Well, sorry for a displeasing post. I don't agree with everything in there either, but I have yet to find an article that I do completely agree with. The mods are welcome to remove the post, since I can't, and its apparently horrible information. Pity, I thought a lot of it was very useful.
She sounds like a real sweetie. I'm sorry she passed.
Unfortunately, losing pets doesn't get easier with age. Its always hard to lose someone you love. Deal with grief in whatever way suits you, not how other people tell you you should.
Mealworms are generally recommended as a treat, not a staple. Try red wigglers instead. They're small, healthy, and if you throw the worms some kitchen scraps, they'll reproduce quite nicely for you.
I ran across this article this afternoon and thought it was very well written and informative. I thought I'd pass it along in case anyone else is interested. Its beyond the basics, but not so detailed to be overwhelming.
Box Turtle Care
I'm so sorry for your loss. We lost a CB hatchling about 2 years ago with a similar situation. Eating great, no signs of illness, even had a vet checkup 4 days prior. His heart just stopped. Its really hard to deal with the passing of such a tiny life, but you'll always have the memories.
Thanks for clarifying. You definitely need to raise the humidity. Misting with a spray bottle daily will help, as will covering or partially covering the enclosure. Keeping a shallow dish of water (not so deep that the baby could drown) will also help, just make sure to refill it regularly as...
Here's a couple links to some lists: http://www.gctts.org/WS/WS.php/Public/EdibleAndPoisonousPlants http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp
I'm partial to spineless cacti, palms, dracena, and bromeliads myself. The bromeliads might require too much humidity for your enclosure...
A bigger house, second box turtle, and a worn out 10 year old turtle table warranted the construction of a shiny new table. I built it about three months ago, but I wanted to be sure that I was happy with it before I posted plans and pictures. So, introducing Roadkill and Zora's new table...
I'm not quite clear on your question. What precisely are you concerned about? What kind of boxie is it, and how old? Hatchlings need very high humidity, but older ones like it a bit drier. Ornates like it drier than other boxies too.
For my boxies' table, I made the sides 16" and that works well for them. (Granted, they're not as big as a cherry head.) The last table I built several years ago had 12" sides and it was much to short to accommodate the substrate and prevent escape.
Definitely check their nighttime temps too. It sounds like your daytime temps are good though. If you want/need to get the lamps closer, you can remove the mesh (unless you have cats or other pets that might get into the pen) and suspend the lights from the ceiling with a long chain. There's...
I would definitely get someone to at least check in and do water/food changes if you can. Does the little guy eat red wigglers? Those might be a safer bet to leave for a long period of time.
Check with your vet too, sometimes they'll do boarding.
I use a mix of coco coir and sphagnum moss, and plastic plant saucers for water dishes. Big enough for a soak, but not a swim, and very inexpensive. I keep the humidity around 60% by misting the enclosure daily.
Many boxies will use their water dish as a toilet as well, which helps keep...