Hi, I've been caring for herps for a long time now and have been a complete bookworm regarding their husbandry, but currently I am caring for 4 young (about 4 month-old) midland painted turtles. They were brought in and saved from a horrendously toxic pond that they were laid close to and I am caring for them until we can release them back into the wild this coming spring when they'll be strong and healthy, ready to take on the tough life of being a wild turtle. (I also believe that, because they will be larger, they will have a better chance of survival and will be much more cautious when it comes to predation) Anyway, let me get to my problem. I know that because they have an "internal clock" they know that at this time of year, they should be hibernating, or at least overwintering in their nest until spring arrives. As a result, they have slowed down in their activity and feeding behavior over the past few weeks. I understand that this is normal. But my problem is that when they were just hatchlings, they ate absolutely everything! They were eating machines, munching on specially formulated pellets, river shrimp, waxworms, mealworms, earthworms and crickets once in a while, but recently they have only been attracted to earthworms and river shrimp, ignoring any waxworms, mealworms, and especially pellets that I drop into their aquarium. They absolutely adore earthworms and river shrimp and eat them up whenever they are feeling a bit hungry. Is this normal? And why are they being so picky? I'm afraid that if they continue this behavior they will become so spoiled that when they are eventually released back into their native habitat, they will not be able to adapt and will ignore other sources of food that they come across. Can anyone help me or let me know why they are being so picky and what I can do about it? I really want to provide them with a wide and varied diet, but they're just not cooperating with me. I've also tried feeding them phoenix worms, which are naturally high in calcium, but they don't touch these either. The turtles just look at it wiggling, smell it, and move on. What's going on? I bought the phoenix worms specifically and especially for them because they are growing at a high rate when they're young, and I don't want them to develop any shell deformities when they mature because of their lack of proper calcium as juveniles. What can I do about this? How can I supplement aquatic turtles with a calcium-rich diet? I've tried powdered calcium, but that just dissolves in the water and a special cuttle (turtle) bone dissolves in the water as well. Plus, they don't even show the slightest bit of interest in it, other than thinking it's an additional floating basking platform (lol). If someone could help me with these problems, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Oh and by the way, Herps rule!!!

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