Hatchling Care - Eating/Diet - Box Turtle

[Jharris1385]

I have two hatchlings that were found in my landscaping and born on August 5th.

I have had many turtles before but NEVER hatchlings!

They are in a light (to move) substrate that is moist, with four plants inside.
They bury themselves a lot, are very active for their age and size...
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BUT
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How much should I expect them to be eating or not eating? I have a shallow water dish that I have put floating small pellets in but I do no ever see any signs of them eating them.

What is your advice?

 

[Torty Mom]

RE: Hatchling Care

What kinda torties are they? Pictures?

 

[Jharris1385]

RE: Hatchling Care

Eastern Box.

 

[Yvonne G]

Sometimes baby box turtles can be pretty hard to get started eating. I generally try to feed them in their soaking water for the first few months.

Set up a small bowl with tall sides with some warm water, but not too deep. Add the turtles then drop in some black worms (you buy these in the pet store, the fish department). Then quickly step out of sight. They are very shy and won't eat while you're watching them. Once they get used to eating the black worms, you can add some chopped up fruit or bigger worms and other kinds of food.

Baby box turtles are so very tiny that they dehydrate quickly, so a daily soak is in order.

 

[Turtle Guru]

Ok well listen to emysemys but I have some info to add for hatchlings feed them twice a day or once a day depends on how much you feed them. Secondly feed them protein mostly because it helps them grow and also they become more vegetarian when they are adults. So feed them earth worms and meal worms and so on for protein. Also feed a little bit of pellets. Well I hope I was help to you and good luck with the hatchlings. Thank the LORD for Everything.

 

[terryo]

The best site for raising baby turtles, IMHO. http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisingbabyturtles/raisingbabyturtles.htm
I'm getting three hatchlings this week also. I set up a 40 gal tank that I halfed with a piece of cardboard. As they get a little older I just have to remove the divider. I like to start them off with some blood worms. I put a little plastic tub right in their vivarium and add a bit of warm water and then the blood worms. I usually put a towel on top of the tank so it's cozy and leave them alone for a while. It's scary starting off with hatchlings.
This is what I have ready for them.

 

[Jharris1385]

I do no see any signs of them eating at all.

Would blood worms spark this over pellets?

They come our every morning and move towards the sun. I have them in a 20g with two ferns and two ginkgo tree saplings.

 

[dmarcus]

I have the same issue with one of my 3 box turtle hachlings. two of them go after worms no matter if your there or not, the third one has never eaten when we were around or even eaten when we placed it in a container and left it alone. when we got them they were all 7 grams now one is 13 grams one is 11 grams and the one we havent seen eat yet is still 7 grams.

We have resorted to making a puree of carrots, redworms, mealworms and some dried krill and then mixing it with warm water. We see the little one taking a drink and so we will continue that for now. We also leave the dried krill, and some pellet in there food bowl. they also have pill bugs and red worms inside there enclosure...

 

[terryo]

Box turtle hatchlings spend all their time hidden under leaf litter in the woods. They will eat little bugs under there or very small sprouts coming up. Pill bugs are also very good to start them off. If nothing works try a small bit of canned venison, or white fish. These are things I give to very poor eaters or if I get a new box turtle that is extremely shy and refuses to eat.

 

[Jharris1385]

So really at a month old I should be seeing some eating right...well maybe not seeing but noticing?

They show no signs of illness, very active movers.

 

[Jharris1385]

Well I went out today and found 2 new ones....I can't chance their survival in the wild in my yard...mowers, predators...etc.

Now I just need to make sure they can survive indoors.

 

[Tccarolina]

Pill bugs, pill bugs, pill bugs! They're slow, easy for hatchlings to catch, can't climb glass, and won't feed on your baby boxies at night. They eat grass and plant matter, and baby box turtles love them!

 

[dmmj]

Pill bugs, pill bugs, pill bugs! They're slow, easy for hatchlings to catch, can't climb glass, and won't feed on your baby boxies at night. They eat grass and plant matter, and baby box turtles love them!

I am gonna have to disagree with pill bugs being slow.

 

[terryo]

Pill bugs, pill bugs, pill bugs! They're slow, easy for hatchlings to catch, can't climb glass, and won't feed on your baby boxies at night. They eat grass and plant matter, and baby box turtles love them!

........and the one's they don't eat will go under the feeding stone or water dish and multiply like crazy. Every couple of days I move the water dish to the other side and my two year old TT runs over to get the pill bugs.

 

[Jharris1385]

Where do you get pill bugs? I don't think I have noticed them in my pet shop before, but yet again I have not really looked for them before!

I have them on bloodworms now.

I have FIVE! From 9-6grams now.

 

[fbsmith3]

Eastern Box turtles are protected here in Massachusetts because they are so rare here , I don't know if it's the case where you are. I am so happy you care so much for their welfare and I'm a little jealous.

Pill bugs are little armor plated grey things you find under rotten logs. They are also called rolly pollies, wood louse or pill bugs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillidiidae

 

[terryo]

If you can't find any, you can always get them from CarolinaPetSupply.com.

 

[yagyujubei]

Mine love red worms and pill bugs. Also you can soak some reptomin sticks til soft, and feed on land and in water. If you have any old firewood, there should be pill bugs under any that are laying on the ground. I can usually find 100 in just a couple of minutes.

 

[Jharris1385]

Anymore sources for pill bugs? Looks like Carolina Pet Supply is out?

All 5 are doing great!

 

[dmarcus]

I find mine under anything thats been laying on the ground for a little while. They dont last very long once they are in the box turtle enclosure...