Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This week its supposed to be in the 50's during the day, 40's at night. I am going away for 5 days, thought about putting my Box Turtles and Wood Turtle outside, make it easier on my neighbor to take care of them. Inside they are eating like pigs and really making their water filthy, like turtle do! I am in the process of getting extra mulch put in their outdoor pen right now. They also have a "house" that I will put extra bedding in.
So they should be okay, right? Don't want to feel guilty.
Thanks!

Personally, I would not, since 50 degrees is not sufficient to keep them metabolically active, and they'd just stay under cover, and possibly get sick from the abrupt temperature drop with food in their systems.
Thats really nice to think of your pet-sitting friend, though.
Stephanie

I wouldn't think about not feeding them. Not those hungry animals LOL.

They won't be able to digest properly at temps that low! They aren't going to want to eat. Anything that may still be in their gut will just sit there until they're warmed enough to digest it: in the meantime the food could begin to decay in their stomachs.
If they were kept outside year round, they wouldn't come up from hibernation if it were still that cool.
Please don't do it: find someone willing to clean up after them, or offer to pay your friend or something.
Stephanie

like steph said, its too cold to digest food. youll be throwing them into hibernation with full stomaks and no preparation. they could easily get sick. dont do it. give your friend some nice easy water pans to change. maybe put the habitat next to the sink or something, to make things easier. but dont make your turtles sick.