up after them.

Watch them eat from a snack bowl on your back porch!

Step 6: Provide a large snack bowl of fruits and vegetables that your turtle can use as a backup food supply in case he can't find enough snails and worms (See Get Your Turtles to Eat). I've observed that my turtles want to eat every other day; every day is obviously too much and food is met with glazed, disinterested stares! 

If you have a large turtle population (not recommended), you should place several food bowls around your backyard so that the meek turtles can venture from hiding and get some goodies.  Several water bowls are also a necessity.

Again, the back porch is a great place to put the food dish. They will enjoy eating around mid-morning after they've had time to warm up in the sun, and if you keep the feeding time consistent, they will show up and wait expectantly!

One potential drawback, especially if you feed them on a back patio just off your bedroom, is that they can disturb you when you're trying to sleep in.  Impatient for breakfast, they will paw the door and thump along the glass, waking you up. 

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

The Box Turtle Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems)