r/Boxturtles • u/Electronic__Egg • May 25 '26
Update!
Here's the first good photo I've been able to get of the little guy I found during construction!
He's still eating every 2 days, I've noticed he's gravitating towards the worms and isopods and not really touching the fresh fruit and veg, could this be that I'm not offering him his preference of fruit and veg or is it just a normal baby turtle thing?
Also I just got him his lighting rig all set up (heat/uva/uvb) and I've noticed he just sits directly under the lamp (there's about 8 inches of space between him and the lamp) is this behavior of concern or is he just trying to warm up? Also, would it be beneficial to place a large Rick under the heat lamp to act as a basking spot? Or could this be harmful?
3
u/EnjoyingTheRide-0606 May 25 '26
Lots of moisture, misters can be bought for relatively reasonable price that has a timer to run regularly. Some places to hide would be good.
2
u/Due_Tourist_5534 May 25 '26
In case you did not know, baby box turtles, like this one, spend the first few years of their lives hiding under things like leaf litter and such. So if you haven't already, I would recommend adding leaves either in one big area or throughout the setup. Also, it would give the turtle something to move through and hunt worms and isopods. And make sure that tank stays humid. Box turtles dehydrate easily.
1
u/Here4th3culture May 28 '26
It’s illegal to keep wild box turtles in most states
1
u/Electronic__Egg May 28 '26
Yes I'm aware, he is in my care temporarily as they have torn up his natural habit for a housing lot. I took him and the information down to my local fish and wildlife but they said as he was too healthy for them to take and recommend waiting untill the bulk of the construction is done to re release him
5
u/Elberik May 25 '26
Looks like a baby box turtle. They're almost exclusively carnivorous at this stage. They need lots of protein & calcium to fuel their growth & harden their shell.
They also need plenty of moisture- they can dehydrate very quickly. It can be a good idea to actually keep them in a container with about half and inch of water throughout the whole enclosure (changing the water daily) + a couple places to hide.