Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a very young (less than 1 yr) ornate box turtle. Recently her coordination seems to have been affected- she still wants to feed, but consistantly misses the worms when she strikes. She always seems to be striking too high and from too far back by a significant distance. When I try and hand-feed her, she backs up until she is out of range, and then strikes in the air. With a lot of coaxing and patience I have been able to hand feed her enough food that starvation is not an immediate concern, but I’m not sure what the underlying problem could be.

She has fed normally for the few months that I have had her, so this is new behavior. I’m concerned that it could be an infection, so this weekend I plan on emptying and scrubbing her enclosure, moving her to a temporary sterile container, giving her a good cleaning, and putting her on a broad spectrum antibiotic. However, she is not showing any outwards signs of illness. Her appetite is still very good and her skin, shell, and eyes are all clear and healthy looking. She is still moving around OK and reacts when I move to pick her up. I can only assume that this is either a visual problem or a neurological one, so I am hoping for the former rather than the latter!

The turtle lives by herself in an indoor terrarium with the usual lighting and under-substrate heating. Everything is on a timer or thermostat, and water/humidity levels are maintained by an automatic pump, so I don’t think her housing is the source of the problem. I alternate between three supplements, so I would be surprised if there was any sort of vitamin deficiency. She normally eats home-grown red wrigglers, roach nymphs, crickets, and mealworms. She doesn’t show much interest in vegetable matter, although from what I know this is typical for an ornate.

If anybody has experience with a similar affliction or has any insight into what could have cause this, your input would be appreciated!

I don't know that what you are describing means
anything is wrong.

I've raised alot of babies and I have seen this
periodically. It almost seems like its a result
of being overexcited about the food.

It seems to be a transient thing and they go on
to be fine.

For now, I would just make sure your baby is getting
food and watch for any other symptoms.

Well that's a relief to hear. I haven't seen any other symptoms, so hopefully you're correct.

Well, watch for any other coordiation problems
AWAY from feeding, but if its just around feeding,
it may just be overexcitement.

When I have one get that way, I'll hold him, hold
the mealworm close and shove it in his mouth as he
goes for it.

I know I've never had to do this long term with any
one turtle.

Keep us posted!

Are you seeing the turtle's head lean to one side?
Generally if an animal has an infection causing loss of coordination you'll see it's head lean to one side, you might see signs of respiratory infection such as neck stretching and gaping.
Have you had the turtle tested for parasites? Sometimes parasites will cause neurological symptoms.

It could be nutritional too but if you're dusting the food a couple of times a week that shouldn't be the problem.

I wonder if as Lisa said it's not out of the ordinary..that's possible too.
If it keeps happening and you see other signs of illness then it'd probably be better to see a vet.
-----
PHRatz

Just wanted to weigh in one more consideration, how much UV light and how close to the turtle, too much, too close is harmful to eyes and could have negative effect on vision, and thus depth perception. Just checking.

The light is about 18" away. It's a standard 18" full spectrum flourescent bulb for reptiles, and it's on for about 10 hours per day.

That should be perfect, the lightings (UV) not the problem. I will say that my box turtles became much more coordinated as they grew up, so maybe it's just a baby thing. Stick the food in front of their face to make feeding easier on them, or make them work for it and they will be working on fine tuning their distance judging and coordination. I'm not sure you have an infection to worry about as long as they are still eating, the way I remember it, when they are little they miss about 50% of their strike attempts and just get better and more accurate with age and practice.

I have raised boxies for 20 years with hundreds of hatchlings and if your boxie is almost a year; it should be nailing it's food with 95 % accuracy.

It concerns me that your Ornate was able to feed without this problem; and it has suddenly occured.

The tip regarding lighting would have been my first concern but that seems to have been answered.

Know that in the wild a boxie missing food often would not make it with the competition.

I need to ask. It your boxies shell well formed? Does it have any curling at the back end? Are there any other abnormalities that you can see with the shell?
Does your boxie have a slight shakiness to his movement or head? Does he do better feeding in shallow water? Are his eyes cloudy or bright and clear? How old is your boxie to the best of your knowledge? Can you add to the list of the foods that he/ she is most commonly fed?

I would not rule out a neurological problems until more information is acquired.
And as previously, stated parasitic overload can cause this problem.

Sometimes a boxie if they are excited will bite the tweezers that is holding the worm; but if the worm is put down; he should have no problem nailing it.

They naturally focus on movement that entices them to strike.

Remember it's always your prerogative to have him checked with a GOOD Rep Vet.

Ric