# My box turtles eating worms



## dmarcus (Sep 19, 2011)

Here is a photo of our three hatchling box turtles.
From left to right: Zilla ("turtlezilla", It is the most aggresive of all three and is the biggest at 15grams). Dot 2 (the smallest of them at 7grams, just recently started eating). Dot 3 (13 grams and growing).







Here is a short video of them all chowing on some worms. It was taken with my hone so not the best quality...

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opo_vjVzBzc&feature=player_detailpage[/video]


----------



## AnthonyC (Sep 19, 2011)

I don't know too much about box turtles so I was wondering if you place the worms in a particular place (like in front of them) or do you just release them into their enclosure and then you turtles find them?


----------



## dmarcus (Sep 19, 2011)

AnthonyC said:


> I don't know too much about box turtles so I was wondering if you place the worms in a particular place (like in front of them) or do you just release them into their enclosure and then you turtles find them?



They are attracted by movement. once they see it wiggle then the hunt is on.


----------



## AnthonyC (Sep 19, 2011)

Wow... cool! Like little shelled-wolves!!!


----------



## dmarcus (Sep 19, 2011)

AnthonyC said:


> Wow... cool! Like little shelled-wolves!!!



The biggest one is so aggressive when it comes to worms that we have to feed it seperate from the other two or it will take the worms right out of there mouth.


----------



## jackrat (Sep 19, 2011)

They are too cute.


----------



## mel262011 (Sep 19, 2011)

cute babies. Love the video


----------



## dmarcus (Sep 19, 2011)

jackrat said:


> They are too cute.



Box turtle hachlings are the best...



mel262011 said:


> cute babies. Love the video



Thank you, we are enjoying them...


----------



## Turtle Guru (Sep 19, 2011)

Well that's great, Thank the LORD!


----------



## terryo (Sep 19, 2011)

Your vivarium is fantastic! Just be careful with those meal worms. Years ago I had two little hatchlings that I brought up from my old turtle garden. Placed them in a nice planted vivarium, and threw in a few meal worms for them to find. Well, they didn't find all of them and the mealworms grew and turned into beetles and the beetles ate the little hatchlings. It only took a few days to eat them and since it was Winter, and I didn't feed them for three days, when I dug them out on the third day there was nothing but two clean shells, and about 6 fat beetles. Now when I feed hatchlings, I only put in as many as they can eat and anything they don't eat (except for pill bugs) comes out. Another bad experience was with crickets. This only happened a few years ago. I bought the tiny ones and threw them in the viv for the babies to find. The ones they didn't find grew, and produced hundreds....yes hundreds...of crickets. I had to empty out the whole viv and change everything. Just wanted to share my experiences with you. Your babies are adorable and like I said...I love your vivarium.


----------



## dmarcus (Sep 19, 2011)

terryo said:


> Your vivarium is fantastic! Just be careful with those meal worms. Years ago I had two little hatchlings that I brought up from my old turtle garden. Placed them in a nice planted vivarium, and threw in a few meal worms for them to find. Well, they didn't find all of them and the mealworms grew and turned into beetles and the beetles ate the little hatchlings. It only took a few days to eat them and since it was Winter, and I didn't feed them for three days, when I dug them out on the third day there was nothing but two clean shells, and about 6 fat beetles. Now when I feed hatchlings, I only put in as many as they can eat and anything they don't eat (except for pill bugs) comes out. Another bad experience was with crickets. This only happened a few years ago. I bought the tiny ones and threw them in the viv for the babies to find. The ones they didn't find grew, and produced hundreds....yes hundreds...of crickets. I had to empty out the whole viv and change everything. Just wanted to share my experiences with you. Your babies are adorable and like I said...I love your vivarium.



Thanks Terry, I know how destructive a beetle can be. They kill there own and eat there babies, I would not want that to happen to my little ones. We actually feed them in a smaller container and once they catch what they want we move them to the viv so they can eat in peace. 

So sorry to hear about those two hatchlings, had to be a horrible experience. We can't find pill bugs right now so we will be ordering some from Carolina and those will be the only things will will let run free...

My wife says thanks since that is her project, but we are dealing with some sort of plant mites right now and trying deal with that...



Turtle Guru said:


> Well that's great, Thank the LORD!



Thank you....


----------



## terryo (Sep 19, 2011)

What kind of lights do you have on top? I think I'm going to turn off the heat lamps now as they seem to go to the cooler side most of the time. Just wondering if you have any heat on them? I have three about the same size now too.


----------



## dmmj (Sep 19, 2011)

dalano73 said:


> The biggest one is so aggressive when it comes to worms that we have to feed it seperate from the other two or it will take the worms right out of there mouth.



Sounds like dinner at my house.


----------



## ALDABRAMAN (Sep 19, 2011)

Nice!


----------



## dmarcus (Sep 20, 2011)

terryo said:


> What kind of lights do you have on top? I think I'm going to turn off the heat lamps now as they seem to go to the cooler side most of the time. Just wondering if you have any heat on them? I have three about the same size now too.



An aquarium light with a plant growing bulb, as suggested by Turtle tails. Right now we don't have a heat source because the viv stays between 70-82 with the room temp. We have a repti fogger on a timer going off several times a day to give a boost to the humidity.



dmmj said:


> dalano73 said:
> 
> 
> > The biggest one is so aggressive when it comes to worms that we have to feed it seperate from the other two or it will take the worms right out of there mouth.
> ...



We know the pecking order now..



ALDABRAMAN said:


> Nice!



Thanks Greg, glad your back..


----------

