Hello, I have a yearling three toed box turtle and he currently has coco fiber as the soil. It holds moisture great but every time he come out of the soil the dirt seems to be in his eyes and I have to soak him in order for it to be all gone. Is this normal or any suggestions?
Soil with box turtles eyes.
- Thread starter NikkiW18
- Start date
Hello, I have a yearling three toed box turtle and he currently has coco fiber as the soil. It holds moisture great but every time he come out of the soil the dirt seems to be in his eyes and I have to soak him in order for it to be all gone. Is this normal or any suggestions?
Also, I was told to feed her earthworms is shallow water so I do that every other day but every time he eats a worm he spits up some water. Is this normal or should I stop feeding him in shallow water?
Also, I was told to feed her earthworms is shallow water so I do that every other day but every time he eats a worm he spits up some water. Is this normal or should I stop feeding him in shallow water?
ColleenT
Well-Known Member
i have been told by my turtle vet to soak the worms for 5 minutes so they poop out any dirt, but then i feed them on dry stones. IDK if feeding in water has any benefits or any problems. i would suspect it is fine as long as he is eating them. IDK about the soil.
You might want to just wet your coco fiber coir down even a bit more....sounds like it might be a bit dry.
- Boxies in the wild enjoy a plethora of worms during heavy rains...(thunder storms) .at least here in Maryland...I'm sure wetting down, soaking your worms prior to feeding is a good thing.
I wouldn't worry too much about coco fiber in it's eyes, they will blink and use their front legs to help clear it away. Soakings are always nice though. Do you have any pictures of your turtle and enclosure to share?
Here is one of him eating a meal and of him just hanging out. I have one picture of the enclosure.
What a great looking little box turtle! It looks like it is eating well so kudos to you for that! My only feedback would be that the substrate looks a little dry and I would add more cover for it to be out of view. I bought some plastic English ivy looking fake plants at the dollar store and sprawled it out out in my enclosures so they can roam around with some limited cover to make them feel safer. The fake plant leaves also help create some pockets of higher humidity which is so important for young box turtles. Your turtles beak looks like it could be getting a little over grown so I would add some cuttlebone for it to nibble on and try feeding on a rough surface like slate or the back side of a piece of tile to help wear it down as it eats. Overall, I'd say you are doing a great job!
Double the layer of substrate and then use your hand to firmly pack it down. It takes about two weeks for it to settle in. Keep hand-picking the areas where your turtle digs regularly.
You first pic there is making me want to get another box turtle…
You first pic there is making me want to get another box turtle…
Boxie looks a lot like my little one.
Thank you so much for the feedback! I will do that.
