I have a baby turtle I received from a friend on my birthday. How do I get it to eat?

Question

Its not eating and when I got it it was just in a plastic container with stuff from the lake they probably kidnapped it from. Im probably going to return it to the lake them buy a baby turtle that was raised in captivity. Until then how do I get it to eat? Ive tried feeding it worms lettuce and turtle food from the pet store. It just ignores it and goes back to scraping at the sides of the container its in. (I got a new one and made it look like an actual habitat ^_^ ) Is it just not hungry or do I have to worry about it dying before I can take it back to the lake?

Answer 1

Honey, I think you ought to take it back to it's natural habitat
immediately and consider getting a turtle raised in captivity. Wild animals of any kind don't make good pets. First, the animal is being abused by being taken out of it's natural environment. Secondly, because it's wild, it may have any kind of disease that might make you ill. The kindest, most loving thing you can do it to give it back to nature and direct you love to an animal that knows only captivity. Good luck. You sound like a smart, young and kind lady....so go and do what you need to do before that little critter dies and makes you feel bad. Okay? Good for you....you are my kind of woman.

Answer 2

Your friend probably meant well, but didn't do you a favor bringing you a turtle. Reptiles generally need more specific care than other pets. This is especially true with turtles. A wild caught turtle will most likely die if put into captivity. It's too stressful to them. If this is a wild turtle it probably will not eat. Let it go wherever your friends got it from. Also the set up to take care of a turtle properly can be very tricky and very expensive. They need a lot of swimming room. and a place to get out of the water completely to dry off and bask. They also need correct water and land temperatures and a special UV light made for reptiles. Not to mention a very strong water filter and water heater. And depending on what kind of turtle you have. The care requirements may be a little different. If you are considering a pet turtle check out some care sheets and see what type of turtle is right for you. Here is a great page with lots of info about different pet turtles and their care requirements. http://www.austinsturtlepage.com Follow them as closely as possible and you could have a really cool pet. Good luck

Answer 3

When water turtles are young they are mainly carnivorous. As they get older they tend to change to omnivorous. You can feed it turtle pellets. You buy them at any pet store. One of their favorite treats is cooked chicken! They can also eat tuna, feeder fish, a gold fish once (when they're bigger), snails from the river, crayfish, worms, and crickets are good too. You can also try feeding it romaine lettuce. Its all right, but turtles like it better when they get older. As far as how much? They are like dogs, they will eat and eat and eat. They don't really know when they are full. Just picture how big their stomach is and don't feed them more than that. How often? When they are young they need to be fed everyday. They need to eat at least twice a day. When they get older they can eat every other day.

Answer 4

just a quick comment about turtles/tortoises/terrapins needing companions. I have never heard of any real information citing this ...say in a study. Turtles and their ilk are solitary reptiles, hence the reason why they store sperm and remain able to produce offspring 3-5 years after mating. Water turtles seem to be in clusters in lakes because of the particular basking spots available. Please do yourself and the turtle you anticipate buying a favor and research it before you purchase it. THANK YOU for returning the little kidnapped bugger.

Answer 5

You need to find out what kind of turtle it is first, some have to be in water when they eat. Mine did the same thing when I put him in a small container to eat. Now I just feed him in his regular home, and change the water more often. Mine is the size of a .50cent piece and is in a rubbermaid dishpan. He seems to be very happy there now.

Answer 6

It is probably starving, and freezing. I'd bet that the water temp in there is too cold (aim for 75-80F), too small (aim for 10 gallons at least for a baby), and too dirty.

I'd return it ASAP and not worry about feeding it.

When you are ready for your own, try http;//www.austinsturtlepage.com for a ton of help.

Answer 7

I made the same mistake getting 1 turtle and he didnt eat and died. He was depressed and sad because he didnt have a companion. All turtles and most reptiles need a companion or they get depressed.

Answer 8

Find out what kind of species it is.

Answer 9

do you mean tortoise? turtles normally grow at the beach and not in the lake.

if so, this may help.

Looking after a baby tortoise is no easy task, but this guide should help keep your baby tortoise happy and healthy.


Essential Equipment:

An accurate thermometer.

Electronic scales, or traditional scales which are accurate to within the nearest gram.

A 40 watt or 60 watt silver-backed spotlight bulb and suitable fittings (these should be available from all good DIY stores).


An Outdoor Enclosure:

A wooden sided pen can be constructed by simply nailing together some 6" x 1" gravel-board (also available at an good DIY store). For the first two years of life, a size of about 3' x 2' is adequate space for your tortoise, but it also depends on your garden size. Strong wire mesh must be fitted to the top of the pen to guard against predators (a baby tortoise could make a tasty snack). You can cover then pen in bad weather with some plastic sheeting but make sure to weigh it down properly with some bricks, or peg it into the ground.

