Always buried TTBT

[taquito23]

Hey guys, my TTBT is AAAAALLLLWAAAAY buried. This is what her enclosure looks like. The lights are both lowered. The rocks are about 97* and ambient is about 99* Humidity is 46% on the cool side and temp on the cool side is about 83ish.

She stays in the dirt all the time. And when I get her out, her eyes look like this for a while then go back to normal. See photos.

The reptile store near me said to put vitamin E on a q-tip and then put some on her eyes.

I can’t seem to find out what she needs to come out and wander or come out and eat. She probably has gone a week without anything other than one earth worm.

If anyone can help out that’d be awesome. She’s such a cool animal I want to make sure she’s alright.

 

[Ink]

What is your substrate? @Yvonne G should be able to help you. Welcome to the forum. Cute turtle

 

[taquito23]

What is your substrate? @Yvonne G should be able to help you. Welcome to the forum. Cute turtle

Top soil and coco husk/chunks. Any help would be appreciated @Yvonne G !!!

 

[taquito23]

What is your substrate? @Yvonne G should be able to help you. Welcome to the forum. Cute turtle

Thank you by the way!!!

 

[Ink]

@DoubleD1996! Might be able to help you too. Welcome, that is what the forum is about, helping others.

 

[DoubleD1996!]

I'll do my best. How long have you had her? If you haven't had her long, tbis coukd be a sign of her just settling in and getting used to her environment.
The bulging eyes doesn't seem to be anything risky health wise, but it could be a sign of vitamin A deficiency.

Also, what's her diet like? What are you feeding her. They are omnivores, but predominantly go after a varieties of insects, berries, and occasional animal matter, like ground turkey, frog legs, they've even been found inside dead deer eating. Variety is key.

Trying making her water bowl a little more accessible for her to get into and soak, as they are closely related to aquatic turtles.

 

[taquito23]

I'll do my best. How long have you had her? If you haven't had her long, tbis coukd be a sign of her just settling in and getting used to her environment.
The bulging eyes doesn't seem to be anything risky health wise, but it could be a sign of vitamin A deficiency.

Also, what's her diet like? What are you feeding her. They are omnivores, but predominantly go after a varieties of insects, berries, and occasional animal matter, like ground turkey, frog legs, they've even been found inside dead deer eating. Variety is key.

Trying making her water bowl a little more accessible for her to get into and soak, as they are closely related to aquatic turtles.

Had her since last July. This set up is a few months old. She doesn’t come out to eat much. I’ve noticed she’s stopped since her substrate has dried up.

Her original substrate was just coco chips. And she was always out in the morning looking for food. And even for the first month with the moist topsoil chip set up. Her diet was mostly earth/meal worms. She doesn’t like the leafy greens. But she’ll eat strawberries, blue berries, banana, grape, zucchini. The fruits/veggies were a rare treat tho. So I’d say 80% of her diet was actual insect stuff.

I will move her water bowl.

Should her food bowl be opposite her hide?

Also, the mix of stuff I’m going to leave in there tomorrow will be black soldier fly larva/carrots/zucchini and maybe a sweet potato with this stuff made. (Per the pet reptile stores recs)

Also, they said that I can put vitamin E oil on her eyes to help…

What’s your suggestion on the loss vitamin a deficiency?

 

[jeff kushner]

What a cool little guy!

What's it's name?

As DD has hatched and raised nice sparkling baby box turtles...his lead will be good to follow!


You have done a great job....but probably time to tweak your setup.
Looks real dry....think WET! You can run a layer of water under the substrate to keep it wet or spray it constantly but think " bog" more than "dry desert" with box turtles.

I'll watch with you to see what the talent pool suggests.

WTTC!

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

What’s your suggestion on the loss vitamin a deficiency?

The best way is to do luke warm soaks with baby food made from pure carrots. This way they can't overdose on vitamin A. I wouldn't let a vet to give the turtle an injection without a blood test.

Here is the instructions for the carrot soak: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/gerber-carrot-baby-food-soaks.189531/

 

[taquito23]

What a cool little guy!

What's it's name?

As DD has hatched and raised nice sparkling baby box turtles...his lead will be good to follow!


You have done a great job....but probably time to tweak your setup.
Looks real dry....think WET! You can run a layer of water under the substrate to keep it wet or spray it constantly but think " bog" more than "dry desert" with box turtles.

I'll watch with you to see what the talent pool suggests.

WTTC!

