HELP! what kind do I have?

[kristiemathias]

I need help identifying the type of tortoise I purchased in Key West, they had him in a tank full of water and I know he is not an aquatic turtle because his feet are not webbed but I cant seem to find the type he is? I need to identify the type of turtle he is because I know housing requirements are different for all types of tortoise especially on what they can and cannot eat. He has been eating meal and wax worms

thank you!

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: HELP!

Hi Kristie:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Looks like it could be either an ornate or Florida box turtle. I can't really tell from the pictures. It looks very young.

 

[Torty Mom]

RE: HELP!

Your pictures are not linking.

---

Yvonne, how can you see the pictures?

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: HELP!

Because he's so young, you need to keep him a lot more moist than what you have him. I don't like that fluffy substrate. You can just get some clean dirt (clean = no pesticides or herbicides) from outside for him. Give him a hiding place, a water saucer and a feeding station. A couple plants either real or fake, would complete the habitat and give him more places to hide.

---

When the pictures show up like that, you just have to right click on one and choose "open in new tab." Then you click on your tab and the picture is there.

---

Kristie: Are you also in Key West?

 

[kristiemathias]

RE: HELP!

I am in Tampa, FL. In his tank I have the UV light and the heating area, I also just have a normal light on one side so he can go to a cooler place. He has a hiding place under a log and I soak him in the water daily, his eyes are a bit puffy and he did not want to eat for a few days, I sat out in the sun with him for two hours and he opened his eyes and became more active and went after some wax worms. He does not come out on his own to eat or soak in his dish, I have to put him in the dish and feed him.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: HELP!

Hi Kristie:

You have too much light for such a tiny box turtle. You can use either the UV light or the normal light, but I wouldn't use both. The activity you describe is exactly what baby box turtles do. They are prey, so they hide all the time. Especially from the big bad predator (you) that is looking at them all the time. I also have to dig around and find my babies and set them around the food dish. As they grow, and get used to you (the food goddess), they will start to become more outgoing.

 

[Nay]

I can't see or click on any pics!!

 

[WallieTheTortoise]

RE: HELP!

Hi Kristie:

You have too much light for such a tiny box turtle. You can use either the UV light or the normal light, but I wouldn't use both. The activity you describe is exactly what baby box turtles do. They are prey, so they hide all the time. Especially from the big bad predator (you) that is looking at them all the time. I also have to dig around and find my babies and set them around the food dish. As they grow, and get used to you (the food goddess), they will start to become more outgoing.

Hey Yvonne, can you help me out? I did research and most places said that baby boxies need heat lamp and UVB....I don't know if I'm misinterpreting you....but do I need the UVB?

 

[Yvonne G]

Baby box turtles are so very small that they dehydrate quickly. I have about 6" of potting soil that they bury into, and only one light. You can either use your UV light or a regular light bulb. But too much light/heat and they dry out quicker. Baby box turtles can get some of the vitamin d from the food they eat, so the UV light isn't as important to them as it is to a grass-eating tortoise. You can even get by with one of the tube-type fluorescent UV lights.

 

[WallieTheTortoise]

thanks!

 

[Turtle Guru]

I can't see the pics I just wanted to say that also.

 

[Toristurtles]

I can't see anything.

 

[kristiemathias]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/607/17213516464469568211106.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/23/20442517258201811021106.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/192/25880319314289611931106.jpg/

does this link work? sorry about that

 

[kristiemathias]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/192/25880319314289611931106.jpg/

 

[Floof]

One more question for you... What kind of UVB do you have over him? If it's a coil bulb, toss it... These bulbs are dangerous, and have been known to cause blindness. This may be part of why his eyes are puffy. As far as good UVB is concerned, for a baby boxie that's so prone to dehydration, would be a ReptiSun 10.0 bulb. That will put off plenty of UVB for your box turtle, and won't dry out the enclosure like a heat lamp.

 

[kristiemathias]

The UVB bulb I have for him is the r-zilla dome combo with a halogen and a florescent 23 w and on the other end by the water dish I just have a 50w day time light bulb in a small dome. I have turned off one of the lights and I purchased "zoo-med" repti eye drops for him and have been doing that once a day and soaking him in warm water, also we are sitting out in the sun for an hour or so every few days, he is snapping at worms again and went potty . I read online that a big 50 gal rubber-maid tub was the best housing for him? and I am going to get a different type of substrate. Any other suggestions? greatly appreciated thanks guys! I still don't know weather hes a Florida box or ornate turtle, is there a big difference in the care between the two?

 

[kristiemathias]

I have a dome combo light 75w halogen and on the other side I have a small dome that's just for light. Istill can't tell if he's an ornate or florida box turtle, are the housing and diet that different from eachother? And I read a big 50 gallon rubber maid was the best to house a box turtle in. I also sit out in the sun with him every few days so he can get some natural light. What type of turtle do you think he is and should I change his housing?

 

[fbsmith3]

Ok from what I can see, the litttle guy is looks like he's about as big as a 1/2 dollar. You have plenty of time for the 50 tote. Right now you need a few things.

Any kind of safe tote that he can't see out (no aquarium),
about 3"or more of Clean soil (no fertilizer or Vermiculite/perilite)
About 3"or more of moist sphagnum moss, loosly fluffed up.
A little bowl that is could fit 2 or more turtles the same size. The bowl shpuld be very easy to climb in and out of.

You want to keep the substrate moist and help the little guy feel safe with high humidity.

He'll probally want to eat more worms than plant matter, but try to get more than 20% plant matter.

What is he willing to eat?
How is he hadling his current enclosure?

 

[kristiemathias]

He is willing to eat wax and meal worms and he has eaten some shredded lettuce I mix in with the worms, he seems to be doing ok in his tank now but I have him in a glass aquarium so I need to get a different enclosure. After he is done in his water dish he walks to either his log or a corner and burrows himself to where only his shell is showing and stays there until I get him out to soak and in his water and eat again.

 

[fbsmith3]

Ok you're doing well. Just place paper twice as high as he is, so he can't see out. They don't understand glass and get confused by it.

He's a baby and hiding, it's his instinct.

I would reduce the meal worms a bit, try to get dandilion leaves. lettuce can be dangerous, it's just water, no nutrition and has a lot of pesticides.