Why people in St. Louis kept turtles in their basement
Have you heard about the St. Louis basement turtle? Apparently, it was a phenomenon in the 20th century to keep a box turtle in your basement. The St. Louis basement turtles were a common occurrence in the 20th century, often used as pest control. The three-toed box turtle and ornate box turtle are two types of species that are commonly found in the city. The ornate turtle is commonly seen in Missouri's grasslands and native prairies and eats plants, fruits, and insects. Fans of Fox 2’s Facebook page have shared their memories of their grandparents having basement turtles. The box turtle is protected from being collected and sold as a pet for around 20 years.
Published : 2 months ago by Liz Dowell in Science
ST. LOUIS — Have you heard about the St. Louis basement turtle? Apparently, it was a phenomenon in the 20th century to keep a box turtle in your basement.
According to the St. Louis subreddit, basement turtles really were a St. Louis ‘thing’. Except they weren’t used as pets; they were used for pest control. A common turtle used as a basement turtle was the box turtle. St. Louis has two types of box turtles: the three-toed box turtle and the ornate box turtle.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the three-toed box turtle’s shell is plain olive or olive-brown with faint yellowish lines. They have either yellow or orange speckles on their head, neck and legs, depending on the age and sex of the turtle. They usually only have three toes on each hind foot, but some have four. Their diets consist of insects, earthworms and older turtles, which eat plants as part of their diet.
The ornate box turtle has a yellow and brown-domed shell and is commonly seen in Missouri’s grasslands and native prairies. These turtles eat plants, fruits, and insects.
Fans of Fox 2’s Facebook page commented on a post from 2020, saying that they remember their grandparents having basement turtles.
Deanne W. said that her grandmother always had one in her basement. Others chimed in that their grandparents as well had these basement turtles.
Charlie C. said, “When I was young, we had two turtles in our basement here in Perryville. My favorite pro quarterback was Roman Gabriel, so we named one Roman and the other Gabriel.”
Kathy L. said, “We inherited a box turtle from my grandpa. It lived in his basement in South City.” My dad found Mike at Faragut Elementary School’s playground in 1936. Mike is over 84 years old. She’s been living in our basement for 21 years. She loves earthworms, fruits and vegetables. The reptile veterinarian says it’s the oldest box turtle he has ever treated and told us Mike was a girl. Mike lives in our basement near the water heater, with a heat lamp available. She goes dormant in the winter.”
Sharlene T. said, “We had a turtle called Pete. He would crawl up on my foot while I used my sewing machine. I enjoyed the up-down motion as I used the peddle.”
Tina H. said, “I dated a guy who found one on the golf course and brought it to my house and put it in the basement to eat bugs. It turned out he was a city boy who didn’t know his turtles too well. He thought it was a box turtle—it was a snapping turtle! How he got it home without losing fingers is beyond me. It was a big one!”
2024 Solar Eclipse: These Missouri and Illinois cities offer the longest totality
Pat B. said, “I remember my grandpa renting a house in, I believe, south St. Louis and the basement had a lot of turtles when he moved in. He just let them be since it was a dirt floor, and he didn’t use it. I always thought we were special because of the turtles, but now I am finding out we weren’t.”
Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.
Suzy said, “I have had a turtle that lives in my backyard garden… I started putting her in the window well that was shielded from snow in late fall. She will dig and hibernate and in spring, come up and look at me in the window doing laundry. Then I know it’s time to take her out and put her back in the garden. I give her fruit, veggies, and canned dog food. She loves it all. It’s been over 12 years now. Love her”
There are so many other responses on the Facebook and Reddit threads. It seems like a basement turtle was a normal thing to have about 20 years ago. Today, the box turtle is protected from being collected and sold as a pet in Missouri.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.