Tember-the-turtle

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Joined
Nov 15, 2018
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
mo
You will have to excuse me I've never posted on something like this before and im not exactly tech savvy or an english major but I needed help and didn't know how else to find it.

I have a hatchling (missouri) 3 toed box turtle. I saved it from a cat about a month (maybe a hair over, Maybe) ago. I've never owned a turtle before or even thought about owning one but I just knew it wouldn't make it if I didn't do something with all the mowing, hay bailing, landscaping and cats around here so I brought it home. I'm sure I'll get shamed but whats done is done and I will care for it to the best of my ability and give it at least a fighting chance. I named the turthe tember, and I often call it a he even though I have no idea what gender it really is. Tembers about the size of a quarter, still had a soft tooth when I brought it in but that's been gone awhile and he's eating pill bugs and worms pretty well. My questions are about his habits, the habitat, and the worry about diet. I'm scatter brained so I'll just make a list

#1 is that he is buried 24/7, I dig him out everyday for a soak and meals but hes never come out on his own, is that normal?

#2 is will he get enough uva/uvb if he's always buried?

#3 is I can't get him to eat anything besides pill bugs and worms, is that a problem? I've tried all kinds of fruits and veggies and grasses but he only wants stuff that wiggles. Do I need to worry or will it eat greens when he needs them as long as I have them there?

#4 when I dig him up I put him in a bowl of luke warm water then Dump the water after awhile and feed him. Is that right or wrong?

#5 is about the lighting, I bought a light in the automotive section of walmart that had a clamp on it and I bought reptile daylight light bulbs and night ones from Walmart. The worker told me that they should be more than enough. Are they actually though? They keep it between 80-85 on the warm end and 70-75 on the other but he's always in the same spot buried so it could it be to hot? I have 12 hrs of the daylight bulb and 12 hrs of the night one. Is that to much?

Sorry I just worked 11 hrs and then had to come home and cook and clean and im so tired and worried. I feel like this is prob more confusing than anything I just didnt know what else to say. If I forgot anything that was needed to answer anything I asked please let me know and also if you tell me how to upload a picture I'll gladly do so of the turtle, his home and the lights I bought. Thanks in advance for reading my long post. :)
 
Last edited:

Changa

Active Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2018
Messages
152
Location (City and/or State)
Ca
You will have to excuse me I've never posted on something like this before and im not exactly tech savvy or an english major but I needed help and didn't know how else to find it.

I have a hatchling (missouri) 3 toed box turtle. I saved it from a cat about a month (maybe a hair over, Maybe) ago. I've never owned a turtle before or even thought about owning one but I just knew it wouldn't make it if I didn't do something with all the mowing, hay bailing, landscaping and cats around here so I brought it home. I'm sure I'll get shamed but whats done is done and I will care for it to the best of my ability and give it at least a fighting chance. I named the turthe tember, and I often call it a he even though I have no idea what gender it really is. Tembers about the size of a quarter, still had a soft tooth when I brought it in bit that's been gone awhile and he's eating pill bugs and worms pretty well. My questions are about his habits, the habitat, and the worry about diet. I'm scatter brained so I'll just make a list

#1 is that he is buried 24/7, I dig him out everyday for a soak and meals but hes never come out on his own, is that normal?

#2 is will he get enough uva/uvb if he's always buried?

#3 is I can't get him to eat anything besides pill bugs and worms, is that a problem? I've tried all kinds of fruits and veggies and grasses but he only wants stuff that wiggles. Do I need to worry or will it eat greens when he needs them as long as I have them there?

#4 when I dig him up I put him in a bowl of luke warm water then Dump the water after awhile and feed him. Is that right or wrong?

#5 is about the lighting, I bought a light in the automotive section of walmart that had a clamp on it and I bought reptile daylight light bulbs and night ones from Walmart. The worker told me that they should be more than enough. Are they actually though? They keep it between 80-85 on the warm end and 70-75 on the other but he's always in the same spot buried so it could it be to hot? I have 12 hrs of the daylight bulb and 12 hrs of the night one. Is that to much?