The pen should be placed on fairly closely mown untreated (we don't want to poison him/her just yet) lawn with dandelion, buttercup, clover, etc, growing in it. A terracotta flower pot can be cut in half to provide shade, security and shelter. Ensure that there are no hollows in the turf where the hatchling can escape under the pen.

By the third year young tortoises will require something much larger and more interesting, perhaps with a rockery and plants for shade and shelter. Tortoises with a shell length of 3" or more need interesting enclosure of at least 20 square feet in which they can be left undisturbed, as like any animal, they need some variety.


An Indoor Enclosure:

This needs to be about the same size as the outdoor pen, slightly smaller if your space is restricted. You can construct this with lighten woods as it will not have to stand up to the weather, and it can be nailed or glued to a plywood base. A n old drawer or plastic tray can be used if you have one of a suitable size. The pen must be placed out of reach of small children and other pets, and if necessary a removable wire cover can be added. Cover the base of the pen with about an inch of dust extracted wood chipping's (available from most though not all, pet shops). This provides an interesting surface area and aids muscle development, and hatchlings like to bury themselves in this at night. You can also provide a couple of half plantpots as with the outdoor pen. In midsummer tortoises can be left outside at night, but they tend to dig into the lawn.

The silver-backed spotlight bulb is then suspended above one end of the pen, to form a "basking spot". There are many methods of suspending the bulb, find one that suits you and is stable and safe. Tortoise will place themselves under the light in order to increase body temperature, moving away when they reach their most comfortable temperature.

Place an accurate thermometer at the surface of the wood chipping's, directly below the spotlight. A temperature of 85 to 90oF (30 to 33oC) is required. Move the spotlight up or down in order to achieve this temperature, ensure the basking spot is well away from the wall of the enclosure. Tortoises will occasionally try to climb the walls (don't we all) and can end up on their backs, and being stranded upturned below the heat source can quickly lead to death.


Food And Feeding:

During the summer months tortoise (even in their first few months) will obtain most of their food by grazing, provided that the turf has sufficient wild plants. Additional dandelion leaves lightly dusted with, a calcium vitamin supplement (again, from your pet shop) should be offered two or three times a week. In variable weather offer a supplementary feed in the evening in the indoor set up. Do not mollycoddle young tortoises in the summer months it is essential that they are outsid e and direct or indirect sunlight is necessary for proper growth.

In bad weather hatchlings should be brought in to their indoor enclosure where "wild" food can be placed, but do not be afraid to put hatchlings out in showers, they enjoy light rain. Try and put your tortoise hatchlings outside in spring and autumn to obtain sunlight, they will not necessary feed outside if the temperature is below optimum, but food can be offered in the evening in the indoor set up.

During colder months, continue to feed with wild food. Dandelions can be found in sheltered areas for most of the year. It is sensible to cultivate (by seed or transplantation) your own dandelions. It is important that the food is free of pollution and contaminants, so avoid putting chemicals on your lawn if at all possible.

Tortoises will eat many foods which are not good for them. Do not offer canned pet food or domestic vegetables or fruit, this includes lettuce, tomato and cucumber, this will lead to shell deformities and other problems, consider their natural habitat and feed them only with wild plants.


Water:

This is best offered two or three times a week only. Use a medium sized ice cream container or something similar. Place active hatchlings in sufficient water such that they can submerge their heads under it, but not so deep that they cannot lift them above the water level. If they drink they will normally urinate, defecate or pass uric acid (a white substance) in the water. Keep them in the water, under observation for several minutes, remove them after their bowel movement or when they try to escape from the container.


Weight Checks:

Hatchlings and young tortoises should be weighed accurately, weekly. A life long record should be kept. It is then possible to check that the tortoise is progressing healthily. As they get older, a monthly record is sufficient and keeping these records will mean that it will be p ossible to check their weight in any given month with that of the previous year. Tortoises in a proper hibernation cycle will normally peak in weight in late July to mid August.


Handling:

Hatchling tortoises are quite pliable and almost rubbery. Handle them between the thumb and first finger, across the midrif (not the top and bottom). Do not entrust a tortoise to a child unless they have be properly trained to handle the tortoise, as they may acidently hurt it and do not leave children unsupervised with the tortoise if at all possible.


Bone Development:

Tortoises have to produce massive amounts of bone and soft pieces of cuttlefish should always be available to them. Wild plants, especially dandelions, have the right ratio of calcium to phosphorous to help the tortoises produce bone. Ultra violet light from the sun is essential in order to convert the calcium and phosphorous into bone, and why it is so inportant to have your tortoise outside enough.

Never squeeze a tortoise to check that bone is developing, this can lead to fractures and serious consequences.

I hop this guide helps with keeping your tortoise and results in some happier and healthier tortoises.