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 #2068109


Lex123
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 New Box Turtle Owner Needs Help

I just got a Boxie that is about 3 inches long. Do Box Turtles like fish? I have it in a 2’ x3’ foot outdoor enclosure. Is that an alright size until he gets bigger? I have fed him a cherry tomatoe, and he seemed to really like it. Can they eat mealworms? Are Pine shavings alright for substrate? What is the lowest temperature can they stand?



09/05/09  05:39pm

 #2068145


Bearded_dragon_0
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   Message To: Lex123   In reference to Message Id: 2068109


 New Box Turtle Owner Needs Help

That space should be fine. Don’t feed tomates. Try some greens. NOT pine or cedar. Bed a beast and mulch is what I use. Under 60 is in the dangerous zone.
09/05/09  07:33pm

 #2068182


Reptilefreak23
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   Message To: Bearded_dragon_0   In reference to Message Id: 2068145


 New Box Turtle Owner Needs Help

Bed-a-beast, potting soil, coco fiber, all good. You need to do some serious research on proper box turtle diet.
09/05/09  09:31pm

 #2068381


Gottee guy
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   Message To: Reptilefreak23   In reference to Message Id: 2068182


 New Box Turtle Owner Needs Help

If your box turtle is only 3 inches long, then I am guessing s/he will refuse most greens (if it’s a southeastern box turtle species). At this age, about 60% or more of its diet is proteins and meaty foods. When it grows older, the box turtle will grow less picky about what it eats and will take vegetables and fruits more readily.
Crickets, snails, earthworms, mealworms, hornworms, pheonix worms, silkworms, berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries), mango, rosy red minnows, guppies, etc. are some foods she will probably take with ease. Collared greens, all parts of the prickly pear cactus (except thorns), turnip greens, dandelion greens, parsnips, squash, and other vegetables she may not like until older, even though the ones above are healthy (again, this is just for the southeastern species such as the eastern, florida and gulf coast box turtles). Still, try these vegetables too. If it eats them, than that’s good. I have only had one gulf coast box turtle that has eaten collared greens before.
Ornate and desert box turtles will usually eat more greens than the southeastern box turtle species.

For any box turtle substrate, wood chip beddings are not reccomended (like aspen, reptibark, and ABSOLUTELY no pine or cedar). Wood chips are hard to burrow in and cedar and pine are toxic.

BedaBeast and organic potting soil are what I would reccomend. You can even mix the soil with play sand for better burrows.
That size cage is ok for now, but it will need a larger cage when it gets larger.
09/06/09  12:20pm

 #2069336


Heatseeker
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   Message To: Gottee guy   In reference to Message Id: 2068381


 New Box Turtle Owner Needs Help

Yep cedar and pine bedding are bad for all reptiles so remove all of that. Here are some good sites to get some info off of. Congrats on your new turtle! If you could post some pics that would be great :)


aboxturtle.com
www.boxturtlesite.info
http://www.turtlepuddle.org/american/boxcare.html



09/08/09  02:31pm

 #2069346


Mikeornata
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   Message To: Heatseeker   In reference to Message Id: 2069336


 New Box Turtle Owner Needs Help

I dont understand why tomatoes are bad. Box turtles love them! I have always fed mind tomatoes. Even most zoos feed their box turtles tomatoes. I had no idea.
Here is a novel idea for substrate. Hows about dirt and grass!!!!! Seems pretty obvious to me. Is that not what you normally find in the wild?



09/08/09  03:29pm

 #2069533


Heatseeker
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   Message To: Mikeornata   In reference to Message Id: 2069346


 New Box Turtle Owner Needs Help

Yes if its outside the good old dirt and grass would be great :) As far as tomatoes, you can feed them every now and then but not alot, as with any fruit - their main diet should be leafy greens/grasses/weeds and animal proteins. Its good to have a wide variety though.
09/08/09  08:16pm

 #2069757


Mikeornata
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   Message To: Heatseeker   In reference to Message Id: 2069533


 New Box Turtle Owner Needs Help

Agreed!



09/09/09  09:45am


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