Help! (Russian with box turtle)

[Walter2000]

Ok so my daughter bought a Russian tortoise a few month ago. It likes to crawl around in our sunroom. One day it got outside and we lost it! 1 1/2 days later my neighbor found it!!! He had travel pretty far! He was fine! A few days later my neighbor found a eastern box turtle and brought it over to us to keep. I put it in our tortoise home and they seem to like each other they seem to like to sleep near each other. Tonight someone mentioned to me about maybe it was not good to put them together. So I looked it up on your site and saw all the responses. Now I'm afraid my tortoise and the box turtle will get sick and I don't know what to do!! Should I put the box turtle back outside? It's been here for 2 days! And how can I tell if they are sick? Help!!!

 

[Tom]

Species should never be mixed. Separate them ASAP.

These two animals also have very different care and feeding requirements.

Check these out for the russian:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Here is the care sheet from the box turtle section:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-care-sheet.93937/

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Good morning and welcome.
Let the boxie go back where he was found.
Enjoy your solo Russian.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

The box turtle shouldn't have been brought in in the first place, but releasing it to the wild after it has been exposed to your Russian is not a good idea - you could be introducing disease into the wild turtle population.

They absolutely need to be separated though. If you don't want to keep the box turtle, call a wild life rehabber to take it. Keeping the box turtle may not be legal, depending on your state. If you do want to keep it and it is legal, you need to create separate enclosures - their habitats and diets are different, so they will be much better off living apart (not including the behavioural incompatibility and the high illness risk).

 

[Gillian M]

Welcome to the forum!

Please separate your torts and give them daily soaks in warm water.

 

[Walter2000]

Ok I understand I shouldn't have mixed them that's why I asked for help. What signs of illness should I look for?

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Ok I understand I shouldn't have mixed them that's why I asked for help. What signs of illness should I look for?

Changes to appetite, activity levels, stool consistency, behaviour in general. It can take months for symptoms to present themselves.

 

[Walter2000]

Thank you for your help!

 

[Minos90]

Are Easter box turtles native to your area ?

 

[Walter2000]

Yes