Baby Box Turtle Substrate question

[MildredsMommy]

Hello Everyone-

Quick question-i have a juvienille box turtle named Mildred...she is in a 6 ft long guinea pig enclosure with her hides, water pond, and her lighting is a Sunglo MVB 100 watt. She is happy and healthy-eats a lot of kiwi and strawberries along with her meal worms. My question is on substrate. I am using currently the Bed a Beast-which is very moist initially, but dries out quickly. I am very concerned about her eating her substrate-so much so I take her out of the cage and put her into another enclosure with no bedding to eat. (I am so concerned please dont laugh-I rinse her worms before feeding her-lol). Is this bedding sufficiant? Are my worries crazy or justified? My only concern is my baby remains happy and healthy...any and all advice will be greatly appreciated!

p.s....I have tinkered with the idea of an open table for her enclosure, but we have four cats so they assume anything open and flat is a litterbox. and Mildred WILL be outside come spring-her outside enclosure is underway.

 

[Yvonne G]

For my baby box turtles I just use potting soil. They love to bury and potting soil is easy for them to dig into.

I sometimes use the fine grade of orchid bark too.

I don't think you have to worry about the turtle eating the coir. It is not harmful if eaten.

 

[lisa127]

I use/used a 2 to 3 inch layer of just long fibred new zealand sphagnum moss in baby and juvenile box turtle enclosures. It is a little costly, but enclosures for babies aren't as big. Anything is going to dry out quickly unless it is a closed top enclosure. I cover the entire screen top of the enclosure with aluminum foil and just cut out holes for the lights. It holds in heat and humidity, so you can use lower wattage bulbs as well.