Why Is My Box Turtle Digging? Here Is What to Do

This is something that can happen to a lot of new turtle owners. I was also faced with this problem when I got my first turtle. Fortunately, this is something that can be easily solved. So let’s see why your turtle is so aggressive.

A box turtle will usually dig excessively when it’s hungry, scared, stressed, or when it’s pregnant and wants to find a suitable place to lay its eggs. Excessive digging can usually be stopped with a few minor changes in the diet or environment of the box turtle.

Excessive digging can be a real problem, but it’s usually very easy to stop your box turtle from doing it. So let’s take a look at why this is happening and what you can do to stop it.

Stress

Box turtles get stressed very easily. They can get stressed by excessive noises, by other pets, improper handling, and many other things. And in response to stress turtles can start digging in search of a better place, or a place to hide.

Digging is not the only thing that turtles do when they get stressed, they might also stop basking, stop eating, and do many more things that they don’t usually do.

As for what can be the cause of the stress, well, there are a lot of possibilities. A loud stereo system that is placed right near the tank can cause a lot of stress for a turtle. A cat or a dog that is always trying to get in the enclosure can also cause a lot of stress. The best way to figure out if something is stressing the turtle is to try to put yourself in the turtle’s place. If you think that something would stress you, then it stresses the turtle.

After you eliminate the stress sources your turtle should start to calm down soon, and it will go back to its normal behavior.

Improper Diet

While box turtles are not very pretentious when it comes to food, if you don’t feed them enough food, or if you don’t give them the right food, they can either try to bite you due to hunger or because they feel more vulnerable since they are weakened.

To solve this problem you have to adjust the amount of food you give to your turtle as well as the food itself.

One great and simple way to give your turtle the correct amount of food is to use the size of the head method.

To put this method into practice is to find a small container, like a medicine cup, a shot glass, or a bottle cap. This container has to be approximately the same size as the head of your turtle, without the neck. Then you fill that container to the top with food. This is the amount of food that you should give your turtle every day.

As for the food itself, I have an entire article dedicated to this subject, and you can find it right here: What Do Box Turtles Eat? (+Beginners Feeding Guide). I would strongly recommend you to check it out as this is a very important thing that every owner of a box turtle should know.

The very short and simplified version is that a balanced box turtle diet will c generally rely on fruits, vegetables, and pellets.

Pregnancy

This one only applies to female box turtles.

A box pregnant turtle will act very strangely, she will stop eating, she will stop basking, she will try to dig everywhere, and she will try to escape the tank, or they might become aggressive.

Pregnant turtles don’t do this not because they don’t like you, or because they want to leave their enclosure, they do this because they want to find a safe place to lay their eggs.

Box turtles are not too good at defending eggs, and by guarding them they won’t be doing much, as there are no predators that fear turtles, and they might also get eaten in the process. So instead, box turtles hide their eggs, in piles of leaves, in burrows, or in holes that they dig themselves.

The first thing you have to do if you want to know if your turtle is really pregnant is to find out if it’s a male or a female, so you should read this article that is going to tell you if that’s the case: How to Tell If a Tortoise Is Male or Female (with Pictures). (Despite being called a turtle, box turtles are actually turtles, this is why I’m linking to an article about tortoises and not turtles.

And if your turtle is a female, and you want to know if she is pregnant, then you should read this article where you will find all the info you need: How to Tell if Your Tortoise Is Pregnant (with Pictures).

If your turtle is pregnant there is nothing that you can do to make her calm down. You will have to wait for her to lay the eggs.

One important thing about turtles is that they can get pregnant even if there is no male around. The difference is that the eggs won’t be fertilized so no baby will come out of them. So even if you only have a female turtle she can still lay eggs.

No Basking Area

If you are a complete beginner when it comes to turtles and you don’t know too much about them, then it’s possible that you don’t know that turtles need a basking area.

If there is no suitable basking spot in their enclosure, the box turtle will try to dig its way out, so it can find a place where it can bask.

