Did they not eat them much before 6 months? What kinds of foods would you suggest to get them eating other food groups? I'm assuming brightly colored or smelly foods would be more successful? Strawberries, cantaloupe, etc.?
Boxie Hatchling Care
- Thread starter StarSapphire22
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Did they not eat them much before 6 months? What kinds of foods would you suggest to get them eating other food groups? I'm assuming brightly colored or smelly foods would be more successful? Strawberries, cantaloupe, etc.?
I use a 20 gallon long with the screen hood for a 40 gallon standard. I place a UVB fixture in the middle over the water and food dish. On one end I have a standard 60 watt lightbulb in a small hood that keeps the temp on that end a little above 82. The other end is around room temp of 70 - 74 depending on time of day. I alternate days where I tilt the tank and flood the cool end and level the tank and allow it to stay wet but not flooded. Mostly this is to allow the worms to work their magic on the uneaten food I can't clean out. On level days the substrate is always wet and there is a terra-cotta saucer filled with water 24 hours a day.
The biggest thing about baby box turtles, at least mine, is that they don't get out much. Because of this, you will learn to enjoy those rare moments when one does venture forth. When my niece comes to visit, we have a signal. She or I will whisper turtle turtle turtle when we spot an emerging baby.
I would post pictures but my turtle sitter when I was on vacation allowed left-over food to accumulate in the baby tank and juvenile table and I had to completly re-do them when I got back. I threw out all the old plants and grass so sadly, my babies are without plant life at the moment.
One trick I learned that works well with mine. I feed them their veggies and fruits with boiled egg and boiled chicken and I serve them on a red dish. I am not sure if that has anything to do with it, but I have had great success with them eating non-wiggling food items off of red dishes.
The biggest thing about baby box turtles, at least mine, is that they don't get out much. Because of this, you will learn to enjoy those rare moments when one does venture forth. When my niece comes to visit, we have a signal. She or I will whisper turtle turtle turtle when we spot an emerging baby.
I would post pictures but my turtle sitter when I was on vacation allowed left-over food to accumulate in the baby tank and juvenile table and I had to completly re-do them when I got back. I threw out all the old plants and grass so sadly, my babies are without plant life at the moment.
One trick I learned that works well with mine. I feed them their veggies and fruits with boiled egg and boiled chicken and I serve them on a red dish. I am not sure if that has anything to do with it, but I have had great success with them eating non-wiggling food items off of red dishes.
They are attracted by movement at that age. I have seen a baby box turtle literally jump at a worm. The best thing I was ever told was to buy my worms, crickets or whatever ahead of time and gut load them. i also dust them in powdered egg shell or finely chopped greens. I am not sure the babies need these things but it does not hurt. I also simply release the live food into the tank with them. you would be amazed at how quickly the turtles realize there is food running around. I drop 40 - 50 crickets in the baby tank and within 10 minutes they are all up and hunting.
How many babies do you keep in your tank? And how do I gut load? I know what it is, but I've never really had to do it.
I have 5 in there ranging from about 2 inches to 3 inches. At 3 inches they go to the Juvenile table. Gut loading is simple. I set up a cricket tank and feed them foods and water with ground egg shell and vitamins, pretty much all the things I want my turtles to get. I also buy dog food with good protein and feed the crickets and worms that. I do not feed the dog food to the turtles. For the worms it is even easier. I just dust the top of the dirt with the egg shells and they eat all my scrap veggies and fruits.
This is all great info! Keep it coming you guys. 
Does anyone have an answer as to whether babies can truly swim (vs. just wading) or if drowning is a concern?
Does anyone have an answer as to whether babies can truly swim (vs. just wading) or if drowning is a concern?
But they can float and paddle around right? I'm sure they can't really be under for long periods of time like aquatics. But they can doggy paddle around, at least as adults. If I have deeper (and by deeper for babies, I mean like an inch or two) water, will they "swim" or can they not do that yet? My thinking was to provide a sloped pool thing, where they could wade or swim as they chose. That is, IF they can swim at this age.
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I don't keep my water more then 2-3cm deep. I have a plant saucer that I fill with pebbles. Then add water. The hatchings love laying in the water, but it's never deeper then them. They should be able to hold their head out of the water without having to push up on their front legs.
That all makes sense. Thanks for the info!
I'd still love to see photos of enclosures, or read about how anyone else has cared for boxie hatchlings...keep em coming guys!
Box turtles are semi-equatic. They can and do swim very well, however, as stated they are NOT water turtles and can and do drown. When I put mine in for a real swim, I use a 4 foot tub and prop it up at one end so that the water ranges from a half inch or so to about 4 - 5 inches on the deep end. Then I watch them the entire time they are in there. They swim like a red ear, diving under and paddleing around the deep end, they can even go down and get food so I will put red wigglers in with them. When they need to, they swim over to the shallow end for a rest. When I put them in their "swamp" tank, the water is about 2 -3 inches deep on the deep end and filled with leaf litter and moss as well as dirt. They will dig into this and soak for hours with only their tine noses poking out. Water is essential to these little guys. You can almost see the smiles on their faces when they gt soaks and water time.This is all great info! Keep it coming you guys.
Does anyone have an answer as to whether babies can truly swim (vs. just wading) or if drowning is a concern?
And this is how deep you do it for babies? I've seen videos of adults swimming in kiddie pools, and you're right about the smiles! If they enjoy it that much, I'd love to set up a baby safe, supervised version.
Yes. The babies LOVE it! I'll try and get some pictures soon. My turtle bath tub blew away and when I found it it was cracked so I need to replace it first.And this is how deep you do it for babies? I've seen videos of adults swimming in kiddie pools, and you're right about the smiles! If they enjoy it that much, I'd love to set up a baby safe, supervised version.
For the adults, we fill a HUGE tub about 5 - 6 inches deed so it covers their entire shell, and put a large terra-cotta saucer (16" I believe) in the middle so they can stand on it. The whole thing turns muddy in seconds and all you can see is a bunch of bobbing heads as they dive in and out. You will never see anything cuter than little baby box turtles wiggling butts as they swim around.And this is how deep you do it for babies? I've seen videos of adults swimming in kiddie pools, and you're right about the smiles! If they enjoy it that much, I'd love to set up a baby safe, supervised version.
I'm like bouncing in my chair right now I'm so excited.
I wish you were closer. I can't find good homes for my babies. I have five from last summer and I have a feeling I will be getting many more this summer. We got 9 (7 survivers) last summer and 19 the summer before with only 2 adult females and 2 males. We now have 5 males and 7 females and doubled the size of the garden. Could be as many as 30 or more this year. My home will look like a pet store!I'm like bouncing in my chair right now I'm so excited.
I will have plenty in a year or 2, lol. I seriously can not give them away down here (I am in Dallas Texas) and would LOVE to get them to good tortoise forum members.When I have a house and room for lots in a year or two, I will hit you up!
Different kinds of boxies can live and breed together right? Or is that bad?
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