Found her in my pool filter!

Status
Not open for further replies.

FaaFaa

Sub-Adult Member
OK you guys have been great when it came to my beardie.....how about this one? What is it?
100_2227.jpg

100_2229.jpg

100_2228.jpg

100_2230.jpg

I was thinking box turtle, but there are no hinges. Do all types of box turtles have hinges???
 

fez09

Extreme Poster
Jen, look like a boy box turtle to me!!! He has red eyes (which means male) and the ridge down the back! How funny!
 

FaaFaa

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Yep that is what I was thinking too....see, tomorrow is my birthday, so seems to me like she would make a great birthday present! Could you point me to a website or walk me thru basic care? She's in a rubbermaid tub for now and can stay there for awhile.... I will go to Petsmart tomorrow I guess for whatever I might need. I'm gonna give her a good soak now, but beyond that I am not sure. I had one, but I'm sure I was doing stuff all wrong back then!
 

fez09

Extreme Poster
I haven't found a great website yet, basically I have Grimm in a 50 gallon rubbermaid tub with ECO Earth for a substrate. You need a UVB light too....As far as food, greens and veggies just like the beardies and we got her some micro mealies and I've given her some tiny dubia also! Do you have a name for your new baby boy??

Almost forgot...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
 

FaaFaa

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Thank you Katrina! What are you using for UVB? I need a bulb, not a tube to make this work. I've read they like earthworms....who knows though.
 

fez09

Extreme Poster
I bought a Repti-Sun 10 coil, the lady I bought her from owns the local Reptile store and only uses Repti-Sun 10.0 tubes for all of her Dragons but she said the coil is just fine for a box turle...I read that they like earthworms too so we'll see!
 

FaaFaa

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
So, last night I wanted to release the turtle, I feel bad...then this morning I found her stuck again in my pond, once you're in there is no way out. So, I'm going to go and get some things today. I did a little more research, she is indeed a she. Her eyes just looked red in the pic (I will have to get better ones) and she has a flat under-shell (lol) boys had a concave shell on the bottom for mating.
Katrina, I'm not sure if you have come across this site or not http://boxturtlesite.info/bxbook.html there seems to be a good bit of info here. I'm undecided on what light to use yet though. I was thinking MVB, but I'm afarid that it will get too warm for her. Are you using a heat source?
 

coco5

Hatchling Member
I have a turtle! I don't use a heater,but I live in south Texas and its hot ALL THE TIME.lol :D
 

Triage

Hatchling Member
Hi. I was going to say that looks more like a female to me. The eyes would be much redder than that. (I have had both).

I've had a rescued Eastern Box-Turtle (which I believe is also what you have) for almost 2 years now. My daughter and I built a 4'x4' square box with about 1.5' high walls. We filled this with about 3 inches of coconut husk and in a few places we have some piles of coconut fiber. Here is a picture when we first finished. (We have added some stuff and moved some stuff around since then, we didn't have enough substrate in this photo)

5130_1136763549947_1553108509_30329528_7230329_n.jpg


We also placed two water bowls in for her. (Bought them from the pet store) They will drink and use the bathroom in the water, so you will have to change this OFTEN. I also went into the yard and collected some branches and some rocks. We microwaved the branches to kill any germs and mites and boiled the rocks to clean them up before we introduced them to the habitat. I have found that she loves strawberries, and I have to cut up her greens and mix them with strawberries for her to eat them...she still tries to pick out the strawberry. She is also VERY fond of superworms. Last year I used mostly nightcrawlers, which I still feed her, but most of her protein is from the supers now. In fact, JUST this week she has taken to eating the worms right from my feeding tongues, which is REALLY funny to watch her reach up to get them. LOL

I have a basking lamp and a reptile CFL bulb for her both are dome fixture types. This along with the artificial turtle pellets that are loaded with vitamins are just about all she needs. I did get some eyedrops for her, because I thought her eyes were drying out. I use it, not sure if I need too or not.

