Can Three Toed Box Turtles swim?

Question

I just got a Three Toed Box Turtle a week ago and I need some tips on the following:

- Can they swim?

- How many days apart should they poo?

- What should they sleep on? Rocks, Towels, etc...

- How much calcium powder stuff should I put on his food?

- What fruits and vegetables can they eat?

- Should I always feed them fruits & vegetables or feed them these pebble things I got at PetSmart. He only at them once, but I gave him Peaches and Lettuce now he wont.

Please give me an answer and not just recommend a site. You can, but id rather you give me an answer.

Answer 1

Well, you may not want a site to check out, but - that's how you learn to take proper care of your animals.  You need to do your homework.  You should have done it before you got the animal, so you'd know how to care for it properly.

As for swimming - in an emergency, it will manage to get to the other side, and out of water usually.  But if you look at its feet, you will see that they do not have webs.  It's not meant to be a swimmer.  It's a land turtle.  But they do like to soak in shallow water.  You'll need to provide it a shallow bowl so it can soak, and keep the water very clean, and declorinated.

Your turtle also needs UVB for health.  Are you providing UVB lighting, or taking the turtle out frequently for expose to sunlight without overheating it?  These are things you need to be aware of and research.  

He needs calcium so he doesn't get MBD (metabolic bone disease).

Iceburg lettuce isn't good for your turtle, and causes diarhea. It has little nutritional value.  I hope the peach was fresh, and not canned.  Turtles don't encounter a lot chemicals and sugar in the wild.  It's not part of their natural diet.  You should always feed him vegetables, but go easy on the fruits.  He needs some, but a lot can also cause diarhea.

Insects are a part of his diet too, and these should be gut loaded before being offered to him.  If you need a recipe for gut loading cricket, superworms, phoenix worms, etc., just shoot me an email to [e-mail].  He'll enjoy an occasional earthworm, as well.  You really need to research his diet, so you know what is good or bad for him.  What he eats is also dependent on his age.  Poor nutrition can cause all kinds of trouble, and your turtle will end up at the vet.

Here's a basic food item list:

*low-fat canned dog food(rarely)

*finely cut chicken cooked(on occasion)

*finely cut pieces of beef heart(rarely)

*crickets(regularly)

*meal worms(regularly)

*earthworms(regularly)

*pinkie mice(on occasion)

*slugs and snails(regularly)

*strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, and black berries as well as plums(not the pit)

* cantaloupe, banana, peach, apricot, and apple

*Romaine lettuce, green/red/yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, collared greens, cactus pads(thornless), sweet potatoes sliced thin

*commercially bought food(on occasion)

He needs a varied diet to provide the wide range of nutrients necessary for health and growth, so rotate the items you offer him.

And just in case you get the urge to learn about the specific needs of your turtle, I'll post some links below.  You can peek them out, or ignore them.

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/care/ctriun... 3 toed box turtle

http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/830...

An informed owner is a happy one with a healthy and content pet.

Enjoy your turtle.

I hope this has been helpful.

Answer 2

Ditto

what "been there done that" said.