That time of year...

TortMomma

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Despite my efforts my EBT hatchling has buried herself and not surfaced for a few days. Her tank is warm, it ranges from 70-80F depending on the time of day. I do not use a heat lamp on her tank, just a UVB strip for 4 hours a day. The room she is kept in gets very warm when we turn the heat on and from the torts heat lamps.
When the weather started to get cooler I did put a 25 watt on her tank and she didn't seem to like it, she stopped eating and hid more often (she was in my bedroom at the time), so I moved her to the reptile room and that seemed to help some. Her eating had decreased at the time but I still offered food and soaked her every other day. After I soak her I always put her by her food and put a hidey log over top but she hasn't eaten (that I'm aware of) for a week or two. She doesn't like soaks. Hates them. Try's to climb out, so I decided to stop the past 5 days, thinking I don't want to stress her out. But now she has been buried since I last soaked her.
Should I leave her be? Should I soak her daily, every other day? Should the UVB strip go on everyday? I'm really worried since she's a hatchling. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

lismar79

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I have my first boxie too and he is 3 yrs old. He is doing the same thing. He is also in his slow down season and plus he is hiding because he in still getting use to his enclosure.... I gt him out every day and dig him up. I place him near his food under the uv light. Most of the time he runs right back to hiding but more and more he has been staying out. I have been keeping a real close eye on his weight to make sure things are ok.
 

Ciri

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I've always kept my hatchling box turtles awake and eating for the first winter – but it is always a challenge. I soak them daily if they don't go in on their own. One thing that seems to help is to move them very slowly into the water dish. They seem to be less reactive if I move in slow motion. When they are hatchlings they're still figuring out whether I'm safe, or a scary monster. And reptiles are less reactive anyhow, when being handled slowly. I will also try to put a hide log or something over their water dish so they can feel a little safer.

I assume that the hatchling is getting roughly 12 hours of light? I would also go a little warmer – 85 to 88° F should help.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted as to how the little one does.
 

TortMomma

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I've always kept my hatchling box turtles awake and eating for the first winter – but it is always a challenge. I soak them daily if they don't go in on their own. One thing that seems to help is to move them very slowly into the water dish. They seem to be less reactive if I move in slow motion. When they are hatchlings they're still figuring out whether I'm safe, or a scary monster. And reptiles are less reactive anyhow, when being handled slowly. I will also try to put a hide log or something over their water dish so they can feel a little safer.

I assume that the hatchling is getting roughly 12 hours of light? I would also go a little warmer – 85 to 88° F should help.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted as to how the little one does.
Thanks. I usually soak her outside of the tank, although she does have a saucer of water. I didn't want her to hibernate but wasn't sure if I could stop it once it started.
 

Ciri

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Thanks. I usually soak her outside of the tank, although she does have a saucer of water. I didn't want her to hibernate but wasn't sure if I could stop it once it started.
You're right, it can be difficult to get them to switch gears. I do know people who successfully hibernate their hatchlings. I think it requires frequent soaking though.
 

TortMomma

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Because she is a hatchling I really didn't wanna chance it. Hopefully I can get her eating again. She was a very enthusiastic eater before all this.
 

tortadise

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I have a couple eastern wee guys that are a few weeks old. They're hibernating right now. I'm just soaking them. They bury down after that.
 

TortMomma

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I have a couple eastern wee guys that are a few weeks old. They're hibernating right now. I'm just soaking them. They bury down after that.
Well I just got home from job #1 a bit ago. Go in the reptile room to dig her up and she's sitting on her little basking platform. I guess she faked me out. Lol I made her food and put her in the bowl and the log over top but she came out the other side, so I moved her to her lil pool and she actually stayed in put her head under and few times, so I let her be. Maybe she'll notice the guppy swimming in there and have it for lunch.
Glad she's moving around. Now hopefully she'll eat!
 

tortadise

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Well I just got home from job #1 a bit ago. Go in the reptile room to dig her up and she's sitting on her little basking platform. I guess she faked me out. Lol I made her food and put her in the bowl and the log over top but she came out the other side, so I moved her to her lil pool and she actually stayed in put her head under and few times, so I let her be. Maybe she'll notice the guppy swimming in there and have it for lunch.
Glad she's moving around. Now hopefully she'll eat!
Awesome. I'd suggest adding some leaves. This time of year they are easy to find too :) the little guys love leaves.
 

Eric Phillips

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Well I just got home from job #1 a bit ago. Go in the reptile room to dig her up and she's sitting on her little basking platform. I guess she faked me out. Lol I made her food and put her in the bowl and the log over top but she came out the other side, so I moved her to her lil pool and she actually stayed in put her head under and few times, so I let her be. Maybe she'll notice the guppy swimming in there and have it for lunch.
Glad she's moving around. Now hopefully she'll eat!

My little one is doing the same thing. No worries.
 

Ciri

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Well I just got home from job #1 a bit ago. Go in the reptile room to dig her up and she's sitting on her little basking platform. I guess she faked me out. Lol I made her food and put her in the bowl and the log over top but she came out the other side, so I moved her to her lil pool and she actually stayed in put her head under and few times, so I let her be. Maybe she'll notice the guppy swimming in there and have it for lunch.
Glad she's moving around. Now hopefully she'll eat!
Great news! Sometime when you have a minute, I would love to see her pictures.
 

Ciri

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WOW! She's really cute! I love the markings down her back – she's very distinctive. Baby box turtles are so adorable.
 

Torch

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I'm going through the same thing with my three toed hatchling right now.
 

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