I'm new here and am a 1st time turtle owner

[Lisa Baker]

My husband and I have a baby eastern box turtle. We think it's a female and is about 4 weeks old.

Our biggest fear is that she's not eating. We have a variety in her cage, from little gray bugs, meal worms, small crickets, t-rex food pellets, fruits and vegetables (which we switch around everyday. We've had her, Groot, for 2 weeks now, she is very active and loves her daily soaks. She also is very social with us. She never hides in her shell and allows me to rub her head and neck.

Any advice, suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[PJay]

Welcome to the forum Lisa, husband and baby! It's always nice to have another box turtle enthusiast member and I love the name. It sounds like you are offering a nice variety of foods. Baby box turtles can refuse food for a variety of reasons depending on their age and history. Newly hatched turtles with a yolk sack still visible may go weeks without eating under the best of conditions and turtles of any age who have undergone a change in living conditions may go off food while they acclimate to their new surroundings and routines. Environmental conditions can also cause a baby turtle to not eat. It is always helpful to give advice if there are pictures of where the turtle lives and to know more about the lighting, temps and humidity levels it is exposed too. Do you have any pics and details you could post?

 

[gjones300]

I have an ornate box turtle named Turbo. Turbo came up to me twice one day while I was with my dog at the local park. I' ve never had a turtle before him, and this past 14 or so months have been quite the learning experience for the both of us. He had something written on his shell in fingernail polish that was too worn to read. He tested negative for salmonella and the vet agreed that he had been somebody's pet. At first, he would eat anything I put in front of him. Then he started getting finicky about what he would eat. I''ve tried all manner of packaged turtle chow, canned everything ( canned crickets and worms suck ), river shrimp and snails were a snack, baby food, fresh fruit.... apple slices usually work...blue berries, cantaloupe, banana and blackberries got a nibble ....still totally ignores strawberries....won't eat anything from the vegetable aisle.
He has always eaten live crickets. I soon realized that he has a very strong live prey drive. Live worms like mealworms and red worms worked for a while but then he started eating less and less. All he would eat consistently were live crickets.I gut loaded and dusted them before feeding. I didn't want to raise crickets for one turtle and did not want to feed crickets only. I then found "Phoenix Worms"

https://www.phoenixworm.com/

These things are like crack for a box turtle. He will eat all I make available and when I get up in the morning, he is usually sitting next to his food dish wanting more. I have learned to give him about a dozen or so as an appetizer and then he will at least try anything else I offer. He is gaining weight...is much more active....has regular movements...and his color looks better. I even feel like a proper turtle dad. I buy the 4 pack in the medium size. I think the 2 pack zoo cups would be too much for one box turtle. The web site says the worms will hatch after about 3 or so weeks. I am not affiliated with them and do not not even get a discount for recommending them. I just have to tell somebody.....THESE WORMS ARE AWESOME!!!

You can buy one tub just to try them. I buy the 4 pack and it comes priority mail. Read the website about shipping times and temps. I recommend these for any finicky eaters....except the kiddos!

 

[ColleenT]

here is an article that lists foods that are good and foods that are not so good. The babies section is toward the bottom. scroll way down. good luck.

http://www.boxturtlefacts.org/Feeding_North_American_Box_Turtles.pdf

 

[Lisa Baker]

Here are pictures of her enclosure. We made it out of a plastic large container. However on Friday we are getting a 10 gallon tank with thermometer, heat lamp, cover, fake plants, etc.

Right now we are using a small side pad heater, a large heating pad underneath the container (that is only on for 15 min intervals at night and a 40 watt lamp during the day. When the cover is on at night the humidity builds up as you can see in the first picture. You can see Groot on the end of the log in the 3rd picture.

