hatchling

[cordell]

If my hatchling has stopped hiding all day and just sleeps where he stops is this normal? He used to dig and dig 24/7, just the past week he has stopped going under the substrate all the time like befoe. Is he more comfortable now?

thanks
cordell

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Z...

It's hard to judge that, not being able to see him or anything...Babies sleep alot, but in my experience box turtle babies are pretty active. Do you keep him pretty damp? Why don't you tell us how you're keeping him and we'll start from there...OK?
It sounds to me like he is not warm enough or may be sick...he may need a Vet

 

[cordell]

Well I have him in a rubbermaid tub with heat, red heat bulb. And the the UVB is 12 I believe. He is on cocofiber, not as thick as before, though he should be able to get down below. He is eating still and has a choice in the rubbermaid to damp or a bit dryer. He has a soak plate kept clean, I do see poop in it, though he doesnt always use the plate! I am sure he is warm by day but at night I have a heat pad kept on low under the tub. I can barely feel the warmth from it but it is there, and our heater runs all night on 68-70. I noticed when I feed him he sometimes goes on the hunt. He will walk head low scrape away some substrate ten dip his head in and move on to do the same. I believe he is hunting? I am going to thicken his substrate, he was in a smaller rubbermaid before this started happening. Though there are thicker spot he can go under for sure, I just figured he is getting more comfortable with us. He doesnt shell up when I pick him up.

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Here he his this morning. He can dig deeper if he chooses. The red light is not on overnight but is on up until we go to bed. I turn it on as soon as we wake up.
thanks
cordell

 

[Yvonne G]

In my opinion, no, that is not normal. I have quite a few different types of box turtle babies in an indoor tub right now, and at any time of the day that I look in there, I never see one. They always hide. I really don't think that your little guy is so well socialized that he isn't afraid. I think rather, that he is ill.

 

[spikethebest]

"The red light is not on overnight but is on up until we go to bed. I turn it on as soon as we wake up."


why not keep the heat lamp on 24/7?

 

[cordell]

"The red light is not on overnight but is on up until we go to bed. I turn it on as soon as we wake up."


why not keep the heat lamp on 24/7?

well he sleeps right next to us on a night stand. what could he be ill from and what can i do? he has been fine until a week or so ago...

cordell

i am adding more substrate now to see if that helps. my wife seems to think he just might not be able to get covered. i hope she is right!

 

[Yvonne G]

The main thing I find wrong with my box turtle babies is dehydration. If you soak him every day and he eats every day, then maybe he's just comfortable in his surroundings and doesn't feel the need to hide.

 

[cordell]

he gets soaked and eats as well. i have noticed him hunting or what i beleive to be. he walks a few steps digs shallowly and pokes his head into the area he dug. if nothing he moves a few more steps to try again. i have never seem him catch anything so i am not sure. upon changing the substrate i found it was a bit shallow though there were deeper spots for him to hide if he chose. he is eating a wax worm now so i will report what he does in a hour or so.

thanks

cordell

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OK he dug deeper down in the thicker substrate! Though I am not sure if all is well. I have/had another thread about him sleeping during soak time. He didnt seem to wake up like he has always done before. Are the cooler nights effecting him? My heater runs so it dont drop below 68, and cuts off at 72......IDK this little guy can drive me crazy sometimes!!!

cordell

sleeping while soaking thread............... http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-11264.html

 

[cordell]

*****OK UPDATE*****


He has dug all the way uder again..The substrate must not have been deep enough, though I still say he is lazy because there were spots that were thick enough to go under. I have recently switched to putting his food in a small dish. It is about 3/8 inch deep and 2 1/2 inch around. I sink it flush with the substrate as well. The problem is he dont seem to want to eat from it. I have always tossed his food in, he grabs it and runs most times. What can I do to get him to eat from this dish? I end up with to many dead bugs by just tossing them in, I try to soak then place a bug in every direction, this way he sees food everywhere! Mealworms dig almost as fast as they are tossed in, I see pictures with turts eating from dishes. Are they reluctant to eat this way do to the hunting instinct, or he just dont understand the dish is his dinner plate? lol

Thanks for all the Help!
cordell

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I just drop the worm in front of mine. They grab it and run. They seem to enjoy eating in privacy. You can try giving them some butterworms (limited amount) - they don't dig down. What are your temperatures?

