Whats the best way to take care of a baby box turtle?

Question

My Boyfriend brought me home a baby box turtle thats only a little bigger than a quater. What should i put in his cage to make him feel more at home? I already have some rocks and grass in there. Should i put a heat lamp/pad in there also? What should i feed him?

Answer 1

Turtles are not the easiest pets to care for. They need very specific care that includes a very large enclosure (most people end up building there own because the ones they sell at pet stores are not very good) , special UV lighting, exact temperatures and specially prepared diets. The turtles need these things to survive in captivity. Most pet turtles die because the owners don't know how to or cannot care for them properly and give them the things they need. You need to do some research on the type of turtle you have and it's care requirements.Here is a good place to start. http://www.austinsturtlepage.com
There you can find care sheets for all types of turtles sold as pets. Get the turtle everything it needs right away. It might be expensive to set everything up but otherwise your turtle will die. If you decide the turtle is not for you then call a local reptile rescue center and they will take it. You could bring it back to the pet store but they would just sell it to someone else that couldn't care for it and it would die anyway. Good luck

Answer 2

1. Find out the species. If it is a Box Turtle, it can be one of two main US species or about 4 Asians, and all have different cares. There is also a chance it is not really a box turtle since baby boxes are not common pets.

2. If it is a box turtle, try one of these sites for good info:
http://www.boxturtlesite.info
http://www.tortoisetrust.com.uk
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Baby box turtle basics, assuming it IS a box turtle, and we'll also assume it is an Eastern Box Turtle (Terrepena carolina)

HOUSING:

Try a 20 gallon or so plastic tub (I like the translucent ones) with a lid.

Put about 2" of either wet shredded coconut coir (Bed-a-Beast) or wet sphagnum moss (not peat moss or sphagnum peat). You can try a mix of clean garden soil, leaf mulch, sand, and shredded barks, but the other two are cleaner options.

Get a cermaic heating element from a good pet shop's reptile department, and a heat-proof shade and clamp for it. Position it over one end of the tank, and cut a hole in the lid at least as big as the shade is so you don't melt the plastic.

Get a cheap UVB bulb and holder as well (none are REALLY cheap) Punch a bunch of holes in the tub lid and position the UVB lamp over the holes (aim for 'dappled sunlight') and hook this up to a timer for about 10 hours a day.

You will also need at least one good thermometer in the tank, a hiding box (1/2 wood log is great), a water dish it can almost fit into and soak at least its hind end, and something for a food dish. Rocks to climb on are nice as well.

ENVIRONMENT:

Aim for temps around 75 overall, and high humidity. Keep the soil moist and the lid will trap enough of the humidity and heat to help. If it gets too hot or wet, prop the lid up or move the heater away a bit.

DIET:

Box turtles eat about 75% bugs in the wild. Try a good 'box turtle chow', combined with live crickets, worms, snails, etc. Avoid mealworms except as snacks.

Also try a 'salad' of dark leafy greens, strawberries and other fruits native to the US, colorful veggies, and mushrooms.

Answer 3

Here is a link to a very good site for hatchling box turtle care.
http://aboxturtle.com/box_turtle_hatchling_care.htm and it has lots of good info about adults, also. In general, I agree that wild caught turtles should be returned to the wild if the place of capture and return are safe from eminent development. Note that capture and return sites should be very close. If this turtle was bought at a pet store, whether or not is was captive bred, do not release it. It could carry foreign pathogens that could destroy a native population. Also, in general, most pet stores don't give out very good info on captive husbandry for box turtles. It is also illegal in many states to keep native turtles such as boxies.

Answer 4

Turtles really need to be left in the wild to live. They are very difficult to keep in captivity.

Answer 5

Ideally, box turtles should be kept outdoors in a backyard or in a purpose-built enclosure. Fencing around the yard or enclosure must be secure enough to protect the turtle from dogs and other potential predators. Box turtles can dig under or climb over fences. Adding a lip along the top of the fence and trimming plants and vegetation growing alongside will reduce the risk of your turtle climbing up the fence and escaping. If raccoons and skunks occur in the neighborhood the enclosures must be covered. Plant the enclosure with small shrubs to provide shade, and with edible plants such as strawberries. Provide moist leaf piles, compost heaps and rotten logs for the turtle to hide, sleep and hunt in. During the summer, box turtles are most active in the early morning and late afternoon, and after rain. In dry areas the enclosure should be sprinkled with water daily to maintain adequate humidity. A dish of water large enough for the turtle to soak in must be available AT ALL TIMES.

