Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First why do certain torts/ boxes hibernate? What is the reason behind it?

And next is they are suppose to but are not digging a hole but are burrowing just a little, what should one do to help them?

I have heard of bringing them inside and putting them in the freezer but that sounds risky.

Any advice/ links to read?

first whatever you do don't put them in a freezer that would most likely kill them quickly.

turtles and torts hibernate because the weather gets too cold for them during a portion of the year. by burrowing underground they are able to contian heat and enter a hibernation state where they "sleep" and don't need to eat. this lasts around 3 to 5 months depending on the weather.

there is no reason to hibernate turtles in captivity unless you plan to breed them or if they live outside they will hibernate naturally. also before a turtle hibernates it must be healthy and most turtle keepers will try to fatten their turtles up right be for it starts to get cold.

hope this helps

Box turtles often don't dig down very deep. In fact some hibernate with the top of their carapace or shell exposed without any problems. Even so, if your in a northern area, and you plan to hibernate a box turtle outside, I recommend constructing a box of moist crushed leaves, mulch, sand, and dirt that is at least a foot deep. Box turtles will dig down under this and be much better off than exposed. You may be past the point where the turtle will do much of anything for the remainder of this year, (too cold to move).

Some people hibernate their box turtles inside their garage in a box containing moist crushed leaves, mulch, sand, and dirt. They take the turtle out once a month and soak in cold water. If your garage gets above 50F or below 20F, be careful of the turtle coming out of hibernation or getting too cold.

Different types of box turtles can take different temperature extremes. Not hibernating at all is usually the safest bet. If yours is half buried in hard clay soil in a northern state right now, I'd move him.

Answering these may help my make a specific recommendation.
What state are you in?
Are you at a high elevation in moutains?
What type of box turtle do you have?
What is the ground that the turtle is currently in like, (loose, hard, grass area, moist mulch/leaves)?

jbly

Ok.. Here is another up in the air question,
If a tort has started to hibernate, can you just dig him up and bring him inside or will you have to let him run his full cycle?

you can definetly dig them up although i don't recomend it unless they are in some kind of danger. They will sometimes wake up on a warmer day. just for that day than go back under. this is perfectly normal. basically when they get warm they will wake up. i have two box turtles and i live in central CA and they have both gone into hibernation.

also as a side note you shouldn't hibernate any very young specimens.