Turtle hibernation???

Question

I have and eastern painted slider that lives in my koi pond. I found it over the summer crossing the road. The weather is getting colder and starting to drop down to the low 50s to high 40s at night when should i consider taking it inside. i was going to bring it in the other night but did make it home. but ill probably go home and sett the tank up and bring it in tonight.. Any idea what i water turtle does for hibernation???

thanks, im going to bring it in tonight cause i dont want my pond to freeze over with my trutle in it. cause my turtle is cool and i like it. it is still got a big appitite so i think i might have been someones pet at one point in time and it got loose or sometime

Answer 1

If you decide to make this an indoor pet, it will go through a reacclimitization process for a while, which is pretty stressful.

You may want to consider offering it the opportunity to stay in the pond and hibernate naturally.

Here is a good article on hibernation: http://www.anapsid.org/hibernation.html

Answer 2

How deep is your pond? You could let him stay in there, but your pond has to be deep enough that it wont freeze over....the turtle has to be able to breath. During this time your turtle might not eat or eat very little (brumation) But if your affraid to leave it outside, then you could bring it in. You could get a huge rubbermade container and put water in the one side and in the other side you could put a pile of leaves. Water turtles don't always want to be in water. Just make sure that there is a food source for him still. Just in case he wants to eat. He might not eat for a couple of months. Also it depends on where you live as to when to bring it in. If it is getting cold now like in the 50's and 40's then IO woul dbring him in. I would set him up in your basement. You don't have to but it is a good idea because of the space he will take up and it is cooler down there. Turtles are used to being cooler at night. If you are worried about it being to cool, then you could always set up a uvb light above him. Leave it on during the day and turn it off at night.

Answer 3

Turtles don't go in to a full hibernation. They can go longer periods of time with out food in the winter because everything slows down. They still will eat on occasion. If your turtle is indigenous to your area it should be okay. If you pond will freeze over that won't be so good. It has to be able to get in and out of the water. I would recommend taking him/her inside if the water freezes in your pond.

Answer 4

painted turtles stay to tell the story the wintry climate by making use of hibernating . interior the fall they placed on extra fat and, by way of fact the temperature drops, they progressively grow to be much less lively. finally they burrow deep into the dirt on the backside of ponds and pass into hibernation. Scientists have got here across that the blood of hibernating turtles actual transformations. like the antifreeze used interior the wintry climate to maintain the water in automobile radiators from freezing, turtle blood transformations so as that it may face up to chilly temperatures. as a result, turtle physique temperatures can drop to easily some stages above freezing -- lots below that of maximum animals that hibernate . As they heat up, turtles awaken and slowly grow to be lively. Early heat spells may well be risky by way of fact in the event that they awaken too quickly, a unexpected return to chilly climate would capture them unprepared and that they might freeze. in fact, wintry climate climate may well be the biggest danger a turtle faces in its grownup life. Painted turtles are hardy nevertheless, and that is now common to verify them swimming below ice in the process the wintry climate.

Answer 5

Careful. I tried to hibernate mine last year, and the poor thing developed a nasty infection. Almost died. I won't bother this year because she is a pet, I am not breeding her.

Answer 6

it will take care of its self if you leave it a lone