Should I release her?

[gieseygirly]

I bought a two year old (not really even sure if she's two, as she has so much color on her) Eastern boxie around a month ago. The person I bought from said she was very friendly. However, her personality has proved totally the opposite. She was very dirty when she arrived and I have to wonder if I was scammed and she's not captive bred at all. I can't hardly get her to eat because it seems she doesn't just want the food plopped down in front of her. She wants to "hunt" for the food (I've discovered this after much observation).
When I hold her she moves her neck all around with her mouth partially open - pretty sure she's trying to get ahold of me and bite down. She's not friendly in the least, and I feel really sad for her.
Ssssooooo.......the question is: I live in Ohio where Eastern box turtles actually live in the wild - should I release her to the wild????? It seems she would be happier.
I'm so sad to have to release her, BUT I want her to be happy. And she's not happy. She's not anything like any captive boxie I've ever had.
Advice, anyone?????

 

[ShellyTurtlesCats]

No. It's never okay to release an animal, especially if you have no idea where or how long they've been removed from their natural habitat.

 

[Saleama]

Don't release her. A month might not be a good amount of time to get her acclimated. Do you have a place you can keep her outside in a wild like environment? A walled in garden or even a secure back yard? If you release her her chances of surviving are very slim and she could actually cause harm to any local population that might already live where you release her. If she does not fit into your CB family I am sure there are many people who would take her.

 

[gieseygirly]

Don't release her. A month might not be a good amount of time to get her acclimated. Do you have a place you can keep her outside in a wild like environment? A walled in garden or even a secure back yard? If you release her her chances of surviving are very slim and she could actually cause harm to any local population that might already live where you release her. If she does not fit into your CB family I am sure there are many people who would take her.

I've had her outside, several hours at a time, and all she does is completely bury herself. It's really weird. On the other hand, she's very, very active in her enclosure. She's up before 7 a.m. every morning, running about, searching for live food. But to her dismay, there isn't any and she doesn't like it when food is just plopped down in front of her. She just runs from it.

 

[Saleama]

I buy super worms at Petsmart for my rescues. As long as you only throw one in at a time they can't get away. Put her on the patio and toss them a few inches away from her. You can also use red wigglers, they love those. I made a 5 x 3 wooden box with a plastic liner that I put spagnum (sp) moss dirt in. They can dig real easy into it. Easterns and Ornates and GC's will dig down and stay there all day and night and only come out early in the AM to get a drink. Make sure she has a big place to swim and soak and live food to hunt and she will be happy as can be. Once she knows you are the food god, she will warm up, but you have to let her think she is hunting.

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Also, try making a veggie omelette with no oil. Let it cool and see if she will eat that if you are not into getting live foods. Mine go nuts over that and boiled egg white with the shell still on.

 

[gieseygirly]

I buy super worms at Petsmart for my rescues. As long as you only throw one in at a time they can't get away. Put her on the patio and toss them a few inches away from her. You can also use red wigglers, they love those. I made a 5 x 3 wooden box with a plastic liner that I put spagnum (sp) moss dirt in. They can dig real easy into it. Easterns and Ornates and GC's will dig down and stay there all day and night and only come out early in the AM to get a drink. Make sure she has a big place to swim and soak and live food to hunt and she will be happy as can be. Once she knows you are the food god, she will warm up, but you have to let her think she is hunting.

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Also, try making a veggie omelette with no oil. Let it cool and see if she will eat that if you are not into getting live foods. Mine go nuts over that and boiled egg white with the shell still on.

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Yes, I bought the same worms from Petsmart as well! I finally got her to eat one this morning. I also have her in a 5 ft X 3 ft homemade enclosure! It's filled with a 75 peat moss/25 play sand mixture. I have a live plant in there and the repti-ramp pool, which I'm beginning to think is definitely not big enough for her. But I'm not sure what to else to use that would be bigger??? I've heard about the hard boiled egg mashed up, but have yet to try it. I put minnows in her water dish but she can't catch them, plus she gets the peat moss/sand mixture all over in the water

 

[Saleama]

Go to Wal-Mart or Lowe's and get a terra cotta pot bottom. I use the 16 inch one. Sink it almost level with the substrate. They LOVE it! And the terra cotta acts as a grinder for their beaks. I would not use sand. It can cause impaction if they eat it and they will always get some in their food. Plus it drys out fast.
She might also not want to eat with you standing there. I went from having to throw the worms from across the room to actually hand feeding mine in about two weeks time. Give her some time. She will come around. The hunting instict is avctually very good! Go to a bait store and get some night crawlers. They are great for the soil and she will hunt them like in nature. Doodle bugs are also good if you can find them an garden snails! they love garden snails!

 

[gieseygirly]

Isn't the moss too dry for worms? Or am I allowing it to get too dry? OR maybe it's the sand drying it out huh?! I'll do an entire substrate change, but it still seems like the peat moss will be too dry for worms?! I can only experiment until I get it perfected. Seems like an ongoing project that never ends - but I love every bit of it. Keeps me occupied and my torts n turt happy
Thanks so much for the help and advice, Saleama; it is greatly appreciated!

 

[mikeh]

Re: RE: Should I release her?

