Box turtle

Lilypad

Well-Known Member
It's that time! I found this lil thing along w/4 others yesterday, they were crossing a busy logging road; guess their habitat was destroyed and they were moving on-one of the many effects of clear cutting. I put on a pair of gloves; scooped them all up and set them free.
 

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Katelin

one day the dark will end
It's that time! I found this lil thing along w/4 others yesterday, they were crossing a busy logging road; guess their habitat was destroyed and they were moving on-one of the many effects of clear cutting. I put on a pair of gloves; scooped them all up and set them free.

God bless you Lilypad!!! While not endangered, box turtles are on the short stick due to what you said; habitat loss!!! Not to mention people kidnapping/ taking them as pets!

Job Well Done!!! :buddies:
 

DontGoThere

New Member
Yep! Cute! We always have them around our yard.....just scooped 2 up before the storm...brought them in and put them right back where they were after rain stopped. Where they hide out is a "baby box turtle flood zone" LOL

nice to see people helping turtles!
 

Lilypad

Well-Known Member
Yep! Cute! We always have them around our yard.....just scooped 2 up before the storm...brought them in and put them right back where they were after rain stopped. Where they hide out is a "baby box turtle flood zone" LOL

nice to see people helping turtles!
Thanx!
Last year I moved 32 turtles out of the roads; snappers, box and sliders. Thank God I live in the country otherwise I probably would have been run over. :jameo:
I went on a bug hunt for the babies before I set them free-hungry lil suckers...they ate 2 earthworms, a slug and some sort of black beetle.:drool:
 

Katelin

one day the dark will end
Thanx!
Last year I moved 32 turtles out of the roads; snappers, box and sliders. Thank God I live in the country otherwise I probably would have been run over. :jameo:
I went on a bug hunt for the babies before I set them free-hungry lil suckers...they ate 2 earthworms, a slug and some sort of black beetle.:drool:

Gonna have to rename you to Turtle Lady!!! LOL
Keep a small container of meal worms in your fridge..they are yummy and many critters will snatch them right up!!
 

Roman

Active Member
Gonna have to rename you to Turtle Lady!!! LOL
Keep a small container of meal worms in your fridge..they are yummy and many critters will snatch them right up!!
they also like vegitation!! As well as moistened Dry Dog Food!
 

Katelin

one day the dark will end
a slug? really? ewww :barf:

Slugs have a lot of protein AND fluids that keeps the turtles hydrated!!!

"Predators of slugs:

Predators of slugs include: Ground beetles (particularly carabid beetles), turtles, toads, frogs, lizards, rove beetles, salamanders, lightening bug larvae, turtles and garter snakes.

Birds: Rhode Island Red hens are great slug hunters, they get virtually all slugs and snails they can find. A big plus is no crowing from hens!
Other slug hunters include blackbirds, crows, ducks, jays, owls, robins, seagulls, starlings and thrushes,The appeal factor to all these creatures is due the fact that slugs are pure protein. "
 

Pinkflamingo

New Member
I saw our first one last week, had to stop and rescue him out of the road.
We have several that live on our property, and have named most of them. We can usually tell them apart by their battlescars. One we call "Nubby" because he's missing a front leg, another who is just "Turtle" and has about an inch long crack in the front of her top shell, another is "shy guy" because he always hides in his shell as soon as he sees us (although last year he was not quite as shy as prior years), and "big boy" who is a very large male with deep red eyes. We have a few young ones around as well but they are hard to tell apart so they have no names. ;)

I love turtles!
 

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
few hundred? :eyebrow:

Keep in mind that she was the wildlife expert who claimed that raccoons don't wash their food, okay? So that should give you a frame of reference to judge anything else she might say. I don't have time to find references online to try to estimate the number of box turtles, but I am pretty sure the number exceeds a few hundred :eyebrow: .

Let me apologize in advance for how harsh I was on her that day (raccoon reference), but I was very annoyed. Now I know to not let the imaginary people in head take over lol

http://forums.somd.com/pets-animals/243252-so-heres-dumb-thing-i-did-4.html#post4789604
 

Katelin

one day the dark will end
Keep in mind that she was the wildlife expert who claimed that raccoons don't wash their food, okay? So that should give you a frame of reference to judge anything else she might say. I don't have time to find references online to try to estimate the number of box turtles, but I am pretty sure the number exceeds a few hundred :eyebrow: .

Let me apologize in advance for how harsh I was on her that day (raccoon reference), but I was very annoyed. Now I know to not let the imaginary people in head take over lol

http://forums.somd.com/pets-animals/243252-so-heres-dumb-thing-i-did-4.html#post4789604

Wrong Arky, raccoons do not wash their food.


I really wish you would go and Google this info instead of making me do it for you. You would learn something and not have to deal with me..again.

I would show the pics of my babies "washing" rocks..but why waste the film?

Here ya go Lisa:
The behavior you filmed is also called "dabbling" or daubing".
Raccoons have many nerve ending in their paws as we do in our hands, making them more sensitive.
Raccoons sight is not the best, esp at night , in the dark.
Raccoons dont go sticking their heads underwater looking for food.
Raccoons evolved in areas of marsh, creeks, streams, rivers, and coastal areas where their found their favorite foods: clams, crayfish, turtles, frogs.
They walk into the shallows and feel the ground for these items.
The water makes their hands MORE sensitive to shapes and easier to find food!.
They can "see" what they feel underwater, and do very well at it.

They do not wash they food...what you are seeing in you video is due to instinct.
They are "feeling" the food the are about to eat.

Baby raccoons are very tactile..they have to touch everything! The pads on their feet are softer than a cats and again, more sensitive to touch.
They will take toys and demonstrate the same behavior as "washing", they are just getting more information as to what their world looks like.
Give a baby raccoon a basin of water and all sorts of stuff..and it ALL goes into the water. Not to wash or eat, but to explore.

But if you dont believe me, ask yourself this:
What do raccoons do if there is no water?
Go hungry?
Carry a bag of food back to a creek and wash it?
Bring bottled water with them?

Thanks for the comments, video and giving me an chance to help others learn and dispel the "food washing" myth!.

Even better, go Google and see what you learn. Enter "raccoon washing behavior".

Speaking of hand washing, anyone handling turtles should wash their hands afterwards!:howdy:
 

Lilypad

Well-Known Member
It's that time! I found this lil thing along w/4 others yesterday, they were crossing a busy logging road; guess their habitat was destroyed and they were moving on-one of the many effects of clear cutting. I put on a pair of gloves; scooped them all up and set them free.

Never handle any wildlife (animals, reptiles, etc..) without gloves or a barrier protection.
 
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