Y'all won't believe this.... Babies!!

yagyujubei

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
2,407
Location (City and/or State)
Amish Country
That's two more than I have ever found. I suspect that the toad may be the explanation for the missing one.
txturtle13 said:
I have found a total of three empty egg shells, but just the two babies. I looked all afternoon, I'm not sure that there is a third baby
 

txturtle13

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
303
I was wondering if the toad was the culprit.... He's very large. See:
ImageUploadedByTortForum1381243850.727939.jpg
ImageUploadedByTortForum1381243862.380339.jpg

I also found a female skink living in there. I feel very lucky with my two :)

Thank you for your help!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

txturtle13

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
303
Yea he was huge! And he's still in there. Ill have to move him out (without my dogs seeing him) before we build a fire in there. I think it's a "gulf coast toad", they are EVERYWHERE here... I almost step on them if I'm not careful!

My dog also found a skink in her bed (in our house). I put him back outside.
ImageUploadedByTortForum1381254266.040912.jpg

Lots of wildlife goin on at my house right now...
 
Last edited by a moderator:

txturtle13

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
303
The two babies still haven't eatin (to my knowledge)... Should I be nervous? I've offered: chopped red wigglers, meal worm, pellets, and small pill bugs. They are scared to death of me. They still won't eat even if I leave them for 45 min.

My other baby, adopted from ShelledFriends, is mr (or miss) personality and is not fazed by me. He eats just fine.
 

reagansymone

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
57
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
Congrats! My babies were a surprise also ... I spent hours searching for the 'missing' second one (I had found his egg shell, but not him!). He surfaced 5 days later.

Anyhow, I really struggled to get my first baby, Popeye, to eat at first because he had a bad injury ( you can read about my babies at my blog ... so I can forgo a bit of background in this comment www.tinyturtlejourney.com ) ... Pinto Bean ate right away, he was very healthy. So I'm not sure how worried you should be. Do they have any yolk sac left? Mine had both used theirs up by the time I found them. But if they're still soaking up yolk then they won't eat yet.

I really struggled to get Popeye to eat. Eventually, he ate pill bugs. And once he was used to eating those he also started eating wax worms, mini meal worms, phoenix worms/soldier fly larva, and even tiny earth worms (reaaal tiny). When he wasn't eating, I soaked him in Pedialyte mixed with his calcium supplement to make sure that he was getting some kind of nourishment.

And what are their temperatures at? Are you keeping them outside or inside? I've found that many issues can be solved by making it a little warmer for them. When you soak them in water, make sure it is warm (microwave it for 5 or 10 seconds even) ... not hot, just nice and warm. If it's too hot for you to touch it, it's too hot for them. Also, make sure they have a basking light. Their temperatures should be in the 80s.

Let food float around in their water when they soak. This adds movement, which entices them, and it also encourages eating because they tend to empty their tummies when they're in the water...so they eat as soon as they make room! Worms (especially meal worms) seem to drown really easily. If you don't put their water in their food, soak them first and then let them eat right after. Sometimes I would do both...put food with them while they soaked, and then let them eat again after soaking.

Good luck!
 

Saleama

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Messages
1,501
Location (City and/or State)
Irving Texas
Have you gotten them to eat? They could have been still living off their egg sacks. I put mine in a tub with some meal worms, fruit and veggies and leave them alone for an hour or so. I have not seen them eat anything more than a bit of strawberry. They can go a very long time on the egg yolk after hatching. I am going to try some wax worms later tonight and if they do not eat those, then I will turn loose some red wigglers in their tank and hope they learn how to hunt. I have seen my batch from last year hiding in a corner with a worm that I know was put in the tank more than a month before I saw him eating it, so I know they can hunt successfully when in captivity.

I also see you are in Texas. Where in Texas are you? Maybe we could trade little ones to get some variety? Half of mine are ornate three toed and the others are what looks like pure three toed or gulf coast three toed mix.
 

txturtle13

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
303
Thanks so much for the info!! It is much appreciated! I still haven't seen them eat, their sacks looked like they had just been absorbed/fell off when I found them. I found three eggs, two babies :( still no sign of the third one. I don't think the third one made it.

I released 50-100 pill bugs in the vivarium. I'm working on getting a ceramic heat emitter this weekend so they will be warmer. They are inside. I'm hoping they are learning to hunt.

I would love to trade one or both, especially if one ends up being male. I don't want to have any inbreeding issues, and honestly I'm not looking to breed or purposely produce more. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone near me who has babies to trade. I live 20 miles North of Houston. If someone else around this neck of the woods is interested please let me know. I'm wanting to keep three toeds and/or three toed integrades.

These may be mixed breeds... I don't know who the father was! They are spottier than my other three toed baby who I adopted from ShelledFriends.
 

Saleama

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Messages
1,501
Location (City and/or State)
Irving Texas
All of mine are three toed hybrids. I know this because all the males are three toed. I have a HUGE femal three toed gulf coast mix that is beautiful (she is around 10 inches long!) and an old ornate female that my uncle has had for many years. We just recently started rescuing from craigslist and have increased his "herd" to eight animals. They live wild in a huge garden up in Plano. We have five babies this year (19 last year though there were several age groups so many of them were from years past) and they are the cutest little guys/gals I have ever seen. One of them is the zipper one I posted pics of in another thread. Anyway, I bring them all to Houston when I visit my Mother in Pearland so maybe we can meet and trade a few of the kids. I am open to trading any of the age groups except for J Swatt, my special needs baby and Zipper, my deformed little cutie.
 

txturtle13

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
303
I've already named my little guys and feel pretty attached :/. I will have to think about it. I thought if one turned out to be male, I would trade it. But my husband has agreed to help me expand the turtle garden in three years if one is male. Maybe even create an add on section. But I will definitely keep your offer in mind!

My friends think I'm crazy for having 4 turtles... But I love them
 

New Posts

Top