If kept indoors, a warm (75° F, 24° C), moist, roomy terrarium should be provided. It must be furnished with a dish of water for drinking and soaking and a hide box or shelter. Potting soil (screened for glass, plastic and other contaminants), newspaper or indoor/outdoor carpeting can be used for the terrarium floor, but it must be kept clean. Corncob bedding and wood shavings are dangerous and should be avoided. The terrarium should be misted daily to maintain the humidity. Box turtles will often defecate in water and so their water bowl should be cleaned daily. Box turtles housed indoors should be allowed outside in natural sunlight when possible and allowed to exercise frequently. To augment natural sunlight indoors, a full-spectrum fluorescent lamp such as a Vitalite®, Sylvania 50 or Chroma 50 light should be placed over the terrarium. Box turtles tend to like early morning feedings. They are omnivorous in the wild, and eat a substantial amount of insects and other invertebrates as well as fruit and some vegetable matter. They should be offered animal matter (night crawlers, snails, slugs, worms, crickets, Purina trout chow or low fat cat food) at least twice a week. They enjoy fruits such as tomatoes, apples, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blackberries. Some box turtles will take greens, leafy weeds, grape leaves and mixed vegetables. Sprinkle the food with a calcium source such as calcium carbonate or calcium lactate once a week, and with a vitamin preparation such as Superpreen® or Reptovite® once a month. Snails are a particularly nutritious food favored by most box turtles. However, you must not offer snails that may have come from an area where snail bait has been spread. If in doubt, purge the snails by maintaining them for one week on a diet of romaine lettuce or weeds from your yard before feeding them to your turtle. NEVER use snail bait or other pesticides in or near areas where box turtles are kept.It may take several days from "pipping" (the time when a hatchling first breaks through the shell) to the actual emergence of a box turtle from its egg. It is usually best to leave the hatchling alone as it tries to free itself from the egg other than gently spraying the eggs with tepid water to prevent dehydration and reduce the risk of egg-shell adhering to the hatchling. Once the turtle has hatched, you may notice a yolk sac attached to the underside. It is important that this sac is not ruptured so hatchlings should be left in their incubation containers for a day or two until the yolk sac is absorbed.

Once the egg sac is absorbed the turtles can be moved to a suitable terrarium. Some keepers provide an indoor set-up similar to that described above for the adults using a substrate of potting soil. However, because hatchlings are susceptible to dehydration many keepers house their hatchling box turtles in a more aquatic environment. A common set-up consists of a plastic sweater box that contains about one half inch of water in which are placed "islands" of wood, rock, or sphagnum moss that the hatchlings can easily climb out on. Alternatively the shoebox can be tilted so that one end contains water and the other end is dry. A small plastic planter cut in half can be added to provide a hide box. The water must be changed daily.

Hatchling box turtles are very shy and may not eat until they are several weeks old. Offer the food in a place where the hatchling will feel secure while eating. Some hatchlings will take Purina trout chow or cat food immediately. The best food to offer hatchlings that are reluctant eaters is live food such as small worms, slugs, or sow bugs. Over a few days, introduce other foods such as Purina trout chow, cat food and small pieces of fruit. Placing whatever the turtle is already eating on a new food item will increase the likelihood of getting them to eat it.

Hatchling and young box turtles should be kept away from adult turtles and other pets. If kept outside they should have their own enclosure where they are protected from predatory animals and birds. You must provide places for them to hide and a dish of water dish, large enough for them to soak in. Soaking stimulates a box turtles appetite and helps with elimination.
HEALTH

A healthy box turtle will maintain or gain weight, have bright, beady eyes, eat well, produce firm, well-formed stools and be generally active and alert. The eyes and nose should be free of any discharge or mucous, and the inside of the mouth should not be pale or white. Box turtles are susceptible to several potentially fatal infectious diseases, and all newly acquired turtles should be watched closely for signs of illness and kept in quarantine. Box turtles that are light in weight or not perfectly healthy should be examined by an experienced veterinarian. Unhealthy turtles will need to be isolated indoors, kept warm (85° F, 29° C) and humid, fed regularly, and not allowed to hibernate.

Abscesses are a common problem in box turtles, often occurring as lumps or swellings on the side of the head near to or in the ear. An abscess should be lanced and the contents removed. The wound should be flushed with Betadine, and packed with a topical triple antibiotic.

Dry, cracking or flaky skin is usually a sign of malnourishment, dehydration or lack of humidity. It can often be remedied by improving the quality of the diet, providing an environment more appropriate to the needs of the animal and allowing the turtle to soak in water more often.

