Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm just wondering about everyone and their hibernating boxies! It has really been beautiful here in southwest Texas, so I was wondering if any of you live here and how your turtles are doing. Mine are not outside hibernating but inside in the garage. They have been hibernated in the garage for the past 3 years with no problems, so I thought it would stay cold enough to keep them "under" again this year, but with the warm temps, a couple of them were up and about yesterday, so I am wondering what in the world to do now! They have water in the cage, but I went ahead and soaked them for a few minutes and put them back on their substrate thinking they would bury back under. They didn't! So what do I do now? Do you suppose they will go back under as the days cool off again. It is supposed to get down to 32 at night again in a couple of days. Oh, I do not have an indoor set-up for them as they stay outside in the backyard during the warm months. Any suggestions as what to do now if they do not dig back under? Come next winter I think I will go ahead and let them try to stay out in the yard during the hibernating season. What do you think?

Thanks for any advice you can give me........9boxies

>>I'm just wondering about everyone and their hibernating boxies! It has really been beautiful here in southwest Texas, so I was wondering if any of you live here and how your turtles are doing.

Well gee, howdy neighbor. I'm not in the Southwest, but I'm not far from it. We're in the hot, sandy, plain old West very near the border of NM.
It's so warm that it's confusing our sulcata and the trees. Our trees are budding right now, I just know a freeze is going to come along & harm the trees. Our sulcata had to be carried home a few nights ago because it was so warm that she didn't get back to her mansion before dark. On New Year's Eve it was 60 degrees at 9PM, no wonder the trees & the tortoise are confused!

We have one wild male box hibernating in the old burrow of a Mexican ground squirrel. When he first closed his door we put a small wooden house over him to block the North wind. I've checked on him several times & found that he has not opened his door so I'm sure he's ok out there. Since it's been this warm I've checked him daily just to make sure he still knows what he's doing.
Because of various problems my females & Chip are in the house awake so I've set them up in large Rubbermaid storage boxes. My hope is that eventually they will ALL be able to stay outside year round. If you need to buy any boxes all the stores have great deals on large containers at the moment. I got 50 gallon storage box for $11.88 at Target yesterday.

I can tell you this, we know some people who live in the same town we do who have 30 something box turtles that live year round in their backyard. The man told me once that they've had some come out during warm spells in winter & when they did he left them alone. Then he said that the ones who did come out are the ones that did not live through the winter. Why? I don't know.

At least yours are protected in the garage, his are just outside on their own. If you'll keep an eye on yours my guess is that they'll probably go back under in a few days when it cools back down. I'm sure they'll be fine but if they don't go back under & need to stay indoors for a couple of months they'd do ok in a storage box.
Other than worry over shelled pets & trees, this weather has been fabulous except for the dryness (no wildfires will happen here I hope).
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PHRatz

Thanks again PHRatz for the info about the turtles. I will just keep an eye on them and if they are not under again in a couple of days, I guess I will get some containers like you suggested and bring the boxies in that think it is now "spring"! Silly things.....but I guess they figure..."what the heck.....it is nice and warm out...why should we be sleeping through it?"

Thanks again!

I hope that the weather returns to normal very soon. My next door neighbor mentioned this to me yesterday afternoon:
I remember this happening in the eary '80s but not the exact year. We had a 3 week freeze with ice. He remembers that it was extremely warm like this before the ice storm hit. I don't remember the warm weather but I have slept since then lol... however I do remember the ice lasting that long.
I just hope that a major ice storm is not about to happen again. It's been more than 20 years since winter here was that cold & horrible so ya never know when it might happen again.
Apparently the wild boxies & other reptiles do ok when we have weird weather.. they are still around in spring after all.
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PHRatz

If you have ice for that long you will have to board up destiny's house and keep her in there. It has been weird up here in ny too. It will be warm for a few days and then really cold for a few days. The poor squirrels don't seem to know what to do, lol.

