Cropped & modified version of photo by Kerry Wixted @ Flickr; licensed under CC BY 2.0
It’s best to give your box turtles a soft floor in their home, but not all materials are safe to use with them. Some can even be toxic.
Here’s a brief overview of safe substrates and substrates to avoid.
Soil, leaf mulch and wood chips are good choices for your turtle’s floor. The choice is up to you, but here are some things to keep in mind about these materials.
Choose plain potting soil or topsoil. It should not contain any:
- Perlite: A type of volcanic rock that looks like small pebbles
- Vermiculite: A type of mica that has been treated to expand
- Styrofoam: A polystyrene (plastic) foam
Some box turtles will seek out and eat these additives, which can cause digestive problems and even impaction (blocked intestines).
Other substrates that can cause gut impactions include gravel, silica or calcium sand.
Avoid anything too coarse, which can scratch your turtle. Scratches can lead to infections, including shell infections.
Wood chips or shavings are ok, as long as they are not pine bark or cedar. These woods contain aromatic oils that are toxic and can cause respiratory problems in reptiles. Some turtles may even die from them.
Box turtle experts also recommend avoiding commercial products like:
- Recycled newspaper
- Walnut shells
- Aspen shavings
- Rodent pellet bedding
- Cat litter
Also, reptile carpet is not suitable for box turtles. It doesn’t stay moist, and your turtle can’t dig into it to hide.
A plain floor without a substrate is better than an unsafe substrate. That’s not a good long-term solution, of course, but if you can’t find a suitable substrate right away, your turtles can do without for a little while.
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Good stuff on the bedding info! I use mostly dug up soil from naturally wooded areas. It stays moist without being muddy, and has no man-made additives. I rake it up about every 2 weeks to freshen the top layer and fold in the leaves that compost. It seems to be doing well, as I have earthworms living below the surface that the turtles feast on from time to time. I keep a good selection of fruits: strawberries, tomatoes, melons, and such for their food.
Nice! Sounds like you have some very happy turtles. 🙂
Hey I have a box turtle I was wondering if I could use hay in her play pen outside ???
Hi William,
Hay is generally safe to use with box turtles. It’s good for digging and burrowing.
You might want to keep a couple of things in mind:
* Some hays are rougher than others. Some people have found their turtles prefer softer hays.
* Hay can mold pretty easy when it gets wet. I don’t know where you live, but if it rains a lot, you’ll need to keep an eye on that. Possibly change it pretty often.
Of course, most things will mold if they stay wet too long. It’s just something to think about.
Good luck and enjoy your boxie!
I live in Florida and my back yard is mostly sand. Can I create a substrate for my [wild-found] baby box turtle with sand on the base and then 2-3″ of dead leaves and shredded paper (from a shredder, so pretty small pieces)? The reason I want to use paper is simply to increase the volume of the burrowing material, since I don’t have a ton of leaves, but will it be safe? Also, separate question — when I got him he would eat red wigglers (from my compost) but then I introduced him to mealworms and now he won’t eat the wigglers. Is there a way to encourage him to go back to more natural food? I really want him to have a range of proteins. and I’ve been looking all over for snails and pillbugs and can’t find any in the yard, so I need to figure out how to get him to enjoy worms again. He won’t strike at even the very active ones.
Hi Anaya
Shredded paper may not be the best choice for an outdoor enclosure. It’s often recommended for a sick turtle you’re caring for indoors, where you can easily change it out as necessary. But when paper gets wet (like rained on), it gets mushy, clumpy, and can mold pretty easily. That’s not the best environment for your turtle.
Some plain wood chip mulch (not pine bark or cedar and not dyed) might be a better choice.
I’m a little surprised your turtle is turning up his nose at wigglers. Usually they love active foods! Is there another food he really likes? A lot of boxies like berries or other fruits and you can get them to try other foods by chopping it all together with their favorites. Obviously chopping up the wiggler isn’t the best choice, but maybe you could smear it with berry or fruit? (I’m assuming you’re not too squeamish to touch it!). Then put it right in front of him. If he’ll eat that, slowly decrease the amount of fruit you put on the worm until he’s happy to eat it by itself.
Other than that, I’m not really sure … Are you sure he isn’t finding his own insect meals when you’re not around?
I’m assuming he still eats the mealworms and other foods (fruits/veggies)? If he’s not eating anything, take him to a reptile vet to see if he’s sick or has an impaction (blockage in his gut).
This time of year I might also suggest he’s eating less to get ready for hibernation, but I think Florida boxies don’t usually hibernate since it doesn’t get that cold. So that’s unlikely to be it.
