Picky Eater

[kandixcakes]

I have a baby gulf coast box tortoise (carolina terrepene major) and all he seems to want to eat is meal worms. I've offered him crickets, shrimp, a reptomin gel food, salad, carrots, and apples but he's generally not interested. Is there anything I can do to get him to supplement his food of choice with other proteins? (I read that as babies they're generally carnivorous)

 

[wellington]

Welcome. Some people recommend not giving in to them. Give them the other kids of foods that are better for him and they will eat it when they get hungry enough. Also, maybe try chopping the other food into smaller pieces and mixing it in with his favorite and then slowly taking away the favorite. I don't have your species, this is what i have seen others being told to do. I am sure someone with experience with your species will be along soon to help.

 

[dmmj]

Babies box turtles are generally meat eaters (carnivorous) Keep offering greens, fruits, and vegetables he will probably start eating them.

 

[zesty_17]

Mine are like this also, but i always offer them what i give the adults, then 2-3x a week they get millworms, and boiled egg. Haven't tried crickets yet, etc..

 

[terryo]

When I got my little Gulf Coast, she would eat nothing but worms. When I finally put her in with my other box turtles, she started eating what they were eating. I put greens, veggies, fruit, sweet potato (cooked in the microwave) carrots (raw) in a food processor. I grind it up into little tiny pieces (not mush) then I add some canned venison and mix it with a spoon. They all love this mix, and pretty soon my little Gulf Coast started to eat with the others. Even my hatchlings will start taking some nibbles of this mix. Sometimes I put white fish instead of the venison. If your little boxie is still in the hatchling stage, try offering him some pill bugs, butter worms are good too. When they are that small they rarely eat anything that doesn't move or wiggle.

 

[kandixcakes]

When I got my little Gulf Coast, she would eat nothing but worms. When I finally put her in with my other box turtles, she started eating what they were eating. I put greens, veggies, fruit, sweet potato (cooked in the microwave) carrots (raw) in a food processor. I grind it up into little tiny pieces (not mush) then I add some canned venison and mix it with a spoon. They all love this mix, and pretty soon my little Gulf Coast started to eat with the others. Even my hatchlings will start taking some nibbles of this mix. Sometimes I put white fish instead of the venison. If your little boxie is still in the hatchling stage, try offering him some pill bugs, butter worms are good too. When they are that small they rarely eat anything that doesn't move or wiggle.

Thank you so much! I'll have to try that combination you mentioned. I'm pretty convinced it's the wiggling that attracts him myself. Jullian is pretty tiny (a tomato sauce jar lid is like a little pool to him. I just want to make sure that he gets all he needs to grow into a healthy adult.