Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I have a question regarding feeding for young (~4 month) Eastern Box Turtles. I have four EBTs that are currently housed in a divided enclosure (so that each turtle has its own section and each section is physically identical). All four feed every other day and eat quite well. The largest, however, has skipped the last few feedings and I am now wondering if I am to expect such anomalies from time to time. Do most turtles feed regularly or are there times when feeding is erratic? As mentioned, all turtles are housed identically so if husbandry was a problem then I would expect the other three to behave similarly. I especially took notice of this when the turtle failed to eat his/her Red Wiggler the other day.
Any input would be much appreciated.
Thanks!

I can't answer specifically because I have my first hatchling box right now too but I'm sure Steph, Ric, Ken someone will come along soon & do that.

I can tell you this though, I raised my western painted & yellow mud from hatchlings.. neither of them have ever skipped several meals in a row except for a couple of times with the mud.
Both times he did that he was ill. Once it was a urinary stone problem, another time it was parasites. He was treated for both, did just fine both times & still to this day at the age of 10 years, he won't refuse a meal. I know now that when he does, I need to find out why.
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PHRatz

Yes, feeding can be erratic, especially with the youngsters. I have had this happen to me, too. Each turtle is an individual, and even though each turtle is housed in identical conditions, there will be variations.
A question or two:
Can the hatchlings see eachother? Sometimes a young turtle will stop eating if it has an 'audience'. Others might eat more enthusiastically if they have competition.
Has the turtle in question been eliminating waste as usual? Sometimes they won't eat for a while until they've had a passed the remains of previous meals and any bits of substrate they've ingested.
I really wouldn't be alarmed at this point: they can go quite a long time without eating

Thanks, Steph.
That's what I figured. This is the largest hatchling so he/she is pretty healthy looking. I figured since he/she was the only one not currently eating, then it is just an individual quirk.
The dividers and sides of the enclosure are opaque. The turtles don't ever get to see each other and the enclosure is in an area with zero foot traffic (also, they are fed in individual containers). Yes, the turtle has been eliminating waste just fine prior to this small hunger strike.
Thanks again for your input.

While I haven't raised many baby boxes the ones i did demonstrated that kind of behavior from time to time. I find boxies and babies to be finicky at times. One month they will love worms the next they won't. Sometimes with hatchlings if the worm isn't moving enough they won't show interest. Also if you are taking the hatchling out of the cage to feed in a different spot this may cause him to be less likely to eat. Sometimes the turtle becomes less comfortable eating in a different spot.

"Also if you are taking the hatchling out of the cage to feed in a different spot this may cause him to be less likely to eat. Sometimes the turtle becomes less comfortable eating in a different spot."

Not true with my baby 3-toed: I dig him out of the Sphagnum and put him in the bottom of the bucket with the sides cut off enough so there is just enough of the sides left that he (usually) can't get out. I place the bottom of the bucket with the turtle and the food back in the tank, though, so he still has heat and UV.

It's common for feeding to vary...regardless of age. There's little cause for concern unless you start to notice other symptoms, as Steph mentioned. One common cause for hatchling anorexia after months of eating with vigor is impaction.

One other thing to consider...check the temperatures in your enclosures. There could be a slight difference based on the proximity to HVAC vents, windows, etc. That's one thing that I've had an issue with in the past. I had a slight temperature drop in a tank closest to a window that only occured at night. The lower nightly temperatures were enough to cause a young Western Pond turtle to go off of feeding while the others still chowed like champs.

Good luck. You know, maybe it's not such a bad thing for the clutch-mates to have a little time to catch up.

..

Well you have received excellent advice. I agree with all of the feedback. While I have raised many boxies from hatchling to adult; feeding young boxes ( four months old) can be inconsistent. In addition to varying temperatures, and competition and intimidation from other siblings( which may not apply in your situation with individual housing); there may be a variant in your red wigglers. All worms have the potential to carry parasites. But let's put that aside for now and consider more common reasons for your boxie's symptoms. Some worms may have more grit in their crop that if fed solely to boxes can cause some impaction. Also it's possible that one boxie may have ingested some substrate material along with the last few wigglers he fed on. It's prudent to give the boxie in question a few two hour soaks in warm water (88-90 degrees F.)

I would encourage you to vary their feeds along with the warm water soaks and see if that improves the appetite of the boxie off feed. After the first soaking, try feeding some cooked orange squash or slightly mashed banana to help expel possible intestinal contents. Also increase UVB lighting if possible, as along with D3 synthesis; it's an appetite stimulant.

Keep us posted of your boxie's condition.

Ric K.