Help Please - found hatchling baby box turtle

Welcome Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute

russian/sulcata/tortoise said:

its good you took her off the road, but kidnaping an animal from the wild is just wrong.

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... if you don't have anything nice to say...

Welcome and good luck! Little tiny ones are just too cute!

visco said:

... if you don't have anything nice to say...

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i know I'm sorry its just my opinion.

budisit said:

i found a baby box turtle (female) in the road. Picked her up to help her. Now I'm raising her because I feel she would die if I just turned her out. She's about the size of a quarter and I've had her for a couple of weeks.

It's been difficult trying to Learn how to keep her alive.

I'm very concerned about her and would give her to someone if they wanted her and we're capable of taking care of her. She's a sweetie.

Please respond if possible. I live in central Missouri.

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Thank you for taking care of her. For now, you could probably keep her in a med sized fish tank our a tub (those work nicely). Fix it up with reptile flooring and a little house, pool etc. I was proud of myself for taking on three! I would keep her in until next spring. See my experience as a new turtle mom.

I adopted three baby box turtles from my daughter. I was very intimidated at first too. This spring, first thing I did was buy a very large clear tub. Filled it with reptile flooring, a turtle pool and some reptile decor. I put them outside on a table and covered them with screen (you can buy a roll of it at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. This has been a learning experience. They grew so fast and thrived. I put the smaller one in a separate pen as she was not growing as fast as the other two and I was worried she was not getting enough to eat. I alternated their diet, some protein one day, fruit next and veggies next day. Sprinkle reptile calcium on their food to make sure their shells grow strong. They love hard-boiled eggs with shells and if you have the stomach for it, pet stores sell live insects and worms which is more natural and they love. They refuse to eat commercial turtle food of any kind. Also, I have given mine organic all natural cat food, chicken, sweet potato mix. They love it but I am sure these experts will tell you not to. I don't do it often, just keep a couple of cans around as a protein treat. I am now trying to figure out what to do with them for winter, although where I live, it does not get that cold, but we can have extreme freezes. I will probably be bringing them in for winter and they should be hibernating, or that is what I understand. I know what do with them for Spring Summer Fall now. So now I am more confident for winter.

I am going to miss them, every evening and weekends I took them out and let them run around the yard. Kept close eye on them, especially now, they will burrow and it doesn't take them long. My plan is to build a secured outdoor playground for them next year and then probably bring them in for another winter until they are older and I am sure they could endure a winter naturally. I do want them to have a natural environment so keeping them in a tub or fish tank is not normal or happy life for them.

Don't give up! Ignore the nasty comments. She would have not survived without you.