Mrs.Turtles story

[Big Ol Tortoise]

About 15 years ago my older sister really wanted a dog. She hated how her friends all had dogs and she didn't. She was 8 years old and told my parents "I'll take care of it, I'll feed it, I'll do everything".
Of course an 8 year old isn't going to be able to take care of a dog. So my parents and my sister went to a pet shop and there was birds,dogs,snakes,lizards,fish,spiders and turtles. The owner had Red eared sliders (of course) and a few other types. The one that caught my dads attention was this box of box turtles. (ironic isn't it?)
The owner gave my parents a deal. Box turtle with a 10 gallon tank,(now that I'm older I hate how she lived in this) a lamp with a bulb and substrate all for 100 dollars.. They accepted his deal. (I think that the box turtles were Sadly, wild caught because Mrs.Turtle has bite marks on her shell from a raccoon or something that's also the reason my dad wanted her was because of the bite marks)
Now my sister isn't all that happy with getting a turtle. She wanted a dog not a turtle so she didn't really take care of Mrs.Turtle. My dad works and doesn't have much time so he couldn't give Mrs.Turtle care. My mom is very sick and not capable of taking care of a turtle a 8 year old and a 1 year old poopy baby(that's me).
She lived in a 10 gallon for 13 years or so and was fed iceberg lettuce,worms,crickets,other berries and things. My dad at the time thought Mrs.Turtle would only live a month or two. Here we are in 2016 almost 2017 and Mrs.Turtle is going strong!
When I saw her in the 10 gallon she had no color was lifeless and it was sad to watch her. She seemed slow when she would try to eat. She was dying slowly before my eyes. That's when I stepped in and demanded she gets a bigger home and take her life seriously. She lives in a 40 gallon tank witch yes I know is still small but I'm working to get her outside so she can be a happy turtle!
Also Mrs.Turtle laid an egg in 2005 I think, but it was empty.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Has she gotten regular sunlight or UVA from a lamp?
That would cause death slowly.
She must be a tough turtle.
Do you live in an area of the world that would let you have an enclosure outdoors?

 

[Big Ol Tortoise]

Has she gotten regular sunlight or UVA from a lamp?
That would cause death slowly.
She must be a tough turtle.
Do you live in an area of the world that would let you have an enclosure outdoors?

She was getting UVA from a lamp, I live in central Texas

 

[HI Tortoise Rescue]

Box turtles are amazingly strong & adaptable, & will live in situations that will kill another species, & I think you've proved it. A 40-gallon enclosure should be fine for her, as long as you've taken care of the other basics: food, water, & environment. The lettuce is junk food, & you should buy a few pounds of Mazuri for her basic food, instead. Not too much animal protein, & more of the things she would find in nature: my boxies go nuts for strawberries, for example. A calcium supplement that can be sprinkled on her food, or at least a bird cuttlebone, will ensure her bones stay healthy.

Ken

 

[Big Ol Tortoise]

Box turtles are amazingly strong & adaptable, & will live in situations that will kill another species, & I think you've proved it. A 40-gallon enclosure should be fine for her, as long as you've taken care of the other basics: food, water, & environment. The lettuce is junk food, & you should buy a few pounds of Mazuri for her basic food, instead. Not too much animal protein, & more of the things she would find in nature: my boxies go nuts for strawberries, for example. A calcium supplement that can be sprinkled on her food, or at least a bird cuttlebone, will ensure her bones stay healthy.

Ken

yep, I have to plant saucers in there. One for food one for water. She doesn't get fed iceberg anymore she gets romain. I try cuttlebones but she doesn't like them. I have some mazuri she likes it. She loves blue berries and she has a hide that she loves

 

[ZEROPILOT]

yep, I have to plant saucers in there. One for food one for water. She doesn't get fed iceberg anymore she gets romain. I try cuttlebones but she doesn't like them. I have some mazuri she likes it. She loves blue berries and she has a hide that she loves

Cuttlebone can be something that a tortoise will ignore for months. Then one day, it's half gone!

 

[Big Ol Tortoise]

Cuttlebone can be something that a tortoise will ignore for months. Then one day, it's half gone!

I'm hoping this will one day happen lol

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I'm hoping this will one day happen lol

It's important to keep them around because if a tortoise feels the need for that calcium and one isn't there, a tortoise will resort to eating rocks and anything else it can find.

 

[Big Ol Tortoise]

It's important to keep them around because if a tortoise feels the need for that calcium and one isn't there, a tortoise will resort to eating rocks and anything else it can find.

I have I big concrete rock in there that she walk on.. that'd be terrible if she tried to eat it

 

[Stormmom5]

Cuttlebone can be something that a tortoise will ignore for months. Then one day, it's half gone!

I keep cuttlebone in Shelly's enclosure, she has never touched it. She does, however, have a real fondness for boiled egg with the shell (crushed up).