Where I live, I see adult box turtles often. But most of them are injured or sick due to habitat loss. I hardly see any babies. I did catch and release one juvenille this spring. But the box turtles here in this area aren't usually in the best shape. So, recently, I found a tiny, tiny baby eastern box turtle that looked as though she (I'm pretty sure it's a girl) had just absorbed her yoke sac. She was sitting in my driveway, looking as though she was waiting for a car to roll over her. I rescued her and she was very dehydrated. When I first saw her, I thought she was dead. I looked around but couldn't find a nest of any more babies. So, I set her up a little cage in my room. That same week I had found three more box turtles that were males and were adults. One had a serious abcess on his neck and an eye infection. Another looked as though he had been chewed up by a dog (which he probably had) and the seemed ok but was still young. There will be a vet visit in my future. I plan to release these guys in a more...safe place. But I really want to keep the little baby girl. She is so small that I have to make sure she gets water every day or she starts to dry up. She's less than an inch long. I've set her in in a little Rubbermaid container and I've put some commercial box turtle food in there along with some crickets and some veggies. She likes crickets best. I think I'll buy her some worms soon. I have a weak heat light by her cage so she gets some heat but I don't want to fry her because she can hardly fend for herself. She hides alot too. But she becomes friendly when I occasionally hold her. I really have become atatched and I'd like to raise her so does any body have any care tips for me? Cage wise? Food wise? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you sooooo much!!!! = )
J.L.
