Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello from North Central Texas!

Over the summer, I've inherited 3 red-eared slidders and 1 Eastern Box Turtle. I have them in my 10 x 20 glass sun room (lots of dirt and plants to hid under). They've got a nice, large pool and plenty of food.

My question is, with winter coming on, will they be ok if I bring in leaves and composte for them to dig in or will I need to do something more for them? Do turtles in Texas truly hibernate?

Any advice is appreciated.

Rottgirl

>>Over the summer, I've inherited 3 red-eared slidders and 1 Eastern Box Turtle. I have them in my 10 x 20 glass sun room (lots of dirt and plants to hid under). They've got a nice, large pool and plenty of food.
>>
>>My question is, with winter coming on, will they be ok if I bring in leaves and composte for them to dig in or will I need to do something more for them? Do turtles in Texas truly hibernate?

How cold does it get in the sun room at night and during the day in the winter months? That information will tell you whether or not your turtles will actually hibenrate in the room. If it gets cold in the room, say below 45 at night and doesn't get above 50 in the day, then yes, your turtles will likely hibernate and any additional mulch you bring in for them will protect them from the cold. However, if the room stays warm, or warms up above 55 during the day and get even warmer, they will likely not hibernate and you'll need to continue feeding them.
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Tess
Kingsnake.com Forum Host

Thank you for the quick reply!

We have a hot tub in there and tropical plants that have never had a problem making it through the winter in the last 3 years. We keep the outside doors shut so the hot tub keeps it very humid and much warmer than the outside temperature.

When the sun is out, we open the door between the sun room and living room to help heat the house. So I'm thinking they will be ok.

I'll add leaves and grass clippings to an area away from the glass walls in case they decide to snuggle down.....and keep offering them fresh food and water throughout the winter?

Another question.....does it hurt them to not hibernate? Or if it's a warmer climate, do they no always hibernate in the winter?

One other question and I'll leave you nice people alone.....one of the red-earred sliders won't eat anything but the Purina One dog food that I put in their "pond".....will she be ok on that? She's the first one in the water after I clean it out and put food in there each morning.....it's like watching a small elephant make it's way through the jungle to see Alex rushing to the water!

Thanks and have a great day!

Rottgirl

Just stop feeding it the dog food, and never offer it again. Eventually it will eat something else. Turtles naturally choose to take what they like the most, even going on hunger strikes. They will not starve themselves to death, however. An adult RES can go for several weeks without food with no adverse effects. I've never had one hold out longer than 2 weeks, though.

(SNIP)
>>I'll add leaves and grass clippings to an area away from the glass walls in case they decide to snuggle down.....and keep offering them fresh food and water throughout the winter?
>>
>>Another question.....does it hurt them to not hibernate? Or if it's a warmer climate, do they no always hibernate in the winter?

Someone already answered your RES question. I think he will go for feeder goldfish as well.

If the sunroom saty warms enough to keep plants alive, it will be too warm for the turtles to trully hibernate in, so yes, continue to offer the turtles food and water. They should be fed at least twice a week. Go ahead and add the leaves and grass clipping. It won't hurt and may make an area for them that stays at a more constant temp.
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Tess
Kingsnake.com Forum Host

Thank you both for your replies. I'm learning a lot!

Have a great week!

Rottgirl

Unless you live in the Panhandle, you really wouldn't see a true hibernating season. Many of the herps in Texas go down for the winter but during those wierd warm days it is not uncommon to see them out and about. So, if there is a hibernation period it is very short (a month or 2).
You said you have an eastern. If it is WC there is a good chance it will want to hibernate. With the setup you decribed it probably would not be cool enough unless it could get against a cold wall to dig down.
On the sliders, I wouldn't feed it dogfood. There are some good water turtle diets that would be much better and I've even heard that Trout chow is commonly used for water turtles.
Ed

Thank you for the information.

I think I've seen some "wet" food for turtles at PetsMart.....I might try that and see what she does. One of the males, I've never seen eat....maybe he'll go for the new food.

I appreciate the info. on the Eastern....don't know a think about him except that he loves nectaurines. He's the only one who'll eat the box turtle food I put out dry for them.

Thanks to everyone!

Rottgirl

Another question.....are the red-earred slidders not box turtles? They're considered water turtles? So they would need/want a different kind of food than the Eastern?

Thanks!!!!

RES are not box turtles, true box turtles have hinged shells so they can close up.. I dont know the dietary needs of a RES so I can't help you with that

And here I thought a turtle was a turtle was a turtle.....thanks for edumacting me!

Rottgirl

yeah actually i thought that you said something about "filling the pond up int he morning"
really a RES should have access to water 24 hours a day
In the wild they almost never leave the water except to bask (usually on a log on rock which is partially in the water) or to lay eggs (once or twice per year)
So the set up should allow them to be in the water at all times.

They do have access to water 24/7....I try to get out and clean it up each time one of them has been in it....which means several times each day.

So RES want to eat their food in the water? So I need to get something specifically designed/made to sit in water for awhile?

Ya'll have a great weekend!

Rottgirl

"So I need to get something specifically designed/made to sit in water for awhile?"
what do you mean like a filter? or something to bask on?

I was referring to a food that could be in water for awhile without getting too mushy.

Rottgirl

oh.. reptomin is a fav. it gets mushy but they'll still eat it,
another thing is small minnows/sp of fishes if you have enough room you could set up a small breeding tank for guppies or something,

Actually, the water turtles can be trained to eat in a different container. I fed aquatic turtles for 20 minutes each time, 2-3 times a week. I'll put several inches of water into a rubbermaid tub, then drop in food, and add aquatic turtles. They eat in there, usually poop as well, and I can dump the scraps down the train and clean the tub and put it away for the next feeding. It might take them a while to get the hint, but once they do, feeding becomes easier.

Thank you for the suggestion. I might give that a try.

One last question.....so not hibernating does NOT hurt the turtle physilogically?

rg

that not hibernating an animal that hibernates in the wild causes any physiological damage.
Ed

I didn't think it would as I'm sure these species of turtles that live in warmer climates rarely or never hibernate. I feel pretty confident that they will be ok in the sunroom.

I'll start getting grass clippings, etc....together and put them in a spot that they seem to like to nessle down in.

I'm going to change the RES's food right away.

Thanks to all for the help! I think we'll be just fine now.

rg

Hey, ain't common sense an amazing thing.
Ed

nope. Not that we can tell. It does seem to have an impact on their ability to breed reliably (in some species). Some species have issues with certain kinds of housing, and certain situations, but hibernation isn't a worry unless you want to breed them (or want to take the winter off from caring for a herd of turtles).

In a nutshell... I'd have to agree.
Ed