turtle pics

[Immortal_sin]

thought I'd post about the turtle Shelby found last summer, wandering down our road. She seems to be fine, she hibernated almost all winter, and is now active again. I can't get her interested in anything besides superworms though...
She won't eat fruit or veggies anymore, and I'm at my wits end. Any ideas, or anything I can dust the superworms with to give her better nutrition?

 

[Lasiodora]

Holly,
Give nightcrawlers or crickets a try.
Mike

 

[JDK]

Never put it in water. Unless it did that itself.


2, Reptomen, avaliable at most pet stores. My turtles like it but it has to be floating in water..........

 

[Immortal_sin]

LOL...I never put her anywhere...she chooses where she wants to be. She LOVES to soak in her dish.
I will try other insects etc...but I was concerned what would happen if she has no fruit/veggie supplements.

 

[Wade]

She should probably have veggies, but since she's an adult at least the high-protien diet won't cause the shell/growth deformities you see in juvies raised on an improper diet.

Will she eat things like canned dog food? Although canned dog food isn't an ideal diet, many box turtles love the taste and will eat greens and veggies that have been mixed with it. This might be a way to get some plant matter in her. They also IME seem to show a preferance for red fruits like stawberries.

Powdered calcium and vitamin supplements are a good idea. I use the brand Repcal and they make a calcium and a vitamin for reptiles.

Wade

 

[Immortal_sin]

Wade,
she has no interest in canned turtle food, but I have not thought to try the dog food!
I will try that as well. I will also look for Repcal to sprinkle on her superworms. And, Oregon strawberries are coming into season, so I'll try that as well...
thanks for the advice!

 

[Wade]

Annother thing to try is dandylions, both the flowers (when they're yellow) and the leaves. Box turtles often like flowers in general, but nobody will complain if you pick their dandylions!

Often, I've found that plopping a big fat earthworm on top of the dog food/veggie mix will get them interested in it. The ideal mix would be mostly veggies, with a small amount of dog food, but initially you may want a higher percentage.

If you're using the Zoo Med Box turtle food, the stuff is mostly apples, so if your box turtle doesn't like apples, it won't be interested.

Her beak looks a little over grown, you may want to think about having it filed down. A herp vet should be able to do this. Perhaps adding a piece of cuttle bone (sold for birds) could give her an approtunity to wear it down a bit, as well as give her some extra calcium.

Good luck!

Wade

 

[Immortal_sin]

Wade,
I fed her superworms rolled in Reptocal today, LOL
AND, she LOVES strawberries....so that's good. Dandylions are not a hit however.
I will pick her up a piece of cuttlebone too. I'll ask my vet about filing her beak down...is it something I can do?
thanks!
Holley

 

[Wade]

You might be able to do it with a dremel tool with a grinding stone. Be REAL careful if you try it. If she's not having problems eating, she might be fine without it, adding the cuttle bone should help her keep the excess growth in check.

Annother flower you can try is hibiscus. Turtles and vegitarian lizards seem to love it.

Wade

 

[Immortal_sin]

Wade,
forget it! I dremel dog nails alot, but this is something else, and I don't want to hurt her!
I have a feeling she might not be too cooperative either!
Holley

 

[Wade]

Heh...yeah, it's not fun, and it's definately a two-person job. We have some diamondback terrpins at the nature center who need this periodically. I usually hold the turtle while the vet grinds.

Wade