Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 2 hatchlings that I found out in my outside pen back around Nov 10th or so. I cannot get them to eat. I have them in a 10 gallon with good substrate keeping them moist they have plenty of light but when it comes to eating no luck. I have tried cut up earthworms and also reptomin. Its what I have done in the past and it has worked because I have a group of 11 from the previous 2 yrs that are doing great. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I cant see how they will survive much longer without eating something.

blend their food in the blender. get a syringe and a cake mixer thats like a big spoon but rubber and gently pry open their mouths and push a little in remember to add water when you blend.
another thing a ten gallon will not work get a big rubbermaid container about 6 or 7 inches high and place a heat lamp 60 to 70 watt heat bulb you can buy at petco and a uvb light with 5 uvbs also at petco hope this helps i have a baby box turtle and i the vet told me to do what i just told you to do

This isn't a great technique for hatchlings as they are so small.

Try cut up hot dogs or cut up lunchmeat or strawberries they love that

I sincerely hope that you're joking about hot dogs and lunch meats because those are really NOT good for turtles. Or humans for that matter.

Also try banannas they cant resist them mashed for hatchlings

Hatchlings respond best to live (moving) food. I would go out and collect some pill bugs and try feeding those, or go to a pet store and purchase a few wax worms.

Feeding hatchlings individually can help, feeding them while they are soaking in very shallow water helps, and not hovering over them as they eat also helps.

Also, make sure that you are adequately mimicking summer day length by having light on them for about 14 hrs. per day, and that you also have them at warm enough temperatures so that they can actually digest food. A range between 75 and 85 degrees F works best.

I would guess that since they were found outside so late in the year that they were already locked into preparing to brumate, that instinct may be difficult to overcome, they may have been better off in the fridge till closer to spring, but at this point better take Stephs advise heat, lights, and bugs if you can find them or buy waxworms and crickets, very lightly dust them once only every several feedings though. They can go an amazingly long time without food though, mine went months and months without eating in the winter even when they were hatchlings indoors, I don't think I am probably telling you anything you don't already know, but maybe more reasurance.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

Jeff is right. My ornates hatchlings really liked movement. I fed live crickets. In the begining I used to dust them with repti-cal for two reasons. First it would slow down the crickets and secondly it would make them more visible. My little ones really became chow hounds. After about a month or so they could see them well enough without the dusting and chase them down also. I alway would put the crickets in a plastic bag and shake them up to slow them down and stun them a little before dumping them in the turtle tank. These days my babies are brumating in my main turtle enclosure in my back yard.

Here's a few pics.................

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/vichris8/Snakes%20and%20reptiles/P1020155-1.jpg

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/vichris8/Snakes%20and%20reptiles/P1020156-1.jpg

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/vichris8/Snakes%20and%20reptiles/P1020147-1.jpg

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/vichris8/Snakes%20and%20reptiles/P1020158-1.jpg

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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius