Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went out to see that one of my three toeds juvies to be up the trashcan of leaves all my juvie boxes are hibernating in. I found that is had a pus in its eyes. Right now it's soaking and already has one eye open.

What is the problem here, any thought? They are all being kept in a trash can full of leaves with a water bowl on top. They are kept outside or in the garage (I'm in Houston so would be in garage if it were 30 outside, outside if it's a cooler winter day, but lately have been in garage as that is cooler than outside). I have hiberated these same turtles the same way last year without a single problem.

Is is possible that the milder temps has them in a semi hiberation/semi active state that's making them run into problems? Should I take all the others out of hibernation and set them up until they can go back outside?

Thanks for the help.

I'd leave them alone. There's nothing unusual about them moving around on warmer days. They'll dig in or out, according to what the ambient temperature is, until it warms up consistently. When they come out of hibernation, a lot of times they have goo stuck in their eyes because they haven't opened them in months. Mine always have puffy eyes when they emerge. After they soak a bit the stuff will rub off there eyes and they should be fine.

Thanks. It was soaked some more today and now both eyes are open. Another turtle came up today and was perfectly fine with no discharge at all. Thanks for the advice. If anyone else would like to shine light on the situation I'd love to hear from you.

Ditto to mj's experience with puffy eyes sometimes that quickly go away, and I don't have anything to add, but was just curious- what time of the calendar year did they come up for good last year in Houston? I would guess that now or in the next couple weeks may be the normal time for that far south? Heck mine will be up in a month or so and I'm halfway to the north pole from you, granted they are not really fully active untill the warm temps become more stabilized sometime in May.
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Jeff Benfer
1.0 cinnamon pastel Python regius
1.1 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.3 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.3 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
2.0 66% het snow Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 butter p.h. stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 carmel stripe p.h. amel Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 amelanistic p.h. carmel,stripe Pantherophis guttatus

Thanks for sharing the wisdom. I can't put my finger on when the turtles were up for good, it is suprisingly later than you'd expect. I want to say they are gone from about late Oct/Nov until late March to April.

>>Thanks. It was soaked some more today and now both eyes are open. Another turtle came up today and was perfectly fine with no discharge at all. Thanks for the advice. If anyone else would like to shine light on the situation I'd love to hear from you.

My turtles are all from Houston (I don't live there now), but I know the situation. Mine would NOT come out with gunky eyes however, so there is something wrong with your set up. Are the leaves dry? In the wild they would have moisture in the ground. Instead of leaves-try a combo of leaves and moist orchid moss. It is important to mimic natural conditions when caring for box turtles-especially ones that are wild caught. Tess
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Tess Cook
www.boxturtlesite.info