You may have read one of my other desperate posts outlining my fears about our 7-ish month old Eastern Box Turtle. I thought things were improving with him because he ate a worm a few weeks ago and there was a stretch of time when he'd eat some Omega One pellets in his bath soaking water. Well, he's completely lost all interest in every bug, vegetable, stick, pellet and fruit we put in front of him, including dandelions which he should supposedly love. His weight has gone down to 22 grams from 27 and I am so tired of worrying about him. His habitat is exactly what it should be according to what I read on the hatchling care sheets. Sometimes he sleeps on the warm side, sometimes on the cool side, he has soggy moss, a water dish if he wants it, cuttlebone, fake leaves in the moss to walk under and a canopy of leaves up ahead so he doesn't feel predators are coming for him. We use a laser temp gun and only handle him for soaking time/food. Please help me figure out why he won't eat and how else I can try to help. My son adores this pet and I don't want to have him die. Thank you.
So frustrated. E. box turtle hasn't eaten in over 2 weeks!
- Thread starter tiffew
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- Jul 16, 2014
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- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
I'm sorry if I don't know the whole history.
Is he warm enough?
What does the poo look like?
It could be an issue with digestion and or worms.
Is he warm enough?
What does the poo look like?
It could be an issue with digestion and or worms.
That's a tough one, Tiffany. The only thing I can think of is to put the food right at the mouth of his hiding place. Do you take him out and soak him daily? With baby box turtles I put them into the soaking water first thing in the a.m. along with some blood worms. Then I prepare his food and place it in the habitat. AFter about 15 minutes I put them back into the habitat. They usually eat once I step out of their sight.
Hopefully someone else will come along with more helpful hints for you. I'd hate to see you lose him.
Hopefully someone else will come along with more helpful hints for you. I'd hate to see you lose him.
It's 85 on the warm side, 75 on the cool side. He sometimes sleeps on the warm side, sometimes on the cool side.
His poop for a few days was bright fake grass green and mucous-y. I have no idea why because he doesn't eat anything green. Sometimes it is brown. He only poops when we soak him.
He was a captive-bred turtle we bought from tortoisetown . com
He doesn't stay in one hiding place, just picks different areas of his moss to bury under. I put the food on a little plate after he's had his soak. While he's having his soak I put Omega One pellets and reptomin sticks in his water and, sometimes we try a worm in the water too.
His poop for a few days was bright fake grass green and mucous-y. I have no idea why because he doesn't eat anything green. Sometimes it is brown. He only poops when we soak him.
He was a captive-bred turtle we bought from tortoisetown . com
He doesn't stay in one hiding place, just picks different areas of his moss to bury under. I put the food on a little plate after he's had his soak. While he's having his soak I put Omega One pellets and reptomin sticks in his water and, sometimes we try a worm in the water too.
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
I am no expert but I have a small herd of box turtles and their ambient inside temps are closer to 95. Mine are outside in a pond all day and spend the night in tort tables in the house. I have predators so they have to be protected.
If that turtle was mine I'd feed it live protein, fruit, and some greens. I don't ever feed anything manufactured. I soak my animals in pretty warm water, then I feed them, then out they go. I feed my box turtles every other day, I don't think your guy is warm enough...please keep us posted and we'll all try to help....
If that turtle was mine I'd feed it live protein, fruit, and some greens. I don't ever feed anything manufactured. I soak my animals in pretty warm water, then I feed them, then out they go. I feed my box turtles every other day, I don't think your guy is warm enough...please keep us posted and we'll all try to help....
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
Sometimes if I have someone acting odd, I cut a nightcrawler into 3 pieces. That's a whole lota shakin going on, and all that wiggling attracts them. Have you tried super worms or crickets?
Oh, and they don't like you watching them. Mine won't eat until I leave.
Oh, and they don't like you watching them. Mine won't eat until I leave.
Yes, we have tried nightcrawlers, but whole and cut up. He has never shown interest in one. We haven't tried crickets yet. The shop here was out and we haven't found any outside yet.
I have to monitor from afar when we give worms because sometimes the red wigglers will crawl around one of his arms and scare him. Usually they try to escape and then we have to pick it up and put it back. He doesn't seem like the kind of turtle who wants to sleep among worms in his home.
I'm wondering if the bring green poop means he's eating the terrarium moss in his habitat. Could that be? Is that bad for him?
I have to monitor from afar when we give worms because sometimes the red wigglers will crawl around one of his arms and scare him. Usually they try to escape and then we have to pick it up and put it back. He doesn't seem like the kind of turtle who wants to sleep among worms in his home.
