babies

[Yvonne G]

This is what I have left after sending some of the "rescued" babies to a "land far, far away."

There's a Florida that's a couple years old, a couple, maybe 3 ornates, some 3-toed and a special needs 3 toed that can't seem to be able to eat on its own. I have to feed it with the tweezers.

 

[Hunahpu]

What a cute box of turtles! Is the big guy/gal in the middle the special needs? The shell looks very strange. Loving all the babies though.

 

[ascott]

They are all fabulous Yvonne....

 

[Yvonne G]

Yeah, the bigger one is a classic case of MBD, wrong diet and no sunshine. There's nothing wrong with her eyesight. She sees just fine, she just doesn't know how to pick up food with her mouth. I'm thinking she was "killed with kindness," and hand fed all the time.

 

[animal_lvr]

They are so cute! What do you feed the smallest ones?

 

[Yvonne G]

I add black worms to their soaking water. In the meantime, while they're soaking, I chop up some greens and fruits into tiny, tiny pieces and mix it all together in some sort of Gerber strained fruit. When I take them out of the water, I place them around the feeding station. They usually start eating this combo right out of the box. As they get a little bigger and are eating well, I'll cut back on the baby food, and eventually cut it out all together.

 

[terryo]

Yvonne, I'm looking at your little "lumpy" guy and I have one that looks so similar that I think I'm loosing. I've had her for about 6 months. Someone gave her to me because they said she never grew and was already almost two years old and the same size as a hatching. She's just about blind and so lumpy. I've done everything I could think of, and she does eat little when I hand feed her, but can't seem to get anything on her own, and I'm just so sad about this. She was kept in a little box, hardly given any water, and rarely fed...no lights, heat or humidity. I hate people.

 

[pryncesssc]

Yvonne, I'm looking at your little "lumpy" guy and I have one that looks so similar that I think I'm loosing. I've had her for about 6 months. Someone gave her to me because they said she never grew and was already almost two years old and the same size as a hatching. She's just about blind and so lumpy. I've done everything I could think of, and she does eat little when I hand feed her, but can't seem to get anything on her own, and I'm just so sad about this. She was kept in a little box, hardly given any water, and rarely fed...no lights, heat or humidity. I hate people.

Not that I have any suggestions on how to help you, but I support you and commend you for ALL of your efforts to save the turtle! It's such a horrible thing to see an animal mistreated and not be able to help it try to stay strong and know that it has a better life with you than it ever could have dreamed of

 

[Saloli]

Where did they come from?

 

[Jacqui]

Hopefully you can reverse the kindness and it will figure out how to eat on it's own. The one in the upper left corner is very beautiful, I am guessing that's the Florida? It reminders me of fireworks. Love it!

Terry, hope you can pull your little one out of it too. I assume the previous owners just did not realize what all they were doing wrong and atleast you are being allowed to try to bring him around. Even if you fail, atleast the little guy has a chance and knows what a good life with a loving and knowledgeable person is like.

 

[Yvonne G]

Where did they come from?

I bought the Florida, but the others were given to me by people who didn't want them anymore.

 

[terryo]

Yvonne, I can't imagine anyone not wanting them....but I guess everyone isn't like us. Thank you Jacque and Stephanie.

 

[Yvonne G]

I know, huh? It always amazes me when people fight tooth and nail to get a pair - male and female - turtle or tortoise, then can't deal with the babies. What did they think would happen with a 'pair'?

 

[karlyholmes]

Hopefully you can reverse the kindness and it will figure out how to eat on it's own. The one in the upper left corner is very beautiful, I am guessing that's the Florida? It reminders me of fireworks. Love it!

The upper left corner is an ornate

 

[Yvonne G]

The upper left corner is an ornate

No, that's my Florida baby (Terrapene carolina bauri).

 

[tyler0912]

If i was too get a different species off shelled animal, after a armadillo....it would be a box turtle... theyre' so innocent

 

[terryo]

If i was too get a different species off shelled animal, after a armadillo....it would be a box turtle... theyre' so innocent

And have so much personality! I don't think I ever went out in my garden that I didn't laugh at something they do.

 

[karlyholmes]

The upper left corner is an ornate

No, that's my Florida baby (Terrapene carolina bauri).

Really?!! Ive only seen the ornates but it looks so similar?

 

[Yvonne G]

Actually, if you can see them side-by-side you'd see quite a bit of difference. It's hot out, and I'm in lazy mode, but next time I have to go outside I'll set up a picture for you to see the difference.

 

[Yvonne G]

Really?!! Ive only seen the ornates but it looks so similar?

These pictures aren't the best because I had to snap quickly. They wouldn't stay still.

Here's the two year old Florida (the bigger one) alongside the one year old ornate. The ornate baby has spots as the stripes haven't started to appear yet:

This is an adult male Florida next to an adult ornate:

The ornate doesn't have a yellow stripe alongside his head:

While the adult Florida does have the stripe: