new owner. all info welcomed please!

[krystynefox]

I found out from an earlier thread that I have a female Eastern Box Turtle she was found on a four lane highway in a place called Dry Ridge Kentucky I'm just wondering what are the best possible conditions and food for her As I am an avid animal lover and want her to have a healthy happy life. also this is kind of random but she has five toes I read something that says they typically have three or four is she a certain type of box turtle

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

I assume she has five toes on the front feet and four on the back feet? That is typical for the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). The three-toed box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis) has five toes on the front and three on the back. Occasionally there are Easterns with three back toes and three-toeds with four, but usually T. c. carolina has five and four and T. c. triunguis has five and three.

 

[Angel Carrion]

An indoor enclosure at least 12 inches deep with at least 12-13 square feet of floor space is best. Outdoor is even better.

Sphagnum moss and milled coconut husk fiber (coco fiber/coir) or peat moss mixed together is a good moisture retaining substrate. It needs to be about 6 inches deep throughout the enclosure. Humidity needs to be between 70-90% in the enclosure. Using an accurate hydrometer is the best way to measure the levels. Having a water dish under the heat lamp is a way to keep humidity up, just make sure the water doesn't get too hot for the turtle. The moistened substrate will also keep humidity up. The water dish needs to be big enough that the turtle can soak on his own, but shallow enough that he doesn't accidentally flip over while trying to climb in or out. Misting the enclosure is another good way to keep humidity up.
Temp ranges; 80ish F on warm side, 70-75 F on cool side, 85-90 F for the basking spot. Nighttime temps should not go below 65 F.

Heat lamp UVA and a UVB bulb will be needed, or you can get a mercury vapor bulb which produces heat and UVB. If you get a heat lamp and UVB bulb separate of each other, make sure to not get a coil bulb. Those can damage turtle eyes and cause blindness. A UVB bulb should be replaced every 6 months, but a mercury vapor bulb can be replaced every 12-18 months. The lamps need to be 16-18 inches above turtle so as to avoid burning them.
Using a digital temp gun is most useful in reading the temps accurately. I got mine off amazon for 12-14 bucks.

Food items and how much
Animal matter: 50% of meal -- crickets, earthworms, feeder fish (not goldfish - may make them sick, like upset stomach or something), Dubai roaches (yum!), mealworms (as a treat), grasshoppers, sow bugs, katydids, isopods, june bugs, slugs (but not banana slugs), terrestrial snails, waxworms, various grubs, superworms (zoophobas), blood worms, carrion, beefheart, gastropods, spiders, cicadas, silkworms, millipedes, pill bugs, butterfly larvae, preying mantids (remove spiked forelegs first), boiled skinless chicken, boiled eggs with shell, cooked lean ground beef, nightcrawlers. Can feed a pinkie or fuzzy once a month. Freeze in freezer bag for 72 hours at least to kill any parasites. Thaw in tepid water before serving. Never use microwave to defrost! NEVER FEED EASTERN TENT CATERPILLARS
Vegetables: 20% of meal -- pretty much all squashes, bell peppers (not often), carrots, corn on the cob (boiled, not often), green beans, okra, opuntia cactus pad & fruit, peas in the pod, various pumpkins, sweet potatoes, zucchini.
Greens: 10% of meal -- bibb, various kinds of clover, collard greens, dandelion greens & weeds, escarole, kale (not often), mustard greens, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, turnip greens, watercress, pesticide-free field-collected weeds & leaves (I suggest only picking those you can identify).
Fruits: 10% of meal -- apples, apricot, figs, banana (mainly as a treat), all berries, grapes, kiwi, all melons, peach, plum, tomatoes (never feed any other part of the tomato plant- not safe)
Fungi/mushrooms: 10% of meal -- chanterelle, fried-chicken mushrooms (yeah, that's a thing), meadow, morel, oyster, puffball, russulas, shaggy inkcap. (Yes those are all different mushrooms). Do not offer Portabello mushrooms. Can't remember why.

