I shouldn't have done it, but I done it, can I get some help?

[ranapipiens89]

Okay, so I went to the flea market today and someone had some sad little baby turtles in a big wire cage for sale. He said they were box turtles and was selling them as pets. They looked so sad in their bare little cage with people poking and picking them up, no food and water except one big drying slice of apple, my heart just wrenched out of my chest..... So I paid my 4.50 cents and picked out my little turtle and now I have it in a sterilite sliding drawer tub thingy, I need to know how to take care of it properly? Most sites I see are talking about adults and talk about putting them outside, I don't want to do that to this little baby..... What should I do to care for it properly? I would like to keep it if that's at all possible, because I love turtles and if I can provide it the right home, I would love to.

[ranapipiens89]

Okay, maybe that's not the best discription I could do of how I am keeping it. I have it in the drawer tub, yes, but I also have newspaper down on the bottom a small tray of food (chopped apple and squash plus soaked dog food and f/d mealworms) and a BIG water tray, it's HUGE.... Actually it's the pull out tray from a bird cage, the only thing I read is that baby turtles dehydrate fast, so I put the big water tray in there to help prevent that. I also cut a hole in the top of the housing of the drawer and duct taped wire mesh to it and then put a heat lamp with a 15 watt light bulb on that... I don't know how much heat they like, so.... I didn't want to risk it, the 15 watt is just kind of keeping it warm but not hot, 78 degrees, versus 72 in the rest of the house.

Oh yes, and there's a hidey box too.

[ranapipiens89]

Okay, so I went to the flea market today and someone had some sad little baby turtles in a big wire cage for sale. He said they were box turtles and was selling them as pets. They looked so sad in their bare little cage with people poking and picking them up, no food and water except one big drying slice of apple, my heart just wrenched out of my chest..... So I paid my 4.50 cents and picked out my little turtle and now I have it in a sterilite sliding drawer tub thingy, I need to know how to take care of it properly? Most sites I see are talking about adults and talk about putting them outside, I don't want to do that to this little baby..... What should I do to care for it properly? I would like to keep it if that's at all possible, because I love turtles and if I can provide it the right home, I would love to.

I didn't pay 4 and a hlaf cents for them, haha, it was $4.50

[ranapipiens89]

[ranapipiens89]

Crap... Go here:
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/26526...tLb?vhost=pets

[dr del]

Hi,

This section isn't as busy as some of the other sadly so it may be a little while before the correct people log on and answer your questions.

Have a look around the section and "the google" to see if there are any good caresheets online.

Are you planning on building a tort table so you can get the UV etc sorted?


dr del

[ranapipiens89]

I don't know what a tort table is, to be honest with you, I've never had a terrestrial turtle or tortoise, I've only had my RES's.... But I DO love turtles and it just broke my heart to see them like that, I had to save one.... Any advice or ideas on how to build a tort table would be appreciated, also what ever else I need to get or buy.

[Jamie-n-Heith]

Aweeee so tiny!!! I probably would have bought one too even though I also have no idea how to care for a baby turtle, I hope someone post some good info for you

[ranapipiens89]

Okay, so here's some new questions, I've looked up some more on T tables AND box turtles.... The austin's turtle page care sheet I found which seems most complete says that they need 60-80% humidity........... Do tortoise tables have to be open on top? how in the world would I keep THAT amount of humidity in a wide open box basically?

[wafisherman]

Okay, so here's some new questions, I've looked up some more on T tables AND box turtles.... The austin's turtle page care sheet I found which seems most complete says that they need 60-80% humidity........... Do tortoise tables have to be open on top? how in the world would I keep THAT amount of humidity in a wide open box basically?

With turtles\torts, the humidity is measured at ground level and even IN the substrate. Some folks just make sure they have a water dish they can easily climb in and out of and offer either a humid hide or moist substrate that they can burrow down into. Glass tanks are NOT good for most turtles\torts.

Below are some links on box turtle care. I could give you specifics here, but the first thing you need to do is figure out exactly what kind you have.
I have 3 eastern boxies and 1 three-toed boxie. They are all from the same basic area of the US and can live in the same type of environment. I keep all 4 together in an outdoor pen. I live in western WA and my climate is pretty good for them. They are pretty flexible really as long as you are not in an extreme hot or cold place. Mine hibernate in the winter.

I just finished their newest pen. It is 10ft by 10ft and has a small pond in the middle and lots of nice built in hides and soil and sod to dig in. I'll pretty much let the native weeds and plants take over as well. Outdoors is generally the best way to keep boxies if you can.

I don't spend much on their food either this way. 95% of what they eat is natural from my yard. Slugs, snails, earth worms, and anything else they can catch or I put in there. I'll add some fruits and veggies from my garden here and there. I also give them fish that I catch (raw or cooked) and other things. Once in while (monthly at most), I'll give them some of my cats canned food. But the best is an all natural diet and a good variety.

My iHerp page: http://iherp.com/wafisherman

Good boxie sites:
http://aboxturtle.com/
http://www.anapsid.org/boxhouse.html
http://tortoiseforum.org/forum-45.html
http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisi...abyturtles.htm



Here is some advice for raising babies:
"The most important thing to remember about keeping a baby box turtle is that they are SO SMALL that they dehydrate VERY QUICKLY! You MUST keep their habitat moist and soak them frequently. The mortality rate is very high with baby box turtles, but it is quite rewarding to raise them up. They become very socialized and extremely tame.

I keep my baby box turtles in a large plastic tub that sits on an angle with one end raised. Then I use Cypress Mulch as the substrate and pour quite a bit of water in the tub. The lower end is like a bog and the upper end is dryer, but still moist. There is a hiding place, a feeding station and a clamp light overhead for warmth. I feed them separately in a smaller plastic bowl with just enough water to cover the bottom, and not have the turtle strain to breathe. Then I put the food in the water and they eat that way. One day I'll feed a mixture that I make up consisting of water turtle pellets, fruit, veggies and cat food. The next time I'll feed them chopped up fruit, and the next time chopped up veggies. Then one day I'll feed them some sort of live food.

But the trick to keeping them alive is to be sure they stay hydrated."