I have a box turtle and was looking for an organic topsoil. I bought a couple bags of Scotts Premium Topsoil. Is this a safe product? There are wood chips but I don’t know what type of wood.
Hi Sydney,
I don’t have personal experience with Scotts Premium Topsoil, so I can’t say for sure. But it looks to be all organic and without any chemicals that could be harmful.
I’m not sure I understand your comment about wood chips. Do you mean there’s some in the topsoil? I don’t know what kind they’d be either. If they’re big maybe pick them out? Or sift the dirt through some kind of wire mesh?
Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you. Like I said, I’m not familiar with that topsoil. Maybe someone who’s used it (either in their yard or for their turtle) can give a better answer.
I have had my boxie for 3 years and he’s doing great. I’m in the process of clean his inclosure and got pine bedding that says it is toxen free. Is this OK to use. He loves to dig and cover himself up. Please someone help me.
Pine is not recommended because of the oils in the wood.
I’m not sure what toxin-free is referring to on your bedding. Maybe the wood can be treated to remove the oils? … but I’m not sure if I’d risk it. Unless it specifically says that’s what was done.
I’d probably go with either a coconut fiber bedding or cypress mulch.
Hope this helps!
Hi I have a turtle that will be hibernating and was wondering what kind of bedding I should use to start the hibernation process. I have some potting soil and was wondering if that would be ok to use. Thank you.
Hi Jenni,
Yes! Potting soil is a good bedding option for hibernation (Just be sure it’s plain soil, without fertilizers, vermiculite, perlite, etc.). Adding a layer of leaves or straw on top of the potting soil is also good.
We have a page about hibernating box turtles indoors, if you’d like to read more about it.
hi is hay good for beding
Hi Caroline,
Yes, people do use hay as bedding for their box turtles. It’s loose, so they can dig and burrow easily.
That said, I’ve seen some boxie owners saying their turtles prefer softer hays. Apparently some kinds are rougher than others. I’m not sure how big a deal this is.
Also, it may mold quicker than some other beddings if it stays wet too long. I don’t have personal experience with hay, but I’ve seen other turtle owners seeing this problem. As long as you make sure you scoop out any soiled areas regularly, I doubt it would be a big problem. But it is something to keep in mind.
Hope this helps!
I just got a baby box turtle. My cousin found him in her back yard and gave him to me and my sister she gave us box turtle food and a habitat for him the tank floor has wood chips on it. I do not know what kind of wood it is. My sister and I are looking for a new tank and bedding for him because the tank is very small. What is the best size tank for a baby box turtle. Also what type of bedding is the best. It is cold where I live now that it is becoming winter, will he go in to hibernation because of this? We also have other animal who live inside also but all of them are mammals and don’t live in a tank. Will this cause problems with the turtle? They do not try to hurt him or even pay attention to him so I don’t think it will in that way. He loves to be held and crawl under clothing onto our shoulder. He is held often to keep him warm, if we hold him to much will it hurt him. I also must ask because he is a baby are there any precautions we must take with different types of food and bedding. We bought him t-Rex box turtle dry formula from petco for him to eat we put water in it so he does not choke we want to no if this is bad for him. If so what would be some recommendations for him.
Just moved from Idaho to Florida have a boxie for 16 yrs , need to know what kinda bedding I should use ?
We always used walnut shells but now I hear they are bad for them
Hi Brenda,
There’s actually a lot of different substrates you can use. You may need to do some trial and error to see which you and your turtle like best. For example:
Hope this helps!
Hey, I have a box turtle and I was wondering if some artificial grass or some mud would be good as a bedding for the bottom of his tank?
Hi Haleigh!
Artificial grass isn’t really a good option. Boxies like something they can dig into & burrow in! Dirt can work, since that’s what they’re most likely to find in nature. I’d make sure it’s sterilized though. You don’t really want insect eggs hatching & infesting the habitat or your house! I sterilize dirt this way. And make sure it stays loose so your turtle actually can dig in it. Mixing in something like mulch can help with that. Just make sure not to use the things listed above!
I have a box turtle I found in my creak and he is in a 4 foot long box and about 10 inches wide and has a cardboard house a old paint tray still with old paint in it I don’t know if that will kill him or not but he has a nice soft dirt bedding all through the bottom and grass in his house does every thing sound right
Hi Payton,
We have lots of information around this site on what kinds of things box turtles need to stay healthy. These pages are a good place to start:
And just explore the site to find more. (I would definitely replace that paint tray).
