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box turtle

22 16:01:34

Question
I got 2 box turtles that my friend had for 16yrs. They were fine at first but now they are lethargic and not eating or swimming much. I switched them for a 20 to 40 gallon tank. Bought a uvb light and 100 watt basking lamp. I read online that the uvb light was bad and turned it off about 1 week ago but still seem sick. They do eat the fresh veggy I put in there but not the pellets. I put them in my bath and they do poop in there but not in their water in the cage. Help!

Answer
Hi Shelli,

You need to completely change how you're keeping them.  I cannot believe that your friend was able to keep two box turtles alive for 16 years in a 20 gallon tank--that is a true testament to how tough box turtles really are.  A 40 gallon tank is much too small for even one box turtle, let alone two, and a 20 gallon tank is downright tiny.  Overall, it's best not to keep them in tanks because the glass makes it hard to maintain a good temperature gradient (and this is even harder in a small tank), but box turtles really do best living outside.  You can't put them out in the winter, obviously, but in the spring I would consider building a nice planted pen for them outdoors.  In the meantime, you need to set them up in something roomy and open--you can build a table, or use something like an old bookcase turned on its back and then lined with a shower curtain or heavy-duty vinyl.  For two box turtles, about 4 x 6 is adequate (but build the outdoor pen bigger).  

For substrate, use a 50/50 mix of coir (bed-a-beast or ecoearth) and playsand.  Mixing in some sphagnum moss will help with moisture retention (you can get it where the indoor potting soil is at Lowe's or Home Depot).  Box turtles need quite a bit of moisture in their enclosure.  It's OK to have some dry areas, but there should be wet areas as well.  

The basking light you're using is good, but in the 40 gallon tank they may be overheated.  It's important to actually measure temperatures.  Put a digital thermometer on the substrate directly under the basking lamp to check--it should be about 88-90 degrees.  There should be cooler areas as well (low 70s).  They need UVB, and the light should be on for 12-14 hours a day.  A shallow water dish that they can climb into completely should be provided at all times.

Box turtles are omnivores, but most will eat more animal matter than fruit, veggies, or greens.  Offer things like earthworms, slugs, snails, superworms, crickets, pinky mice, boiled chicken, boiled egg, etc.  Fruits can include apples, berries, peaches, pears, grapes, etc. (no citrus or pineapple).  Good veggies include squashes, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, sweet potato, tomato (not too much tomato) along with greens such as dandelion, collards, kale, turnip, mustard.  Variety is really important.  In an outdoor pen, you can plant strawberries and other edible plants, and providing plenty of cover such as logs and pieces of bark will encourage insects, worms, snails, etc. that they can hunt for themselves.  Provide a cuttlebone for extra calcium.  Get rid of the pellets because commercial diets aren't good for them.  Fresh food is much better.

Here's website that will give you more information on care, but if you have more questions just post back and I'll do what I can to help.  Thank you for wanting to help your turtles!

http://www.aboxturtle.com/