AboutMark Adkins Expertise I will be glad to help with your tortoise- and turtle-related questions. My specialty is Red-foot and other Tortoises, but I can help with many aspects of turtle care.
Understand- I am not a vet, and the more information you can give me, the more accurate my answer can be.
(Because of the number of questions I get, I reserve the right to direct you to a good website that will help rather than re-inventing the wheel.)
Experience Tortoise and other reptile keeper since 1964.
Member of the Nebraska Herpetological Society.
Author of books and articles on tortoise care.
Currently own five Red-foot Tortoises.
Expert: Mark Adkins Date: 6/29/2008 Subject: baby box turtle
Question I love turtles and am always stopping on the highway to run out in the road. I have always thought box turtles were so cool. Today my daughter comes to my house with a surprise. It is a baby box turtle that is about the size of a silver dollar. She brought it in an aquarium type set up with a chipped wood type bottom, little logs and a flat ceramic dish to fill with water. I know box turtles do better outside but this turtle is way to small to set up in a pen outside. The racoons will kill it. I need to know exactly how I should set up its cage, what is the best food for it. I have the cage sitting by the window so it has direct sunlight. It hasn't eaten anything and has mostly buried itself under the wood chippings. I want to do everything possible for the turtle. Please give me all the info you can to make sure this turtle has the best environment possible. Also, can you recommend a forum for turtle owners.
Thanks,
Denise
Please tell me this is a captive bred turtle, and not a wild-caught one. Wild-caught should be released for many reasons, including being illegal to catch.
