They usually get fruit with reptomin in the morning and either night crawlers or grasshoppers in the evening. Anything we find out in the yard. Beetles and crickets etc.What type of diet do you feed them?
Maggie I totally disagree with you about UVB, UVB Lighting is essential for Box turtles to process calcium in captivity. Without UVB lighting turtles will develop serious health problems such as Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), abnormal shell growth and other deformities. UVB Lighting should be left on for 10-12 hours per day and turned off at night.
Thats a beautiful box turtleI don't believe they are wet enough. I'm not too concerned about UVB as box turtles can get what they need from a good varied diet of fruit and protein, provided they DO get a good diet. Are the males constantly mating the females? Please read this care sheet about food and housing. I don't believe that table is big enough for 6 box turtles, it's too dry and I, personally, don't keep my males and females box turtles together. A couple babies is one thing... a constant supply would suck . I keep several sub species of box turtles, so I am giving you my experience on how I keep mine.
Yep, they all swim, even this strange one.......View attachment 186770 oops, the link is under this picture......
View attachment 186770 http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/box-turtle-care-sheet.93937/
What do you suggest I give them that will give them the vitamins they need? Is the a vitamin that has all the ones they need like a daily vitamin?A vitamin A deficiency will also cause puffy eyes. It is highly unlikely that it is due to lack of artificial UVB lighting, especially since you have not had them that long. If you are soaking them and adding water to the substrate frequently, I doubt dryness is the issue.
Based on this diet description I would say vitamin A deficiency is the issue.They usually get fruit with reptomin in the morning and either night crawlers or grasshoppers in the evening. Anything we find out in the yard. Beetles and crickets etc.
Butternut squash and carrots are excellent sources of vitamin A.What do you suggest I give them that will give them the vitamins they need? Is the a vitamin that has all the ones they need like a daily vitamin?
Ok if this is the case and please forgive me if I sound ignorant on the subject, but bare in mind I am. Her eye isn't swollen but was matted shut with a a thin slime. Once I rinsed it it looked perfectly normal. She ate and tooled around the pen a bit before going to bed. Is that the same thing your talking about.I agree with that 100%! I was just putting out other things that I could see wrong until the diet was posted. That diet posted definitely needs a bigger variety
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1797&aid=2589
It could just be a one-off due to something in the eye. I had that panic with Joe a couple of weeks ago. Eye was pretty gunky, but I bathed it and there's been no recurrence - fingers crossed!
Thank you so much. All advice is much appreciated.Yea it could be that too, Keep soaking daily for a while and try changing the diet, get some outside time if possible for UVB or artificial lighting. All the things everyone has suggested will help in the long run as well.
We soak it at least two to three times a week and we do spray mists thru out the day. The top does dry out but underneath is pretty damp.It does look a little dry and so does the substrate. Like Maggie suggested maybe spray down that mulch to keep it a little more damp and that's a beautiful turtle
Thank you so much. All advice is much appreciated.
She really is a beauty. I can't quit taking pictures of them all.It does look a little dry and so does the substrate. Like Maggie suggested maybe spray down that mulch to keep it a little more damp and that's a beautiful turtle
I will and thank you. Everyone had been so helpful.No problem, that's why I love this site. So many knowledgeable people and everyone can point out so many different things that will help. Stick around and show pictures and just enjoy this forum.
A vitamin A deficiency will also cause puffy eyes. It is highly unlikely that it is due to lack of artificial UVB lighting, especially since you have not had them that long. If you are soaking them and adding water to the substrate frequently, I doubt dryness is the issue.