Sorry I just wirked 11 hrs and then had to come home and cook and clean and im so tired, feel like this is prob more confusing than anything I just didnt know what else to say. If I forgot anything that was needed to answer anything I asked please let me know and also if you tell me how to upload a picture I'll gladly do so of the turtle, his home and the lights I bought. Thanks in advance for reading my long post. :)
Welcome u’ll Have a response pretty quick from veteran(s) who have years of experience with turtle tortoise I wish I could help I am new too Have Faith
 

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,904
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
You will have to excuse me I've never posted on something like this before and im not exactly tech savvy or an english major but I needed help and didn't know how else to find it.

I have a hatchling (missouri) 3 toed box turtle. I saved it from a cat about a month (maybe a hair over, Maybe) ago. I've never owned a turtle before or even thought about owning one but I just knew it wouldn't make it if I didn't do something with all the mowing, hay bailing, landscaping and cats around here so I brought it home. I'm sure I'll get shamed but whats done is done and I will care for it to the best of my ability and give it at least a fighting chance. I named the turthe tember, and I often call it a he even though I have no idea what gender it really is. Tembers about the size of a quarter, still had a soft tooth when I brought it in but that's been gone awhile and he's eating pill bugs and worms pretty well. My questions are about his habits, the habitat, and the worry about diet. I'm scatter brained so I'll just make a list

#1 is that he is buried 24/7, I dig him out everyday for a soak and meals but hes never come out on his own, is that normal?

#2 is will he get enough uva/uvb if he's always buried?

#3 is I can't get him to eat anything besides pill bugs and worms, is that a problem? I've tried all kinds of fruits and veggies and grasses but he only wants stuff that wiggles. Do I need to worry or will it eat greens when he needs them as long as I have them there?

#4 when I dig him up I put him in a bowl of luke warm water then Dump the water after awhile and feed him. Is that right or wrong?

#5 is about the lighting, I bought a light in the automotive section of walmart that had a clamp on it and I bought reptile daylight light bulbs and night ones from Walmart. The worker told me that they should be more than enough. Are they actually though? They keep it between 80-85 on the warm end and 70-75 on the other but he's always in the same spot buried so it could it be to hot? I have 12 hrs of the daylight bulb and 12 hrs of the night one. Is that to much?

Sorry I just worked 11 hrs and then had to come home and cook and clean and im so tired and worried. I feel like this is prob more confusing than anything I just didnt know what else to say. If I forgot anything that was needed to answer anything I asked please let me know and also if you tell me how to upload a picture I'll gladly do so of the turtle, his home and the lights I bought. Thanks in advance for reading my long post. :)
Hoping the best for you and your rescue situation.
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Welcome...

Maybe @ColleenT can lend you a hand with proper Boxie care..

In the meantime, here’s a Care Sheet to read up on. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-care-sheet.93937/

It will also help if you upload some pictures of your setup.

On your question No. 4 - yes. Giving daily soaks like you describe is good. Nice warm water, let him swim about, defecate, etc. then back into enclosure to eat, roam, and bury.

Little torts and turtles feel very vulnerable, so hiding is natuural - they don’t want to get eaten.

Good luck.
 

Tember-the-turtle

New Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2018
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
mo
Welcome...

Maybe @ColleenT can lend you a hand with proper Boxie care..

In the meantime, here’s a Care Sheet to read up on. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-care-sheet.93937/

It will also help if you upload some pictures of your setup.

On your question No. 4 - yes. Giving daily soaks like you describe is good. Nice warm water, let him swim about, defecate, etc. then back into enclosure to eat, roam, and bury.

Little torts and turtles feel very vulnerable, so hiding is natuural - they don’t want to get eaten.

