Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know about caring for older active hatchlings but this is the first time I've hatched out eggs myself. I have 5 newly hatched babies from a car hit mama that I was rehabbing. She laid eggs before she died back in May. Four babies are doing great. One is smaller and softer and weaker. His eyes aren't open. He has no yolk sac but you can see where it was. I have him in an 86 degree room in a container with a couple layers of wet paper towels. He's too weak to go into water. Do I need to be doing something else for him? Is this normal? Will he be more active in a couple days?

Some hatchlings there is nothing you can do for, he probably won't live very long. It sounds like you are doing what you can, but when they start off weak they don't usually turn around. Good luck with the other ones.
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There was a neglected hatchling I adopted that sounds a lot like yours. He was very small, and he slept constantly. His shell almost felt like paper.

I put him under a very warm light in a small tupperware container with just enough water in there to keep him wet. I also had an adhesive heater on the bottom of the bowl. He wouldn't eat turtle pellets at all. I don't think he knew how. I still floated pellets in the water knowing that he would drink the water and ingest some of the dissolving pellet. How I got him to eat: I found the smallest fish I could (turned out to be guppies; I got lucky and showed up at the pet store right when one gave birth). The fish were about the size of a pencil lead. I put a couple in there, hoping that the movement would stimulate him to eat. Next time I came back, I saw that he'd taken one bite out of the center of the fish. And that's all it took. He started eating more right away and recovered enough to be put in with my bigger turtle within two weeks.

I also stimulated him enough to wake up and move around a bit a few times during the day.

So, I guess all I can recommend is warmth, a small amount of standing water (small enough that there's no threat of him tipping over and not being able to right himself), and encouragement to feed.

If I think if more, I'll post.

Devin

Your suggestions sound good. I have some feeder platies with babies. I don't know if he's strong enough to eat but I'll try a tiny baby with him. thanks for the info.

N/P

Thanks for asking. Tuesday he was looking miserable in the container with only a little bit of water so I figured I had nothing to lose if I tried him in a little deeper water. He didn't seem interested in any live food I put in there. I put about 1 1/4 inches of water in the container with some rocks and small plants and watched him. He seemed to perk up and swam and looked strong enough to stay in the container like that. He's strong enought to climb the rocks a little. I noticed when I added the plants (from outside in a tiny garden pond I have) that they brought some tiny organisms with them. Tiny shrimp-like looking things. They kinda added some movement and he seemed more perky. Can't tell if he has eaten yet but he looks better and happier. I think he may make it. In a few days if he continues to be perky, I'm going to put him back with his clutch mates. I think this story is going to have a happy ending.

Just wanted to say that all the baby sliders are doing great. A couple days ago I put the littlest one back in with his clutchmates. they are all active and happy. The little one's shell has hardened some too. They must be eating too because I see droppings. I put pieces of tiny earthworms and turtles pellets in there and I've noticed the plants are in pieces so I think they are munching the plants too. During the day they are outside in a wire covered wading pool with rocks and plants. The water stays about 85 degrees. Our days are still very warm. I bring them in before dusk. I think maybe I was just being a worry wart cause I've never had newly hatched RES's before and didn't know what to expect. The babies I've gotten before were always a few weeks old. They are such cute little boogers. Thanks for the suggestions.

That is so very cool! I'm so happy your baby recovered.

Best of luck to you and your turtles

Devin