My one big piece of advice would be to mist whatever substrate you plan on using. I found that last year she was panting alot, I read that some dry substrates cause lung irritation. So I went out and bought a big sprayer and spray down her habit before I got to bed. Its like morning dew when she wakes up. Also, a good idea is to have a nice hiding spot for her. I have one of those half-log things in the corner (it started in the center and she started using it more when we blocked off the back and half buried it) and this has become her house. Her lights are right outside the entrance as is one water bowl. She will come out every morning and sit in the bright spot and her legs are splayed out like a beardy.

This was my first experience with reptiles, which turned into a fascination with turtles and lizards of all kinds. We are currently growing three types of food in our house. Blaptica Dubia, Hornworms and Superworms.

I hope my "book" helps some. Any advice let me know...
 

Triage

Hatchling Member
I just wanted to add that I would judge by those photos that she is somewhat on the younger side. The babies have ridges like that, at least around here in Virginia until they grow a little bit more.
 

FaaFaa

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Hi Triage! Thanks so much for your "book" it has helped a lot. She is on that bed-a-beast stuff, it holds moisture really well and I have been misting her a few times a day. She has a hide and a water dish that I have to change...a lot. :) I've got a full-spectrum bulb in there too. I wanna say it's a 75 watt Zoo Med turtle bulb, but not the halogen one. Will that work? I have a 2nd MVB comming in for my beardie, but I'm sure I can give it to her instead. She is only in an 18 gal sized rubbermaid tote right now. I know it's small, but so is she and I will get her a bigger one soon. I love your "turtle table" Maybe I can get the hubby to make one. My biggest issue right now is getting her to eat. Can you help? Now, I've not had her long and I know thay can go for a bit without food, but I just want to make sure that I'm doing this right. I've been offering her greens, red worms, superworms, and some commercial canned box turtle stuff...she will stick her nose in this ot that a few times and mush it around but not eat it. Any advice you could give would be great. Other than her light/heat thing I think I've got the basics care figured out...now if I can just get her to eat....
 

Triage

Hatchling Member
I'd say try some strawberry or some banana. (don't use the banana all the time) When I first got mine, that is all she would eat. I had to mix everything with strawberry and banana. That and earthworms. But she was bigger. I know that like beardies, when they are younger they are more carnivorous and more omnivores as they age. I picked earthworms because I know that is something she would get in the wild here. I live in the Shenandoah Mountains..so its basically forest. I'd leave some greens in there to eat and the focus on feeding her live food. I think just keep offering and she will eat. I will do some :study: myself and see what I can come up with. I like to feed my turtle, but I have heard other people just throw the worms in and let them hunt for them. The substrate should allow for her to burrow. They love to burrow with just a bit of the shell showing. And thats how they hunt around here. They dig there face under a pile of leaves and burrow down under searching for bugs. And then apparently fall asleep, cause that's how I usually find mine.

I'm not sure about your lights. Sorry. I use the same coil light that Fez09 mentioned for vitamin conversion and have a separate basking light. Just make sure she has a basking spot.
 

fez09

Extreme Poster
Triage, your turtle table is great!!! I was gonna ask about gettin Grimm to eat as well...she's a little baby and I really haven't seen her eat much so your info was really helpful!!!
 

FaaFaa

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
I just worry that I've done the right thing, keeping Lucky. I want to make sure that she eats and has a good life. Yesterday I did just throw the red wiggler worms right into her bin. I was thinking that maybe she would be more comfortable eating that way. The only downside is that I will not know if she has eaten for sure. then again, if she poops she is eating. She has a basking spot to stay warm and get some UVB. I'm going to go and pick up some strawberries and bananas today and maybe some crickets and mealworms too. Where can I get night crawlers? Maybe I will just send the kids out into the flower beds to dig up some worms when it stops raining....

Thanks again for all your help Triage. I will keep you posted.

Katrina, maybe if we put our heads together we can figure this out. LOL I didn't know that you were having issues getting Grimm to eat as well. I just keep telling myself that Lucky isn't going to starve herself and she will eat when she is ready to, just like the beardies. :lol: Maybe this is why I like reptiles, they are so challenging...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Latest resources

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,899
Messages
1,255,691
Members
75,967
Latest member
Newbeardiemom09
Top Bottom