Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We just received a baby box turtle sent as a gift from a relative, and the company that provided it isn't responding to e-mails asking for details about it's exact species. From several hours looking around the web, I think it's an eastern box turtle - am I correct? Here's a link to pics of the turtle and current housing setup.
http://www.jameswilkerson.net/gogo.htm
I've had him a week, but haven't been able to get him to eat a noticeable amount, a problem I understand is pretty common. (I have spent hours on the web researching turtle care, so I have at least a basic knowledge of requirements, but obviously am no expert.)
I have him in a 20-gallon tank (with all sides covered so he doesn't see out. Sufficient for now, but I know I'll need to get him more space later.) with a mix of reptile bark & peat moss as ground cover, about 2 inches thick. He enjoys borrowing in it. On one side of the terrarium I have a pool of water he spents a lot of time in, comes up to his head. That side of the tank is heated to about 85-90 degrees, and the other side - where I have a fake plant & hiding place - is about 75-80 degrees. The top of the cage is mesh, but I've been spraying declorinated water liberally 2 times a day.
I've tried feeding him a variety of items, in different areas of the cage - most recently, beneath the plant, which gives him a bit of privacy. I've fed him a blended mix of 50% cooked chicken, 30% mix of carrots, sweet potatoes and the 20% dandelion greens. He don't go for it. I tried freeze-dried crickets, nada. Strawberries, nada. banana: screw you buddy.
For lighting, I have 2 bulbs - one a heat/uv combination, which proved too hot, so I'm saving it for the New Jersey winter. The one I've been using for 3 days is a 60-watt uv bulb.
I'm about to shell out $35 for a florescent uv light to give him more natural light, unless one you tells me it's unnecessary. Tomorrow, I'm going to go to the local petstore and buy some box turtle food, as well.
I'm getting really worried that he hasn't eaten, any advice about that (or feedback on anything else I've written) much appreciated.
Link

he looks like an eastern... but they look a lot alike as babies as far as ive seen... have you tried live food at all? i just recently got a baby eastern (previous post) and after much coaxing.. ive gotten him to eat mealworms and phoenix worms.. he will only eat them with the lights out when he thinks im not looking... usually as hatchlings and into the first year they will mostly eat live food... juveniles are much more carnivorous than adults.. i read that they might not eat the first couple of weeks .. so i wouldnt worry too much if he doesnt.. but i would recommend trying the live food... you can get mealworms at most petstores.. phoenix worms are very new to the industry.. so you might have trouble finding them.. and they are expensive.. but supposed to be higher in calcium than any other live food.. so its very good for babies...

the flourescent light IS necessary... you want a 5.0 reptile light.. they need both uva and uvb rays to properly digest and metabolize calcium...

does he still have an eggtooth? from the first picture it looks like he does.. but its kind of blurry so its hard to tell... you can also look at his underside and see if there is still a soft spot in the middle from the yolk sac.. if he has that he is probably only a week or two old.. when they are young the most important thing is to keep them hydrated.. i have a bunch of sphagnum moss in mine, and eco earth instead of bark to keep it humid... he burrows underneath a piece of driftwood into the sphagnum most of the time...

there have been a bunch of posts about baby boxies .. if you have time, go through and read them.. i got a lot of good advice from people on here... hope some of this helps you! good luck with your new addition!
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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, chameleon treefrogs?, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, veiled chameleon, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, four cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.

Thanks for the prompt and very complete reply! I appreciate the answer, and understand most of it, but could use clarification on a couple of points.
>5.0 reptile light. Can you be more specific? I'm looking at a $35 florescent light that fits in an average fixture, but am more than willing to pick up one of the straight lights if that's better.
His lower shell is indeed soft in the middle, so he probably is not more than 2-3 weeks as you said. (at least 2 weeks, we received him 12 days ago.)
eggtooth - A white spot at the end of his beak? Yes, he still has one.
So, based on your input, I'm going to buy a better light tomorrow and some live food. When you say you feed when it's dark, do you mean at night or do you turn off the light? I've read that they generally want to eat mid-to-late morning, so I'm a little confused.
- James W.

ok... 5.0 light... you can buy reptile bulbs that have different spectrums.. you want the 5.0 or tropical version of this... if you look in the reptile department they usually carry flourescents in 2.0 or full spectrum, 5.0 or tropical and 8.0 for desert... ask an employee if you cant find it.. i put a link to the petsmart website .. it should take you to the light im talking about... this is just the bulb.. you will still need a fixture for it.. it should fit in a fish light strip though. the bulbs run from 20-39 dollars depending on the size and the brand.. i use the exoterra bulbs but reptisun is good also...

yes, the white spot on the end of his beak is his eggtooth.. im not sure how long they have this... but it definitely means he is young...

ive been feeding mine when i turn out the light at night.. i dont get up early .... but if you are up in the morning then im sure that would work too... i feed mine at night because they are more active and more likely to eat when they are warm.. i turn the heat lights off at night and let it get down to 74ish.. he still has an undertank heater, but half the time he doesnt sleep on it.. plus, mine is still shy and wont come out when the light is on... you might have good luck feeding him in the morning .. give it a shot... most of what ive done is trial and error.. and i know the same thing that works for me might not work for someone else... if he wont eat in the morning, try it at night... im willing to bet that if you put something that moves in front of him he will gobble it up, regardless of the time of day.. ..

let me know what works! and if you have any more questions, dont hesitate to ask...

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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, chameleon treefrogs?, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, veiled chameleon, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, four cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.

Thanks for the help! The mealworms did the trick, the turtle ate 3 of them while we were gone today, I'm going to give him some more tonight.

I have 12 box turtles and found my first baby last week. It still has it's egg tooth and is eating a meal worm every other day.

The first few days GoGo was eating 2-3 worms a day, must have been really hungry! Now, he's eating 1-2 every couple of days.
Hasn't touched any of the veggies, but from all of the posts I've reviewed that doesn't seem unusual. I'm checking around now for a dust or the Pheonix worms mentioned earlier, figure he needs a vitamin boost.

try putting a couple Rosy Reds (feeder fish) in there. Though no longer a hatchling, mine LOVES earthworms, slugs, feeder fish, and grapes. Other than that, turtle food. I have tried many things, and those are the ones that take no coaxing. She prefers to eat in the morning, and then hides the rest of the day. Hope that helps you out some. Good luck!
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Jenea

1:3 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

About feeder fish (and other live food, for that matter)...it's been my experience with hatchlings that they don't really go after food that is much larger that their own head (at least to start with).
Also, fish would require water that would be too deep for a small hatchling box turtle.
As the turtle grows, fish might well be a good food option.
Stephanie

The water I put the feeder fish in is about 1/4 inch deep. I ask for the really, really small fish when I am at the store. I know they get irritated with me at the store . I put the fish in, put the turtle in. If the fish are still there in an hour I take them out, rinse and give to my RES. Well, in theory that is what I would do, but so far the fish are always gone. Her water bowl has sloped sides, sometimes she nudges the fish out, and then eats them!! It may be for a hatchling, that the fish would need to be stunned....as I said previously, my girl is a little bigger.
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Jenea

1:3 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

im glad you got him eating! congratulations... now you just have to make sure he stays hydrated and he should be fine... oh and make sure he is getting calcium from somewhere.. since all i can get mine to eat at the moment is worms (and they dont keep dust on the very well) ive been putting a calcium supplement in his water... those phoenix worms are high in calcium, but i havent found info on exactly how much... im hoping he will start eating crickets soon.. good luck, keep us updated on the baby!
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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, chameleon treefrogs?, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, veiled chameleon, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, four cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.