Help Please - found hatchling baby box turtle

[budisit]

i found a baby box turtle (female) in the road. Picked her up to help her. Now I'm raising her because I feel she would die if I just turned her out. She's about the size of a quarter and I've had her for a couple of weeks.

It's been difficult trying to Learn how to keep her alive.

I'm very concerned about her and would give her to someone if they wanted her and we're capable of taking care of her. She's a sweetie.

Please respond if possible. I live in central Missouri.

 

[lismar79]

Here is a care guide
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-hatchling-care-sheet.97144/
I don't know a lot about boxies but it seems like this time of year they really want live food. Sit a big pile of worms in front of her

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

its good you took her off the road, but kidnaping an animal from the wild is just wrong.

 

[Jacqui]

Hi and welcome! My mind is drawing a blank on if it is legal, but a big part of me thinks it's illegal to keep her/him. (as a Mod, I have to point out possible legal issues) Just for your information, it is too small to know if it is a male or a female. You might tell us how your keeping it, lights, temps, ect.., Also what are you feeding the little guy.

 

[Yvonne G]

Dang! That's a cute little turtle!!! But, I'm sorry to say that it is illegal to collect three toed box turtles in Missouri. You did a very good thing moving it off the roadway, however, you shouldn't have taken it home. But now that you've had the turtle for a while it has become illegal to return it to the wild. My best suggestion would be for you to find a wildlife rescue and turn it in.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

i agree with Yvonne but happy helloween anyway !


Sent from my iPhone using TortForum

 

[budisit]

If anyone is interested and can verify their passion and qualifications to care for this baby let me know. Otherwise I'll do the best I can.

I get it. I should have just tossed her back into the woods. Whatever. Didn't know that at the time. I was trying to do the right thing. My only concern now is for the turtle. You can scold me all day long regarding turtle laws you're wasting your breath. I appreciate the information but not the scolding.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[JAYGEE]

If anyone is interested and can verify their passion and qualifications to care for this baby let me know. Otherwise I'll do the best I can.

I get it. I should have just tossed her back into the woods. Whatever. Didn't know that at the time. I was trying to do the right thing. My only concern now is for the turtle. You can scold me all day long regarding turtle laws you're wasting your breath. I appreciate the information but not the scolding.

Im not going to say what you should have done, but now that you have it you might as well keep it and enjoy the spoils of having a boxie.

 

[Yvonne G]

Sorry, Bud. Wasn't really scolding. If I were scolding, you certainly would know it. I was just offering info. We can't talk about illegal acts here on the Forum, so we can't tell you to keep the baby and care for it. I suggested giving it to a wildlife rescue, and that's about all the info we can offer. Sorry.

 

[Maro2Bear]

That is a cute lil baby! Luckily for him he won't end up like one i found this morning during my early run. There, on the road before me, was the cutest flattened dead baby boxie. About the size of the one ur holding. It's hard to not pick them up and save them, especially when one is fond of torts and turtles. Good luck keeping ur new baby, keep providing us with updates.

 

[taza]

its good you took her off the road, but kidnaping an animal from the wild is just wrong.

I think your wording could have been better.

 

[budisit]

Yvonne G - thanks. Actually I appreciated your input. It was the remark about kidnapping a baby that sort of set me off. No biggie. Typical chat forum bull.

Anyway it's about the turtle not about me. I'll do my best to keep her alive and Happy.

 

[Jacqui]

Check out the link the first person gave you and read the threads in the box turtle section. You can also do a thread in that section if you have more questions that the other threads didn't answer or if you want to tell us about your current care style and we can give input on improvements.

 

[budisit]

Thanks. Will do.

 

[Ciri]

Having raised a couple of hatchling box turtles, I suggest sticking with only live foods for the first 2 years. I've seen abnormal shell and beak growth when I haven't stuck to this plan. Young box turtles love small earthworms (dillies), hornworms (caterpillars), grasshoppers and pill bugs. (For grasshoppers remove the big legs first.) In my experience it's easier to get them to eat when I leave them alone with their food for a while. After the age of about six months or so they'll be more comfortable and you may be able to watch them eat. In time they will connect you with food even without hand feeding. I always kept mine awake and eating for the first winter. They will need to be warm enough to do this.

One of the most important things I learned from my reptile veterinarian was how to sanitize their water dishes and terrarium. You can use a bleach and water mixture to white down the terrarium or bin they live in. Bleach is also a good way to sanitize the water dish. Just rinse thoroughly afterwards. Or you can put the water dishes in the dishwasher and run them through with the heated drying cycle turned on. This helps to prevent eye infections and respiratory infections.

Also be prepared for what I call a "baby bite". This is what I think of as a test bite to find out what your fingers are made of. It only hurts for a second and doesn't break the skin. They usually do this at about age 6 months or so. For my box turtles that I've hand raised, once they've done the test bite they never do it again.

Good luck with the little one.

 

[budisit]

Having raised a couple of hatchling box turtles, I suggest sticking with only live foods for the first 2 years. I've seen abnormal shell and beak growth when I haven't stuck to this plan. Young box turtles love small earthworms (dillies), hornworms (caterpillars), grasshoppers and pill bugs. (For grasshoppers remove the big legs first.) In my experience it's easier to get them to eat when I leave them alone with their food for a while. After the age of about six months or so they'll be more comfortable and you may be able to watch them eat. In time they will connect you with food even without hand feeding. I always kept mine awake and eating for the first winter. They will need to be warm enough to do this.

One of the most important things I learned from my reptile veterinarian was how to sanitize their water dishes and terrarium. You can use a bleach and water mixture to white down the terrarium or bin they live in. Bleach is also a good way to sanitize the water dish. Just rinse thoroughly afterwards. Or you can put the water dishes in the dishwasher and run them through with the heated drying cycle turned on. This helps to prevent eye infections and respiratory infections.

Also be prepared for what I call a "baby bite". This is what I think of as a test bite to find out what your fingers are made of. It only hurts for a second and doesn't break the skin. They usually do this at about age 6 months or so. For my box turtles that I've hand raised, once they've done the test bite they never do it again.

Good luck with the little one.

OMG - I feel much better now. I was having no luck getting baby to eat anything besides live food. Now I feel like that may be normal.

Great advice. Thanks so much. I think I can do this. Not by choice but I'm afraid it would not make it on its own.

Or perhaps I'm wrong and it would be fine on its own released.

 

[lisa127]

My boxies eat veggie/fruit after about six months of age. They grew beautifully.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

I think your wording could have been better.

I'm sorry its just in my opinion if an animal is native, healthy and nothing is wrong with it or its species. it should not be taken from the wild.

 

[budisit]

I'm sorry its just in my opinion if an animal is native, healthy and nothing is wrong with it or its species. it should not be taken from the wild.

I agree. But in this case my opinion was the baby was in danger of dying so I intervened. Otherwise I would have simply put it to the side of the road. As it is, it's back legs are slightly underdeveloped and hopefully it will gain strength and then have a happy life.