Reptile & Amphibian Forums

can anybody give me some advice on hibernating my 2 ornate box turtles? i have both a male(pistacio)and a female(miranda)that i got last month.i was looking up box turtle care and in all the articles that i read it said that a healthy box turtle needs to hibernate. and to do so you need to put them in a part of the room or somplace that will stay 40-50 degrees.....problem is, i live in hawaii. 40-50 only exists on our mountain, mauna kea. any advice would be greatley appreciated.
MAHALO!!!!

I haven't ever hibernated my box turtles, but I have hibernated my Russian tortoises. I hibernate them in the crisper door of the fridge. With the Russian tortoises, I take them off of feeding for two-three weeks before I hibernate them. I soak them every day up to the day I put them under to make sure they have no food in their system. If they have food in their system, the food could rot and kill them. You should really wait at least a year before you hibernate your box turtles. Weather they are captive bred or not, you shouldn't take the chance and hibernate them unless you have had them at least a year, just to make sure they are in good health.

Thanks, Cliff

I have boxies on Maui. I think that the Florida one does the best, that it is too hot/dry/wet for the 3toed.

I don't know who lays the most viable eggs, but she seems to lay a few times a year.

where did you find turtles?
The local pet shop on Maui rarely has them.

I just bought the book that our moderator (?) wrote.
It seems pretty concise.
I would recommend that you order one.
It is very inexpensive as books go.
(don't tell the author)
http://www.boxturtlesite.info/index.html

Good luck.
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Patsy

ur boxie lays eggs a few times a year? thats pretty cool... i just got my orantes last month. i got them frm a store in hilo town, stacys pets. they have alot durring the summer time. alot of baby ornates and three toed... do your boxies hibernate? if they do then, how do u do it?

mahalozzzz

my wife and I are coming to Hawaii this fall on a 15 day cruise, which for us is a "trip of a life time" celebration of our 6th wedding aniversary that we have been saving up for the past 5 yrs, must be nice for you guys to be living in paradise. It's kinda funny how you have to be concerned about getting your boxies cold enough to hibernate, were as here in Iowa we worry about how do we keep them from freezing their appendages off!!!
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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus

howz it braddah!? congrats! comming to hawaii is da best choice 2 make. beautiful beaches, views, women, and most the ppl are so full of ALOHA and winter, spring, summer, fall.?...? those season dont even exist here. so the weather should be cherry wen u get here. my family and i actually spend our whole winter break down at the beach. prime time for surf, so fall should be all gravy. good luck and congrats again on ur trip and anivrsry. as for your boxies theyre really lucky to have a owner that cares. god bless you my braddah,have a good 1and mahalo plenty

p.s.- if you ever remember, try to get back 2 me about your trip to our beautiful hawaii nei.

Aloha Manno,
Many mahalo to you, we are really looking forward to it.
Take care
Jeff
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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus

Hey Jeff, remind me before you come. If we are home, we'll bring fruit down to the wharf when you come into Maui. Paradise ain't what it used to be. Very high cost of living, very low income. Over crowded and stretched aloha. But its home.
Manno, I don't hibernate. And I don't like it. That is why I have carted turtles back to the mainland to people who live in appropriate places. There used to be a poster (Streamwalker?), real knowledgeable, that suggested this was an alright environment for the Florida. She seems to tolerate the dry heat and no prolonged cold spells best. She is out right now eating off of a leg of org. turkey, and a piece of fish. She doesn't seem to be interested in the various fruits that I toss into the pen.
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Patsy

Aloha Patsi,
Many mahalo to you as well. Do I sound like a tourist or what?
Jeff
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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus