New box turtle owner

[Centexsnakes]

Hello, I recently purchased a captive bred baby eastern box turtle, and I've looked into their care, have my enclosure going good, was just wanting to know any advice y'all might have for me?



1.1 ball pythons 0.0.1 RES
0.0.1 eastern box 2.1 cats
0.1 dog

 

[wellington]

I can't really help with boxies, just wanted to tell you s/he's a cutie.

 

[lindseyjordan10]

Don't know much about them either, but they are adorable

 

[kristin_roman]

Where did you get him? I've been looking for baby boxies for the longest time but can only find adults!

 

[Centexsnakes]

One thing I am worried about is feeding, all he does is hide, being his size I know it's normal, I guess I should just continue to offer veggies, but it's annoying, any advice?


1.1 ball pythons 0.0.1 RES
0.0.1 eastern box 2.1 cats
0.1 dog

---

He has Isopoda and worms in his cage and will have slugs tomorrow so I know protein wise he is good, I know he is little and eats more on the love side of things but it still Bugs me...


1.1 ball pythons 0.0.1 RES
0.0.1 eastern box 2.1 cats
0.1 dog

 

[mchong9606]

Hatchlings can be very stressful to feed. Sometimes adults too. For the babies I have wax worms that I keep in the fridge to prevent them from developing. I'll take a small container and give him a warm soak. Empty the water and put him back inside and put in a few wax worms. Put the container back in his enclosure and leave him alone. After an hour or so I'll return and see that he's eaten and I will rest easy knowing he's been fed. keep the lighting very dim. Don't stand there and try to watch. You'll just frustrate yourself. Remember at this stage they are very shy and spend a few years of their early life hiding in leaf litter in humid dim light conditions. Try to give them the same surroundings. Hatchlings want live food, things that wiggle and aren't too big. Hatchlings generally will not eat vegetation, at least in captivity. This is what works for me. Members here have luck with pill bugs, small earthworms and soaked reptimin as well. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

 

[Centexsnakes]

Thanks for the tips!! I'll keep every one up to date


1.1 ball pythons 0.0.1 RES
0.0.1 eastern box 2.1 cats
0.1 dog

 

[shellfreak]

Mchong9606 is correct when saying they spend their early years on the Forrest floor. So make sure you don't have the enclosure too hot, or they won't eat. I put a heat lamp on my hatchlings for an hour a day to help with kick starting their metabolism, 12pm-1pm. But i have a UVB light on for 12 hours, that doesn't emit heat. I keep my enclosure extremely damp, almost muddy. Wax worms work great. I also throw in pin head crickets, pill bugs, red wigglers, baby horn worms (goliath), silk worms and butter worms into my enclosure. If i catch beetles or house flys, i will toss them in too. Mine tend to be most actively eating at dawn and dusk.

 

[pam]

Soooooooooooo cute

 

[Centexsnakes]

Ok, I'll set the heat lamp for a smaller time frame, the uv is on for 14 a day, it's on the same timer as my red eared sliders uv, I will also be adding some live plants to clutter up the enclosure, I feel this will make my little guy more secure feeling! Thanks for all the responses and tips!!


1.1 ball pythons 0.0.1 RES
0.0.1 eastern box 2.1 cats
0.1 dog

 

[AustinASU]

Whenever I raised hatchling ornates i made sure i fed together in groups. They seemed to learn from one another quickly when it was time to eat, how to eat certain things and what not. That and it brought the stress factor down for them.

 

[Barnes31]

I have one that is about the same size as the one you showed, so very cute! It's interesting to me to see what their from legs look like when they are normal as my baby has some injuries we are contending with right now. (No Back leg, missing front paw and injured other front paw) Anyway, Even with all it's limitations, my little baby loves to eat wax worms, rolly pollies, and when we feed it crickets, we tear off the back legs so it can't hop away to fast and he just loves those! I haven't had any luck feeing him vegetation, but we get him up in the morning, take him in to the yard to sun a little bit, put him in his warm soaking water where he swims around happy as can be, then we put a mill worm in so he can chase it in the water and eat it. We do this at the end of his soaking so the water doesn't get all nasty with him in it. Then we take it out and feed it some more live things cause if they don't wiggle, he just doesn't care about it. Then take him back in the sun a little and put it back in the turtle box. He finds his way back to his hiding spot under the hollow cork log and there it stays until the next day.

Good luck with your new baby! Seems like you are on the right track!

 

[Centexsnakes]

I hope I am! So far I haven't seen him eat, he mainly hides under the leaf litter, but I'm thinking he needs time to settle in to his new home, as for opportunity, he has worms, slugs, snails, some small beetles, and roly polys, plus some shredded carrot and greens. I know I shouldn't worry but still, just want the little guy to thrive!!


1.1 ball pythons 0.0.1 RES
0.0.1 eastern box 2.1 cats
0.1 dog