Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When kept in a warm environment indoors how long after absorbing their yolk sack do hatchlings typically start feeding? Any suggestion as to what is best as a first offering? I have worms, very small crickets, and Wardleys Reptile Sticks.

Thanks

Jim Godfrey

I use live blackworms that I get from a tropical fish store. They're tiny and wiggly and they can't resist them. Some of mine started eating them withing 3-5 days after hatching, all of them within a week. They're also eating soaked Reptomin. You can use earthworms if you chop them up into small pieces. Most of mine will pick the worms right off the soil, but I have one hatchling that has some kind of vision problem that has to do with not being able to see things against a similar color background. He'll walk around right in the middle of a pile of blackworms sitting on the black soil. He'll stick his nose right up to them and dig at them, but you can tell he just can't see them. I put the worms on a white plastic lid and he immediately pounced on them and started eating. The motion is what gets their attention, so live food is better in the beginning. Good luck.

Confrats on the baby turtles. Depending if you incubated the eggs or found the turtles in an outdoor pen. You never eally know how long a turtle's been hatched outside and they could very well be hungry when you find then havong absored their yolk sacs weeks ago and are now ready to eat. Other very newly hatched turtles may takes several weeks before they are hungry. No need to fret over it as long as you offer palatable food to them at least once every other day. If they are at the right temps and moisture levels, they will begin to eat when hungry-usually a few weeks after their yolks sac has been completely absorbed.

I have had luck feeding the babies a first meals of small earthworms, pill bugs (isopods) or Reptile-TEN food sticks. Within a few months I usually have them eating small pieces of fruites and leaf lettuce. I would give them whatever you have on hand that is good for turtles and see what they will eat. You'll be surprised how early they will begin to eat things other than bugs if given the chance. Of course they must not be over fed on insects or they will never be willing to try other foods.
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Tess Cook
www.boxturtlesite.info