 

[cordell]

Exact temps I am not sure... I am going to get a temp taker of some sort soon. I do have cool and warm areas in his pin/area. You say you drop a worm in front of them and they will grab and run? How old are they? Mine is 6 months, or thats my best guess. Should he be doing the same? I have had him grab a wax worm from my fingers twice. That was the coolest thing to see! I dont understand this little guy though it is like he takes a step forward in becoming domesticated then takes two steps back, lol. My older 3 toed is so the opposite.

thanks
cordell

 

[Maggie Cummings]

My box turtles take the worm (or whatever) off the dish and eat it somewhere else then they come back for another bite and take it again to wherever. I think that's typical behavior...

 

[cordell]

OK I think he is SICK~! I put him in warm water for about 10 minutes then set him back in area with some food. I slipped onto my bed laying down to watch him eat. He stayed in the same spot for like 20 minutes! I got up and he had fallen asleep in his water, now cold! I moved him directly under the warmth and layed back down. His head went all the way up and he never moved. 20 minutes later I though he was going to attack a worm, nope. He moved like 3 turt steps and fell back asleep!What is he doing sleeping like that? It is warm, he is normally awake after a quick soak. If you seen the thread I started about him not wanting to wake up, well its the same issue.

Please help
I have no clue what can be wrong!
cordell

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My box turtles take the worm (or whatever) off the dish and eat it somewhere else then they come back for another bite and take it again to wherever. I think that's typical behavior...

my older 3 toed eats wherever you feed him.... he dang near gets into his dish when he eats! it is one of te funniest things i have seen.. when i first got him i was feeding him whole cherry tomatoes and whole strawberries, the poor girl had a heck of a time trying to eat them. so i started cutting her food into pieces.

 

[terryo]

Is there any way that you could set up a heat emitter? I keep mine on 24/7. The only light they have during the day is a long tube 5.0 UVB light. At night they only have the heat emitter. Their viv is a constant 80 degrees. Baby boxies like warm, and moist and usually dig under for most of the day. Mine eat in the AM, soak a bit and then I usually don't see them for the rest of the day.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Exact temps I am not sure... I am going to get a temp taker of some sort soon. I do have cool and warm areas in his pin/area. You say you drop a worm in front of them and they will grab and run? How old are they? Mine is 6 months, or thats my best guess. Should he be doing the same? I have had him grab a wax worm from my fingers twice. That was the coolest thing to see! I dont understand this little guy though it is like he takes a step forward in becoming domesticated then takes two steps back, lol. My older 3 toed is so the opposite.

thanks
cordell

Mine are much younger than 6 months - and they usually start eating for me within a couple weeks of hatching. They are usually afraid of my hands at first, that's why I just drop it near them so they can see it and go after it. After a while they learn my hand is what feeds them and come on the run when I come in the room.

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I think it's time for a vet visit. I thought his eyes looked a little swollen from the pic - but maybe it's just the picture.

 

[cordell]

well sad news to report, he passed this evening. i had soaked him today for a good 30 minutes in some pedilite and warm water. he never really woke up, i figured he at least got a drink so i put him back in his area. he never woke up during the soak, nor after i set him back in his area. i put him under the substrate because he was just laying there for over a hour. i brought him up 3 or so hours later to soak in pedilite again, he was gone. . i am not sure what was wrong, i was going to find a vet come monday if he didnt get better from pedilite soaks. i had weighed him this morning and was 17 grams, before i burried him he was 14 grams? its a digital scale so no clue? i wish there is more i could do, he was just so helpless. i cant count the threads i have on him trying to do everything right. i want a friend for myrtle, a older 3 toed, who is healthy, thank god. my hatchling started this 2 weeks ago or a bit more i would guess. he would not wake up for soaks, his shell seemed a bit softer, and i seen him eat so i thought he was OK. IDK sad...

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Isa]

I am very sorry for your loss

 

[terryo]

That is very sad. I'm so sorry.

 

[dreadyA]

Hey man, sorry for your loss. Sometimes lil ones just went mentioned to thrive,unfortunately.
Think positive and you'll end up giving a good home to another needy boxie

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Weren't ment to thrive*