If you don’t have a basking area for your turtle you should get one immediately, so I strongly suggest you read this article that talks in more detail about how you can make a proper basking area: Guide for Lighting and Heating a Turtle Tank and Basking Area.

Basking Area Temperature

If the basking temperature is too high or too low, your turtle won’t be able to bask properly, which can make it try to leave in search of a better place.

If the temperature is too high your turtle can get burnt, and they will avoid the basking area. If the temperature is too low then they won’t be able to properly heat themselves.

This is probably the easiest thing to fix. Start by checking the temperature of the basking area with a thermometer. If the temperature is too low, then move the heating bulb slightly closer to your turtle, or get a more powerful bulb. Be careful not to bring the bulb too close, it can burn the turtle if it’s too close.

If the temperature is too high, you can either get a less powerful heat bulb or move the bulb further away from your turtle.

In general, the temperature should be between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit (29 and 32 degrees Celsius). But depending on the species of the turtle the temperature can slightly differ.

If you are not sure how to properly manage a basking area you should read this guide: Guide for Lighting and Heating a Turtle Tank and Basking Area. There you will find every information you need, including the exact temperatures, how far the heat bulb should be from the turtle, and many more.

Scared

If you just got your turtle, then it’s absolutely normal for it to behave strangely. So it’s really common to see a turtle be aggressive the first days in a new home.

Turtles can get scared very easily, and moving from one place to another can be very frightening for them. They will go from a small cramped tank, that they share with multiple turtles, to a new spacious tank where they can live alone. And if they were sent through the mail, they will be even more scared.

If this is the case for your turtle, you just have to leave your turtle calm down a little. After about a week your turtle will get used to the new environment and will start acting normally. There is nothing you can do in this case, just make sure that you don’t scare your turtle any further.

Final Thoughts

I hope you will be able to find and solve your problem with the help of this article. But if you tried everything in this article and your turtle is still digging excessively, I would suggest you take your turtle to the vet. If there is nothing wrong with the enclosure or the basking area, there is a chance that your turtle might be sick, and the only way to know for sure is to go to a vet.

Common Questions

Should I leave the light on for my turtle at night? No turtles don’t need a source of light during the night. So there is no need for one. But if you want to see your turtles during the night, there are some special red or blue lights that won’t disturb the turtles and will allow you to see them clearly.

Do all turtles bask? No, not all turtles need to bask. But most turtles that end up as pets need to bask, so you have to provide a proper basking area for them.

How often do you have to clean out a turtle tank? A good practice is to clean the tank once a week. But if you want to be more precise you can always buy a water ph test that will tell you exactly if the tank needs to be cleaned or not.

How long can Box turtles survive underwater? Box turtles can’t survive more than 1 or 2 minutes underwater. Unlike aquatic turtles, tortoises are not very good at holding their breath underwater, so they can’t survive for too long.

How long can Box turtles go without water? On average a box turtle can survive between 2 and 3 days without water, without having any health problems afterward. But when hibernating, Box turtles can go up to 4 months without water.

Can I give my Box turtle tap water? In most cases, you can give your Box turtle tap water, but if the tap water isn’t safe to drink for humans it probably isn’t for turtles either. So only give the turtle water that you would also drink.

Do Box turtles live in ponds? Box turtles live near ponds, not inside the pond. As Box turtles need water in order to survive, they will live near it, but since they aren’t aquatic they won’t live in it.

How long can a Box turtle go without eating? Box turtles can easily go up to 90 days without food, but this is not necessarily good for them. They will also need a lot of sunlight and water in order to do this. If you own a pet box turtle you shouldn’t leave them without food for long periods of time.

Do tortoises drink water? Yes, tortoises need to drink water. Even if they don’t spend too much time in the water, they still need to drink it occasionally. There are no animals in the world that can survive without water.

How long can tortoises survive underwater? Tortoises can’t survive more than 1 or 2 minutes underwater. Unlike turtles, tortoises are not very good at holding their breath underwater, so they can’t survive for too long.

How long can tortoises go without water? It depends on the species, some tortoises species can go 4 or 5 months without water, while others can’t survive more than 1 or 2 months without water.