One final thought. You don’t say how long you’ve had him. But if you found him recently, please consider putting him back where you found him. Box turtle populations have been declining for years, and every time someone takes one home, that’s one less box turtle left to make baby turtles. We have more information on (not) keeping wild box turtles here. Of course, sometimes there are good reasons not to release a box turtle back to the wild. I don’t know your specific situation, so I can’t tell you what to do. Please use your best judgment.
Hi I have 3 year old manure for my bedding. Is that safe? Also, my turtle like to play in pine bark, so I have a small pile in the corner, is this ok
Hi Cameron,
I’m afraid I don’t know anything about using manure as bedding. I do know that when buying topsoil/potting soil to use as substrate you should get stuff without manure. But that could be because the manure used in those products isn’t aged. Like I said, I don’t know about manure.
But the pine is not a good idea. Pine contains oils that can cause respiratory problems in turtles. Something like orchid bark or cypress mulch would be safer. Zoo Med’s Forest Floor substrate is cypress mulch.
Hope this helps a little.
My eastern box turtle loves worms, but he refuses to eat his fruits and veggies I was wondering if there is any way to get him to eat better foods.
Should I stay away from all sand
Not necessarily. Calcium sand is different from regular sand. Calcium sand is actually sold as reptile substrate, partly because it’s edible and non-toxic. But eating too much of it can cause impactions. Calcium sand dust can also irritate eyes and respiratory tract.
Regular sand isn’t edible, but many people use it mixed with top soil, peat moss, and/or cypress mulch. The mixture is looser and easier to dig into. Box turtles love to dig!
It’s probably still best not to use any sand all by itself. Eating regular sand may also cause impactions, since it’s not edible. But when it’s mixed with other substrates the odds of eating much are lower.
The final decision is, of course, up to you!
Hope this helps.
Can you use sand as a floor base Red for the tortoises
Can you use peat moss for turtle bedding?
I just started using it and mine love it. I looked for one that the only ingredient was sphagnum Pete Moss. It stays moist and still light enough for them to dig up and hide in.
Hi there! I didn’t know pebbled rocks are not good for box turtles. What about calcium substrate? Would that be safe if I put just that? Thank you!
Hi Vickie,
Calcium? Like calcium sand? That’s another one that can cause gut impactions if your turtles eat it. Although no substrate is guaranteed 100% safe, many boxie parents love either wood chips (like Forest Floor) or Coconut fiber (like EcoEarth).
Hope this helps!
Hello I have two boxies and was wondering whats good to do in a outdoor box for them to play in or on has anyone did something for their turtle like this
Hello, I just bought a three-toed box turtle. Beforehand, I spoke with the reptile expert at our local store. She said it was okay to use clean, plain dirt for the turtle’s habitat, which is outdoors. So I ordered two yards and filled up a raised garden bed with this dirt, and brought the turtle home. The dirt gets quite dry, though. Someone suggested taking all of the dirt back out and replacing it with black earth, but that’s not going to be feasible. Is normal dirt okay if I mist it often, put some leaves in it, maybe some peat moss?
Hi James,
Plain dirt is generally safe, but yes, it can get dry & hard pretty easily. Box turtles like to dig & burrow, so you may want to work on creating at least a section of the habitat that’s nice & soft, easy to dig. Leaves & peat moss can help with that (peat moss is also great for keeping things moist). Some boxie keepers also mix dirt with sand or bark (like Forest Floor) to help keep it loose. Also, do you have any plants growing in there? Plants can provide shade for the turtle & also help slow evaporation.
I was wondering of i could use orange or red colored sand in our box turtles tank? I know they are attracted to those colors and i know we can use sand but can it be colored??
Can you use alfalfa pellets for bedding?
The advice on alfalfa pellets is very mixed. Some people recommend them & others include them on lists of things not to use. I personally would not use them, if only because they tend to mold easily when wet. And since you want high humidity for boxies you’d be encouraging mold growth & possibly exposing your pets to an unhealthy environment.
Help!
I’ve had my 3-toed box turtle girl for 40 years!! Miraculously, she’s survived..thus far. She lives indoors in a 1.5’ x 2’+ Rubbermaid enclosure with a UVA/UVB light, a sunken water dish, and a cardboard replaceable box shelter with an opening she loves napping in. I recently upgraded her substrate to organic topsoil that contains sphagnum moss and mist it daily. Yesterday, yellow Fuligo septica “dog vomit” mold exploded like neon shaving cream in an entire corner on her indoor home!! I’ve never seen anything like it in my entire life!! And I live in Louisiana! I scraped out as much substrate as I could and wiped it down but by morning the shiitake was back!! How do I get it out of there??? My turtle is hibernating in her box and the mold is creeping towards her!! Help!
