Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, my turtles haven't eaten for a long time but do get active. They surface and sometimes crawl on rocks, float and swimm around. I'm just afraid, however, that since they aren't in full hibernation they may get malnourished.

Where I live it's only into the 50's or 40's at lowest. Could this fact of them not actually sleeping through winter hurt them? Is it semi-hibernation?

If you are not going to put them into total hibernation you
have to provide the warm temps year round. Bring temps back
up as for summer. They should not be in partial hibernation
as health issues most likely will surface. I keep mine
the same way year round (except they are outside in the summer)
and they are active and eat as if it is summer.

Linda

Don't forget your hours of daylight. Your temperatures AND lighting need to be set to the typical "summer" cycles. That means 14 hours of light (heat light and/or UVB light).

Katrina
-----
0.1 Iguana - Tiffel
1.2 Eastern Mud Turtles - Fred, Ethel, Edith
0.0.1 Giant Mex. Musk Turtle
Foster turtles: More than I'd like the husband to know about.

So far so good, as they are outside, in full daylight year round, so it's typical of an environment in the southern USA.

What I'm getting at here is whether this is okay for them or not, since temps don't get below freezing. I suppose, therefore, it's just like Florida, where I'd acquired them.

There's a pond in a nearby park by my house, Turtles abound there, and I see them sunning on warm days. But yes, they can get more sunlight. My yard is too shady. Yet there's nothing I can do about this. The sun's turning.

My idea is to hibernate them naturally. But where temps seldom fall below freezing, like in Florida, I wonder if they go into full hibernation or just become lethargic.

Right now it's getting down to freezing and the temps should be cold enough to make them sink into hibernation a little deeper.

What do you think? What signs of distress should I look for? They've gotten just too big for me to put in one tank all together and I've built a nice pond for them in my back yard. Yet I don't want to take any chances and endanger their lives.