I was thinking of how to keep it wet….thinking about running some pvc pipe under it with one part sticking out as to be able to just pour water directly into it.

 

[DoubleD1996!]

I was thinking of how to keep it wet….thinking about running some pvc pipe under it with one part sticking out as to be able to just pour water directly into it.

Even a microclimate. Dedicated another hide to being the moist area. Sphagnum moss and other things that hold humidity can go under there.

 

[taquito23]

Even a microclimate. Dedicated another hide to being the moist area. Sphagnum moss and other things that hold humidity can go under there.

There are so many different perspectives on this. (I am not challenging you, as I am not an expert in the turtle field). I called a local turtle rescue and he said wet/moist could cause skin problems and since they used to humid but dry conditions (here in TX but I’m pretty sure the turtle is from OK) than the soil needs to be dry…

Again, no challenges.

Your opinion comes highly recommended.

Do you have anything you would do different about the enclosure other than “all of it and put her outside” (I live on the first floor in an apt.)

Thanks again for your time @DoubleD1996!

 

[Ink]

I have a desert box turtle inside. I use cypress mulch (zoo med forest floor) and coco coir. When it gets dry I just put water in the corners of the enclosure. I have plants planted directly into the substrate. And lots of places for him to hide. I prefer moist substrate. He has dry and more wet spots. Good luck.

 

[taquito23]

What a cool little guy!

What's it's name?

As DD has hatched and raised nice sparkling baby box turtles...his lead will be good to follow!


You have done a great job....but probably time to tweak your setup.
Looks real dry....think WET! You can run a layer of water under the substrate to keep it wet or spray it constantly but think " bog" more than "dry desert" with box turtles.

I'll watch with you to see what the talent pool suggests.

WTTC!

By the way, the name is Taquito!

 

[DoubleD1996!]

There are so many different perspectives on this. (I am not challenging you, as I am not an expert in the turtle field). I called a local turtle rescue and he said wet/moist could cause skin problems and since they used to humid but dry conditions (here in TX but I’m pretty sure the turtle is from OK) than the soil needs to be dry…

Again, no challenges.

Your opinion comes highly recommended.

Do you have anything you would do different about the enclosure other than “all of it and put her outside” (I live on the first floor in an apt.)

Thanks again for your time @DoubleD1996!

Oh no, I don't think my opinion is like the law of the land, set in stone. Always do the best you can. We all overcomplicate animal keeping, me included, because we want whats best for them and dont want the guilt of doing something bad.

i know that feeling, but we always will make mistakes, as we could never truly replicate their natural environment its impossible. All good so long as we learn from them.

You don't have to change much, just maybe incorporate a humid hide. Sometimes you have to take a step back, maybe change the set up to how it was before. I set my leopard geckos up in big natural enclosures, but they prefer to be on paper towel, now I have to switch it back soon🤣

 

[DoubleD1996!]

Oh, and as far as vitamin A, just try to feed some raw meat like chicken heart or maybe some shiners.

 

[taquito23]

Oh no, I don't think my opinion is like the law of the land, set in stone. Always do the best you can. We all overcomplicate animal keeping, me included, because we want whats best for them and dont want the guilt of doing something bad.

i know that feeling, but we always will make mistakes, as we could never truly replicate their natural environment its impossible. All good so long as we learn from them.

You don't have to change much, just maybe incorporate a humid hide. Sometimes you have to take a step back, maybe change the set up to how it was before. I set my leopard geckos up in big natural enclosures, but they prefer to be on paper towel, now I have to switch it back soon🤣

Lol animals are a trip.

Yea Taquito seemed to be happier and out more when her stuff was wet. And she seemed to be out even more when the original substrate was just coco husk.

I think I’m going to just make the entire area where the enclosure is at her new home. Get a shower curtain and some 1x12 or 2x12 and just dump some mulch in with the topsoil and get it. Ice and wet.

Hell, she even came out and soaked when it was more chunky than “dirt-y”.

 

[taquito23]

Going to try keeping her in the sun for about 30 minutes then a soak for another 30. See how she does. It’s 100* at like 65% humidity. Hopefully she’ll liven up a little.

Is it normal for ther shell to drop there in the center?

 

[jeff kushner]

My Eastern box turtle has that same drop in the shell...no worries.

It's always good to challenge what we are told, even if we do it mentally. Don't ever worry about asking here.

I have kept box turtles for 6 decades......yet I have learned more in the past 4 than the first 55! Lol

There is some serious talent here, I mean the guys that zoos go to....they are that good.