Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,

I am once again getting concerned and need some guidance. My baby turtle has not eaten since the beginning of October if you have not followed my postings. He is now having weight loss. He has maintained his weight up until now at 50 grams and this morning is now 45 grams. I am feeling like I need to do something as spring is a long ways away and I don't think he is going to make it until then. I am convinced that he is trying to hibernate as he doesn't appear ill at all now. My options suck:

1. Continue to leave it alone in hopes that he eats and take the chance of him dying.
2. Have my vet tube feed him and take the chance of him dying from the stress.
3. Put him into hibernation and hope he makes it till the spring.

If this was your turtle what would you do? I just can't understand it. My adult turtle is doing great, soaks and eats every other day with no problems at all. She had many issues when I got her and have overcome all of them.

Thanks for your ongoing help.
Linda

Let your turtle hibernate. You can’t fight Mother Nature. I learned this the hard way to. My new hatchlings are outside right now hibernating. It’s 20 degrees outside right now. At first I did not think that they would survive but Mother Nature know what she is doing and I have never lost one over the winter. Each spring when they come out they eat any thing that moves in front of them. It might be too late to hibernate them out side if the ground is frozen were you are. I have a friend who hibernates his in a pail filled with moist soil in his unheated basement. He keeps the pail right on the concrete floor, so that it wicks up the cold from the floor, but its never that cold that it freezes. I have also read of people hibernating their box turtles in there lettuce crisper in the refrigerator. Also buy not having to take care of your turtle for the winter you will get yourself recharged and more excited about them when he comes out in the spring.

Jack
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Jack

Get a bottle of Pedialyte from the drugstore. This is for babies who are sick and need to hydrate. Take the boxie out every day and soak him in the Pedialyte (warm it up a bit). You can also get a jar of baby food...infant carrots. Add that to the Pedialyte. Let him soak in that for 15 min. a day. Keep the temperatures in his enclosure up in the 80's. Keep the light's on to mimic the Summer daylight hours.
I am doing this right now with an Ornate that I left out too long. She usually come's in for the Winter before it gets cold. After a week of this she's usually back to her old self. I have done it with hatchlings, since a friend on another forum told me about this and how good it works.
I've never hibernated any boxie under 3 years of age. This is just what works for me....not saying it's written in stone.

Thanks and I have also used pedialyte and Ensure. His temps range from 80-84 degrees during the day.

He is losing weight which is not a good sign. Are you suggesting then not to hibernate him and hope he lasts until spring?

Thanks, Linda

I hibernated a bunch of juvies this year for the first time. They are all 3 years old, and 4 years old. One did not gain enough weight and I kept him inside. I have not weighed him, but he only comes out once a week when I take him out, soak him, and try to feed him. Yesterday was the first time he ate in over a month, and it was only 1 small red wiggler worm. Eventually he will eat, so I'm not worried. You have to do what you think is right for him, but if he were mine, I would keep soaking and trying to feed him, and not hibernate him.

I think Mother Nature CAN be fooled...rather easily. Long daylight cycles, warm temps, etc. But this is the key - does it shorten lifespan? I have read articles in the past that hypothesized that box turtles have a pre-determined number of "awake days". They can be scattered over many, many years that are interrupted annually with a hibernation cycle, or they can be had in a continuous string of awake days over fewer years.

In other words - hibernation extends the number of years on planet earth. Interesting theory, but I have never seen any proof one way or the other...

Linda, after reading your past posts over the last few months I would probably cool that little guy off and let it be for a few months. It sounds like you have tried almost every other option. I would certainly not tube feed that hatchling. Not in 20 years have I ever had to tube feed a turtle. That scenario just sounds tramatic. I also let all mine hibernate every year including three month old hatchlings. They always come out in the spring with very little weight loss and an incredible appetite. What part of the country do you live in? I am not sure what your winters are like so you might need to monitor temps to make sure they are not getting to cold. I live in dallas so I just let mine do what they do naturally but mine are in the native range. I agree with the first responce you got to cool this guy off as this is what they would have done naturally in the wild. They have evolved over millions of years to do this. It will be OK and it appears to me to be the safest option you mentioned. Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions

Thanks
Allen Sheehan

Hi,

Thanks again for all of your input. I have decided after much thought that I need to go ahead and allow him to do what is natural. I plan on hibernating him but I will do it indoors. I cannot allow him to waste away and I really don't think he is going to eat anything in spite of my efforts. I really don't think he is a hatchling either as his weight is more of a yearly from what I have read and he looks just like an adult except for his size. Here are my questions. Please respond as quickly as possible

1. I have an area that is about 60 degrees or an area that is 40-52 degrees depending on the temps outside. We have been in the single digits around here. I live about 2 hours from Chicago. Which is the appropriate temp?

2. I plan on using a sweater box (rubbermaid)with air holes in it. Can I use the potting soil and sand mixture that he currently has?

2. What humidity level would be appropriate? If I have him in the soil mixture and keep damp moss on top of the mixture will that be sufficient for humidity?

3. What are the appropriate steps for the cool down. Temps?

4. How often should I remove him and allow him to soak?

Sorry for all of the questions. I have never done this before but have done alot of reading lately which you can imagine. Please let me know if there is anything additional that i need to be aware of. I am terrified and have not made this decision quickly. I just feel at this point it is his best chance.

Thanks again
Linda and Little T

http://aboxturtle.com/hibernation.html

http://boxturtlesite.info/bxbook.html

Here's some sites to help with indoor hibernation. Hope everything works out for your boxie. Please keep us posted.