Wild box turtle missing half its shell / injury

Yvonne G

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I personally think you should just bandage it and add calcium to its food until you notice a change. Otherwise, I'd take it to a vet.
PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THIS IS A VERY OLD, HEALED INJURY THAT REQUIRES NO INTERVENTION!!! NO BANDAGE, NO 3D PRINTED SHELL, NO MEDICINE - NOTHING!!!!! You may do more damage if you interfere.
 

PJay

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Thank you all for the kind words, advice, and knowledge. I never imagined anyone would see this thread, let alone engage with myself and each other. It was a long day at work but as soon as I got home my husband and I went to the hardware store and bought a big stock tank tub, added some dirt, water, worms, and a couple fruits/vegetables. I know it’s not an ideal set up but it will have to do until this weekend. It was voracious for worms, didn’t really care about the fruits/veg. It also spent a few minutes submerged in a shallow bowl of water. It has been very active and hungry which really gives me hope! Thank you all. I will continue to update and engage as much as possible.
Normally I would say leave a wild turtle in the wild, but this turtle is in a vulnerable state. In Oklahoma, you are legally able to keep it and If you are willing to put in the work to learn how to care for it, and absorb the expenses, I applaud you keeping it captive. Box turtles love to soak and defecate in water so whatever long term enclosure you devise should include a soaking source that is easily cleaned and refilled. They like to eat anything that moves and fits in their mouth but their diet should also be laced with veggies and fruits, reptile calcium and vitamin powders. Check out http://www.boxturtlefacts.org/Feeding_North_American_Box_Turtles.pdf as a general reference.
 

Makaylaiori

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PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THIS IS A VERY OLD, HEALED INJURY THAT REQUIRES NO INTERVENTION!!! NO BANDAGE, NO 3D PRINTED SHELL, NO MEDICINE - NOTHING!!!!! You may do more damage if you interfere.
I’m just going to let his/her little body do whatever it’s been doing all this time because it seems to be doing pretty well. It looks very shocking but the turtle doesn’t really seem to notice or care. I wonder if it will ever have a completely hard shell there again
 

Makaylaiori

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Normally I would say leave a wild turtle in the wild, but this turtle is in a vulnerable state. In Oklahoma, you are legally able to keep it and If you are willing to put in the work to learn how to care for it, and absorb the expenses, I applaud you keeping it captive. Box turtles love to soak and defecate in water so whatever long term enclosure you devise should include a soaking source that is easily cleaned and refilled. They like to eat anything that moves and fits in their mouth but their diet should also be laced with veggies and fruits, reptile calcium and vitamin powders. Check out http://www.boxturtlefacts.org/Feeding_North_American_Box_Turtles.pdf as a general reference.
I’ll be stocking up on all those things this weekend if possible. I agree that for most situations wild animals should just stay wild. I wish you guys could feel how soft that exposed tissue is. It feels like a callus.. hard but if you press it at all you can feel how thin it is. It wouldn’t stand a chance against anything with teeth. I wouldn’t feel right letting it go back out into the wild, especially since there are coyotes and raccoons around here all the time.
 

turtlesteve

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I think he survived a fire a long time ago. I’ve seen a couple injuries like this before, in pine forests that are subject to annual prescribed burning. Never saw one this bad though.

Not gonna comment on whether he needs rehab, it’s way over my head.
 

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