Isn't the moss too dry for worms? Or am I allowing it to get too dry? OR maybe it's the sand drying it out huh?! I'll do an entire substrate change, but it still seems like the peat moss will be too dry for worms?! I can only experiment until I get it perfected. Seems like an ongoing project that never ends - but I love every bit of it. Keeps me occupied and my torts n turt happy
Thanks so much for the help and advice, Saleama; it is greatly appreciated!

Nightcrawlers will most likely not live long due to peat moss acidity. (Canadian nightcrawlers need very cold temps to live, European nightcrawlers are better suited. Personally I would get rid of the sand. Since your boxy likes to eat of the ground ingesting sand with food is not a good idea for digestive system. Mixing clean organic (all chemical clear) potting soil with 25-35%peat moss and adding pulverized limestone to balance the acidity is a better choice.

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Top soil works as well

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[Saleama]

On the web site where you can buy worms it is the recomended substrate. I am talking about the stuff you buy at Lowes that looks like dirt. It keeps moisture very well and my worms have been living in it for about three months now. My worms live in a tub at the cool end of my Tortoise habitat.
I would guess that if you are having issues keeping it moist then it is the sand. Mine stays damp under the top layer for pretty much ever. lol...
If you do not like the moss dirt, coco coir is also good. I like it more too, because they seem to be able to dig in it better and I can make sight obstructions nd cover hides better with it when it is wet and it doesn't go to "mud" like potting soil. But that is just my preference. The problem I have with potting soil is that it gets dirty (lol) fast and has to be chaged a lot more frequently because it starts to smell and mold quickly. I also discovered that a lot of it has fruit fly eggs in it and I have quite the colony of them all over my apartment now. I love the little guys but I hate it when I drink them!

 

[Yvonne G]

NO!!! Never release a turtle or tortoise back into the wild if he has been living in captivity. There are several reason why, but one good one is that because box turtles are so territorial, they walk for miles trying to find their way back to their territory. This puts them in harms way.

If it is at all possible, make a nice big outdoor pen with many, many hiding places, bushes, plants, etc. Make a nice little pond for water. You can use a plant saucer or go whole hog and make one out of cement. Just leave the turtle alone out there. Eventually it will start to come out and explore. Put fresh food out every day, but pick it up every night to avoid attracting scavengers. At first, the turtle will try to find a way out of the habitat, but will finally resign itself and settle down.

Two years is still pretty small, so you have to be careful of birds carrying it away. Also, when they're so small, they dehydrate easily and quickly, so I would try to dig it out every day and soak it in warm water.

 

[gieseygirly]

NO!!! Never release a turtle or tortoise back into the wild if he has been living in captivity. There are several reason why, but one good one is that because box turtles are so territorial, they walk for miles trying to find their way back to their territory. This puts them in harms way.

If it is at all possible, make a nice big outdoor pen with many, many hiding places, bushes, plants, etc. Make a nice little pond for water. You can use a plant saucer or go whole hog and make one out of cement. Just leave the turtle alone out there. Eventually it will start to come out and explore. Put fresh food out every day, but pick it up every night to avoid attracting scavengers. At first, the turtle will try to find a way out of the habitat, but will finally resign itself and settle down.

Two years is still pretty small, so you have to be careful of birds carrying it away. Also, when they're so small, they dehydrate easily and quickly, so I would try to dig it out every day and soak it in warm water.

Being in Ohio, I would still have to bring her in for the winter though right? She's actually pretty big - that's why I wonder if she's older than 2. I'll have to post pics when I get home tonight. I have a log of her weight too, so I'll tell you that also. She's pretty close to 4 inches. I definitely try to soak her at least once every day, sometimes twice. I got her to eat raspberries yesterday, but not when I was watching of course

She's just so, so scared of everything, especially when my hand enters the enclosure. I feel bad for her. But, with the help of you wonderful tortoise forum members, I will NOT be releasing her to the river. I was in tears yesterday just thinking about it; I just want her to be happy! She's in good hands and it'll stay that way.

 

[luvpetz27]

I bring my Eastern boxies inside in the winter. I am near Columbus Ohio so we have nasty cold months!!

 

[WillTort2]

I've had boxies that friends no longer wanted and I find they are quick enough to eat live large crickets if you supervise by returning the cricket to the enclosure when it tries to escape.

 

[gieseygirly]

I bring my Eastern boxies inside in the winter. I am near Columbus Ohio so we have nasty cold months!!

Yes, the worst thing about Ohio are the nasty winters. Absolutely hate them!

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I've had boxies that friends no longer wanted and I find they are quick enough to eat live large crickets if you supervise by returning the cricket to the enclosure when it tries to escape.

I thought I heard something about crickets not being good for turtles? Is this not true?? They're so easy to buy at the pet store, so it's kind of disappointing to hear.

 

[luvpetz27]

I have not heard that about crickets. I am wondering the same thing now.

 

[TxTortMan]

I've fed mine crickets without a problem. I've never heard that crickets are not good to feed box turtles, they catch and eat them in the wild.

 

[gieseygirly]

Woohoo, got her to eat half a crushed up hard boiled egg (with the yolk taken out)

 

[txturtle13]

Success!!

 

[Saleama]

LOL... Mine love them. They will not touch the yolk with a ten foot pole for some reason so I eat the yolk and share the white with them. Try leaving some of the shell crushed up in it for calcium. Congrats!