Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is the first year to have any ornates as guests. Two were rescues from Colorado
and three were flood victims sent to me this summer from the Midwest.
The ornates this morning were (4 of 5) out sunning when it was 38 degrees. They go in the logs at night with some help but I have caught two just laying in the wading pond until late at night. I can’t stand it and put them in the logs.
They haven’t eaten in two weeks and just sun and sleep.
Is this normal behavior or should I keep a watch to pull them in if it goes below 33.
They just act so much different then the Easterns I wanted to ask.

All the Easterns we have were up then down then two nice days some came up now with temps in the 50’s highs and 30 lows they are all under.

I keep Ornates in the Southeast. I began rescueing them from a "breeder" in South Carolina that was unable to acclimate them to the humid climate...they all came to me with respiratory infections. I never thought I could keep them here until I had success with the rescues.

I had the same problems during the first year or two after obtaining each individual. The first winter seemed tough for my Ornates...they acted exactly in the manner you are describing. I would simply place them in their burrows every night and also when the temperatures were going to drop into the low 40's F or less. They seemed to get the idea once the temperatures were consistently low.

This is only what I decided to do. You'll have to use your judgement. I would say that if you hear any wheezing or see any bubbles...I would bring them in directly. Dick Bartlett recommends keeping Desert box turtles (a subspecies of ornata) indoors for the first winter. Interestingly, my Deserts have had far less trouble acclimating than the Ornates.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

baby ornata

Thanks Ken, I will follow your advice. Last night I went out at 1:30 and one had come out and was sitting in the moon light and it was 38 degrees.
I did build a large hiberchamber and one loves it but the others are will stay the night then not go back on their own.

I do love the ornates with the drought this year here the easterns would only come out early morning and if I ran the make shift sprinkler system. The ornates just stayed out all day sunning and foraging for food.

P.S. Great picture

I have ornata and carolina and the ornates seem to be more cold hardy, but obviously they must hibernate when the temps become cold and food sources dissapear. Ornates have been found hibernating in small groups in animal burrows and it has lead me to believe they are "happy" (?) if they have a burrow to go into at night. For example, all my three-toeds will dig into the ground on cold nights in early fall, but the ornates perfer to go into the tunnels I have made for the turtles. I don't hibernate my turtles outside, but if I did, I would make the ornates a tunnel in the base of a mound and angle that tunnel downward. Once the turtles are in for good I would cover the whole mound and opening with more leaves, dirt and straw until I felt the turtles were safe.

Another way to hibernate is with a "hibernation pit". Steph Moore's website appears to be down now but she has instructions there on how to make one. If it's not up soon I will put instuctions in a message.

P.S. The reason I don't hibernate outside is my fear of mice or rats getting to my turtles, plus I like to check on them during the winter.
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Tess
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