Luis Taveras0
Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
- Messages
- 104
Hi my hatchling box turtle won't eat lettuce or kale that I give it he will only eat fruits and the occasional worm is there any way to get him to eat veggies
Picky eater
- Thread starter Luis Taveras0
- Start date
I chop up some different types of greens and fruit and mix it all together (very small pieces), then I place a worm or other live food on top of the pile. They get used to the taste of it as it sticks to their live food.
Please do not get him addicted to fruits, they are not good for torts. How about posting pics of him and his enclosure. If you have not had him for long. then I'd like to point out that torts do NOT like change. Therefore it'll take him quite some time to adapt.
And a warm welcome to the forum!
It's ok, Gillian. He's talking about a box turtle. Fruit is part of their diet. And you're right, of course. We'd LOVE to see pictures of this little baby.
Luis Taveras0
Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
- Messages
- 104
This is what he looks like
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh, terribly sorry for the mistake.
Luis Taveras0
Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
- Messages
- 104
No at the time he was asleep
It was an easy mistake for you to have made as he had it in the "General Tortoise" section. I moved it to box turtles.
Luis: Your baby's eyes are terribly swollen. Please try this:
Pour a half a bottle of Gerber strained carrots into a small bowl then add a half a bottle of warm water. Mix it up and place the turtle in the mixture. Use a bowl big enough that this mixture isn't too deep. You don't want the baby to have to strain to keep his head above the water. Leave him soaking in there for at least a half hour. Do this every day, and at the end of three days you should see the eyes open bright and alert.
Once you've got his eyes back to normal, you're going to have to feed this baby live food. When baby box turtles don't eat, their eyes swell shut from vitamin A deficiency. He needs to eat something every day.
He looks dry. It sounds like you have another thread on his enclosure? Make sure you follow the advice.
Dandelions are also high in Vit A. And, you can get the beta carotene spray supplement.
Little box turtles are quite active when healthy. I would try to get his conditions near ideal.
Dandelions are also high in Vit A. And, you can get the beta carotene spray supplement.
Little box turtles are quite active when healthy. I would try to get his conditions near ideal.
Luis Taveras0
Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
- Messages
- 104
Last edited by a moderator:
Aw, I see. That's not good enough, Luis. First of all, it's drafty down on the floor, and not as warm as you think it is. Secondly, light coming through the window isn't warm enough to get your turtle's inner core up to at least 80F degrees. Unless he can get warm enough, he won't eat. They're pretty smart that way.
So set the tank up on a table someplace and put some sort of light over it - light that gives off heat.
So set the tank up on a table someplace and put some sort of light over it - light that gives off heat.
Sorry, Luis but that looks like a prison cell and death sentence to me.
Please read http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-hatchling-care-sheet.97144/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-care-sheet.93937/
and take some immediate action or I'm scared that the little turtle isn't going to make it.
Please read http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-hatchling-care-sheet.97144/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-care-sheet.93937/
and take some immediate action or I'm scared that the little turtle isn't going to make it.
Luis, your turtle looks very stressed. You've got to take control of your hatchlings environment. It needs to have access to reliable heat and loads of humidity. Don't feel bad, I have been keeping box turtles for decades and I recently had a problem similar to yours. I had a full grown turtle get dehydrated. His eyes would not open and he was not eating or even moving. I soaked him in water up to his bottom shell several times a day and kept him warm, about 80 degrees at all times. After a few days he started opening his eyes and a few days later he started moving around the enclosure by himself and finally began eating. Now he stands next to the food bowl waiting for the next meal. Please read the links in the post above for how to set up a propure box turtle environment.
Hi Luis
Please read those threads about what your tort needs and act quickly.
The following explains the lighting situation
Your tort needs:
1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.
2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.
Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.
UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window or the side of a vivarium. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.
3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.
Notes
(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from a hardware store will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)
(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.
(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.
(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.
(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.
(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.
Measurements
There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum
You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.
A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.
A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.
You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.
Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate
Please read those threads about what your tort needs and act quickly.
The following explains the lighting situation
Your tort needs:
1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.
2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.
Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.
UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window or the side of a vivarium. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.
3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.
Notes
(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from a hardware store will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)
(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.
(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.
(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.
(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.
(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.
Measurements
There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum
You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.
A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.
A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.
You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.
Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate
