First off, let’s cover the basics real quick so you know exactly what you’re looking at. According to the IUCN Red List, Southern Vietnamese Box Turtles are classified as Vulnerable in the wild, with their native populations in southern Vietnam declining fast due to habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade. That means if you ever decide to get one as a pet, you have to make 100% sure it’s captive bred from a reputable breeder, no exceptions. Their shells have these dreamy, hand-painted looking splotches of warm yellow, deep brown, and soft black, and their little round faces have huge, glistening dark eyes that make every photo look like they’re intentionally posing for a professional shoot.
Let’s dive straight into the most viral cute pics of these turtles that took over social media last year. The most famous one by far is the baby Southern Vietnamese Box Turtle sitting on a US quarter for scale, right? That little guy is literally smaller than the coin, his tiny legs half tucked into his shell like he’s shy about all the attention, and there’s a tiny crumb of strawberry stuck right on the tip of his nose. That pic blew up on TikTok, getting over 2.7 million likes and 1.2 million shares, and I know at least 10 people who have it as their phone lock screen right now. Another viral hit was an adult turtle sunning itself on a pile of pastel succulents, head tilted up towards the sun like it’s grinning. The contrast between its colorful shell and the soft green and pink succulents is so pretty, I’ve even seen people print it out and frame it as wall art for their living rooms.
If you love silly pet pics, you’re gonna lose your mind over the eating and snack time pics of these turtles. I stumbled on one last week of a 3 year old Southern Vietnamese Box Turtle chowing down on a slice of ripe mango, its little cheeks all puffed out like a squirrel storing nuts for winter. The owner wrote in the caption that mango is its absolute favorite snack, and it will literally climb over its own food bowl full of veggies to get to a mango slice first. There’s also a hilarious 3-pic series that went viral on Reddit: first pic is the turtle determinedly trying to climb a small smooth rock in its enclosure, second is it slipping halfway down with its legs flailing, third is it sitting at the bottom of the rock with its head drooped like it’s pouting about failing. The comments were full of people saying it’s the most relatable pet pic they’ve ever seen, because that’s exactly how they feel when they try to stick to a new workout routine.
If you want to find even more of these cute pics, the hashtags #SouthernVietnameseBoxTurtle and #BoxTurtlePics on Instagram have literally thousands of posts from pet owners all over the world. A lot of owners love doing tiny, silly photo shoots for their turtles: tiny felt party hats for their gotcha day anniversaries, little moss beds for cozy fall photos, even tiny plastic sunglasses for summer poolside pics. Wait, but quick pro tip from the Turtle Survival Alliance that I always share: don’t leave small accessories like hats or sunglasses on your turtle for more than a couple of minutes, and never force them to pose if they’re trying to get away. Turtles get stressed way easier than dogs or cats, so keep photo shoots short, fun, and never make them do something they don’t want to. Also, never use flash when you’re taking pics of them, it hurts their sensitive eyes really bad.
A lot of people message me after seeing these pics asking if Southern Vietnamese Box Turtles make good pets, and honestly? They’re perfect if you love low maintenance, chill pets that are fun to watch and photograph. They don’t need daily walks, they don’t bark or meow at 3am because they’re bored, and if you take good care of them, they can live for 40 to 50 years, so they’re a long term little buddy. All they need is a properly sized enclosure with a warm basking spot, a shallow clean water dish they can soak in, and a varied diet of leafy greens, fresh fruit, and occasional protein like mealworms or crickets. They are pretty shy when you first bring them home, so don’t expect them to pose for pics the first week. Give them time to get used to their new space, and soon they’ll be popping their head out every time you walk in the room, waiting for a snack and a quick photo op.
My all time favorite Southern Vietnamese Box Turtle pic was posted a couple months ago by a reptile rescue in Florida that takes in surrendered and abandoned pet reptiles. The pic is a 22 year old senior turtle that was surrendered after its previous owner passed away, sitting in a pile of fresh clover, with a 6 month old baby surrendered box turtle sitting right on its back. The caption said the two became inseparable within a week of the baby arriving at the rescue, and the older turtle even lets the baby steal its favorite mango snacks right out of its food bowl. The pic got shared over 120,000 times across social media, and the rescue said they got more than $14,000 in donations in the week after they posted it, all from people who fell in love with the two turtles. It’s such a good reminder of how much personality these little reptiles have, even if they’re not as cuddly or loud as more common pets.
If you’re thinking of taking cute pics of your own Southern Vietnamese Box Turtle, there are a few easy tricks to get the perfect shot. First, use natural light from a window, no harsh overhead lights or flash. Second, try to take pics when they’re already relaxed: when they’re sunning, eating a snack, or exploring their enclosure. Third, have their favorite treat handy to get their attention, so they look right at the camera. Most importantly, have fun with it! You don’t need a fancy camera, your phone works perfectly fine, and the blurry, silly pics are always the best ones anyway.