Boxie Out Early?

[KellBell]

Hi Everyone ~ our newer Boxie came out today, or rather I noticed him today. Seems a little early? I’m in the Sacramento CA area and our prior Boxie didn’t usually come out until March.

We only got this turtle last spring, his previous owners brumated him indoors. He’s about twenty years old. He’s not showing any interest in moving much. Just poked his head out a bit when I put him in a warm water bath. Hasn’t opened his eyes. Our prior turtle seemed rip roaring and ready to go when she came out. I swear she said ‘feed me!’ Guess this guy just needs more time. Anyone in the California Central Valley have their Boxies out yet?

 

[mark1]

not sure about california , but we've had an unusually very warm winter ..... your turtle hibernated outside ? ground temperature imo is what gets them out , staying above 50F for like 4-5 days gets mine out ............ from my experience they're "rip roaring and ready to go" all the time , may not eat for a couple days , but their loving the sun and warm water ..... not opening his eyes would concern me , i'd be concerned until i got him to open his eyes and eat .......

 

[KellBell]

Thank you Mark. Yes, hibernating outside. His first time.

He opened his eyes eventually and livened up a bit later in the afternoon yesterday. Still pretty sleepy. More baths and hopefully some sun are in order (when available, it’s calling for rain the next few days).

 

[jeff kushner]

Glad to hear that your little guy is okay and doing well!

I heard frogs outside DC yesterday when I got to work in the dark....don't remember hearing them in Feb before.

 

[KellBell]

Thank you Jeff! Frogs in February eh? They’ve been out here for a couple weeks now, now that you mention it…

 

[jeff kushner]

Thank you Jeff! Frogs in February eh? They’ve been out here for a couple weeks now, now that you mention it…

That's kind of surprising since you are more North in the State ut on Google, it's still more-south than us here ...just seems early for us here. When my kids were young, we used to begin going to the local pond to look for turtles in March....

 

[mark1]

these were turtles that hadn't emerged and i dug up last may , first or second week .....

 

[KellBell]

Jeff, I never really pay attention to when they frogs make their appearance. Does it coincide with the turtles? We are in the more north part of the state; but still very temperate when compared with other areas. And seemingly warmer every year. I grew up in the SF Bay and our desert tortoise didn’t usually come out until April.

Mark, you have beautiful turtles! Stunning colors 🌈

 

[enchilada]

we are having unusual cold winter in Southern california this year. my boxies are still sleeping since Nov.
But the frogs are out since Jan .....

 

[jeff kushner]

Jeff, I never really pay attention to when they frogs make their appearance. Does it coincide with the turtles? We are in the more north part of the state; but still very temperate when compared with other areas. And seemingly warmer every year. I grew up in the SF Bay and our desert tortoise didn’t usually come out until April.

Mark, you have beautiful turtles! Stunning colors 🌈

Mark might know this but I do not. I typically see frogs well before turtles. Just a guess but I've have attributed it to the fact that they are smaller and possibly can detect the rises in temps quicker and earlier than the larger turtles.

A lot of folks over on this side don't realize how beautiful it is where you live. I took my youngest daughter out there for a vacation in San Fran a decade ago....very first thing we did was to stop on the Pier at an overpriced gift shop and bought sweatshirts! It was 60's and we were not prepared....LOL

 

[KellBell]

Jeff it is beautiful in the Bay! SF does gets cold, a sort of damp, bone chill cold which catches people by surprise. Sacramento is a little dryer, but with higher and lower temps than SF.

We ending up putting our little turtle in the garage in a dirt enclosure as a cold front moved back in, with hail visiting us yesterday. He’s nestled back in the dirt.