Bot-fly maggot infestation is seen occasionally, particularly in turtles captured from the wild, and appears as small bumps on the fleshy parts of the body. The bumps have a hole in the middle. Flushing the holes with Betadine may cause some of the maggots to surface where they can be picked off with tweezers. It may be necessary to enlarge the hole so that the many brown/yellow maggots can be removed with tweezers. Unless you are experienced with such treatments it is recommended that the box turtle be taken to a veterinarian.

Cuts and scratches should be cleaned, treated with antibiotic, and the turtle moved indoors until all wounds are healed. Untreated wounds may become infected or become infested with maggots, and this can be fatal.

The shell of your turtle should be smooth and hard. Box turtles raised in captivity occasionally suffer severe shell deformities. This is usually due to poor husbandry and is often a product of indoor housing and being fed a nutrient poor diet. Box turtles that are limited to indoor terrariums are at risk for shell rot, although this is more common in water turtles.

Healthy box turtles generally have voracious appetites although this does vary seasonally. Some female box turtles may loose their appetite just prior to egg legging but regain it once the eggs are laid. Some males will loose their appetite during breeding season, as they are too preoccupied to eat. A box turtle that refuses food for several days should probably be taken to a veterinarian for clinical evaluation.

Box turtle feces should be firm and hold their shape. Persistent loose or runny stools are signs of poor nutrition or illness. The diet should be improved and a fecal sample should be examined to determine if internal parasites such as worms or protozoa are the cause.

It is important to note that turtles can hide their illness for quite a while before showing symptoms. Once you see signs of illness don't wait to see if your turtle will get better on its own, it will probably get worse. A sick box turtle needs to be examined by an experienced veterinarian to determine what is wrong as soon as possible.
HIBERNATION

In the fall, as the days become cooler, box turtles will begin to eat less, bask less, and appear sluggish. Some will bury themselves under roots of plants, into a compost pile or dig down into the dirt. To aid in the protection of the animal, leaves and grass clippings may be placed over the buried turtle. Some keepers prefer to provide a suitable area for hibernation such as a dog kennel with a floor of loose soil or dry leaves. An occasional rain is not a threat to a hibernating box turtle, but protection may be needed against severe freezing and flooding. Because of their high moisture requirements, box turtles should never be placed in a dry box for hibernation. They may dehydrate and die. Box turtles reemerge in the early spring.

Only healthy, well nourished box turtles should be allowed to hibernate. A box turtle that has not built up sufficient fat reserves may not live through hibernation.

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for more information on specific box turtle species.


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1. Find out the species. If it is a Box Turtle, it can be one of two main US species or about 4 Asians, and all have different cares. There is also a chance it is not really a box turtle since baby boxes are not common pets.

2. If it is a box turtle, try one of these sites for good info:
http://www.boxturtlesite.info
http://www.tortoisetrust.com.uk...
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com...

Baby box turtle basics, assuming it IS a box turtle, and we'll also assume it is an Eastern Box Turtle (Terrepena carolina)

HOUSING:

Try a 20 gallon or so plastic tub (I like the translucent ones) with a lid.

Put about 2" of either wet shredded coconut coir (Bed-a-Beast) or wet sphagnum moss (not peat moss or sphagnum peat). You can try a mix of clean garden soil, leaf mulch, sand, and shredded barks, but the other two are cleaner options.

Get a cermaic heating element from a good pet shop's reptile department, and a heat-proof shade and clamp for it. Position it over one end of the tank, and cut a hole in the lid at least as big as the shade is so you don't melt the plastic.

Get a cheap UVB bulb and holder as well (none are REALLY cheap) Punch a bunch of holes in the tub lid and position the UVB lamp over the holes (aim for 'dappled sunlight') and hook this up to a timer for about 10 hours a day.

You will also need at least one good thermometer in the tank, a hiding box (1/2 wood log is great), a water dish it can almost fit into and soak at least its hind end, and something for a food dish. Rocks to climb on are nice as well.

ENVIRONMENT:

Aim for temps around 75 overall, and high humidity. Keep the soil moist and the lid will trap enough of the humidity and heat to help. If it gets too hot or wet, prop the lid up or move the heater away a bit.

DIET:

Box turtles eat about 75% bugs in the wild. Try a good 'box turtle chow', combined with live crickets, worms, snails, etc. Avoid mealworms except as snacks.

Also try a 'salad' of dark leafy greens, strawberries and other fruits native to the US, colorful veggies, and mushrooms.