Reptile & Amphibian Forums

and... and am I keeping him/her correctly? When I first posted late last fall, I was told that hatchling turtles are "very active". I also read here a few days ago how one person put in pin crickets and hatchling or yearling chases him down in the enclosure.

Well, my little turtle has been eat well lately (about 5 calcium dusted wax worms every other day), but is NOT very active. I dig the little fella out of the Sphagnum, feed him/her, and after eating, I place the turtle in the water dish... and within 5 minutes or so the little fella has dug him/herself into the Sphagnum (sometime position the head to that he/she has eyes exposed to see around the room where the 20 L tank in which he/she lives is located; other times I don't see the head at all, but do see the carapace; and other times I can't see the turtle at all).

But Ken said they are "very" active when I first posted last November or December - and mine clearly isn't. That other person said his/her little one chases crickets around, but I doubth my little fella would leave his burial spot to look for food.

Is he/she really very healthy? For a while, the turtle ate very little, but over the last week and a half or two weeks, he/she has eaten a lot - so that suggests good health. And with all the Sphagnum, the crickets would probably soon get lost, and the little turtle would probably not find them, even if he/she WOULD dig out of the Sphagnum and walk around on it.

I tried to search the archives for what was said, but it does not appear to be working.

Rouen posted a great video of a Three Toed box turtle hatchling chasing prey. It shows how active a hatchling can be when it chooses. Healthy little ones(especially after the first few months) should vigorously chase prey, struggle to free themselves from your grasp, and even clamber to or from you (depending on whether or not you are offering food). This is probably what I was referring to when saying that they are very active.

Having said that, it is not unusual for young box turtles to hide most of the time. Some individuals are more shy than others. It is not abnormal for a young box turtle with a satiated appetite to hide.

Can you post a picture of the turtle? Does it have access to UVA/UVB lighting? What are the ambient temperature and humidity in the enclosure? Is it getting any dietary supplementation besides calcium?

It is very important to vary the diet of box turtles as much as possible. I love waxworms, but I regularly feed 5 other insects to my babies. Sporadically, I offer at least a dozen other items.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

"Having said that, it is not unusual for young box turtles to hide most of the time. Some individuals are more shy than others. It is not abnormal for a young box turtle with a satiated appetite to hide.

"Can you post a picture of the turtle? Does it have access to UVA/UVB lighting? What are the ambient temperature and humidity in the enclosure? Is it getting any dietary supplementation besides calcium?

"It is very important to vary the diet of box turtles as much as possible. I love waxworms, but I regularly feed 5 other insects to my babies. Sporadically, I offer at least a dozen other items."

"Hope this helps. Good luck."

No pics, but to me the little turtle looks very healthy - growing fast, no pyamiding.

For a while the turtle would eat very little, and that's when I switched, just on a whim, to feed him/her on the bottom of a coffee can with shallow water. The turtle seems more attracted to them when they are floating or partly suspended in water. Calcium powder stays on pretty well in water, but the multi-vitamin/mineral does not, hence I have only supplemented with calcium. I will try to feed this little guy without water next time and see how it goes.

The turtle does not get much variety.... the little fella stopped eating earthworms, and mealworms don't attract the turtle much either since they move around so little.

As for the descriptor "active" - once I tried to feed the little guy some inverts I got from my dad's back yard, and tried to chaxe them at first but quickly gave up.

Well, fed the little turtle without water, and with wax worms dusted with multi-vitamin/mineral powder, and he/she ate plenty - no longer need water during feeding time it seems.

Oh, there is good UVA/UVB available 14 hours per day... I think just enough gets through the Sphagnum to the little fella, considring the shell seems to be forming correctly.

was wondering why you asked for a photo? just curious b/c I think I said the little turtle was eating a lot... well, I just realized while sitting here eating a lot does not necessarily mean defecating as the little turtle ought to (I remember you said ill health could be from too little movement in the digestive tracts, and shell defects correlate with that [and this turtle seems to have a very nice shell]).... well, to be honest, I don't know how much the turtle defecates - I used to see him/her go to the water dish to do it, but have not seen that in a long time... I've just assumed the turtle defecates in Sphagnum these days, but have no evidence either way.

enough rambling... does the fact that the little turtle usually eats well mean the digestive system is working just fine? or could he/she be eating and not defecating.... sounds unlikely to me.