Should I dig her up

[Angi]

So this may be a really dumb question, but it is one that concerns me. I have a Three Toe Box Turtle. I got her because she needed a home. Everything I know about boxies I learned here. She is in a deck box that I turned into a nice little garden for her. It is about 4'X2.5' has lots of plants, rocks and a water dish she can sit in. She likes to bury herself so every 2 or 3 days I dig her up wash her with clean water let her wander around the basketball court or part of my yard and then put her in her water dish to soak and she likes to eat there so I give her some worms and fruit or veggies. Am I being disruptive by digging her up. I should mention that I am N.E. of San Diego and it is very warm here. Also I find her in different holes so she is moving around. She always has food avalible and her garden has sun and shade. She seem startled when I get her up, so I don't know if it is bad for her. It bothers me for her to have dirt on her for more than a few days.

 

[matt41gb]

Angi, I can assure you that she is perfectly fine without being disturbed. Box turtles are made for burying down in the dirt. This is where they feel their safest. She apparently needs more time to adjust to being handled and being around people. I would just leave her alone wherever she wants to be and slowly gain her trust over time.

You can put some food in her pen (which she will smell) and when she comes out to eat, let her see you and get used to you being around.

Box turtles learn quickly who feeds them, and in no time she will be practically be sitting at your feet when you walk in. Until you get to that point she is better left alone.

They can stress out so bad that their immune system literally fails them. When this happens they will most likely become ill. This is far more less likely to happen with a box turtle that is comfortable with you being around. I hope this helped.

-Matt

 

[Angi]

Okay thanks for the input. She does not get excited over food like my CDTs either. I have given her a huge veriety. She was found in a friends yard and looked to have been on her own for awhile. I wish she could talk just long enough to tell me her story.

 

[matt41gb]

Wouldn't that be nice! Who knows how old she is either! I bet she's got some great stories to tell.

-Matt

 

[Angi]

She has nicks and cracks in her shell. Missing toes and a foot that drags. All her damage was healed when she was found so she must have been on her own for a while. I do also wonder how old she is.

 

[Tom]

Angi, I have this same dilemma with my young Gulf Coast Box Turtle. She hardly ever comes up on her own. I bring her up for sun and food around 4-5 times a week. On the rare occasion I see her up on her own, I immediately give her a roach or an earthworm (her favorites) to make seeing me as positive as possible. So far she's very healthy and steadily growing with this routine. Its a real contrast from the sulcata babies.

 

[Angi]

Okay Tom that is basicly what I have been doing. She is not quik to eat when I give her food, but she could be hunting when I am not around. She has tree frogs living in her enclosure. You don't think she could be eating them do you? I think they are too fast for her and I would see remains if she was eating them. There are earth worm in her enclosure she could find and slugs and snails get in there also. Yes she is very strange compared to my out going CDTs.

 

[Tom]

It seems likely to me that she would be eating the snails and bugs, but probably not the tree frogs. My box turtle experience is very limited, so I'm not suggesting that what I'm doing is right. I'm just saying "its what I'm doing, and it seems to be working okay."

Any box turtle people, please chime in and help us out.

Angi, can we see a pic of your enclosure?

 

[terryo]

My Three Toed's love to soak. More than the Easterns, they will sit in the pond for a long time. If you give her a large enough saucer to sit in maybe you might catch her soaking on her own. I wouldn't dig her up either. Throw in a bunch of leaf litter, and she just might sit under there instead of digging under. Fall isn't here yet, so I go to the woods, and cut off a few branches, and let them dry out in the sun, then take off the dried leaves and put them on one side of the garden for them to dig under. I throw a lot of worms into the leaf litter for them to eat too.

 

[Angi]

Sounds like a plan Terryo. She has a reptile ramp and soaking thing. The nieghbor kid gave it to me. Something of his died. Don't worry I cleaned it like crazy. It is plenty big enough for her to soak and move around in yet easily climb out of. I put worms and fruits and veggies on the ramp part and she eats while she sits in the water. I like the leaf idea. Dirt is just so dirty.

 

[Angi]

Okay I have an update on Trudy. Terry's leaf litter idea was perfect. I laught out loud when she said go into the forrest though. My back yard backs up to Cleveland National Forrest in San Diego County. The closest thing to a tree there is Manzantia shrubs and Yucca plants LOL! I used Fruitless Malberry leaves out of my nieghbors yard. They lost their house so the trees are drying out. She seems much happier. I find her out in her enclouser often now. She is also eating more fruits and veggies. She is still skittish around me though, even when I am giving her food.