A Turtle’s Resilience and the Power of Proper Care

Rockalina, an eastern box turtle, was rescued in early 2025 by Garden State Tortoise (GST), a New Jersey reptile rehabilitation center, after spending nearly 50 years living in captivity on a kitchen floor, eating only cat food, which left her with discolored skin, deformed claws and blindness. Showing remarkable resilience, she has recovered and thrived after a treatment of warm baths, proper food and days spent in a forest-like setting with natural light and plenty of space for burrowing, hiding, exploring and even hunting and eating live earthworms.

Rockalina’s inspiring journey gained global fame through GST videos and photos, showing her enjoying a strawberry, displaying curiosity and natural instincts, walking tall and recently meeting a baby turtle companion. Rockalina’s recovery demonstrates the ability of animals to bounce back from severe neglect and underscores the importance of proper care for reptiles and all creatures.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, eastern box turtles are five to six inches long, and they inhabit ponds, fields, meadows and woodlands throughout the eastern United States. Their diet includes berries, insects, roots, flowers, eggs and amphibians. When threatened, they retract their limbs and close their shells. While they are very popular pets, many people release them into the wild when they no longer wish to care for them. This practice can be detrimental to domesticated turtles that struggle to adapt to a vastly different environment. It is best to drop them off at a local animal shelter or veterinarian.