On Sunday I received a text from someone I had spoken with months ago.
I was intially looking for a companion for my male three Toed, knowing males would fight I assumed a female would be okay. I found out that males will often chase females to death so housing thin 1:1 isn't a good idea.
The day I found this out the offer on a female box turtle I was going to take fell through and I took it as a sign and went on with life okay with Adagio being solo.
Well...
I got a text from that individual Sunday asking if I would still be willing to take her. I got an odd feeling so I said I would.
(Yeah I know kick me for taking on another turtle totally unprepared)
I picked her up that night.
And bless her poor little heart....
She's an ornate, adult, female for sure had laid eggs etc. she has a chuck of shell missing by her upper right shoulder. And she is so scared of everything. I mean terrified.
I've never seen a boxie so defensive. Poor thing.
It breaks my heart.
I got her home and set up a temporary set up for her. Some compost soil with a warming light, hide, and a water pan.
I finally got her to eat some worms tonight.
She's got a long road to "recovery" if she ever learns to trust people.
My father is building her an outdoor enclosure this weekend so I'm hoping being outside will help her calm down and feel less threatened. She will have a nice set up outside like my other boxie with tons of room to hide and act like the wild boxie I suspect she was.
So I've opted to limit any physical touching and only allow her to associate me with positive things like food, cage tidying (filling water pan and cleaning it etc), and other positive things.
I'm hoping to get her comfortable to the point she doesn't shy away. At least not in pure defensive terror.
Slowly and with lots of patience.
I cannot image how scared she is right now.
I was intially looking for a companion for my male three Toed, knowing males would fight I assumed a female would be okay. I found out that males will often chase females to death so housing thin 1:1 isn't a good idea.
The day I found this out the offer on a female box turtle I was going to take fell through and I took it as a sign and went on with life okay with Adagio being solo.
Well...
I got a text from that individual Sunday asking if I would still be willing to take her. I got an odd feeling so I said I would.
(Yeah I know kick me for taking on another turtle totally unprepared)
I picked her up that night.
And bless her poor little heart....
She's an ornate, adult, female for sure had laid eggs etc. she has a chuck of shell missing by her upper right shoulder. And she is so scared of everything. I mean terrified.
I've never seen a boxie so defensive. Poor thing.
It breaks my heart.
I got her home and set up a temporary set up for her. Some compost soil with a warming light, hide, and a water pan.
I finally got her to eat some worms tonight.
She's got a long road to "recovery" if she ever learns to trust people.
My father is building her an outdoor enclosure this weekend so I'm hoping being outside will help her calm down and feel less threatened. She will have a nice set up outside like my other boxie with tons of room to hide and act like the wild boxie I suspect she was.
So I've opted to limit any physical touching and only allow her to associate me with positive things like food, cage tidying (filling water pan and cleaning it etc), and other positive things.
I'm hoping to get her comfortable to the point she doesn't shy away. At least not in pure defensive terror.
Slowly and with lots of patience.
I cannot image how scared she is right now.
