Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Wow, are baby Loggerhead Musks that smallest hatchlings of any kind of turtles? I got mine today from Excell Exotics, it's about the size of a nickel. It was already baskign today on a moss pileup in one corner of it's ice cream bowl. I know that sounds bad, but it's really small and having it in a big enclosure, well, it just isn't worth it. I'm guessing in the wild they would eat small insects, the guy from E.E. fed it reptomin, what is the best thing to feed such a tiny turtle? It ignores worms.
Michael
Michael's Place

No, Loggerheads are not the smallest hatchlings. Most hatchlings are nickel or quarter size. I would feed it Repto-min if he will eat it. I would also try pinhead crickets (tiny crickets).
Chris
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Hey whats up, I'm Chris and I currently have 1.0 Softy, 0.0.1 Midland Painted, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

What about guppies?Or pieces of chicken and turkey? Is that worth trying?
Michael
Michael's Place

hello,

My adult loggerheads will basically eat anything that hits the water. A hatchling can be fed small crickets, guppies, reptomin, Mazuri, worms, or just about anything else it will take.

Also, I think striped muds have the tiniest hatchlings. They are SOOOOO small. I mean heck, my full grown adults are only 3.75" long.
J & S Herpetoculture

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Jeff H.
http://www.jandsherps.com

Still though, this little Musk Turtle is small, I'm gonna take a picture of it next to a nickel soon. I think it ate a piece of a worm earlier, I had my baby eastern box turtle chew up a worm and I stole one of the small pieces it dropped and put it in the bowl with the Musk. The turtle basks alot though, which is strange, I woke up today around 12 and it was basking on a pileup of moss, so I turned the UV light on. Nice little turtle though. Someone help me out here, this turtle was sold to me as a Loggerhead Musk, but from what I've read, Loggerheads have pink bellies, this one has an orangish color.
Michael
Michael's Place

Yeah Loggerhead Musks should have a orangishy plastron. I think you need to raise the water temp. if hes constantly basking. The water should be about 78-82 for hatchlings.
Chris
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Hey whats up, I'm Chris and I currently have 1.0 Softy, 0.0.1 Midland Painted, 1.0 Bearded Dragon

I don't know the temp. of the water, but it's pretty warm, I'll check it later.
Michael
Michael's Place

A really goo food for new hatchlings that are picky is live brine shrimp from an aquarium store. Just put a few in with it so the hatchling can see them and chase them down. Also, frozen blood worms and daphnia are good too.
As far is the plastron color is concerned it can vary. Even though some species are known to have colorful plastrons at hatching, the exact color is determined by the mother's diet while she was forming the egg.

n/p

In the wild the babies eat small snails and insects, the adults eat a lot of clams crushing them with their huge jaws. You can feed them any high protein turtle food also try feeding them sun dried shrimp. I tried giving my adults raw shell on shrimp, but they only nibble on them a little.

Mike? Excell Exotics? Lol, it's me, I just bought that turtle off of you. Well, the turtle is doing good, it ate 3 worms yesterday and some chipped ham. The temp. in the water is around 76, is that good?
Michael
Michael's Place

Hey cool I hope you like it. The water temp is fine between 75-85 degrees.