Babies are doing great!

[Edna]

I acquired 3 baby boxies from HermanniChris several months ago and set them up in a terrarium in my classroom. My students "discovered" that we had turtles when one of them chanced to see a little guy peeking out of the moss. That was an extremely rare occurrence up until Wednesday......

Cares: The little ones are in a 20 gallon tank; they use only a tiny fraction of it at this point. The tank is planted with an arelia, a fern, and two pothos, as well as several different mosses. The lighting is a Reptiglo 2 and a Reptiglo 5, on a timer. There is a small terra cotta saucer for water. I have earthworms and red wigglers in the soil, and have loosed many roly-poly bugs in there. I have an under-tank heat mat on one end of the tank.
One of the little guys was not eating when they first arrived. After observing him for several days, I decided to begin warm baby food soaks for all three little ones. I did baby food soaks every day until the little guy started eating well, then backed off to every couple of days.

Wednesday: Until now, the little guys have been hiding all the time. I have been taking them out to soak and eat, and then letting them scamper back into cover as soon as they're done. On Wednesday, I was spraying the moss and foliage before school and Green Dot came peeking out to see me. He was very interested, so I placed a couple of meal worm pupas on the moss and he gobbled them up. Later in the day, I tried spraying again and Cream Dot emerged. I called the students over and they got to observe Cream Dot creeping into the open and eating pupas.
Thursday: Green Dot was exposed and waiting for me when I got to school. Cream Dot came out when I started spraying, and both were fed.
Friday: Green Dot and Cream Dot both came out when I sprayed. After eating, Green Dot crept down to the water hole and took a drink (the first time I've seen any of them drink anything other than carrot water). Then he got into the water and waded around for five minutes or so, drinking more.
Pink Dot is not coming out on her own yet, but I'm not worried about her. She eats when I drop food in front of her, and I'll keep soaking in baby food every few days.

Left end of tank.


The white things on the moss are pupas.


Green Dot peeking at me


Green Dot and Pink Dot retreating.


Bottom line: As cool as baby box turtles hiding in the moss are, baby box turtles coming out to visit (or be fed) are MUCH COOLER!!!

 

[wellington]

They are so cute. Glad they are being enjoyed.

 

[terryo]

What a great learning experience for your students. I think all your little "dots" are going to grow up to be little beauties.

 

[lynnedit]

What a great story! I enjoyed hearing about your set up, and how you cared for them at first and after the first few days.
You are obviously a very good teacher.

 

[Edna]

Thanks! Our district science teacher informed me that life science is "dry". In my own classroom, as least, this is not true at all. My first grade students have read extensively about fish and aquaria, and have observed and written about the inhabitants of our aquarium. They have read extensively about chicks and chickens, and have observed and written about the five chicks we raised in the classroom. They have observed the turtles and their habitat, and I've read to them from the books I have, but I have not yet identified quality reading materials written at a 1st-3rd grade reading level. I'll be looking for such this summer and building a mini-library if I find enough.
Even without turtle reading materials available, the turtles and their habitat have inspired some amazingly beautiful and creative writing from my students. "Dry", indeed.

 

[bigred]

very nice set up

 

[luvpetz27]

They are so cute!!!

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Very nice set up!

 

[conservation]

Beauitiful vivarium! Teachers like you made school super fun.

 

[lynnedit]

Thanks! Our district science teacher informed me that life science is "dry". In my own classroom, as least, this is not true at all. My first grade students have read extensively about fish and aquaria, and have observed and written about the inhabitants of our aquarium. They have read extensively about chicks and chickens, and have observed and written about the five chicks we raised in the classroom. They have observed the turtles and their habitat, and I've read to them from the books I have, but I have not yet identified quality reading materials written at a 1st-3rd grade reading level. I'll be looking for such this summer and building a mini-library if I find enough.
Even without turtle reading materials available, the turtles and their habitat have inspired some amazingly beautiful and creative writing from my students. "Dry", indeed.

Your district science teacher needs to spend some time in your classroom. Period. Those students of yours are extremely lucky.

 

[Edna]

Lynne,
He spent about 10 hours in my classroom, working with my students, and he used my classroom as a supply stop when working in our building. I have offered to include live worms, roly-poly bugs (crustaceans), meal worms, fish, snails, moss, plants, living soil, adult tortoise or box turtle, etc. in the "supplies" he can access from my classroom. As a result of our conversations, he tells me that he is going to change the order of instruction next year, teaching physical and earth science in the fall and winter, and saving life science for the spring. That gives me lots of time to figure out a system by which he can access the critters/specimens in my classroom and return them safely to my care.