box turtle help!!!

[vettech909]

i found a box turtle and my local petstore said not to let him go because it is not sertain were he came from.he is a female but looks like a he so i call her a he.his name is spike.i feed him bannanna slices,lettuce,apples,tangelos,oranges,raisins,gra pes,and nuts.he is not eating them now because i just got him.will it be ok to feed him that and meal worms?if not,please post a variety of suitable food.
THANKS!!!

[vettech909]

sorry,i forgot,is it ok to have hamster bedding???

[Buggy]

You need to do a lot of researching on the internet. When my daughter got her box turtle, I found several good sites on identification, sexing, raising and breeding.
Keeping a box turtle properly isn't as easy as it sounds. Contrary to their common name (BOX turtle), they aren't to be kept in a "box". Mine is kept in a very LARGE plastic tub and the only reason I don't have her in an outdoor habitat is because of stray cats that get in my yard.
She is almost 5 yrs old and I've had her for 3 yrs now so it looks like she'll be with me the rest of her life.
As for what to feed, you need to identify what species it is. Some are carnivores, some herbivores and some omnivores. Same thing with the habitat...sand, loamy soil...etc. I don't recommend wood shaving though because it can cause serious injury to the eyes. Mine has about three inches of garden soil topped with another inch or two of grass clippings. But you need to find out what kind you have and what their natural habitat is to know the best way to set up it's home.

BTW, I have a Western Ornate.

[Buggy]

....double post

[vettech909]

mine is a eastern box turtle.the people who had it bought it as a western ornate box turtle but they got ripped off.it got two big so they released it.there was a note GLUED on the shell.he is about 2-4 years old.i keep him in a 10 gallon but plan to get a big plastic tub.the bedding i will use will be store-bought moss,potting soil,and some grass clippings mixed to a mulch.please send me a post of the proper diet.i have looked and found few things but io want to know the complete diet so i can give a variety of it.he is not eating for some odd reason.im trying to go to petco to get the biggest water dish they have.ohh,i will also put gravel and stones in there.i want him to have the best life possible.by the way,i think it was cruel how they GLUED the note to the shell.they should have just took it to a petstore!!!

[fishbguy]

Easterns are illegal to keep I believe beacuse they are endangered.

Easterns eat more plant matter than others. Feed lettuce, peas, carrots, brocceli, etc. Box turtle pellets, mealworms, crickets, etc. They LOVE earthworms.

Get a 50 gallon tub at least. Big waterdish is a must.

Google is your friend.

[vettech909]

i was using yahoo.he is doing good and i believe he ate some raisins.i will get the biggest tub i can find and use half of it for a shallow pond.i spray him with water twice a day.

[vettech909]

go to this website:


http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Car...sternboxie.htm

[fishbguy]

There is no need to spray him. he's not a frog.

If you live in an area where they live naturally, they're illeagle to keep.

[vettech909]

nope.they are not native were i live.today i am getting a water area because there is no big water container.yesterday it rained,so i put him outside and he loved it.i have been mixing fruit and veggies with catfood.is that ok?

[trashion]

I wouldn't feed cat food, it's full of fillers.

[vettech909]

ok.is it breeding time for them.if it is,i think she might has eggs.they cant be fertile.

[trashion]

Re: your sig..
Holy overstock, batman!

[vettech909]

the 55gallon,they are small and deformed.the 5 gallon,i need to get another tank!!!the 2.5 gallon fish is recovering.my friend,taylor,gave him to me.

[fishbguy]

just because they are small and deformed doesn't mean that they don't desserve a correct size tank.

What's a muppy? That is also waaaay overstocked.

What type of mbuna is it?

Where do you live? What state? Don't feed cat food. Feed crickets, worms, and fruits and veggies.

[trashion]

I think she means "mud puppy."

[fishbguy]

I think so too, and mud puppies don't belong in 5.5 gallon aquariums.

[vettech909]

know,its a guppy,mollie mix.i thought they couldnt breed but they did.the ones i have are very small.the deformed fish are small.thats why i keep them in small tanks.the mbuna is a mystery.i have no idea what kind he is.

[trashion]

Wait a minute. I remember you posting a thread about "petsmart cichlids!!" and saying that you BOUGHT the albino mbuna from petsmart, not that you got it from a friend.

Honesty will get you the most help from us.

[vettech909]

they died.my brother put toilet paper in the tank for them to eat.i also posted that mollies and guppys couldn't cross but i was wrong.i do apalogise.