Reptile & Amphibian Forums

what kinds of food can be fed to a florida box turtle? and how should the cage be set up? thanks. this is for a friend.
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0.1.0 cranwells pacman- hannibal
0.0.1 firebelly toad- doodlebug
0.0.2 white's tree frog- popeye, jack
1.0.0 albino leopard gecko- reptar
0.1.0 southern painted turtle- ms.tortle
0.2.0 crested gecko- crimson, lucky
1.0.0 pinto hedgehog- dante
1.0.0 ball python- noah (kinda mine)

Florida Boxies need a pen as large as your can make it.

4x 8 ft. would be the smallest.

They like daily soaking, high humidity, and are more carnivorous than the other subspecies of boxies. Foods they like are roaches, worms, slugs, Romaine lettuce, almost any of the orange colored squashes, all melons especially cantaloupe, hard boiled eggs, crickets, pinkie mice, strawberries, blueberries, dandelions, especially the flower (be sure these are harvested in an area FREE of pesticides) Cooked chicken or turkey, bananas, Nutrifin dry turtle diet (moistened), blackberries, mealworms...(Both regular and superworms) and tomatoes for starters.

They easily accept and need additional ultrafine powdered calcium. You can set it in a small ceramic dish in one corner.

They need a hide to feel secure and be free from stress. Small hardy tall grasses are an added bonus for them.

They need a good source of sunlight or artificial light with a high amount of UVB light.

Milled peat moss makes a good substrate. Full grown they are the smallest of the boxies subspecies and like temps a bit warmer due to their southern range( 82 - 88).

*This will vary a few degrees with the meal they have just fed on and the individual Florida boxie.*
Let them choose from a cool spot to a warm area.

Ric

Hey, thanks Ric for the advice. I went out to feed my res today and after reading your post, decided to try giving the T.c.b. some of the cooked chicken/raw fish. He/she? literally jumped on a piece of fish. This one has only been willing to eat worms. I also gave shredded pumpkin, but it is still sitting there. If the toads don't carry it away tonight, then I will remove it.

thanks also for the advice on the book/parasite chart. I have just returned from a mainland trip, so have neglected to write and thank you for the advice. The local Ag dept said that there should not be a cross disease problem with the toads. Now after reading the book, I am not so sure and will attempt to keep them out.

I ordered a Worm Chalet. It will really beat trips out to the compost heap and digging through the muck for the worms. Anybody else use one of these?
aloha/p

Glad your boxie is eating. Some boxies will readily take to the squash; but I might have omitted to serve it to them after it's cooked and barely warm. With some it makes a big difference. With regards to the raw fish; it's a good idea to freeze the fish first for two weeks to eliminate many parasites. But yes, bauri's do love raw fish!
I'm not familar with a worm chalet. You'll have to tell us about it!

Glad your taking precautions with exposure to the toad. All too often bacteria have mutated with exposure to cross species.

Ric
Juvi T.c. bauri below

yes, the fish is frozen. I buy fresh, local caught, cut it up small and freeze. What would 2 weeks do? Is there a time limit on survival past freezing? Wow, hate for that to mutate with the dreaded bird flu. Worm Chalet is basically an upright, upscale food composter. I found it on the internet via google worms. It is for raising the red worm that feeds on above ground decaying plant (/food waste) matter, unlike the worms that inhabit the region below. Whew, all I know as yet. Will write next month after I read the instructions. thanks for the reply./p