Update on my boxy babies

[Angi]

I have had the Three Toed Box Turtle hatchlings for about a month maybe longer. I believe they hatched in October. I have them in a glass aquarium with a couple inches of substate. I can't remember what it is called. I bought it at the pet store. It is a growned up moss I think. Then I have a long stringy moss on top. I have a couple plants in there also. They have a shallow water dish, but I don't think they can get in yet. I have a red light above the enclosure for heat, but it is not on all the time. I put them in a plastic container with water once or twice a day that is when they eat. It is amazing to see these tiny little guys eat a worm.
So here are my questions.
#1 Is it okay that they only will eat the worms? I offer other stuff everyday, but they only eat the worms.
#2 They eat about 3 worms each a day. Is that too much?
#3 I read that I should mist with warm water. Is this true. Should I refill the bottle everytime I mist. This is what I have been doing.
Any advice is welcome

 

[Angi]

Just to clerify question #3. I know I need to mist their enclosure, but does the water need to be warm?

 

[terryo]

I only use warm water to mist the vivariums. I have some hatchlings from Sept, 2011 and they are still eating only worms (red wigglers, wax and now some trout worms) and pill bugs too. I wouldn't worry about it yet. When the warm weather starts, that's when mine usually strat to eat other things. I chop up, very tiny, some strawberries and greens (dandelion...etc.) a little cooked sweet potato and add some canned venison to the mix, and that usually starts them off eating other things. Mine will go after the pill bugs that are in the viv, so I don't know how much they eat, but they do eat a few red wiggler worms each, and I usually give them one wax worm or butter worm a day each. They're so cute at this age, arent they? The worms are almost bigger than they are.

 

[dmarcus]

Up until recently, I couldn't get my hatchlings to eat anything other than mealworms, redwigglers, earth worms and pill bugs. Now they are eating a mixture of veggies and the worms. Before they started eating other things I always offered it even if they didn't eat it.

My biggest and the most aggresive eater can eat 5-6 worms himself, I dont know where he fits it all but he does. I have to keep him seperate during feeding so he doesn't each the others worms.

When I mist, I use room temp water and there water bowl is only room temp and they seem to like it, although I am thinking of putting a heat light over there water bowl to warm it up a little.

 

[Angi]

Thanks guys. I was tyring to get them to eat berries, venison/sweet potatoe dog food and greens.
So do you refill the spray bottle everytime you spray them?Also I have to dig them up every time I feed them. Is that normal?

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I start my babies on a mix of food from day one and have had good luck with that. Depending on the size of the worms, I would think 3 worms per day is a lot. I only feed mine every other day - as much as they want to eat in a sitting. I mist with room temperature water. Hope that was helpful!

 

[lisa127]

I also use very warm water to mist my boxie, and yes I refill the bottle every time I do it since it cools off. And yes, it is normal as babies to have to dig them up to feed them. My boxie is over a year old (don't know exact age) and his hinge started becoming functional about a month ago. Ever since then he is out most of the time during the day. By out I mean not buried out of site. He now spends his days next to a fake plate with just his butt in the moss, looking around and observing. He comes out immediately when I mist because he thinks I might be putting food in the tank. All this behavior is only since the hinge began to work. Before that he spent all his time buried completely under moss. Until the hinge works, they feel vulnerable.

 

[dmarcus]

I have a very large spray bottle that lasts a few day depending on how much i spray. I also keep a bottle of water for the plants, substrate and the water bowl...

I use to dig them out but now I just wait until I see there heads sticking out of the substrate and that lets me know they are hungry.

 

[turtlemann2]

I have a very large spray bottle that lasts a few day depending on how much i spray. I also keep a bottle of water for the plants, substrate and the water bowl...

I use to dig them out but now I just wait until I see there heads sticking out of the substrate and that lets me know they are hungry.

i like to think of them "hunting" that is when they have a head sticking out LOL

 

[dmarcus]

I have a very large spray bottle that lasts a few day depending on how much i spray. I also keep a bottle of water for the plants, substrate and the water bowl...

I use to dig them out but now I just wait until I see there heads sticking out of the substrate and that lets me know they are hungry.

i like to think of them "hunting" that is when they have a head sticking out LOL

Thats true, they are waiting for some prey to make a mistake and walk by...

 

[pryncesssc]

I have a hatchling box turtle also (she was born in August) and she used to hide all of the time too.. it was just recently that she started to come out on her own in the mornings when their lights go on. But before, i used to "undig" her every morning to make sure that she was soaking and eating. What types of worms are u feeding her ? i use earthworms (cut up small), butterworms, silkworms, reptiworms and hornworms.. most of the other stuff u have to get online or at a reptile type event. I dont feed them mealworms because i feel that they are shitty and have no nutritional value and they can turn into carnivorous beetles and attack your turtle so DO NOT THROW MEALWORMS IN THE CAGE !! Ask terry what happened to her babies .. not a pretty thing. As for the water i have a huge sprayer from homedepot so its just lukewarm when i mist .. i feel that the cage itself is warm so the water isnt really going to do any harm.. plus u can refill their water dish every 15 min so they are bound to go in room temp water..

Also do u only use the red night light ? do u have a UVB light i hope !

 

[Angi]

I have been feeding meal worms and wax worms and once in a wild earth worms. Should I feed more earth worms?
I did not think they needed UVA yet. Was I wrong ?! I thought they needed dark.

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[terryo]

I keep a long tube UVB on top of a screen. It's always smaller than the tank....40 breeder tank has a 20 gal. fixture on it. This way there is room for a heat sauce if I need it, and it's not as bright. Right now I have no heat as it's pretty warm in this room. Baby boxies live under the leaf litter in wooded area's, but they still get some sun filtered through the trees, so it doesn't hurt. See if you can get some pill bugs. You can chop up the earth worms so they are easier for them to catch and eat. I don't like meal worms for babies...just me. The best is red wigglers because they are smaller and you don't have to chop them up. I keep a bin and feed the worms greens and scraps. I use the castings (poop) for my plants, and they really multiply.

 

[Angi]

I seem to have killed my red wigglers that were in my bin and composed pile , but i can always find earth worms in my yard. I gave the babied 4 and did not chop then. It was so cute to see them eat such big worms. I will probably be able to find pill bugs in the morning, but they move so quick I don't know if the babies can get them before the ecsape. I will get a UVB light ASAP.