I'm wondering if the bring green poop means he's eating the terrarium moss in his habitat. Could that be? Is that bad for him?
Hello, Hope this doesn't come across harshly but more in good fun.....breathe
Don't worry about worms in the enclosure, your turtle can handle itself just fine. It's the predator not the prey in this situation. Every box turtle has a different personality. It's your job to figure out your turtles personality and patterns. I just received 3 2016 hatchling gulf coast box turtles. Out of the 3, 1 is way more timid than the other 2. It won't eat unless I'm not there. So you need to figure out its routine. I would change your feeding times. If your feeding at 9am...try 6am instead or put the food out before bedtime. Put the food near a hide like Yvonne stated or heavy mist(spray bottle with filtered water) the whole enclosure and food at time of feeding. Box turtles are foragers and they instinctively know rain is opportunity to feed. I also take about 20 pill bugs and drop them in a pile with the turtles. They instantly go crazy on them. So the moral of the story is don't lose hope or interest. In the wild your little one would spend most of its time hiding from prey and feeding on any insect that crawled by. So a suggestion, I would spend less time trying to watch it eat and more time on being inventive on feeding procedures and diet. As for the green poo, it could of ate the moss and it should be fine. Just keep trying till you find something that works!you could go to a bait store and try maggots ....... make sure he has a heat gradient , the cold side being no less than 75 and the hot side 95 ........ at 25 grams , they really don't eat much in the way of plants or vegetables ......... frozen bil-jac dog food they like a lot once they try it
I know, I am trying to be calm about this, but it seems like if it doesn't start eating regularly it will die. My son is such a sweetheart and absolutely adores this turtle so much I would hate to lose it.
We feed the turtle at 6:30 pm because it is when my son and I are home together and it's a good time for our family. The morning would be really difficult. We'd need to wake him up for school earlier to do all this. Is that the right thing to do--try to feed the turtle very early in the morning?
If I don't spy on the turtle, the living things (worms, bugs, etc) will crawl away and we won't know if our turtle ate anything. Shouldn't I be monitoring? I try to stay out of sight as much as possible and I think he can barely see me if he looks up because we have a fake canopy of leaves overhead of him.
Thank you for the continued help.
We feed the turtle at 6:30 pm because it is when my son and I are home together and it's a good time for our family. The morning would be really difficult. We'd need to wake him up for school earlier to do all this. Is that the right thing to do--try to feed the turtle very early in the morning?
If I don't spy on the turtle, the living things (worms, bugs, etc) will crawl away and we won't know if our turtle ate anything. Shouldn't I be monitoring? I try to stay out of sight as much as possible and I think he can barely see me if he looks up because we have a fake canopy of leaves overhead of him.
Thank you for the continued help.
I know, I am trying to be calm about this, but it seems like if it doesn't start eating regularly it will die. My son is such a sweetheart and absolutely adores this turtle so much I would hate to lose it.
We feed the turtle at 6:30 pm because it is when my son and I are home together and it's a good time for our family. The morning would be really difficult. We'd need to wake him up for school earlier to do all this. Is that the right thing to do--try to feed the turtle very early in the morning?
If I don't spy on the turtle, the living things (worms, bugs, etc) will crawl away and we won't know if our turtle ate anything. Shouldn't I be monitoring? I try to stay out of sight as much as possible and I think he can barely see me if he looks up because we have a fake canopy of leaves overhead of him.
Thank you for the continued help.
Yeah, box turtles are crepuscular....meaning they are most active at dusk or dawn. 6:30pm not an optimal time to feed. I prepare my feed for my turtles usually a day ahead. Depending on if it's a mash day or a insect/worm/reptomin day! Like I said earlier, you may have to adjust yourself to the best interest of the turtle. So yes, 6:30pm is not getting it done! Either try feeding late at night or early in the morning. Or get yourself a bunch of earth worms and pill bugs and dump them in his enclosure and let the little booger hunt on his own.
Here is an example of feed for my juveniles: cut up grape tomatoes, red lettuce, banana, blueberry, and scrambled egg with shell(no salt) with sprinkled calcium all mixed together. I give them this kind of variety about 2 to 3 times a week and mix in protein daily to every other day. This was fed around 7am this morning. Hatchlings got a blended(used blender) variety mixed in with some small European red worms. Hope this helps.
don't know if this was said already , put him in a shallow pan of warm water with light or che to keep it warm , give him cover (a branch with leaves) so he can hide under it , put small redworms in the water , the water should be no deeper than to just cover his plastron ........ as far as maggots , I use them to get hatchlings eating , they work pretty well , and I have used them as their primary food on quite a few occasions ....... my box turtles are left to their own , they seem to eat late morning .............