Good luck.
I uploaded the picture of the light, the aquarium, and the turtle. I took the pictures on halloween night but the set up is the same. I feed him in the same bowl as I water him in after I dump the water bc I want to make sure he/she eats. It's a big (for the tiny turtle) square container so he can chase stuff down. I can also upload a picture of the light bulbs I use so I know If they work right? I've done a lot of homework to see just how to do things but for him but I still have so many questions and worries
 

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,904
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
After thinking a lot about your cry for help...I think you have a legitimate re
BThanks in advance for reading my long post. :)
I meant to say thanks in advance for replies and sorry for the long post[/QUOTE]
Sorry you only got part of what I was trying to say. It's a really complicated issue. The laws of my state says not to take box turtles out of the wild and then says it's strictly forbidden to release them after being in captivity. Most states will even provide a care sheet on the critter. I think those laws are put in place for 1 reason. That is so that people can't collect our wildlife and sell them to the highest bidder. You however didn't do that. You are trying to help a baby facing certain death. I feel you have a legitimate reason for adoption.
 

Changa

Active Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2018
Messages
152
Location (City and/or State)
Ca
You will have to excuse me I've never posted on something like this before and im not exactly tech savvy or an english major but I needed help and didn't know how else to find it.

I have a hatchling (missouri) 3 toed box turtle. I saved it from a cat about a month (maybe a hair over, Maybe) ago. I've never owned a turtle before or even thought about owning one but I just knew it wouldn't make it if I didn't do something with all the mowing, hay bailing, landscaping and cats around here so I brought it home. I'm sure I'll get shamed but whats done is done and I will care for it to the best of my ability and give it at least a fighting chance. I named the turthe tember, and I often call it a he even though I have no idea what gender it really is. Tembers about the size of a quarter, still had a soft tooth when I brought it in but that's been gone awhile and he's eating pill bugs and worms pretty well. My questions are about his habits, the habitat, and the worry about diet. I'm scatter brained so I'll just make a list

#1 is that he is buried 24/7, I dig him out everyday for a soak and meals but hes never come out on his own, is that normal?

#2 is will he get enough uva/uvb if he's always buried?

#3 is I can't get him to eat anything besides pill bugs and worms, is that a problem? I've tried all kinds of fruits and veggies and grasses but he only wants stuff that wiggles. Do I need to worry or will it eat greens when he needs them as long as I have them there?

#4 when I dig him up I put him in a bowl of luke warm water then Dump the water after awhile and feed him. Is that right or wrong?

#5 is about the lighting, I bought a light in the automotive section of walmart that had a clamp on it and I bought reptile daylight light bulbs and night ones from Walmart. The worker told me that they should be more than enough. Are they actually though? They keep it between 80-85 on the warm end and 70-75 on the other but he's always in the same spot buried so it could it be to hot? I have 12 hrs of the daylight bulb and 12 hrs of the night one. Is that to much?

Sorry I just worked 11 hrs and then had to come home and cook and clean and im so tired and worried. I feel like this is prob more confusing than anything I just didnt know what else to say. If I forgot anything that was needed to answer anything I asked please let me know and also if you tell me how to upload a picture I'll gladly do so of the turtle, his home and the lights I bought. Thanks in advance for reading my long post. :)
No worry. The veteran members need all the information needed to help:tort::)
 

Tember-the-turtle

New Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2018
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
mo
You have heat lamps but no UV source?
Daylight would be great. But it must be from out doors because UVB cant pass through glass
I have day light lightbulbs and black light night bulbs, they were for reptiles but thought they would work for the turtle as well. I uploaded a pictures
 

ZEROPILOT

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I have day light lightbulbs and black light night bulbs, they were for reptiles but thought they would work for the turtle as well. I uploaded a pictures
Yes.
But neither provide UVB.
DO NOT get the bulb shaped type of UV light. (What @Yvonne G said) If you buy one, get a florescent strip light. Not a compact florescent bulb.
 
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