Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a year old eastern box turtle in a 50/50 habitat with a hatchling and yearling spotted turtles. My yearling box will go in the water and eat the aquatic turtle pellets. He will even swim under the water to take them off the bottom, and will eat them in the water.

Has anyone observed a box turtle eating in or under water? It doesn't scare me, happy its eating. But, it seems contrary to what many books say.

This is pretty common, but it seems to be on an individual basis. Even my young Gulf Coast box turtles, which are notorious for submerged foraging...some individuals do it, others just float and bob around clumsily.

Two of my Desert box turtles swim underwater...go figure!

I put rosies in the soaking dish of my female OBT. She chases them down and loves eating them. She will get her whole head under the water to catch them.
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0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
1.0.0 Yellow belly slider
0.1.0 Red belly cooter
0.1.0 Australian shepard
1.11.0 chickens
1.0.0 Dutch(rabbit)
3.2.0 children (do I still count the married ones?)
1.0.0 husband

My 3toe eats in water so often that I started feeding her in a basin. Easier for her to catch the nightcrawlers in water too, and easier clean up for me.