 

[Lisa Baker]

Welcome to the forum Lisa, husband and baby! It's always nice to have another box turtle enthusiast member and I love the name. It sounds like you are offering a nice variety of foods. Baby box turtles can refuse food for a variety of reasons depending on their age and history. Newly hatched turtles with a yolk sack still visible may go weeks without eating under the best of conditions and turtles of any age who have undergone a change in living conditions may go off food while they acclimate to their new surroundings and routines. Environmental conditions can also cause a baby turtle to not eat. It is always helpful to give advice if there are pictures of where the turtle lives and to know more about the lighting, temps and humidity levels it is exposed too. Do you have any pics and details you could post?

 

[lisa127]

Here are pictures of her enclosure. We made it out of a plastic large container. However on Friday we are getting a 10 gallon tank with thermometer, heat lamp, cover, fake plants, etc.

Right now we are using a small side pad heater, a large heating pad underneath the container (that is only on for 15 min intervals at night and a 40 watt lamp during the day. When the cover is on at night the humidity builds up as you can see in the first picture. You can see Groot on the end of the log in the 3rd picture.

Do not transfer her to a ten gallon tank. This is better. I keep my enclosures covered day and night.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Lisa

 

[mark1]

highly doubtful she's going to eat fruits and vegetables at that age ....... you should mount one of those che bulbs on one side of the container and leave it on all the time so there is a constant hot spot day and night ..... mount your light on the same side as the che , keep the other end , the cooler end , covered all the time , get it where the covered end is 80 degrees all the time and the hot end 90-95 by moving the che up down or aimed at the side ........ you can see the reflector of the lamp with the che in this pic of some hatchling eastern box turtles , the container is no more than 11" x 18" , the light is fluorescent , so the che provides the heat , with a couple dollar thermometer and an adjustment or two of the che height , the temperatures will remain constant ..... at least it's what works for me ..... i also bent the reflector to direct the heat ....

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Lisa, and welcome to the Forum!

Like Mark, I keep my baby box turtles in swamp-like conditions. I like your large plastic tub much better than the proposed 10 gallon aquarium.

I start my baby box turtles out with the same veggie mix that I feed the baby tortoises. I know that it has been a common idea that babies only eat animal protein, but I've had great success raising non-picky eaters using this method:

I chop up whatever greens I'm feeding the baby tortoises, including but not all: endive, escarole, raddicchio, romaine, lollarosa, grape leaves, any edible weeds I can find, etc. To that I add thawed frozen blood worms or chopped up night crawlers. Then I drain off some juice from the canned cat food and mix it all up so all the greens smell like cat food.

Starting the babies off this way, I can eventually, slowly eliminate the cat food juice and they continue eating the greens. I occasionally add chopped up fruit or chicken.

Here's one of my not-quite-two-year-olds (raised on this diet) next to a rescued two year old I just took in yesterday. The Rescue was fed on mainly meal worms with a little lettuce, and judging by the slope to the rear of the carapace, no extra calcium or UVB:



One trick I learned is to put the food down in front of the opening to the hiding place, then quickly step out of the turtle's sight. Even though he's quite tame with you, allowing head rubs, etc. they still don't like to be watched when eating.

Another trick I've picked up along the way with non-eaters is to add the thawed frozen blood worms to the soaking water, then again, step out of his sight.

@mark1 - may we know what that is they're eating in the second picture?

 

[mark1]

what that is they're eating in the second picture?

hikari cichlid gold

 

[Lisa Baker]

Welcome to the forum Lisa, husband and baby! It's always nice to have another box turtle enthusiast member and I love the name. It sounds like you are offering a nice variety of foods. Baby box turtles can refuse food for a variety of reasons depending on their age and history. Newly hatched turtles with a yolk sack still visible may go weeks without eating under the best of conditions and turtles of any age who have undergone a change in living conditions may go off food while they acclimate to their new surroundings and routines. Environmental conditions can also cause a baby turtle to not eat. It is always helpful to give advice if there are pictures of where the turtle lives and to know more about the lighting, temps and humidity levels it is exposed too. Do you have any pics and details you could post?

I posted pictures below, I didn't do it as a reply my apologies, I'm still learning.

