Samjenkins
New Member
We have a two year eastern box turtle. Her eyes are fine, but her eyes and the area around them have always been very large and protruding. Is this normal?
2 year old box turtles eyes
- Thread starter Samjenkins
- Start date
Looks normal to me. However I'm not real familiar with them. Nothing looks abnormal though.
ZenHerper
Well-Known Member
They are a bit "froggy" round, aren't they? Though otherwise they seem normal.
What does s/he eat?
What does s/he eat?
Samjenkins
New Member
She eats red wriggler worms, live meal worms, dried meal worms, and some pet food from the pet store for box turtles it has pellets, mushrooms and strawberries. And every now and then we feed her some fruit but she won’t touch any veggies yet. I also put vitamin drops specifically for box turtles eyes on her food a few times a week
ZenHerper
Well-Known Member
Superb!
Does she get an uvb radiation?
Does she get an uvb radiation?
Samjenkins
New Member
I don’t keep her heat or UV on in the winter because the first year we had her she hibernated. I just recently started turning them back on.
ZenHerper
Well-Known Member
OK. So see what happens the next few weeks with an increased activity level (which will increase the circulatory rate). The legs do look a bit puffy...
The long uvb tubes are the safest and most effective (coiled/bent/mercury vapor bulbs give off unnatural, inconsistent beams) for reptile eyes. There are always lively discussions in the Lighting sub-forum if you want to see what the current reliable recommendations are.
If s/he's eating (hunting/targeting) well, there is no worry that the eyes are not working well.
If you are not using a wet moss nursery, do a 20-30 minute warm soak 2-3 times daily to insure adequate, fresh hydration. Keep a warm zone in the habitat around 80*F, and keep things from falling below 70* overnight until the immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic systems come up to full power.
Updates always welcome! And so are you =))
If anyone has seen this, they'll be sure to chime in.
I
The long uvb tubes are the safest and most effective (coiled/bent/mercury vapor bulbs give off unnatural, inconsistent beams) for reptile eyes. There are always lively discussions in the Lighting sub-forum if you want to see what the current reliable recommendations are.
If s/he's eating (hunting/targeting) well, there is no worry that the eyes are not working well.
If you are not using a wet moss nursery, do a 20-30 minute warm soak 2-3 times daily to insure adequate, fresh hydration. Keep a warm zone in the habitat around 80*F, and keep things from falling below 70* overnight until the immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic systems come up to full power.
Updates always welcome! And so are you =))
If anyone has seen this, they'll be sure to chime in.
I
Samjenkins
New Member
Thanks! I don’t have a long uv tube just the bulb, but I can possibly rig her habitat to be able to put one. She has a heated area and a cooled area, and I keep her bedding moist daily, it is cypress mulch and coconut fiber mix stuff. Sometimes I put jungle moss too. And she has two soaking dishes that is changed every day. She eats well, and hunts for the worms if they get loose from her food dish. I thought about getting her an automatic mister tho but wasn’t sure about that.
ZenHerper
Well-Known Member
Humidity is best evaporating up from damp earth. Wet the substrate all through so s/he can burrow to stay damp. (If you don't use a thermostat, check your temperature carefully to make sure the extra water does not cool things down too much.) This might help.
You have only a heat bulb, or some kind of uvb radiating bulb? The coiled or combination-with-heat ones have been known to burn the eyes.
Some uvb is important for health. If your enclosure is bare (no plants or plastic vines), use a long tube uvb bulb for 3 hours a day (5-6 hours if there is a lot of shade).
You have only a heat bulb, or some kind of uvb radiating bulb? The coiled or combination-with-heat ones have been known to burn the eyes.
Some uvb is important for health. If your enclosure is bare (no plants or plastic vines), use a long tube uvb bulb for 3 hours a day (5-6 hours if there is a lot of shade).
Looks normal to me. Add this to your diet, cut up lettuce very small, grate some zucchini, put some gravy from cat food and a bit of cat food on top. My 6 months old box turtle eats like crazy after not eating. They need greens as well as live protein
This is Grumpyface
This is Grumpyface
Box Turtle Tuesday
Member
Grumpy Face sure does have a grumpy face ?
