Saving some Box Turtles

[Greta16]

So happy you started this thread. I'm eager to see how they do and thank you for taking care!

 

[leigti]

I used 55 gallon tote I got at Home Depot for indoor winter enclosure for my box turtle.

 

[lisa127]

I have also used the 55 gallon totes for small boxies. Very affordable! Not really any more spacious than a 40 breeder, but if you could get two and separate the turtles it would be better.

 

[leigti]

I have also used the 55 gallon totes for small boxies. Very affordable! Not really any more spacious than a 40 breeder, but if you could get two and separate the turtles it would be better.

That was kind of what I was thinking. Separate them. No, they are not the most spacious in the world but they are nice and deep and you can make varied terrain. And big plants for them to hide under.

 

[Loohan]

Thanks for helping these poor guys.
Hopefully it will lead to better education at this institute of learning.

 

[Xabbusan]

I got an e-mail back from the teacher today and.... these turtles are 30 years old!!!! That makes me even sadder. They are his personal pets, so I have to be careful about how I approach everything with him. I don't know him very well and I hope that he is open to learning, but you never know. Some people are stubborn and easily offended.

I added some moss, a little bit bigger/deeper water dish that they can actually turn around in and dunk their heads (which they did several times, I could tell they loved it), some turtle bones, mixed up the substrate to loosen it, and adjusted their hides so they could see their food dishes from inside. I also added a couple of plastic storage bin lids on top of half of the tank to try and keep some humidity in there. I wanted to get them some half logs, but unfortunately that tank is just too small

I used 55 gallon tote I got at Home Depot for indoor winter enclosure for my box turtle.

I actually have multiple large black totes that would be perfect, IF the teacher allows it. I could put each turtle in their own bins. I also really, really wanted to buy the heat and UV lamps, but it would have been fairly expensive and I want to make sure the teacher is open to adding them so I don't buy them for nothing. If he is open to it, I don't even care about paying for it. I just want to fix this situation!!

I took the turtles outside today on a little field trip to get them some sunshine and stretch their legs. They were zooming around and having fun. The male is definitely harassing the female though. And I have a feeling the teacher probably thinks it is "buddy" behavior, but I know better from having aggressive fish. They aren't "playing" they are competing and the male is trying to breed, he was chasing her everywhere.

School is back in session next week, so I am going to nicely, and slowly try and convince him to maybe start an end of year, last chance extra credit project for the students to research and create new habitats for them. They are high school aged kids so it would be a good project for them and they would probably do a pretty good job.

 

[leigti]

Having them research it would be a good idea. But make sure they are looking in the right places. There are a lot of websites and books with wrong information. Maybe steer them in the direction of this forum.

 

[Loohan]

Plus, some of those kids might have turtles themselves someday...

 

[KrissyLeigh]

The turtles are so lucky to have you! They look sooooo much better than the first pictures you took! Looks like they loved the field trip outside!

 

[lisa127]

Good job! I bet they are loving that moss! Any chance of getting a heat lamp for them? That's priority over the uvb right now since it's getting warm enough for trips outdoors. Have they paid attention to the cuttlebone?

 

[Alicia Hoogstra]

They look like they LOVED it outside!

 

[Xabbusan]

Good job! I bet they are loving that moss! Any chance of getting a heat lamp for them? That's priority over the uvb right now since it's getting warm enough for trips outdoors. Have they paid attention to the cuttlebone?

Yeah I think I am going to get one (and also a UVB) this week when I get paid. The teacher didn't say anything or move anything his first day back after spring break, so I will take that as a good sign. I sent him some literature via e-mail but he has not responded to it, so I am unsure if he cared to look at it (considering he didn't change the water dish today, I'm guessing not. In fact he may not have even looked in on them at all.). I get paid on Thursday, so if he doesn't take the initiative to do it himself by then, I'm just gonna do it. Even if he for some reason decides to take it all down, I have now fallen in love with box turtles so it won't go to waste!! I found a turtle rescue/adoption center near enough to where I live and I am planning on adopting one as soon as I can get a proper habitat setup. I'm moving in September so it will be sometime after that.

I didn't notice any obvious signs of them using the cuttle bones yet. When I first put it in there, the male did check it out and scratched on it once, and kind-of sort-of bit at it, so I am hoping they will use them. I'm sure they could use the calcium!

Does anyone know if organic fertilizers/pesticides would harm the turtles? I found out today that the school has used conventional ferts and pesticides in the past (none so far this spring though, so their time outside last week was probably fine) but are now going to be switching to organic as a beehive was recently setup on campus and they found out that they cannot use the conventional stuff anymore.

 

[Xabbusan]

Also, seeing as for the time being, they are going to be stuck in that tank (I am still hoping the teacher will let me split them up into bigger containers) what would be my best option for the heat lamp and uvb? I have read a few times that in a smaller enclosure it is more difficult to find the right lamps to use because you don't want to overheat the entire tank. Any ideas on something that would work for this small area they are in currently? I also vaguely remember reading somewhere that you shouldn't clamp the light fixtures directly to the tank or something? How do you mount them properly?

 

[leigti]

You can use a regular lightbulb for heat, just raise it up or down to get the right temperature. For UVB you can use a long fluorescent tube fixture and put it across the top of the tank.
It would be nice if he would just give you the turtles, we can hope.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Every other day or 3 times a week. Maybe a couple tablespoons per turtle. 50% animal protein, the rest some greens and fruits (berries of all kinds are great), shredded veggies too.

Occassionally I'll use soaked turtle pellets for protein. Reptomin, omega one, etc.

I have a small special needs turtle and tortoise rescue. Box turtles are more aquatic than some keepers realize. And I could promise Coleen that most box turtles would have ruined that by now...lol. It's beautiful.
The blue building in the back is my Sulcata shed. Those cinder blocks make a pen for the box turtles. It's not very fancy. But the box turtles swim and bask all day. It rained for 7 months almost daily so I can't trim the grass yet. But I just wanted to show you that you can make any kind of pen you want for them. Mine have to come in at night because we have so many predators. When it stops raining I'll put the house back out. But anything you leave out....rots....But I feed my boxies daily, one day live protein, next day veggies and so on and so forth. About once a month I feed cat food

 

[Maggie Cummings]

If nothing else print out one of our care sheets and have him read it so you see that make he could make better care. You did a good job

 

[Xabbusan]

Loving their soak time

 

[Xabbusan]

Started a new thread for advice on equipment http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/advice-on-heat-uvb-and-layout.154333/

 

[lisa127]

They look so great! Not trying to defend the teacher, but something was done right along the way. These are some healthy, good looking box turtles!

 

[Xabbusan]

They look so great! Not trying to defend the teacher, but something was done right along the way. These are some healthy, good looking box turtles!

Lol yeah that is what I thought when I heard they were 30 years old. I was like "well he must be doing something right" lol. For all I know he takes them home during the summer and has some huge outdoor enclosure. I doubt it lol... but he hasn't responded to me and I haven't seen him yet so I have no idea. It could even be that someone else had them for a time before he got them. I wish I knew more of the story!