Baby Box Turtle
- Thread starter Vicious_Fish
- Start date
Just an update. The boxy is doing great and eating like a pig! So far I've got it to eat Reptomin, cichlid pellets, Massivore, cut up shrimp, earthworms and it's favorite....baby dubia roaches.
Probably just for the year. I'll let it go the following spring on my parents property. They have a nice area that I know it would be pretty safe to live in.
I usually keep turtles I've hatched indoors for their first year of life. In the wild hatchling Box Turtles have close to a 90% mortality rate their first year of life. Lots of predators would love to eat a newly hatched, plump little turtle. By keeping them in captivity they can gain quite a bit of size in their first year plus it gives the turtle's shell a chance to harden some. Once they reach the age of 5-6 in the wild their chance of survival increases because they have gained size and shell strength and basically no predator can get at a box turtle once it has retreated in side it's shell.
I usually keep turtles I've hatched indoors for their first year of life. In the wild hatchling Box Turtles have close to a 90% mortality rate their first year of life. Lots of predators would love to eat a newly hatched, plump little turtle. By keeping them in captivity they can gain quite a bit of size in their first year plus it gives the turtle's shell a chance to harden some. Once they reach the age of 5-6 in the wild their chance of survival increases because they have gained size and shell strength and basically no predator can get at a box turtle once it has retreated in side it's shell.
Oh. duh. /smacks head.
thank you. I saw the word "enclosure" but not seeing any signs of walls or structure became confused. (This is not an uncommon state for me anyway.) all makes perfect sense now. And I don't spray for weeds either, I suspect the ground would look all naked and lunar-like if I did.
still very nice turtles. Here in Tennessee we have turtles of similar overall appearance but I don't recall seeing any with yellow designs on the shell. I mostly see them when they are crossing roads, so I stop and move them to the side their heading for before the next vehicle decides it would be funny to smoosh them. /grrrr.
Have taken a few home and put out by the pond, but never see them again so I figure they headed off for the woods. Very nice setup you have there and am delighted you were able to get them to breed.
we have eastern box turtles here in TN ive taken one to my pond. they arent water turtles so they wont stay in the pond.
do the turtles actually do well when released? id think that youd have to feed them all natural foods that you can find in your area