I know it! He's looked that grumpy when he was 24 hrs outa the egg...lol...so small and cute
You need to keep the temperature up in the 80's for your little box turtle.
My full grown male eastern box turtle has frog eyes like yours. Occasionally one or two of his babies hatch out with eyes like that too. It's just the way they look. I don't think there's anything wrong with them. Just keep him warm, with filtered UVB and it should be ok.
My full grown male eastern box turtle has frog eyes like yours. Occasionally one or two of his babies hatch out with eyes like that too. It's just the way they look. I don't think there's anything wrong with them. Just keep him warm, with filtered UVB and it should be ok.
Samjenkins
New Member
I
I have one heat bulb, and one uvb bulb. They are separate. I will actually post a picture of her home in a minute. I am actually going to make her a lamp holder so the lamps can hang above the habitat instead of clipping on the side. But I haven’t gotten around to it yet. I usually take a scooper that’s meant for cat litter but we don’t have a cat I bought if specifically for “Shelly”, I turn the dirt and spray it, then repeat every day it gets exhausting with a spray bottle it takes forever. I could use to tips/ideas/opinions on her home. I did have real moss planted in there last year and some creeping thyme, but the thyme died I think because it didn’t get enough light from the uv lamp
I have one heat bulb, and one uvb bulb. They are separate. I will actually post a picture of her home in a minute. I am actually going to make her a lamp holder so the lamps can hang above the habitat instead of clipping on the side. But I haven’t gotten around to it yet. I usually take a scooper that’s meant for cat litter but we don’t have a cat I bought if specifically for “Shelly”, I turn the dirt and spray it, then repeat every day it gets exhausting with a spray bottle it takes forever. I could use to tips/ideas/opinions on her home. I did have real moss planted in there last year and some creeping thyme, but the thyme died I think because it didn’t get enough light from the uv lamp
I pour water over the substrate and mix it up with my hand. For my size enclosure I use a whole pitcherful.
Samjenkins
New Member
ZenHerper
Well-Known Member
OK. So the long tube uvb fixtures are safer and more effective...letting you expose the habitat to the radiation for only 3-6 hours a day.
It's hard to manage plants indoors without some other specialized care (high lumen LED bulbs).
Lots of people find that plastic vines work great and are easy to clean. Young turtles crave and appreciate the cover.
As @Yvonne G said, keeping the full thickness of the substrate wet keeps a more even humidity all through the day.
Any time you make adjustments to bulbs, cover, substrate, humidity, etc., be sure to double-check the ground-level temps and adjust heat fixtures accordingly.
What a cutie!
It's hard to manage plants indoors without some other specialized care (high lumen LED bulbs).
Lots of people find that plastic vines work great and are easy to clean. Young turtles crave and appreciate the cover.
As @Yvonne G said, keeping the full thickness of the substrate wet keeps a more even humidity all through the day.
Any time you make adjustments to bulbs, cover, substrate, humidity, etc., be sure to double-check the ground-level temps and adjust heat fixtures accordingly.
What a cutie!
Samjenkins
New Member
Ok will do. And yes she is very very cute. But she is ornery. She always hisses at me when I pick her up or mess with her lol! She’s alwYs done that. We actually found her outside, I accidentally stepped on her. So I brought her inside thinking she was hurt and we fell in love with her. I know we aren’t supposed to do that. But I’m not sure if she was already a year old when I found her or if she was just born that year. It was May 6, 2019. So she’s either 2 or 3 years old I’m not sure. These are her the day we found her and a few days after.
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ZenHerper
Well-Known Member
She's a newbie in those photos!
Check with your state Wildlife department to see if there are regulations about keeping them where you live.
Box turtles "hiss" by quickly deflating their lungs so that they can close up completely. It's pretty instinctive in youngsters and wild-living adults, so don't take that for aggression. In captivity, most grow out of it unless they are surprised by quick movements or grabs.
Check with your state Wildlife department to see if there are regulations about keeping them where you live.
Box turtles "hiss" by quickly deflating their lungs so that they can close up completely. It's pretty instinctive in youngsters and wild-living adults, so don't take that for aggression. In captivity, most grow out of it unless they are surprised by quick movements or grabs.
