Should I let my Baby Box Turtle Hibernate?

Question

I have a baby box turtle. I found him hatching and took him in. He is 4 days old. I have him in a big rubbermaid container with dirt, leaves, and a water pool but all he is wanting to do is apparently hibenate. I tried feeding him worms, pellets, cabbage lettuce, anything, but he want eat it. All he is wanting to do is "sleep" Him being that young do they eat? Im not sure what I should do. I am so attached to him now I don't want to let him go. But if anyone can give me any advice I would really appriciate it. Please Help!!!!

Answer 1

well for starters try giving him actual turtle food. The kind you buy. I think its sad that his future depends on the fact that "you are attached to him now and don't want to let him go". That is extremely selfish. If you are going to force him to live with you you need to educate yourself on his care...and in a better place then this. I would also think that he probably would have went into a hibernation if you would have let nature take its course..........naturally.

edit: when you feed him the pellets...put it in the water...they will go after things in water. Thats how they eat normally...in water.

Answer 2

Caring for a baby Box Turtle is tricky. The temps need to be about 75-80F, humidity needs to be 80-90%, soils need to support the temps and humidity, diet needs to be heavy in insects and worms, lighting needs to be subdued, it need shelters, etc.

You can learn more at http://www.boxturtlesite.info or http://www.tortoisetrust.org

Now- baby turtles of any species are hard to care for, and wild-caught are harder than usual. (This is apart from the detail that it is illegal to catch wild box turtles in most of their range!)

As far as hibernation goes- DO NOT hibernate it. Right now it is showing that it is cold and needs to be warmed up. In order to prevent it wasting away all winter, you'll need to trick it into thinking it is summer all year- good temps, 12-hour days, etc.

It is probably a little late to let it go now- but in general, it is best to let wild turtles alone- especially Boxies- besides being illegal, they are also endangered in most of their range.

Answer 3

It is not trying to hibernate.
It is probably sluggish because you are keeping it too cold.
You are not keeping it or feeding it correctly. You can either research proper care of this species, release it, or watch it die.
You should figure out for certain what species you have. If it really IS a Box turtle, they don't eat in the water!

Here are some care sheets to get you started:
http://www.turtlecare.net/box_turt.htm
http://www.turtlepuddle.org/american/boxcare.html
http://www.tortoise.org/general/boxcare.html

Answer 4

Do not hibernate it. I have had a box turtle for 31 years and have not hibernated it once. Having a boxie that young is hard.
Get him back where he was would be good but if you can't find a good reptile vet. He needs to be warm and try to feed it anything.

Answer 5

You should REALLY let the turtle back into the wild. It is acutally illegal to take animals from the wild and take them into captivity.
You should also look up the care on this box turtle like see what species he is so you know the right kind of care..
But to me, realse it right away because it sounds like you are not giving it or never will give it the right kind of care.

Answer 6

Most baby turtles should NOT hibernate. The first several years are crucial to the turtle's overall development. If they are not receiving the proper lighting (UVB), proper nutrition, temperature, etc., they may not develop properly and may even not survive. Make sure you keep your baby turtle on a day and night schedule too (staging the proper lighting during the day/night, temperture, etc..). Soon, they will resist the natural instinct to hibernate. Check with your State laws regarding whether or not it is legal to keep a wild turtle. It is not illegal everywhere. It is also NOT cruel to keep a baby turtle as long as it is legal and you educate yourself as much as possible about its care. I don't think many people realize how much care and attention these little creatures require. If you can not or are not willing to properly care for your baby turtle, then letting him/her go as soon as possible would be more humane. Improper care can lead to disease, shell issues, etc.--which would most likely lead to a slow and very uncomfortable demise for the poor creature. It is typical turtle behavior to be territorial. So, if possible, please release as close to where you found them--in a safe place. When I first found my baby box turtle, she was in my front yard--just sitting there. Looked as though she just hatched. I did not find any other babies, nor had I seen an adult turtle in my yard--ever. I left her there for 5 hours and she never moved. Our gardner came to mow our lawn and I had to move her. I called our local Herpatology dept. and asked what I should do. They said I could try relocating her, but she would probably not survive the elements and if she tried to return to where she was hatched, she would most likely not survive that journey either. They said it isn't unusual for birds to pick up these tiny babies and sometimes accidently drop them. That may be how she wound up in our front yard. I weighed the options out, researched, and decided to keep her. It has been much more time consuming than I could have imagined, but she is now a healthy and very confident/bossy little girl. After a while, it becomes routine and caring for her is not difficult at all. I enjoy her and she has become our little pup's best friend. Also, just as you would any other loved pet, be sure to take your turtle to regular vet visits! Preventative care is the best care! One last note, the above sites mentioned are very informative and should be read to help you with caring for your baby turtle. Also, if you decide to release a baby turtle (or any creature you may find), please do so ASAP!! If you have had them for a significant period of time and THEN decide to release them, this could be viewed, by some, as pet abandonment. They have become dependent on you and most have bonded with you. My vet told me of a family that let their turtle go after a little over a year. After telling friends about it, they were convinced to go find the turtle they released. After 6 days, their poor turtle was sitting in the very same spot they left him. Poor guy...

Gracie at 3 months old.

Answer 7

Here is another good site to look at for BT hatchlings
http://aboxturtle.com/box_turtle_hatchling_care.htm