So, how fast is TOO fast for a young box turtle to grow?

Eggsy

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So, my little box turtle is having a growth spurt and I have concerns about how fast is too fast for a young turtle to grow?

Eggsy’s Background:

Found 5/18/2017 in my front yard. No idea how old the little guy is, nor whether it’s male or female yet. Kept Eggsy due to the fact I noticed s/he has one eye and only 3 legs. Otherwise, Eggsy is healthy (bright eye, good shell coloring, healthy appetite, and active).

Full disclosure: because the original room where Eggsy’s tank was located was slowly being turned into a storage area, I would tend to forget that Eggsy was there and was also unable to get to the tank easily. So there was a very dark period in Eggsy’s time with me where s/he did not receive adequate care (food/water) for a couple of months. No, you do not need to chastise me for this, I already have. Eggsy is a true trooper, when I finally remembered he was there he was dehydrated, but alive. I quickly looked up rehydration formulas for him/her, and after a day or two s/he was back to normal. I have since moved Eggsy’s tank into our bedroom on top of my dresser where I can see and access him/her daily.

Eggsy’s Terrarium:

20 gallon tank with a couple of live pothos plants, a dual lighting setup with a basking light and UVB, 2 hiding areas made up of 6 inch terra cotta pots. I’m using a mix of substrates: long strand peat moss, cypress wood chips, and coco noir that are misted/moistened regularly every few days. I have a temperature and humidity gauge next to the tank. The daily temperature in the bedroom ranges from 68-78 degrees Fahrenheit, the humidity ranges from 60-80% depending on when my husband and I take our showers. Since the gauge is outside the tank and the light is on, I figure the tank temp is slightly higher than the bedroom temperature. There is also an undertank heating pad placed under the hiding spot that Eggsy prefers the most.

Eggsy’s Food:

Every day Eggsy is given ½ teaspoon of both Fancy Feast Purely Cat Food mixed with ZooMed Natural Box Turtle pellets since s/he is still pretty small. I then add either frozen strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, collard greens, or freshly chopped baby carrots to the food base. I’m slowly introducing a variety of fruits and veggies to Eggsy and s/he has been accepting them voraciously.

I also have red wigglers and some pill bugs living in the tank with Eggsy to provide opportunities to hunt if s/he desires. If not, then they provide service as composters for the pothos.

Eggsy’s Behavior:

Prior to updating his/her terrarium Eggsy wouldn’t really hide that much. S/he would sometimes snuggle under the leaves of the pothos, then wander around the tank all day after eating and soaking. After moving him/her to my bedroom, I started noticing that s/he would gravitate to either the corner of the tank with the water dish, or the food dish and just chill there for the day. I wasn’t sure if Eggsy was trying to hibernate so I update the terrarium with additional hiding spots, and areas that s/he could burrow.

Around this time, I noticed a weird whitish line at the bottom of his/her lower scutes and after some research discovered that this was actually his/her new growth rings. I also realized these areas are very sensitive, when I ran my finger along it, s/he immediately jumped and moved away from my finger. Since then, the growth rings are increasing in size, and s/he has become very shy. Eggsy now will wait until my husband and I have left the room to come out of her burrow and eat. If we come back into the room, s/he will haul a** back into his/her burrow and wait until we leave again to come out. I’m figuring with all the growing s/he is doing Eggsy is probably uncomfortable and prefers to stay in his/her burrow a majority of the day now. When s/he is out and about for feeding I make sure to observe him/her to make sure that s/he is still bright eyed and healthy-looking.
 

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PJay

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Since you moved it into your bedroom things sound good. Keep up with the daily maintenance and don't worry about Eggsy growing too fast. Can you place the temp/humidity gauge directly in the terrarium? Mist the terrarium daily to keep the humidity on the high side and consider soaking in and inch of 84F water 20 minutes weekly. What a trooper to keep going after trauma at such a young age.
 

Pastel Tortie

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It's natural for young / small box turtles to be shy about eating in front of an audience. They sometimes seem to change their comfort level overnight, with no apparent cause or warning.

There will be growth spurts, and there will be periods of slow or no noticeable growth. Fortunately, box turtles are generally not prone to overeating, so you can follow Eggsy's guidance on that one, for the most part. Keep a small-ish piece of cuttlebone available, as Eggsy will be more likely to make use of it during the growth spurts.
 

Eggsy

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Fredericksburg
Thank you! I was thinking about putting a bit of cuttlebone in there for Eggsy, but I wasn't sure about it.
I'll find a temp/humidity guage that I can put in the tank since the one I actually have probably won't do well in a tank.
 

Eggsy

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Lol! That's the one I have sitting next Eggsy's tank. Can I put it inside the tank without damaging it?
 

PJay

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Yes, I've been using it in habitats for a couple years. The only time there is a problem is when the humidity reaches around the 97% mark, then the screen gets dim and I have to bring it out to normal house conditions for an hour so it can dry out a bit. But that humidity level only happens in my incubators and closed chambers. It should be fine in your open top set up.
 
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