Once a week, lightly dust meal with a calcium supplement with Vitamin D3 and a vitamin supplement. I use Rep-Cal Phosphorus-free Calcium with Vitamin D3 (the phosphorus-free info is important) and ZooMed's Reptivite. Leaving a cuttlebone in the enclosure will give the turtle the opportunity to free-serve calcium as they need
Do not offer cat food as most commercial cat foods produce acidic urine, which will increase the excretion of calcium in the urine.This can and most likely will cause a calcium deficiency in reptiles and can lead to metabolic bone disease, shell deformities, and soft tissue calcification. Using a low-fat wet dog food can be done if the turtle will not eat anything you offer to entice them to start eating.

Dealing with a reluctant eater: Box turtles are most active in the mornings, evenings, and after it rains. Try misting the enclosure before feeding & offer meals in the morning after the turtle has had time to warm up but before the day becomes too hot. If the turtle continues to not eat, try overripe brightly colored fruits like strawberries and cantaloupe (those are my guys favorites) and bananas. Also, turtles are naturally attracted to moving food. If your turtle will only eat live foods, try cutting up a nightcrawler or two and mixing it with some veggies and fruits so that the wiggling in and on the meal will attract them. As they try to eat the nightcrawler, they will likely accidentally grab the greens and such. After doing this for a while, reduce the amount of nightcrawlers until the box turtle consistently eats the veggies and greens.

How to get shy turtles out to eat: feed underneath foliage and keep activity in the area to a minimum as much as possible while eating.
Be sure to offer a wide variety and change things up. Turtles become bored being offered the same foods every meal.

Feeding frequency:
Hatchling to 1 year old, or underweight turtle - one to two days
one to three years old, or recovering from illness - two to three days
three years and older - three to four days
overweight - four days

Feed on a flat plate, plastic lid, flat rock, or paper plate. Be warned: turtles may try to eat the paper plates. Flat rocks are best generally because the rock will help file the beak and keep the nails trim.

Gut-loading insects: Crickets and mealworms (and others) can be gut-loaded two days before use. Feed them a high-calcium invertebrate food - sweet potato, high quality tropical fish flake, or low fat dry dog food. To provide the insects with moisture and added nutrients that will be passed on to the turtle, offer the feeders leafy greens like turnip greens or dandelion greens.

All invertebrate food items (except earthworms) should be lightly dusted with the calcium supplement just before serving. You can do this by putting some of the supplement powder in a sandwich bag then put that meal's insects in, close the bag, and gently shake to coat them in the supplement. Place in front of the turtle. If the feeders are moving around too much, the dust will fall off. It is best to offer them using forceps or by incapacitating them while still being able to move enough to draw the turtle's attention.
Make sure to mist the enclosure at least once a day.
I think that's it right now unless you want me to go into medical stuff.

 

[TMartin510]

Wow nice turtle! I had a box turtle, I'm jealous! Haha enjoy your time with her

 

[krystynefox]

Her name is Tucan. Does anybody know if there are any regulations on having her when I googled it it brought up Ohio Indiana and said it's illegal but I can't find anything on Kentucky I'm also having a hard time getting her to eat live food she seems to want all the Greens Squashes and fruits but won't touch any earthworms

 

[Angel Carrion]

Her name is Tucan. Does anybody know if there are any regulations on having her when I googled it it brought up Ohio Indiana and said it's illegal but I can't find anything on Kentucky I'm also having a hard time getting her to eat live food she seems to want all the Greens Squashes and fruits but won't touch any earthworms

Do you know how old she is? Her only wanting greens veggies and fruits is something of a shock to me. Usually it's the other way around, haha! Depending on her age, her not eating animal protein all the time will be okay. Just keep offering different kinds of animal protein and most likely eventually she will eat some.
I know nothing about Kentucky regulations concerning eastern box turtles, sorry. But if you can't find any laws concerning them when you search google for eastern box turtles as pets in Kentucky, most likely you're good.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

From http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/kar/301/002/081.htm

"Five (5) or fewer individuals of each species of native reptile or amphibian may be taken year round or possessed for personal use without a permit"​

 

[krystynefox]

Thank you so much . I'm not sure how old age is as she was found on the highway and as much as I have spent on her so far lol from the lights to the sphagnum moss the coconut fiber bedding rocks etc I don't want to let her go lol plus she's extreme friendly I've actually never seen her hiding in her she'll she even let's me pet her head which makes me think she may not have been wild idk but she's a great addition to our family!

