Need some assistance (won't eat)

josshh

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So a few month ago i rescued a Eastern box turtle, About a year or so old. He was displaced from some woodlands being torn down for some building. So far so good until recently, I though i been doing everything correctly with the enclosure, the lights, everything. About a week or so ago he has just stopped eating. Ive been trying to entice him with live crickets, super worms and wax since i've got him he has never turned down live food as soon as the crickets or worms would hit the bottom he'd fly right for them, However he has not been doing that. Him being so little he's turned down greens and fruits before. I don't wanna take out the live food in case he does decide to eat. Should i put both in there and leave it? How can i entice him to eat? What signs should i look for to see if there is anything wrong, if he is ill or if he needs something supplemented. I'm new at this and could use as much advice as you can give i wanna make sure he is happy, and healthy i feel i owe it to him to do that since i removed him out of the parking lot i found him in.
 

Jkef

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What kind of temps do you have? He could be wanting to go into hibernation. Any pics of him and the enclosure?


I have one side at about 80-82 and the wetter cooler side at about 70-74.

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wellington

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He needs a basking spot that reaches 95-100. Also what is the humidity and is there any substrate?
Next time it's best to leave wild in the wild. Moving him over to the next wooded area is better then trying to keep him.
 

cmacusa3

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Great looking turtle and thanks for saving the little one. Warm him up a little and continue to feed and soak him. I think he's just slowing down a little because of the winter and his clock tells him too. His eyes look great and I don't see anything visually wrong. I don't make a basking spot for my turtles I just have a warmer area for them.
 

Jkef

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He needs a basking spot that reaches 95-100. Also what is the humidity and is there any substrate?
Next time it's best to leave wild in the wild. Moving him over to the next wooded area is better then trying to keep him.


I would have honestly of loved for that tp be an option. Im not one to fo out and remove something from its home and natrual environment where i know it would thrive. How ever that was not a choice. There de wooded the entire area for apartments. And i found him in a parking lot almost to be run over. So i did what any person would have
 

Jkef

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Great looking turtle and thanks for saving the little one. Warm him up a little and continue to feed and soak him. I think he's just slowing down a little because of the winter and his clock tells him too. His eyes look great and I don't see anything visually wrong. I don't make a basking spot for my turtles I just have a warmer area for them.


Thanks. Ill do that. Im still trying to replicate his home area as much as possiable.
 

wellington

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I would have honestly of loved for that tp be an option. Im not one to fo out and remove something from its home and natrual environment where i know it would thrive. How ever that was not a choice. There de wooded the entire area for apartments. And i found him in a parking lot almost to be run over. So i did what any person would have
I see. Yes, you did the right thing in that situation.
 

PJay

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Thats a nice, healthy looking eastern box turtle, further evidenced by the fact that it was eating so well when you first brought it home. It has an interesting split keel on its top shell, not a problem though, just different. So many box turtles are being displaced by suburban sprawl these days, thanks for being empathetic towards it.

Your temps are a little low for an eastern box turtle and it's slowing down for a long winter nap. They instictively stop eating to clear their gut, as food left in a hibernating turtle is bad news. You have two choices at this point: bring your temps up and keep it awake through winter or reduce temps and let it hibernate.

To keep it awake, increase the warm end to 84f and the cool end to at least 80f and keep the lights on for 14 hours a day. I usually keep my cool ends at 78f but we dont want this turtle to stay on the cool end and try to sleep if you choose to keep it awake. Ive had easterns stop eating and bury themselves on the cool end even though i wasnt trying to hibernate them. You are trying to make it think it's summertime not winter. Even with that, the turtle might not resume eating, but we can address that later if need be.

Hibernating a box turtle takes some preparation. If you want to try that, we can offer some methods that have worked for others here on the forum.
 

AJK Aquaria

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Temps seem fine to me. It's a temperate species. Going over 85 isn't necessary, IMO.

What's your lighting schedule? How many hours?

Crawlers is a great idea. Turtle looks healthy and very colorful at that age.
 

ratbones7

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yes first try earthworms for sure. despite what i read....and have offered mine over and over..it's really the only thing my young ebt will eat. having said that...sometimes there is nothing you can do...seems like in winter months - jan & feb mostly...their instincts just kick in and they won't eat. i keep temps up a bit 80-85 and soak them and keep offering worms. they will kick in eventually. but it can get nerve-racking. had some go full two months without eating.
 

lisa127

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I agree with the poster that said your temps aren't that far off. Low 70s on cool side and 85 at basking spot is all you need. My basking sometimes gets up to 90, but boxies shouldn't have temps higher than that. To trick him into thinking it's not winter, keep uvb on 14 hours a day and provide gentle heat overnight.
 
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