Box Turtle and Tortoise Discussion :: Gherkin & his picky eating

[imderanged]

SO, the 3 month old eastern box turtle I have still doesn't really like to eat. A number of people on here have assured me this is pretty typical of baby boxies this time of year. But how much SHOULD he be eating right now? I've been digging him up (he doesn't come up on his own) every few days instead of everyday, because I KNOW he won't eat everyday. He takes a meal worm sometimes, a lot of times he doesn't. I try soaking him and he just wants to climb back out and go dig under the moss. He looks good to me, he's growing....I just get nervous, even though I realize he can go a while without food, he's just so little!

[imderanged]

I know I'm going on and on about this, but I haven't seen Gherkin eat in more than a week now. I've tried feeding him in water, out of the water, I've tried feeding him in his enclosure and in a seperate container, I've tried meal worms, wax worms, red wigglers, dandelion greens, pumpkin, zoo med box turtle pellets...
I'm getting worried about him. Does anyone know how long he can go without food? HOW CAN I CONVINCE HIM TO EAT?

[Terryo]

What are the temperatures in her enclosure? They might be too low, for a hatchling. Mine are 80 - 85 degrees. Also what is the humidity? I've never had a hatchling eat greens or fruit. Usually something that's moving...tiny meal worms, red wigglers cut up. Mine love pill bugs. If they are cold, they won't eat.

[imderanged]

The dog ate my temp gun. I'm not positive about the temps. i think it's probably too low. I replaced the basking heat light with a ceramic heat emitter today. He runs and hides when I turn on his UVB, which is a 5.0 compact bulb, so I am going to go look for a 2.0.

I even tried putting him in a container w/ some warm water, on a heating pad so it didn't get cold, with all different kinds of food to choose from. He spends the whole time trying so hard to get out that I have to watch he doesn't flip himself over.

[Terryo]

If he was in the wild, he would be hidden under lots of leaf litter and only eating the occasional little bug that he finds. Baby boxies hate light. Keep the heat emitter on day and night. At night turn the light off. Put her in a small container with a little bit of water. Put the container in the enclosure under the heat emitter and try putting in some pill bugs. They are a good food to start off with as they are little and wiggle a lot. Some times I don't see my hatchlings for days. Then I get nervous and dig them out and put the little container in the enclosure with some pill bugs and they will eat one or two....then they dig under and I don't see them for a few more days. I don't know how they know it's winter outside, but they always slow down during the cold months here. Make sure her eyes are open and clear, and the humidity is high in the enclosure. When they are really small I keep them in long fibbered moss that I wet with very warm water. Hope this helps.

[imderanged]

Thank You. That is the one thing that makes me feel better, his eyes look really good, he opens them and looks right at me. In fact I showed him to a friend of mine, and the friend remarked on how "deep" his eyes were...he's got a very expressive face. The petshops around here don't carry pill bugs. Do you know a good source online?

[Terryo]

http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalo ... 0ff4fc6e8e

http://carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/

If you have a small tank or plastic tub. Make some holes in it, put in some soil, a flat piece of slate, and some table scraps...lettuce, etc, and mist it with a spray bottle once a week...they will multiply. My hatchlings love them.
Carolina pet supply is a great place, and I order from them all the time.

[imderanged]

I got a new rubbermaid that is completely opaque (the other rubbermaid was not completely see-thru but it was sorts translucent. I decided to change it incase shadows or something he saw freaked him out) I got new dishes, a water dish with better access and a little food dish. I have been using a 60 watt ceramic heat emitter and found a 2.o compact fluorescent. I haven't been able to replace my temp gun but I got an analog thermometer and humidifier.The temps stay around 80F and the humidity is between 50-60%

And he still is hiding and not eating

[imderanged]

He finally ate! Two big fat wax worms.