Help me get a turtle to eat

[pleasehelpaboxturtle]

Please help. I have a turtle that is a wild turtle and captured 4 days ago. It was not locally caught so I am unable to release it back to the wild. So, I need advice on how to do my best to care for it. As far as I know, it has not eaten in the 4 days since capture which is causing concern. What steps should be taken to get it to eat? It is currently in a large container with a water bowl, rocks, sticks, leaves, and worms in the bottom. We aren't sure if it has eaten the nightcrawlers. It has also been given strawberries which we are certain it hasn't eaten. What is your advice?

 

[Lyn W]

Please help. I have a turtle that is a wild turtle and captured 4 days ago. It was not locally caught so I am unable to release it back to the wild. So, I need advice on how to do my best to care for it. As far as I know, it has not eaten in the 4 days since capture which is causing concern. What steps should be taken to get it to eat? It is currently in a large container with a water bowl, rocks, sticks, leaves, and worms in the bottom. We aren't sure if it has eaten the nightcrawlers. It has also been given strawberries which we are certain it hasn't eaten. What is your advice?

Hi and welcome,
It is probably a bit upset at being caught.
If you post pics of your enclosure and turtle, members can help you get it right.
There is a caresheet for box turtles in the species section which will help you/
How did you come to have it?

 

[mark1]

alleviate his stress as best as possible . can you keep him outside , even a small pen outside with lots of cover and sun is better than anything you can do for him indoors …….. let him hide as much as he wants . don't bother him , bright lights , it's springtime , humidity , take him out from wherever he hides twice a day and put him in a shallow water dish in his enclosure with a couple worms in it , offer him food by leaving it on his path back from his water dish to wherever he hides …..if you can get him outside the whole ordeal will be less traumatic ………… don't bother him anymore than you need to

 

[pleasehelpaboxturtle]

Hi! Thank you both so much for such quick replies. I agree he is probably stressed. Sorry, I don't have photos I can upload right now. I have the care sheet bookmarked. I've read it, but feel like I should read it a couple more times. I guess I'm wondering at what point should I become really alarmed/worried about it not eating. Friday it will be going to a new home (I can't provide it an adequate outdoor home) where it will have an extremely large enclosure with a covered (couple feet wide area to hide in) where I think it will be much less stressed and happier. So, at what point do I worry and does this become critical?

 

[mark1]

I guess I'm wondering at what point should I become really alarmed/worried about it not eating. So, at what point do I worry and does this become critical?

the situation your describing , imo , is critical currently , until he starts eating ….. probably just recently came out of hibernation , may not have eaten since last October …… it is a possibility he will be stressed enough to never eat , become ill and then not eat because he's ill and stressed , dying without ever eating for you ……..