Small, med or large crickets 7 mo box turtle?

[tiffew]

i have an eastern box turtle hatchling that is a very picky eater. It was suggested to me I give him crickets. The small size is like a corn kernel. Is this the right size or should we do medium? Thanks!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The size won't be as important as the content.
Crickets are little more than hollow packages that hold nutrition inside.
Make sure that you feed (gutload) your crickets for a few days before feeding them to any pet. Otherwise they might provide very little nutrition.

 

[tiffew]

What should we feed them? Do they try to escape when you open the package? This is sounding kind of gross. Thank goodness I have a son to help.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Yes.
They escape and they STINK.
I fed mine dehydrated potato that was moistened and some commercial cricket food that was a yellow jell.

 

[tiffew]

Our son broke off the long legs on one of the small crickets we bought and our turtle has no interest whatsoever. I also think the cricket is not alive because it hasn't moved for over an hour.
How should we store the crickets? They are in a plastic bag in the garage right now. Thanks

 

[ZEROPILOT]

You'll need a special cricket cage.
You can get one at Walmart in the fishing department for a couple bucks.
It's made of screen and has a smooth plastic entrance they can't climb on.
Somehow they still get out.
I'd switch to meal worms and wax worms.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

They won't survive long in a sealed bag.

 

[tiffew]

Ugh, this is SO frustrating! Honestly, if this darn turtle would just eat regular food we could all sleep at night over here! I'm going to make two pin prick holes in the bag so they can breathe. I don't have time to go buy a special cricket house.

How do you take off the long legs without squeezing it and killing it? I think my son accidentally killed it because the one in the habitat isn't moving.

 

[tiffew]

He has no interest in meal worms, wax worms, cut Canadian nightcrawlers, or anything else we give him.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Have your son go out in the yard and yurn over a few rocks. Stuff like that. You're bound to find something that a box turtle would like to eat. Pillbugs, small red worms, etc. These can be placed into your enclosure and forgotten about and your turtle will hunt for them and find them like it would in the wild.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Has someone already asked you what the enclosure temperature is and what type of lighting are you using?
We should rule out stress as a cause of why he is so reluctant to eat.