Care Sheet for TurtlesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 0 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 01/03/2012 |
Main Category: | Aquatic/Land |
Sub Category: | Turtles |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Atlas 2010 |
Years Experience: | 5 to 10 Years |
Species: | Gulf Coast Box Turtle (Hatchling) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Eastern Box Turtle |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Hatchlings are very hard to sex; it is best to wait until they are around 3 inches long. Males will have longer tails and a vent positioned farther out than the plastaron. They will also sometimes have red eyes. Females usually have brown eyes.
Gulf coast box turtles are the largest f the American box turtles, reaching a carapace length of 8.5 inches. They inhabit the coastal regions of Texas and Louisiana. Due to their marshy climate, they will sometimes prefer wetter conditions than other box turtles. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Many substrates can be used; I use 2 inches of soil bought from my local hardware store (free of chemicals and fertilizers), with a light layer of sphagnum moss at the surface. Other substrates include coconut fiber, peat moss, and a sand-soil mixture (60% soil, 40% sand).
Provide water in a dish big enough for the turtle to completely soak in, but make sure they can easily poke their heads above the surface (Gulf Coast box turtles enter water more than other species). Change water daily, as turtles will regularly relieve themselves in the water dish. |
Lighting and UVB: | UVB is a must for proper shell development and calcium intake. I use a 5.0 UVB output tropical UVB bulb from Exo-Terra, but Zoo Med also works fine. Be sure to provide a day/ night cycle for the turtles. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Temperatures should remain in the 75-80 F range. At night, it can drop to the mid 60s. Never let it drop below 65 F. Humidity should range between 60-70%. The sphagnum moss really helps to achieve this, as well as daily mistings of the cage and soaking the soil. |
Heating and Equipment: | An undertank heating pad is a good option; keep in mind that box turtles like to dig through substrate, so even though the air temperature is cool, they are getting the heat they require. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to provide a 25 watt bulb to heat the air, as hatchlings greatly benefit this. Use a thermometer and humidity gauge to monitor temperatures and humidity levels. Be sure to provide a temperature gradient; do this by placing the heat pad and heating bulb on one end, and the water dish and UVB bulb on the other. |
Caging Provided: | A trio of hatchlings can be housed in a ten gallon cage; increase the size by ten gallons for every inch they grow. Be sure to provide a screen lid; this keeps unwanted pets out, and helps provide ventilation. Provide a hide at the cool end or in the middle of he cage; this can be provided with a log or rock cave. Live plants can be added to increase humidity, but make sure to keep them nice and watered. |
Diet: | Omnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Box turtles require a varied diet to stay healthy. As hatchlings, they can be picky eaters and are addicted to protein. It is essential to you continue urging him to eat both fruits and vegetables as well. Earthworms, mealworms, crickets, and waxworms can make up the protein portion of the meal. Carrots, squash, bell peppers, corn, green beans, sweet potatoes, and peas can make up the vegetable portion. Apples, strawberries, other berries, banana, grapes, kiwi, and melons provide him with fruits. Also be sure to add in greens to the mix, such as romaine lettuce, turnip greens, dandelion, clover, mustard greens, and spinach (spinach only in extremely small amounts). Feed hatchlings 50% protein, 20% finely grated vegetables, 10% finely grated greens, and 10% finely chopped or mashed fruits. Mix them all together so as to entice him to eat it all. Feed in a shallow food dish, and only as much as he will eat in 10 minutes. Remove any uneaten food. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Once a week sprinkle the meal with a fine calcium powder. Calcium with vitamin D3 is not required as they get all the D3 they need from the UVB lighting. Also once a week sprinkle the food with multivitamin powder (I recommend both supplements from Rep-Cal). |
Maintenance: | Be sure to change water daily, even if he hasn’t soiled it. Once a week, clean his bowls and all other accessories. Replace coconut fiber as directed on the bag, but replace soil and sphagnum moss every six months. Also every six months disinfect the cage and other accessories (I recommend Zoo Med Wipe Out 1 and 2). Watch out for parasites and mites that may be crawling around in the soil. |
Some Words on this Species: | Gulf Coast box turtles are great pets-but not the best beginner reptiles. They require a large amount of space, and that, combined with the requirement of a high varied diet, is something some people cannot supply. When choosing a box turtle, be sure that you are ready to provide it with a large cage, or maybe even an outdoor pen, and that you are willing to become a mini-chef to prepare the meals. If you meet those requirements, then good luck and have fun keeping these amazing herps! |
How Members Rated
This Care Sheet | Rate This Care Sheet
Please keep all comments constructive to Gulf Coast Box Turtle (Hatchling) husbandry methods and care. Any degrading, sarcastic, or disrespectful comments will be removed. |
Total Members Rating: 0
| 1 |  ( 0 ) |
| 2 |  ( 0 ) |
| 3 | ( 0 ) |
| 4 | ( 0 ) |
| 5 | ( 0 ) |
|
|
