Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got my daughter a box turtle last month for her B-Day.It is indoors where it is warm.The problem is for the last couple of weeks it has had it's eyes shut.It still moves around but it won't eat and it never opens it's eyes.PLease help! What are we doing wrong?

There could be a number of problems, especially if the animal was wild caught (which most adult box turtles sold at pet stores are). Some never adjust to captivity.

You did not mention what type of turtle you have. Different box turtles require different levels of humidity. Box turtles can get eye and ear infections when not kept humid enough. In the wintertime forced air, which is often used to heat homes, removes humidity from the environment.

You also did not mention what you were feeding the turtle. The reptile could be suffering from a vitamin deficency. In addition, to stay healthy, box turtles need exposure to UV light.

If it is a wild caught animal, it probably is carrying parasites.

At any rate, you should get your turtle to a vet and review your husbandry practices against current literature, such as "Keeping and Breeding Freshwater Turtles" by Russ Gurley.

Good luck!

Tim

Third Eye

While box turtles are considered to be semi-aquatic turtles, their husbandry requirements are quite different from that of freshwater turtles.
Here is a link to box turtle specific information that can get you started:
Link