Need some help...

[JennK]

Okay so this is kind of about tortoises kind of not but I was hoping I could get some help. I was recently given a three toed box turtle. He is a male and he is full grown although she had no clue how old he was. The lady that gave me him was completely clues less when it came to the turtle! She got him from a guy on Craigslist that said he was either a Russian or hermans tortoise. This could not have been more wrong as he is obviously a three toed box turtle. The main difference being the humidity requirements and the protine factor. I know that he has not received any protien in over a year and I know that he has not had any UVB lighting as well. He's in surprisingly good health knowing this. She did thankfully dust his food with calcium and d3 supplements. As soon as I got him home I inspected him for mites or injuries. He is mite free. Has some horribly dry skin and shell. No sign of shell rot. However. He has a hole in his shell that looks like an old injury, he has a patch on the back of his head that I a, not sure whether it is an infection or just dry or shedding skin. He has a spot on his shell that is con caved and he refuses to eat any protine..lol any help? Also, he has a toe in the front that is facing the wrong direction entirely...

 

[Lyn W]

Hi JennK sounds like he is in safe hands now - thank goodness! You have come to the right place. I can't help with your turtle but hopefully can point you in the right direction. Sounds like you already have a fair bit of knowledge but have you checked to see if there is a care sheet for box turtles in the Species Specific section which will probably help with diet? Also if you do a search you will get a list of similar threads which could help. There are plenty of experienced keepers here who will be along soon and will gladly help you so keep checking for Alerts and I wish you and the box turtle well.

 

[Yvonne G]

" I know that he has not received any protien in over a year..."

This is ok. Now that he's with you, you can start offering bugs and worms, cooked chicken, etc.

"... and I know that he has not had any UVB lighting as well. "

Did they keep him outside at all?

" Has some horribly dry skin and shell. No sign of shell rot. However. He has a hole in his shell that looks like an old injury.."

All this can be fixed with good care starting now.


"...he has a patch on the back of his head that I a, not sure whether it is an infection or just dry or shedding skin."

Box turtles that are starting to feel the effects of MBD usually grow crooked toenails, a short stumpy tail that points to the sky, and a hard patch on top of their head. This probably won't go away, but you can fix the MBD with good food, calcium and sunshine.

"He has a spot on his shell that is con caved and he refuses to eat any protine..lol any help? "

Can I see the spot you're referring to? It may also be something old and nothing to worry about. As to the protein...they usually can't refuse night crawlers. You can also offer some good quality canned cat food just to get him going. But don't worry about that either. The older they get, the less they're interested in animal protein.

"Also, he has a toe in the front that is facing the wrong direction entirely..."

This might be the MBD I was referring to above, or it might be an injury. If it doesn't bother him, don't worry about it.

 

[Gillian M]

Your tort will now get the care it needs

And a very warm welcome to the forum.

 

[JennK]

Here are some pics of the turtle.

 

[JennK]

Here are some more. You can kind of see the indent on this one.

 

[JennK]

I think the co caved area may be old because it is solid but it does concern me. Especially if it was an old problem that wasn't addressed. As for protien I have tried many different things meal worms crickets chicken eggs ext.. No interest. At all. Dead or alive. It's like he has never received any so it doesn't know that it is food!i have no idea how old he is either. So I am not sure how much he needs or what! Frustration.

 

[Dean Wirth]

He is a nice looking turtle, because they live so long it is not unusual to have a few scrapes on their shell. Try earthworms, no box turtle ever refuses live earthworms. Strawberries dusted with protein would be a good bet also. Good Luck.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

My old boxie refused earthworms for years, although he'd eaten them for decades, but he never turned down slugs or pill bugs.

If you have your temps & UVB set up well, it will improve his appetite. Offer him everything. Box turtles are omnivores. Share your food if its not salted or spiced. Mine eat cooked salmon with dill (no butter or salt), Over cooked chicken from chicken soup, half of a boiled egg (the color attracts), worms, slugs, pill bugs, pinky mice, moths, grain moth larvae...

That's just the protein. They eat many other things.

If you add soil to the coconut coir, it will create a richer substrate that will support bug life. Make a pile of dead leaves, too.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Sometimes it helps to feed them in the water dish. Toss a worm in.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Lots of good advice given.
He looks ok to me, just a bit 'experienced'.
Hello, Jenn and welcome to Tortoise Forum.

 

[JennK]

So, you think to just get him some UVB and maybe some supplements and he should be fine?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Well, temps, UVB, nice sized enclosure and the rest of the stuff from the box turtle care sheet.
Not the type I own, so i can't be too specific.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I don't know about supplements other than cuttlebone. Definitely get that. I do know about UVB, and it makes a terrific difference in behavior, appetite, activity & coloring.

Boxies are often active & hungry at dawn and dusk. So feed early in the day, and don't be in a hurry to remove the food. They won't eat if they are too cold or too hot.

Work on his habitat. Post a picture so we can help. Can you make him one outdoors? They love rain, love being outside.

 

[JennK]

I have ALOT of stray cats dogs and raccoons in my area. I have tried making outdoor enclosures on a test basis and whatever I do someone or something brakes into it. So, I have decided against it for her safety. However, she does get plenty of free roam and outside time. I love working in the garden, so at least once a day she's out there for an hour at minimum. Twice a week she spends an entire day out there with me. She also gets free roam of my sun porch daily.

 

[JennK]

This is their current set up. It is 5 1/2 feet long by 2 1/2 feet deep by 4 feet tall. This will become my temporary outdoor enclosure this month. The enclosure my husband and I are building this month measures three feet deep, eight feet long, and eight feet high. It will be equiped with multiple levels for the turtles, multiple basking sights, multiple hides, a filtering waterfall within the soaking area, rock ledges and feeding stations, a fogger, and a custom rain system, and six inches of substrate for digging. It will also be 100% live planted. It will also have basking areas and hides custom built after each animals individual personal preferences as well as escape area where they can go to get away from each other and I can quarentee if the need arises. This current set up is equiped with a waterfall and a fogger system to keep humidity levels up. There are tons of micro climates!