Hello!

[MissCatsTurtle]

My name is Catherine, I'm from North Carolina and I have found an eastern box turtle hatchling about a week and a half ago and she is my little turtle child, I love her so much but I believe I may have some questions so I have signed up on here!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Catherine

You didn’t take it from the wild did you ?

 

[MissCatsTurtle]

Hi Catherine
View attachment 220722
You didn’t take it from the wild did you ?

She was on my dirt road I didn't take her from any actual habitat or field or creek but she was on the dirt road and clearly a hatchling so she would've been ran over or a hawk or a crow would've gotten her if my dogs didn't find her first haha.
I live way out in the boondocks and it was early morning, we were walking and my boyfriend almost stepped on her so I knew she'd be a goner if I left her. People don't go slow on my road at all. I'll post pictures in a minute.

 

[MissCatsTurtle]

I also posted this under American box turtles forum


Box turtle hatchling questions

1. Do they hibernate? Cause she's not eating and still hiding, I've tried every food for her.
Worms
Box turtle food
Lettuce
Pill bugs
She opened her mouth and went for a pellet once but then changed her mind
so I'm thinking it's because it's getting cold outside (I'm from North Carolina) or because she's still living off the yoke sac.
I found her on the edge of my dirt road and was worried for her so I took her in.

2. Can someone identify how old she may be by the tiny bit of yoke sac that is left? Like it's almost dried up so I thought she may start eating soon.
She is so tiny. I haven't measured her shell. I've had her for a week and a half and her shell is hard and when Ive brought her out of her terrarium and went out side with her she's active. Because of these things I'm not to worried about her not eating but still curious

I have the uvb bulb and basking lamp and heat lamp. I have her eco dirt and hiding half log on the way in the mail they will be here in two days. I have her clovers and some grass in her terrarium and a shallow dish for her if she decides to go take a dip. I check on her a lot and mist her when the grass looks dry.
I also have her some turtle eye drops on the way. Both of her eyes are open but one looks a bit irritated.

https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?posts/1536566/

 

[MissCatsTurtle]

 

[no one]

What a cutie!! Welcome by the way.
Hope some one will answer all your questions who knows box turtles.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I'm not sure that it's a box turtle.
The tail looks long to me. But it's not anything that I'm familiar with.
Welcome. Lets tag some members that know more about boxies. Also, the type of UV bulb you have may or may not be causing the eye irritation. Please post a photo of the bulb.
@Yvonne G
@ColleenT

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It could have been carried by a bird or other animal and dropped far away from where it hatched.
If you get no response, I suggest you post a new thread called "please help identify the turtle" or something similar.
Then you can read up here about its care, etc.
Although it's best to leave a wild turtle alone and in some cases it's actually illegal to posses a native animal.

 

[Stuart S.]

Hello and welcome! Cute little baby! And I’m curious about that long tail as well [emoji848]

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Catherine, and very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
i'm not sure what that is, either?
Help, anyone?

 

[Yvonne G]

It's a box turtle. Brand new babies tend to have long tails.

Welcome, Catherine!

 

[MissCatsTurtle]

I've know it was a box turtle lol that wasn't my question

 

[MissCatsTurtle]

I'm not sure that it's a box turtle.
The tail looks long to me. But it's not anything that I'm familiar with.
Welcome. Lets tag some members that know more about boxies. Also, the type of UV bulb you have may or may not be causing the eye irritation. Please post a photo of the bulb.
@Yvonne G
@ColleenT

The UVB is not the problem it's only a 5
She was on my dirt road I didn't take her from any actual habitat or field or creek but she was on the dirt road and clearly a hatchling so she would've been ran over or a hawk or a crow would've gotten her if my dogs didn't find her first haha. I don't believe a crow or anything dropped her because she's not harmed other than her foggy eye one of them is completely clear and I think that's where the irritation came from, all the dust when people drove by.
I live way out in the boondocks and it was early morning, we were walking and my boyfriend almost stepped on her so I knew she'd be a goner if I left her. People don't go slow on my road at all. I live in a field basically and beside a couple of creeks but she was just snack food waiting to happen so I have to take care of her for now. At least till spring.
I was just wondering about that hardly anything left of a yoke sac
Could she still be feeding off what's left?

 

[MissCatsTurtle]

Thanks y'all for replying! I'm still learning how to use this app lol I've had her a little over a week and she's going strong but don't like eating
She tried but decided differently
I've tried multiple fruits
Pellets
Multiple live critters too. So I'm thinking she's almost ready to start eating
By her yoke sac that's there can anyone tell me how old she may be at most

 

[MissCatsTurtle]

I also took her to pet store when I first got her and they set me up with it all but funny enough I actually proved the owner wrong cause he was trying to tell me she was a slider turtle and after about 10-15 minutes of googling I was right. Haha
I've read up a lot about her care that's how I got to the turtle eye drops
I find box turtles in my yard all the time
I'm in North Carolina in a field near creeks so it's not uncommon to find them at all
I found multiple big ones throughout summer but left them or put them somewhere safe
She wasnt safe or to healthy
So I took her in from my dirt road, if my dogs didn't kill her something else would've.
I was worried for her

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[MissCatsTurtle]

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you! [emoji846]

 

[HungryTortoise]

Just remember to check for parasites as is common in wild tortoises.

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