>>If you have ice for that long you will have to board up destiny's house and keep her in there. It has been weird up here in ny too. It will be warm for a few days and then really cold for a few days. The poor squirrels don't seem to know what to do, lol.

Yes we would have to keep her boarded up for all that time, that's why I wish I could win a bazillion dollars and have a house built with a room built onto it specifically for her lol.

So your squirrels are confused too, hmmmmm that's interesting!
Our Mexican ground squirrels & the prairie dogs hibernate but come to think of it I need to drive by the airport & see if the prairie dogs are out on these warm days. I don't suppose being mammals it would harm them much to be out during warm winter weather.
It's been so warm that I've been watching the road where in the past I've seen so many box turtles.. I can't help but keep an eye out for boxies because the day before yesterday as I drove on that road my car thermometer was at 84 degrees.
According to the weather channel it's supposed to cool off again then warm up again so who knows what's after that?
Just hope it's not any wildfires here!
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PHRatz

>> Apparently the wild boxies & other reptiles do ok when we have weird weather.. they are still around in spring after all.

There is a loss rate in the wild due to "survival of the fittest/smart enough to keep burrowed-in during wild temp swings" etc. The loss rate acceptable to most hobbyists is 0% though.

I too am in the west TX region. Historically I've brumated my turtles in my garage (typically 50s F), but this year I bought a small wine cellar (little fridge with glass door) and my dudes are literally chilling out at 50 degrees steady. An external aquarium air pump piped into a cup of water inside the cellar provides outside fresh air and humidity.

The turtles are in one container, and my banded geckos are in separate containers. Everyone's in for a six-week nap (the turtles get soaked once a week or so, and weighed as well).
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

>>
>>There is a loss rate in the wild due to "survival of the fittest/smart enough to keep burrowed-in during wild temp swings" etc. The loss rate acceptable to most hobbyists is 0% though.

Oh yes I am sure you are right about that but I do hope it's not significant loss.
>>
>>I too am in the west TX region.
Another neighbor

>>
>>The turtles are in one container, and my banded geckos are in separate containers. Everyone's in for a six-week nap (the turtles get soaked once a week or so, and weighed as well).

Your wine cellar sounds neat. I need to look into something like that because one day my indoor boxies are going to reach a point where they'll all be healthy enough to do this & after seeing Janie get sick from staying out in cold rain I don't think just leaving them outside on their own is going to work out.
I know my vet puts hers in cold storage at her home. Her husband who is also a vet complains that he's lost his workshop. lol
One day she'll give my turtles the all clear & will want this to be done for them so she's going to have to tell me exactly how hers are stored.
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PHRatz

"I bought a small wine cellar (little fridge with glass door) and my dudes are literally chilling out at 50 degrees steady. An external aquarium air pump piped into a cup of water inside the cellar provides outside fresh air and humidity"

I like your idea.. Do you run the air hose in between the door
and the frig? Or did you drill a permanent separate hole in for it?

Thanks

Petri

I like your idea..

I stole that idea from the collared lizard forum.

Do you run the air hose in between the door
>> and the frig? Or did you drill a permanent separate hole in for it?

I cut a groove so the air hose rests in the groove partly exposed but the door shuts over it to completely enclose it. So, yes to both your questions--the air hose runs between the door and the fridge (albeit in a groove), and I did drill a permanent hole. That way, the door still makes a seal all the way around.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Many Thanks. I'll be trying the same idea..Glad you stoled it!

Petri

My advice is to not worry a bit. I like on the gulf coast and have three box turtles. They too are confused by the warmer temperatures. I have seen two of the three out at a time, and one of them really likes to move around. I was worried last year when I saw that turtle out when it was 60 degrees. I put up a post and was told to relax. The turtle will go down when he wants/needs to. And he did. They even braved the Christmas eve snow we had last year. All came out for spring and healthy as could be. Therefore, I have to disagree with what was said about those turtle who come up during the winter not making it. You just can't feed them. I think leaving them outside next year is a good idea.