First post! Tortoise enclosure and supplies. What else do I need?

Wolfmama

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I have had to treat both box turtles with eye drops to add vitamins A per my vet's advise. I also put a crocheted blanket over their outdoor pen so now they get dappled sunlight instead of the harsh sun glare of southwest Texas. I hope this helps with their puffy eyelids.
I have pine shavings in their pen and keep it moist (80 degrees humidity) . They have a shallow pond for soaking too. I give them live mealworms and dried ones too along with tortoise chow and greens from my garden (kale and Spanish leaves) I will add fruit too.
What else do I need to do?

I am going to try to tag some more experienced members to see if they have any advice @Toddrickfl1 @LasTortugasNinja hi can you help the guy above please?
 

Toddrickfl1

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I am going to try to tag some more experienced members to see if they have any advice @Toddrickfl1 @LasTortugasNinja hi can you help the guy above please?
I don't really have any experience with box turtles to offer much advice. For vitamin E though feed lots of dark leafy greens. I would also switch out the pine shavings for either regular dirt or some Cypress mulch.
 
L

LasTortugasNinja

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In texas, the crotchet might actually make things worse. It will help trap heat rather than cool the pen or reduce the light. Box turtles in the desert and grasslands really need moist ground cover. Look for short bushes or ornamental grasses. Cover 1/2 to 3/4ths of the available walking space with grasses. Near the roots of some of the grass, place a few sideways pots with moss and mist frequently. Turtles won't eat it, but they'll bury into the sides and keep cool as the plant "sweats" moisture. I would switch out the substrate to either cypress mulch or clean leaf litter. Leaf litter is good for box turtles because it encourages tasty bugs and snails to move in. box turtles enjoy foraging. Brings me to final recommendation: cut back on mealworms. They are fattening and not nutritious. I would recommend finding a good local fish breeder and see if you can buy aquarium feeder/"mystery" snails. Feed the turtle pesticide-free snails, slugs, earthworms, maggots, and dubia roaches. Roaches are generally too fast for a turtle to catch, but several big pet stores and online sites sell roaches in a tin. One roach a day is more than enough to meet the turtle's daily protein needs.
Add the protein to the turtle's daily greens and you'll be good. For vitamin A, try natural sources like a little bit of butternut squash in the diet.
 

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