Why is my box turtle sleeping all day?

Hello all-

I have a male Eastern Box Turtle and it seems all he does all day is stay in the corner of his enclosure and sleep. He stays outside all day and I bring him in at night so the raccoons and possums don't get him.

Is there anything I should do or I should look out for?

Thanks,
Chase

More info would be helpful. How old is the turtle? How long have you had it? What food sources do you provide? Describe your outdoor enclosure, please.

Originally Posted by LauraB

More info would be helpful. How old is the turtle? How long have you had it? What food sources do you provide? Describe your outdoor enclosure, please.

I'm not sure how old he is; he is wild caught. I've had him about a month.

Food wise, he gets earth worms, super worms (not often), kale, spinach, carrots, red lettuce.

His enclosure is a pin that is 6X12. It has shade on one side, with a 9X13 (inch) water pan. He also has a bucket that he uses as a tunnel to hide in.

Chase

Okay, so is the Box an adult? Male/female?

Your enclosure is a good size. Your water pan is a good size.

Is the bucket (I assume it's plastic and not metal) the only hide spot the turtle has? If so, it needs more hide spots. Logs, large clay pots on their sides, low-growing shrubs, etc. More than one or two.

So do earthworms make up most of the protein this turtle gets? Is it eating regularly, like every single day? Since protein probably accounts for at least half the dietary needs of box turtles, earthworms alone ain't gonna cut it. You need to replicate what that turtle eats in the wild, since it is WC. You also need to introduce a few fruits - apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes are good. Instead of spinach, provide more dark greens like turnip, mustard and collards. Squash is good, too.

It sounds like your WC Boxie is not adapting well to captive care. It should not be sleeping all day. I don't agree with, nor condone, yanking native species out of their environs for the sake of the all-mighty dollar. However, what's done is done. Now it is up to you to provide the best and most humane care.

It's a male.

He has more than the bucket, there are ample spaces for him to hide.

I do not feed earthworms every day; more like every other day with the vegetables every day. Regarding the spinach, it was once, so I just added it to the list.

I assumed he could have been dehydrated yesterday, so I have give a nice soaking and he drank a ton and perked right up.

I'm looking at him now and he really does look better from yesterday pre-soak.

I assume it's about adult size too;

I've also given strawberries and bananas

Glad he/she is looking better, but still needs more than just earthworms and the occasional superworm. He/she needs daily mistings as well, just as you have done. I assumed you'd been doing that since you've have the turtle for a month.

Do you know if you have a male or female?

Originally Posted by LauraB

Glad he/she is looking better, but still needs more than just earthworms and the occasional superworm. He/she needs daily mistings as well, just as you have done. I assumed you'd been doing that since you've have the turtle for a month.

Do you know if you have a male or female?

Yes it is a male.

I give him more than just earthworms and occasional super worms. He gets fed every day whether it's a worm or two or greens

You should let the turtle go, he/ she is a wild animal and deserves to roam free. Removing just one box turtle from the wild can deplete your areas breeding population. Research shows that each female box turtle will only have ONE of its offspring survive to adulthood. Google "removing box turtles from the wild" and it will be clear that keeping your new "pet" is not in the best interest of the species. You should really consider releasing it. I am not trying to be mean but if you want a pet turtle buy one or rescue one from your local reptile rescue.

I agree with Jesse. If you want a box turtle just buy one. And it being wild caught also explains its behavior. Wouldn't you act the same if you were taken from you natural habitat and put somewhere you didn't want to be? The stress of that can kill the turtle. Just let it go back where you removed it from.