Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yurtle, One of my two baby easterns (approx. 3 months old) is sleeping a lot, not waking easily 2 out of 3 days & has only eaten 3/4 of a red worm in 3 days (she ate it yesterday). She snapped at a worm today & nipped it, but then didn't go on to eat it.

She is in the same enclosure w/ the other, they generally stay on opposite sides. She hangs out on the cool side. The other, Squirtle, continues to eat daily, to come out in the morning for food when the lights come on, etc.

Is Yurtle just slowing down for winter, or should I be worried? I'm a little worried...

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Robins Critters
1.0 Corn snakes Jack Skellington
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
1.3 Leopard Geckos Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 Crested Geckos Peek & Boo
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo
0.0.2 Eastern Box Turtles Squirtle & Yurtle
0.1 Pacman Frog Buffy the Cricket Slayer
0.0.1 Sulawesi Red Toad Mr. Toad
0.2 Tiger Salamanders Tiger & Sally
1.1.3 Firebelly Newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Olivia Newton John & Thandie Newton
1.1 Cats Gus & Mena

Ahh what a cute picture! I'd be worried too but before you get too worried & rush off to the vet try this:
Try feeding the baby in a place all by herself. It could be that Yurtle feels intimadated by the other one & is afraid to eat. This happens with turtles & other reptiles, one is "in charge" of the habitat, the other is fearful then stops eating.
My boxies are all adults but I feed them by themselves. They each get a bath in tepid water by themselves & when the bath is over they'll be fed.
They get along with one another in the same enclosure but not when it comes to food.
Good luck! I hope it works but if not, then I'd think about seeing a vet. Let us know what happens please!
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PHRatz

Thank you. Is this the case even if they're eating out of sight of each other? Yurtle is being fed clear across the habitat from Squirtle w/ visual barriers between them...
I'm also concerned about what appears to be boughts of lethargy, in that Yurtle isn't always waking up & reacting quickly when I wake her up. Although today she woke up right away. Could this be seasonal even though Squirtle isn't doing the same thing?
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Robins Critters
1.0 Corn snakes Jack Skellington
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
1.3 Leopard Geckos Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 Crested Geckos Peek & Boo
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo
0.0.2 Eastern Box Turtles Squirtle & Yurtle
0.1 Pacman Frog Buffy the Cricket Slayer
0.0.1 Sulawesi Red Toad Mr. Toad
0.2 Tiger Salamanders Tiger & Sally
1.1.3 Firebelly Newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Olivia Newton John & Thandie Newton
1.1 Cats Gus & Mena

Yes it could be a seasonal thing but I wouldn't just chalk it up to that because you haven't had them for very long.
I know they are babies so I'd be a little more concerned about lethargy in a tiny baby simply because they are babies & babies are so fragile compared to adults.
Even though they can't see one another when they're fed I think I'd still try feeding somewhere else at least once just to see if it worked or not. Mine tend to really want to eat as soon as their bath is over with, maybe a little baby would feel the same way? You mentioned too that this one is staying on the cool side, so I wonder is the baby not staying warm enough to stay awake?
As a comparison..
With the injured Chip I was worried about his lethargy & difficulty waking up last week but he was on medication so I didn't worry too much yet.
Then we stopped the meds when he started feeling better now I've noticed that when I go in to check on him in the early AM his eyes are open & he's ready for a bath.
He was a wild animal 2 weeks ago so he knows it's time to go underground to sleep for months. Our other male Hobo has done that, he's gone for good until next spring but since Chip's being kept warm he doesn't seem to be thinking about hibernation anymore. SO that does make me wonder if your baby is staying on the cool side too much.
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PHRatz

Thank you. I will try feeding her out of the habitat tomorrow. I will also move the cool side shelter she's under over to the warm side, which would give each of them a seperate warm side hide & see if that helps. Yurtle used to hang out on the warm side & has only been on the cool side for the last week or less, so that could easily be it.
Thanks, I'll keep you updated.
Here's her tank mate, Squirtle.

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Robins Critters
1.0 Corn snakes Jack Skellington
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
1.3 Leopard Geckos Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 Crested Geckos Peek & Boo
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo
0.0.2 Eastern Box Turtles Squirtle & Yurtle
0.1 Pacman Frog Buffy the Cricket Slayer
0.0.1 Sulawesi Red Toad Mr. Toad
0.2 Tiger Salamanders Tiger & Sally
1.1.3 Firebelly Newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Olivia Newton John & Thandie Newton
1.1 Cats Gus & Mena

Ahhhhhhhhh Squirtle is just as cute!
Let us know if anything you are going to try works or not.
I hate to not hear the end of a story LOL!
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PHRatz

I tried it this morning. I set each of them up in their own shoebox w/ water & a "feeding platform" (a 6" tile) w/ a worm on it. Yurtle wasn't interested in the worm, too busy exploring. Squirtle ate 3/4 of hers. I like this method, though & think it will work well once they get used to it. I'm gonna keep trying it like that. Yurtle's a bit perkier today, so I'm not as worried.
I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much for the help & compliments on my babies!
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Robins Critters
1.0 Corn snakes Jack Skellington
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
1.3 Leopard Geckos Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 Crested Geckos Peek & Boo
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo
0.0.2 Eastern Box Turtles Squirtle & Yurtle
0.1 Pacman Frog Buffy the Cricket Slayer
0.0.1 Sulawesi Red Toad Mr. Toad
0.2 Tiger Salamanders Tiger & Sally
1.1.3 Firebelly Newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Olivia Newton John & Thandie Newton
1.1 Cats Gus & Mena

YAY glad it seems to have helped so far.
For me it is really easier to just feed everyone by themselves, then I don't have to worry about who ate & who didn't.
The main problem I have with them on feeding though is that not everyone wants to eat the same thing, everybody will eat what I serve except it never fails ONE of them wants to be picky & make me have to work at finding something different for that one to eat. It's never the same one being picky either, so I never know who's going to be the brat that day! lol
Gotta love 'em though, they are too much fun to keep for me to get upset over it.
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PHRatz