Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have two baby boxie's that made it through the winter and two that did not make it. The two that didn't make it I tried hibernating in a cool environment and when I realized what happened I built a terrarium with heat, humidity, water, plants and food and the remaining two babies came through with flying colors. One baby is 8 months old and of the same clutch as the two that died, the other baby is a year and eight months and the survivor a previous clutch. By keeping the baby boxie's
in a controlled environment that have been eating well, worms mostly for protein and some fruit,greens and Reptomin. The reason for the cuddlebone the older of the two remaining babies started biting on the porcelain water dish and then the other baby who is about half his size so I separated them and got cuddlebone and he went after that. The older baby gets up every morning and walks over the glass window and looks out and when I show up he looks up at me waiting for his food, I put the food in a small plastic container where he eats and gets out when done.
My question is the older one attacking the younger one or just looking for something to knaw on?
The three photos are of the older one.
Thanks Alan

They'll do that when they are hungry.... I guess they're crapy and in closed proximity to each other. I'm not sure, but I noticed this with my red-eared slider, too, when I was feeding them once week. They seem so much happier with 3 times a week instead.

That boxie in the photos has been eating every day or so and I don't mean a little, a lot. That's why I wondered about him biting the other small one buried in the sphagnum grass who only eats 2 or 3 times a week.

alan

Separate them now, before the more aggressive one injures or kills the other.

Keeping cuttle bone in there to allow them to forage for calcium is a great idea.

Thank you for the response, I separated them the minute I saw him going after the smaller one, having lost two I would hate to lose this one. I'll just subdivide their living arrangement permanently. Thanks again, alan

I agreed with stephF.... I've seen my red-eared slider bit the crap of my softshell one time. It can happened with box turtle. too.

Was it a really vicious bite, or just like a tap?

"Was it a really vicious bite, or just like a tap?"

He was biting like he did on the cuddlebone and dragging the smaller turtle around. I have four adults, two males and two females and one male, for some reason, seems to always attack
one of the females, and always the same one I have to keep them separated. As the summer goes on everyone gets along.
Thanks, Alan