I live in NoVa and work with the Mid Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society. Part of the work we do and support includes fostering and helping find long term homes for turtles and tortoises. I will send you a private message.
Do you have pictures of the tortoises? There are multiple subspecies of Russian Tortoise and pictures will help to positively identify them down to the subspecies.
I use a few commercial pellets added to fresh foods, including Mazuri water turtle diet and Mazuri small crock chow when feeding box turtles. My favorite for box turtles is Omega One turtle sticks.
I have found that each turtle species and even individuals within a species have their own personalities but most are more interested in me when they are hungry than when not. I have a male Chinese box turtle that always becomes very active when my friend comes over. As soon as he hears her...
I have found through gardening activities that female box turtles are attracted to freshly tilled moist soil in hot summer weather. I've had a couple nest in vegetable rows I prepare for fall planting. I cover the nests with heavy gauge wire frames weighted down with rocks or bricks to keep the...
I'm not prepared to offer sources on the worm war but I am a member of many Fbook turtle groups, have been following the argument for a few years now and can help clarify the battlefront as it applies to prior comments in this thread.
There are those who claim that red wrigglers (Eisenia...
I knew some fish had thiaminase but I didnt know that about raw shrimp. I feed mostly pre cooked anyway but will drop the occasional raw. Isnt spinach a green to avoid? Disrupts calcium adsorption.
For box turtle commercial food I like Omega One Adult Turtle Sticks, Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Food, Mazuri Small Crocodilian Chow and Hikari Saki Turtle Food. Most turtles like the Omega One best but it is also the most expensive. I use Omega One to initially get turtles to accept pellets and then...
Many years ago I used "coconut husk", the bigger chunks of coconut instead of the ground up version, and a piece got lodged in a box turtles leg cavity. It had to be removed with tweezers by one person while another held the leg out exposing the cavity. If you are using the ground up coco coir...
<Blush> Thank you for the kind words Jonathan, I've enjoyed growing out these turtles from hatchlings to young adults the last few years. I hope I can replicate your special ability to reproduce this beautiful species in a few years.
I agree with @Maro2Bear , this time of year can be slow for North American box turtles. I have several species that are usually eager to eat but slow down and refuse food this time of year even with consistent temperatures and photoperiod. Wait until late Feb or early March when they will act...