Do you have any ideas on what I could look for to tell if she's been eating or not? We've had her for 17 days, she still has a small area where her egg sack was and she's SO active. Today after I soaked her for 15 minutes and we put some new wood in her cage, she walked around, going in and out of her water pool for hours.

She looks great, seems happy. I just don't want to miss something.

 

[Lisa Baker]

Hi Lisa, and welcome to the Forum!

Like Mark, I keep my baby box turtles in swamp-like conditions. I like your large plastic tub much better than the proposed 10 gallon aquarium.

I start my baby box turtles out with the same veggie mix that I feed the baby tortoises. I know that it has been a common idea that babies only eat animal protein, but I've had great success raising non-picky eaters using this method:

I chop up whatever greens I'm feeding the baby tortoises, including but not all: endive, escarole, raddicchio, romaine, lollarosa, grape leaves, any edible weeds I can find, etc. To that I add thawed frozen blood worms or chopped up night crawlers. Then I drain off some juice from the canned cat food and mix it all up so all the greens smell like cat food.

Starting the babies off this way, I can eventually, slowly eliminate the cat food juice and they continue eating the greens. I occasionally add chopped up fruit or chicken.

Here's one of my not-quite-two-year-olds (raised on this diet) next to a rescued two year old I just took in yesterday. The Rescue was fed on mainly meal worms with a little lettuce, and judging by the slope to the rear of the carapace, no extra calcium or UVB:

View attachment 222234 View attachment 222235

One trick I learned is to put the food down in front of the opening to the hiding place, then quickly step out of the turtle's sight. Even though he's quite tame with you, allowing head rubs, etc. they still don't like to be watched when eating.

Another trick I've picked up along the way with non-eaters is to add the thawed frozen blood worms to the soaking water, then again, step out of his sight.

@mark1 - may we know what that is they're eating in the second picture?

I've been trying romaine lettuce, cantaloupe ,strawberries and t-rex tortoise food pellets.

hikari cichlid gold

 

[Lisa Baker]

We also have meal worms, small crickets and pill bugs lose in her cage.

 

[lisa127]

I posted pictures below, I didn't do it as a reply my apologies, I'm still learning.

Do you have any ideas on what I could look for to tell if she's been eating or not? We've had her for 17 days, she still has a small area where her egg sack was and she's SO active. Today after I soaked her for 15 minutes and we put some new wood in her cage, she walked around, going in and out of her water pool for hours.

She looks great, seems happy. I just don't want to miss something.

Very active is sometimes due to stress. People new to turtles often think it' being outgoing and friendly but that' not always the case. Especially with a baby. I have a very active 6 year old, but she is calmly active if that makes sense. She calmly goes about her day doing turtle things....she is not one to hide but she's not pacing either. The fact that you said new wood was in enclosure tells me it was probably stress due to change.

 

[lisa127]

We also have meal worms, small crickets and pill bugs lose in her cage.

Please do not leave mealworms and crickets loose in the cage. Pill bugs and earthworms are fine to leave loose.

 

[Lisa Baker]

Very active is sometimes due to stress. People new to turtles often think it' being outgoing and friendly but that' not always the case. Especially with a baby. I have a very active 6 year old, but she is calmly active if that makes sense. She calmly goes about her day doing turtle things....she is not one to hide but she's not pacing either. The fact that you said new wood was in enclosure tells me it was probably stress due to change.

So adding new wood for her to hide and climb on can stress her out? She didn't seem like she was pacing or trying to "climb the walls" it was more like exploring.

 

[Lisa Baker]

Please do not leave mealworms and crickets loose in the cage. Pill bugs and earthworms are fine to leave loose.

Why are the mealworms and crickets not good to leave in the container? I'm sorry if I sound ignorant, I'm learning.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Why are the mealworms and crickets not good to leave in the container? I'm sorry if I sound ignorant, I'm learning.

They can bite

 

[lisa127]

So adding new wood for her to hide and climb on can stress her out? She didn't seem like she was pacing or trying to "climb the walls" it was more like exploring.

It can, yes. But she will adjust.