Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hell Everyone,

I have a few NAWTs that hatched in 2010. Some are eating like pigs and growing like weeds. A few are not eating very much and are no longer gainng weight. They are kept on a peat sand mix with a large water bowl. The ambient temp is 70 F and they are provided with a UV basking lamp that gives them a hot spot of about 95 at one end. The substrate is deep enough for them to burrow into and the cooler end is kept moist.

They are fed Reptomin, freeze dried shrimp, chopped night crawlers and home made turtle jello. The picky ones have recently turned their noses from all of these.

Any thoughts?

Thank you,

Brian
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Brian

"The Earth was not given to you by your parents. It is loaned to you by your children."

1.0 Argentine Tegu
1.0 Bearded Dragons
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 California Kingsnakes
1.1 Children's Python
3.5 Russian Tortoises

Have you tried feeding them small meal worms? Earth worms are another item that NAWTs appear to be hardwired for. Mine when they were that small were very spotty when it came to eating non-animal protein. Strawberries and corn are generally welcome, as is occasional cantaloupe...although just as often as not these items were ignored until they spoiled.

Mine would sometimes go for days w/out eating. I weigh mine regularly and keep close tabs on their growth. Remember that these are reptiles w/lower metabolism than warm blooded animals, they do not need nearly as many calories per day per gram of wt as mammals or birds. In the wild it takes 15-20 years or more for NAWTS to reach sexual maturity, in captivity they can do this in half that time. Good luck w/your turtles.

I have had better luck keeping them in shallow water, with some food always available.