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    Petco Reptibark! Good price!

    I have worked with box turtles for more than 30 years. I have never known them to intentionally eat their substrate other than small white debris they happen upon, presumably misidentified as a mineral source (bone). However, they will inadvertently ingest surprisingly large objects that cling...
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    Petco Reptibark! Good price!

    I take in wild turtles and pet turtles and tortoises that are sick or injured. The pet ones are dog or raccoon-chewed, or are victims of poor care (bad set-up, bad diet). Sometimes they have received inappropriate prior medical treatment. (Not all exotic vets are good with chelonians!!). Zoo Med...
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    Petco Reptibark! Good price!

    I am a turtle rehabber and have had several box turtle patients that came to me with serious gastrointestinal impactions from living on and ingesting Reptibark (probably incidental to consuming food that stuck to it). One turtle had prolapsed his penis from straining and had to have a...
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    Injured baby Eastern Box Turtle

    Box turtles are good swimmers but they can drown if they cannot find footing to walk out wherever they chose from a stream or pond. Do not depend on them to use a ramp like a true semi-aquatic, no matter how large and obvious it seems to you, or to pull themselves out of water using only the...
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    Injured baby Eastern Box Turtle

    I have worked with a small number of tortoises (Russians, Hermann's, Egyptians, and Yellow-footed) and would never give them warming pads. I have only used light bulbs to provide warmth in addition to that provided by ambient heat in the room. With very young box turtles, my goal is to keep them...
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    Injured baby Eastern Box Turtle

    In the wild, young Easterns rarely sit at the surface; they spend most of their time in the leaf litter column during the active season. (I spent years studying them in the field). In captivity, if moss is heated from beneath or from the side with a pad, young Easterns generally prefer to seek...
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    Injured baby Eastern Box Turtle

    I recommend putting kiddos that do not have open lesions in moist sphagnum moss a few inches deep with a bedding temperature range of 77-83F at any given time (you want the full range for thermoregulation) achieved using a small undertank reptile mat connected to a thermostatic control. Provide...
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    First time tortoise owner

    Whatever you decide on, please buy captive-born. Research your source. Most of the Mediterranean tortoises sold in pet stores are wild-caught, and the trade puts a lot of pressure on wild populations, not to mention the stress it places on the individual animals caught.
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    Lighting distance/temperature

    Consult www.arcadiareptile.com; they have lots of good lighting advice and products
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    *URGENT* Tortoise making squealing sounds and opening their mouth.

    Open mouth breathing, audible breathing, extension of the neck as if struggling to breath suggests your tortoise had a serious respiratory infection. While I would get it to an exotics vet ASAP, you also most likely need to adjust your temperature/humidity, and habitat. Nutritional deficiencies...
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    Rose of Sharon is in the hibiscus family; the leaves and flowers are safe for tortoises although...

    Rose of Sharon is in the hibiscus family; the leaves and flowers are safe for tortoises although mine only like the flowers (as do my Solomon Island Skinks)
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    Testudo Tortoise Rescued. Need ID help

    Russian Tortoise - they are all wild-caught, mostly coming out of Ubekistan. It is creating terrible pressure on the wild population to service the pet trade, but the profits are high and protective legislation lacking, so the market is large. Russians often come with gut parasites, so you might...
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    You might visit www.russiantortoise.net. It has great info including on diet, indoor and outdoor...

    You might visit www.russiantortoise.net. It has great info including on diet, indoor and outdoor habitats, and general care.
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    Hello, I'm putting together a non-profit educational program on box turtles at UNCG and would...

    Hello, I'm putting together a non-profit educational program on box turtles at UNCG and would like to obtain permission to use the photos you posted on Aug 26, 2010. If possible, could you contact me via email at [email protected]. Thank you.
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