Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey,

I have 4 eastern box turtles. I don't want to hibernate them outside (a frige would be perferred) but I have absoultely no idea how to do it, what temperatures, how long etc. Can anyone help? I just want to prepare since fall is approaching. Thanks.

-Rick

I could write a book about this...Oh, I did Go to my website and read the hibernation article by Dr. Roger Klingenberg, or read the chapter about hibernationin in my online book, or buy the paperback book. It has a large section on refrigerator hibernation.

The same process a person undertakes for outdoor hibernation is done for refridgerator hibernation. Don't hibernate sickly, weak or thin turtles. Stop feeding the turtle two weeks before hibernation, and do lots of soakings to clear the gut and hydrate the turtle.

The pitfalls of this kind of hibernation are fridges that don't maintain the proper or steady temp (around 45 degree), poor humidity in the hibernation box itself, low oxygen in the fridge and too long a hibernation period. I always recommend a person do a trial run with the fridge for a month BEFORE putting a turtle in it. This way you can check temps and see how well the box your choose holds humidity. A 6 or 8 weeks hibernation in the fridge is long enough in my opinion to set the biological clock so hormone levels are normalized. Longer and more risks could come into play unless you are an old hand at it.
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Tess Cook
www.boxturtlesite.info

Along the hibernation line, does anyone know when I should start preparing my boxies for hibernation outside in Dallas? Our seasons vary so much, I would hate to stop feeding two weeks before I thought it would get cold, and then get another month of 80 degree weather.

When I lived in Texas (Katy, near Houston) I did not have to worry about a hibernation protocol on the turtles. They would hibernate in the ground and would self-regulated their intake of food. A few of the turtle did not even really hiberate, but would come above ground for some sunning on warm days and even soak in the water dish- which I kept clean and filled with water all the time.

Will you be hibernating your turtles outside? The original message was about hibernating in a fridge and in that case a turtle should be cleaned out. If a person hibernates their turtles outside in an area where turtles normally hibernate -like they sometimes do in Dallas- the turtles themselves will tell you when to stop feeding them-they just won't eat. Tess

Thanks, Tess. Yes, I will be hibernating them outside. Your response is what I was thinking. I definitely plan to keep after their pen, keeping their water clean and filled, and such.

Where do you live?
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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,

I'm in eastern PA