Avery Kays
Member
Hello everyone. I'm new to all of this so any help will be appreciated. I found a male box turtle yesterday and any tips on how to care for him would be great. 
Hello all
- Thread starter Avery Kays
- Start date
Avery Kays
Member
Just wanted to show you all what my beautiful eastern box turtle looks like. Please comment. 
Avery Kays
Member
I just got a box turtle on friday and I really need help on what to feed him and how much to feed him. He loves worms but he won't eat lettuce or cantaloupe. Is that a bad thing that he has food references? Also, some people say that you should feed your turtle the same size as their head. But my turtle has a very small head and a big appetite. Please help.
Let him eat up all the worms he wants.....they are very fond of meat vs greens....you may want to search the forum search for boxie diet....also search that forum to see who directly houses this species and perhaps send them a request for conversation and get their input...
You can also let nightcrawlers and other bugs loose in their enclosure...this way he can hunt as well....
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2012
- Messages
- 2,238
Beautiful! Where did you find him? It would be best if you did not keep him but released him back into the wild & the gene pool, and adopted an unreleasable turtle instead. Or does habitat destruction makes this impossible?
Tell us more and we'll help you.
Tell us more and we'll help you.
Hi, and welcome to the Forum!
Eastern box turtles are protected in Pennsylvania. You should put it back where you found it.
Eastern box turtles are protected in Pennsylvania. You should put it back where you found it.
Such a cute little guy. Set him free and get a different one
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
He should be fed berries and veggies too. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, Marionberries. Therer's so many different berries ans food they will eat.http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-care-sheet.93937/
How old is he? For hatchlings, I feed small pill bugs, blood worms or chopped up red wigglers, wax worms and they usually love butter worms....the small ones. As they get older I chop up greens, cooked carrots, cooked sweet potato, some fruit...strawberries, mushrooms and soaked turtle brittle, and some ground venison. (high quality dog food..venison with nothing added will do). Each week I make a mix and change the veggies and fruit every week. I give this in the AM and in the afternoon I give some kind of worm or buggie thing. Even the small one's love the mix and I know they are getting a variety of foods. I also sprinkle some calcium or vitamin powder on every three days or so.
Avery Kays
Member
I'm not sure how old he is. I found him in the woods. How can you tell a box turtles age? I do know that he isn't a hatchling. Right now I'm still trying different foods on him since I've only had him for a few days. He loves mulberries and worms. Thanks for the input.
Avery Kays
Member
Hey everyone. I know you all want me to set him free, but he was in a dangerous area (lots of people like to shoot their guns in his original home.) and I can't seem to find anywhere else to set him free. All the places close to me aren't ideal. He seems happy anyway.
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2012
- Messages
- 2,238
If you found him in the woods, you should let him go where you found him. Many wild caught turtles do not adapt to captivity and die in the first year. They don't recognize grocery store greens as food. They try to hibernate and don't have the right conditions. Please adopt a turtle from a rescue that can't be released and let this one stay in the gene pool. Removing an individual has wide ranging consequences on the population.
In many places they are a protected species, or endangered. You are so lucky to live where they are still wild!
In many places they are a protected species, or endangered. You are so lucky to live where they are still wild!
If you found him in the woods, he is wild. Most wild caught turtles slowly decline. They are very territorial and will always be trying to get back home. There are some who will adapt, and some who won't. It's like if a big giant picked you up and put you in a bathroom and you had to live there the rest of your life, when you were used to being free. You would feel depressed, stop eating and some would rather die then loose their freedom. I think that if someone told me I had to live the rest of my life in a box and eat what they wanted me to eat, I wouldn't want to live either. Also box turtles are slowly declining in the wild because of this very reason. I don't know where you live but they may also be illegal to own or to collect from the wild. If you do decide to do the right thing, please put him back exactly where you found him or he will spend his life trying to get to his home territory. I don't mean to offend you in any way, but I truly believe that a wild caught animal should not be made a pet. There are many captive bread turtles you can get for a pet. See if there is a rescue near you, or buy one from a breeder, but please put him back and let him go home.
Avery Kays
Member
I'm really sorry to have offended you. I'm jus really attached to him. How many wild caught turtles survive in captivity?
I don't have an answer for you. To me it's really a very mean thing to do keeping an animal that has been free all it's life. Anything that was born free, should stay free. Just reverse the situation and pretend it's you and someone takes away your freedom and cages you for the rest of your life. So sad.
Avery Kays
Member
I get what you're saying. And I would love to buy one from a breeder. Only I don't have any money. And I get really depressed so I'm afraid that getting rid of the turtle will depress me. And I mean really depressed. Please help.
And I mean really depressed. Please help.
Avery Kays
Member
Please help me! I want to set my turtle free and buy one from the breeders but I don't have enough money to buy a new one. I get really depressed and I'm afraid I'll get depressed when I let him go and can't get a new one. Please help.
Avery Kays
Member
Hello everyone. I want to return my turtle back to the wild but I don't have the guts to do it. I am really poor and depressed. If I set my turtle free, I will get really depressed. I want to buy a new one but I don't have enough money. I really need a new box turtle and if anyone has one that that they don't want/need please send it to me. I'm very sad.
