questions about my eastern box turtle

[SQUAMATA]

so i've had my box turtle for about a month now. my dad found her in the woods when he went hunting. im pretty sure she's 10 years old.

anywho. i have a question. well a few. she'll barely eat. im pretty sure she's losing weight. also she has this really weird, big lump on the left side of her neck. can anyone tell me whats wrong

 

[andyjs]

I've seen that on wild boxes before. Not sure what it is.

My main bit of advice though: have your dad put her back in those woods.
If you really want a box, read up on them, and then buy a nice healthy captive bred one.

 

[SQUAMATA]

I've seen that on wild boxes before. Not sure what it is.

My main bit of advice though: have your dad put her back in those woods.
If you really want a box, read up on them, and then buy a nice healthy captive bred one.

yeah you're right. i think i'm gonna have him take her back. i'll get a cool water turtle or something.

 

[coura]

No you cant let her go Now that she has that bump your talking about. That is a ball of pus, because your keeping her too dry and because she has refusing food she hasnt been able to get the vitamin A she needs. And that infection needs to be cleared with antibiotics and cirurgy wich can only be made by vets. What you have to do is hand your turtle over to a rescue center. Im shure there is one near you. Other wise your turtle will just get more and more infected and will eventualy die. In general its a VERY BAD idea to colect wild box turtles. Besisdes being ilegal in most states its very hard for most people to get wild box turtles to setle down and eat for themselfes. Thouse that are able to do such a thing have huge outdoor enclosures. If you must get your hands at a box turtle, first reserch deeply on their needs and then get a captive bred one. It makes a world of diference. But still they do better outdoors in a similar climate to their own native range Good luck

 

[Vicious_Fish]

No you cant let her go Now that she has that bump your talking about. That is a ball of pus, because your keeping her too dry and because she has refusing food she hasnt been able to get the vitamin A she needs. And that infection needs to be cleared with antibiotics and cirurgy wich can only be made by vets. What you have to do is hand your turtle over to a rescue center. Im shure there is one near you. Other wise your turtle will just get more and more infected and will eventualy die. In general its a VERY BAD idea to colect wild box turtles. Besisdes being ilegal in most states its very hard for most people to get wild box turtles to setle down and eat for themselfes. Thouse that are able to do such a thing have huge outdoor enclosures. If you must get your hands at a box turtle, first reserch deeply on their needs and then get a captive bred one. It makes a world of diference. But still they do better outdoors in a similar climate to their own native range Good luck

I agree. Ear abscess are actually quite common in wild box turtles and coura is right, it is usually a result of a lack in vitamin A. Even if you could let the box turtle go it's far too cold for it to survive now. Keep it warm and give it a soaking in warm shallow water twice a day for 20 minutes. Try giving it foods with lots of vitamin A like grated squash, carrots and zucchini. Make sure the enclosure you keep it in is humid because they have a habit of drying out indoors in the winter. I have 4 Eastern Box Turtles that I keep outdoors all year long (they're in hibernation right now). In the spring time I would recommend that you build an outdoor enclosure for it because they do very poorly when kept indoors.

 

[SQUAMATA]

well theres no turtle rescue centers around and i don't feel like building a huge outdoor closure just for a turtle to keep as a pet. this thing is seriously high mantinence. oh yeah and a couple days ago the heat bulb busted so tomorrow we have to go get a new one. that's just what im gonna go do. then idk i'll just let her go. plus it wasn't my intention to get this thing. my dad just brought it home. bad idea. and im not gonna spend 100 dollars just to nurse it back to health. this was seriously a bad idea.

 

[coura]

well theres no turtle rescue centers around and i don't feel like building a huge outdoor closure just for a turtle to keep as a pet. this thing is seriously high mantinence. oh yeah and a couple days ago the heat bulb busted so tomorrow we have to go get a new one. that's just what im gonna go do. then idk i'll just let her go. plus it wasn't my intention to get this thing. my dad just brought it home. bad idea. and im not gonna spend 100 dollars just to nurse it back to health. this was seriously a bad idea.

It doesant matter ho started, this animal was living peacefully in the woods and you guys get him into this mess, now you HAVE to nurse him back to health. What its a matter of money and dedicacion for you its a matter of life or death for this turtle. I imagen what would be of me if I had that kind of atitude:"yea my pets need to be fed but I just dont feel like getting of the couch so they will just starve" If you dont change I dont thing you deserve to own any other turtle or pet for that matter

 

[Vicious_Fish]

If you're going to let it go wait till spring time and make sure you take it back to where it was found. Box Turtles have homeing instincts and they will migrate to where they lived originally if taken from it. That includes running the guantlet of hazards on the way including highways. So the least you can do is give it a hand.

 

[SQUAMATA]

It doesant matter ho started, this animal was living peacefully in the woods and you guys get him into this mess, now you HAVE to nurse him back to health. What its a matter of money and dedicacion for you its a matter of life or death for this turtle. I imagen what would be of me if I had that kind of atitude:"yea my pets need to be fed but I just dont feel like getting of the couch so they will just starve" If you dont change I dont thing you deserve to own any other turtle or pet for that matter

don't you understand its not up to me? im 13 dude. you don't have to be a pest about it. i'll just let it go in the spring. i feed it everyday. it just doesn't seem to eat. and yeah i put nutrition into consideration. the first time i've ever seen it eat was some grated apple. so just calm the hell down. and if it was up to me i wouldn't of ever taken out of the woods.

 

[coura]

He wont survive into spring, not with that absess and refusing food....Try to find a rescue center its the best shot for both