Feeding

[Laura Campos]

Hi there,

I was given a bag of Mazuri tortoise diet and I was wondering f I could give these pellets to my 3 toed boxie. My little guy is so darn picky. I've been trying to give him night crawlers and he just crawls right past them showing no interest, but he'll gobble up some dead little bug. He is a rescue and I have no idea what his previous diet consisted of. This is definitely a learning process!

Thanks for feedback.

 

[Yvonne G]

While it is made for tortoises, I have found that some box turtles enjoy it too. No harm in trying. Here's a nice article for you to read. I don't remember where I got it from, but it's good info:



I honestly think that some problems come from people trying too hard to do everything "right". Try not to get confused. It's best to look at how wild turtles live for the best information. There are no box turtles in the wild living on waxworms and mealworms. These are fine foods, used in moderation, as part of a highly varied diet. Heavy emphasis on live wiggly foods had hurt a lot of turtles, and doesn't make sense in view of what we know from wild turtles.

First of all, each turtle has a different personality and that's just fine. Try putting a hunk of cantaloupe in the habitat and walk away. The turtle isn't likely to look at it until about 4:30-5:30 in the morning, when no one is around. Or he might dive right in. Or not. Just leave it. A couple days later, make a nice omelet in a pan prepared with olive oil. Put some grated carrots in it too, with maybe a bit of cuttlebone scraped in. After it's thoroughly cooled, put it on a flat rock and go away. Leave it overnight. If you have more than one turtle feeding separately might be a good idea, at least in the short run. Try some red lettuce. I don't know why, but many turtles that have resisted plant matter will happily eat red lettuce. Just put it in and walk away. Leave it a couple days.

Use a different food at each feeding, and completely stop using waxworms and mealworms until the picky eating habits have cleared up. Overuse of live wiggly foods has done a lot of damage to captive turtles, and may be implicated in the deformities that mya develop. They are highly enticing to many box
turtles, leading to picky eating habits and vitamin deficiencies. When a turtle can expect to be fed candy, it won't go looking for healthier foods. In the wild, finding a live wiggly isn't guaranteed, so turtles automatically learn to eat whatever is available. The turtle hobby swings wildly in its opinions on
care, and we are currently in the extreme swing of "live wigglies live wigglies live wigglies...." If people would remember to look at the wild turtles, they could avoid some of the silliness. All things in moderation. Wild box turtles naturally eat about half plants and half animal matter. They go looking for calcium in a separate form when they feel the need.

Another fact of nature is often ignored by even excellent, experienced keepers: turtles cycle through daily temperature changes. They don't need to be warm all the time. In fact, that will interfere with these natural rhythms. There is an optimum body temperature range-- 82 - 85ºF -- which will allow the turtle to
digest food most efficiently. They will want to reach that temperature for a couple hours each day. Then they will want to cool down. And BTW, they can reach those optimum digestion temperatures at much lower ambient air temps, if there is a bright light. Constantly overheating a turtle will lead to a variety of
health problems, including kidney failure. It's best avoided. Have a temperature gradient in the habitat from a cool end about 70-76 to the warmer area about 80-86. Never let it get above 90. Many people, including many vets, do not realize that constant high temperatures are harmful.

UVB lights can be helpful, especially with juveniles who are growing their bones and need to do it right. With the cuttlebone always available, a *highly varied* diet, and UVB for part of the day, the turtles should be able to put all the ingredients together. Humidity and hydration are also important for this. Using
UVB lights that aren't too bright or hot can be very helpful with shy turtles. Tube fluorescents are ideal for this type of turtle. There isn't one "right" light for all settings and all turtles. It's a shame when people don't realize that and push hard for the type that worked for their turtle.

 

[Tom]

That is a great little article Yvonne. Good tips in there.

 

[Laura Campos]

Thank you! every little bit of info helps greatly. I've grown quite attached to this little fella and want to do the best for him.