mandie
New Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2015
- Messages
- 10
Hello. I have what I believe is an Eastern box hatchling. We have had what I believe to be a her for 3 weeks. I have never had a tortoise before and learning still but she was clipped by a mower and no serious damage done but her soft little shell has a small split on the side(Did not penetrate). I have a 20L critter cage with sand, zoo med eco earth, zoo med spagnum and live moss substraight. Wading dish with water replaced every 2 days with declorinated (beta safe drops) or spring water but dish not sanitaized. Zilla mini dome halogen basking with 50w day blue mini hal bulb. Mini flukers sun dome with zoo med 5.0 uvb tropical compact fluorescent bulb. Eats mainly meal worms coated in flukers calcium w/ D3 powder. Also eats crickets and earth worms, sometimes a feeder fish, some banana if meal worms mixed in. Have offered but doesnt really like nature zone Bites, repashy superfood, spinach, dandelion, organic apple, watermelon, cantelope, strawberry, celery, grape, blueberry, & broccoli but she mainly sticks to the live food. I mist 2-3 times per day usually, at least once for sure. Soak every other day and let water heat under basking light before soaking. She seems to really just burrow even after I removed her half log hiddy (worried she wasnt getting enough uvb). when she gets wet, the outline of creases of her shell scutes seem to "puff" or swell. Appetite is good other than being picky eater, moves good (hunts crickets). No visible parasites in stool (since wild caught will be giving paracur at 3 month just to be safe). Im just not sure if she is okay or if I'm taking care of her right. Any and all comments or advice is greatly appreciate!!