Yikes! I wish I had a good answer for you, but I’m not too familiar with this mold, and I’ve definitely never had to deal with it. I do know it’s fairly common on bark mulch, but it doesn’t look like you’re using that? And like any mold it likes nice moist environments. Unfortunately, so do boxies. Is it possible you’re misting a little too much? Also unfortunately one of the best ways to kill mold is to dry it out. But that doesn’t kill the spores, so they can grow again when conditions are right. You might not have much choice but to put your girl in a temporary home (not sure if you can do that without waking her) and bleach the tub and any other items you may have in there. Rinse it all well, let it dry, and replace all substrate. Also replace the shelter with a new one.
Maybe someone else has had this problem and can share what they did.
If you’d like, head over to our Facebook page and ask your question there too.
Hello! I love your article and find it useful and helpful…I was just wondering, can I use composted mulch as part of my substrate?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Melody! Thanks for your question. It’s actually never occurred to us to use compost specifically for box turtle bedding, but I can’t think of a reason not to. The only things I’d do is 1) Make sure the original mulch was not pine bark or cedar, just in case it’s not completely broken down. 2) I’d sterilize it since compost is made by bacteria & other critters breaking down the original material (mulch in this case). While most of those shouldn’t be harmful to your pet, you could find your habitat infested with bugs if there’s any eggs in there & they hatch. In theory the heat generated by the composting process should kill any eggs, but I prefer to be sure! I generally sterilize soil as described here & compost should work the same way.
Can I use fir bark mixed with plain topsoil? I should add I have a baby Russian.
Hi Kelly, I’m afraid I don’t know too much about Russians. I do know that many turtle parents aren’t fond of fir bark for any turtles that like to dig or need high humidity. I’ve never used it personally, but apparently it’s not easy for turtles to burrow into (I don’t know if Russians do this?). And it doesn’t hold humidity as well as some substrates, although I think this depends somewhat on the size of the pieces. The finer stuff works better? But if you’re mixing it with topsoil that might help with both those problems. Or maybe they’re not problems for Russians? I’m sorry I can’t be more help.
I have a wild box turtle that my 5 year old is desperate to keep. We just sectioned off 625sqft of the back yard with fencing, and have chicken wire and landscape fabric running 2 ft inside the fence…
The area that is the middle (where her pond and home will be) is basically where I have thrown my leaves for 10 years… it’s pretty much woods. Roots and then somewhere deep is clay….
Is this ok for her? …. do I need to put topsoil or anything on top of all of it? Getting the fence posts in was pretty hard at times and that’s hammering steel will a hammer. I just want to make sure she won’t dig down thru roots and get trapped.
I know you didn’t ask, but I have to say it: Please, please, please do not keep a wild box turtle. If your child really wants one, check with reptile rescues and even local shelters sometimes get them. I’ve even seen box turtles on Petfinder. We also have a page of resources for people looking to give up their box turtle. Some of those organizations also offer the surrendered animals for adoption, so you could start there to find an animal already used to captivity.
As for your yard, you’ll want to be sure your turtle can easily dig below the frost line if you’re going to let it hibernate outside. I’m guessing 10 years of leaves has made a nice loose substrate that’ll be great for digging. The question is whether it’s deep enough. If you’re worried, some extra top soil probably couldn’t hurt, but I’d probably mix it with the top layers of what’s already there rather than just dump it on.
Hello can you use all purpose sand for outside bedding?
Hi Holly!
Plain sand is not recommended for turtle substrate (either inside or outside). But some people do like to mix it with topsoil to make a looser substrate that’s easier for their box turtles to dig into.
I am afraid if i use outdoor soil it will contain mites and such.
If i dig some up, microwave it for a few mins, let it cool will that kill anything that might infect the turtle?
Shes a little pig. Will just attack worms i rinse and place by her. Than go eat the Zoo Med canned food and head to bed. Found her last spring as a tiny hatchling our chickens were trying to eat. Shes growing!
This spring having some issues with swollen eyes. Ive used A drops and improved her diet. Seems to help but still a bit puffy on top. They could be opened more. Get in her water and rinses and wipes them with the back of her arm.
Hi William,
I’m not sure how long you need to microwave soil for to kill the bugs & such. When I need to sterilize soil I use the procedure outlined here. It involves baking for about 30 minutes.
For her eyes, have you checked the humidity in her habitat? Having water to soak in is good, but that may not be enough to maintain humidity levels.
It’s always good to see a turtle with a healthy appetite! Just don’t let her get too fat to be able to close her shell (yes, it can happen ).
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