 

[Angel Carrion]

Thank you so much . I'm not sure how old age is as she was found on the highway and as much as I have spent on her so far lol from the lights to the sphagnum moss the coconut fiber bedding rocks etc I don't want to let her go lol plus she's extreme friendly I've actually never seen her hiding in her she'll she even let's me pet her head which makes me think she may not have been wild idk but she's a great addition to our family!

Easterns can be surprisingly social, even wild ones, so while that could be a sign that she was someone's pet that was released or she has extensive experience with humans, it's not a definite indicator. Generally a definite indicator of previous captivity is signs of improper husbandry, like pyramiding, overgrown beak/nails, malformed shell, lack of pigmentation, flaky and cracking shell, etc. She could have been, she could not have been. Either way, she's with you now.
Can you measure how big she is? Basically take a tape measure one would use to measure clothing or a person's size and lay it flat, then put her on top. Or you can measure her from the tip of her carapace behind her head to the base above her tail.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Also, do you have more pictures of her? Head shot, tail shot, plastron shot, claws, enclosure, etc?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

The place to release her would be the place she was found, helping get cross the road. No place else. So it looks like you have yourself a turtle.

Make the habitat as natural as possible. Think of a forest floor with rich loam and fallen leaves as well as plants. Think garden bed, and water accordingly. An outdoor habitat would be the best- they love sun and rain - but even indoors that's the model to aim for. Keeping the substrate damp will provide plenty of humidity.

Your turtle should be able to bask under the light. Put the water dish in a different spot.

 

[Eric Phillips]

I know it's exciting to have a new box turtle but remember this is a potential wild. I recommend taking it to a vet but if you don't make sure to do a complete checkup yourself. I would do it during a soak, look for injuries, insects, infections, etc., and watch the stools to see if there are any worms. She may seem healthy but the stress of a new place can bring the worst if she has something. Keeping a journal on her wouldn't be a bad idea either. Not meaning to scare but taking care of a box turtle is more than some think. Very rewarding but also very demanding.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Wild box turtles sometimes have trouble transitioning to captivity over the winter. They are used to hibernating. They have done so successfully up until capture. They need to be very well fed to prepare. As a keeper, you'll have to learn all you can on the subject to either prevent hibernation or do it safely.

 

[krystynefox]

She is in a 60 gallon aquarium with the bottom blocked out I have a potters plant I buried halfway for her to hide and her floor is a combo n of the sphagnum moss coconut fiber and the dry mulch on the other side . She has a saucer from the bottom of the planter for soaking .I bought I believe it's a 28 inch uvb and then a basking light as well . I'll post more pictures of her now . I do not have a measuring tape to measure her but I think she's 6 or 7 inches I'm not the best with estimating tho

 

[krystynefox]

Under side

 

[krystynefox]

Her nails

 

[krystynefox]

Just chilling in the am lol

 

[krystynefox]

as I live in a subdivision with the house is fairly close to each other I can't have an outdoor enclosure but I do take her outside for a few hours a day and we watch her walk around I know its not an outdoor enclosure but I do try to take her outside to get natural sunlight along with the UVB and UVA light I have inside the house I spent a lot of money on this little girl lolI've been doing my research since I've got her there's just a lot of different information out there

 

[krystynefox]

Tucan is cranky I took a picture of her belly lol

 

[krystynefox]

I'm not sure if these are the pics you needed she's not really apt for selfies any ideas on If she really was truly wild or if somone let her free ?