Gulf coast box turtle's strange behaviour

[coloto]

Hi everyone from Spain!

This week temperatures has dropped from 18º celusius to 10º celsius during the day and from 10º to 4º during the night. It caused a quick brumation for the majority of my box turtles, some of them adapting well to the new situtation (buriying themselves), but others were caught unprepared.

This is the case of an old T.Carolina Major male which I yesterday saw floating on the pond (water's temperature should be about 8-10º celsius), I pick the turtle and I left her on the ground in a little cavity in the soil, protected by some leaves.

Have you ever seen such a behaviour? Is this a sympthom of illness?

Thanks in advance

 

[PJay]

T. c. major turtles will go to water in all most any circumstances and it's not uncommon for them to be in the water when temperatures begin to drop. I would put the turtle in a suitable brumation spot, but they may go back to the water anyway. Just keep putting them back in loose soil and leaves and eventually they will stay and dig in for the winter.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I have heard of at least one T.c. major that would hibernate at the bottom of the keeper's pond with the keeper's aquatic turtles. He had another T.c. major that hibernated on land. Same location.

T.c. major do seem to be more aquatic than other subspecies, but individual results do vary. I don't know what to tell you about the floating, though. Has this turtle ever done that before?

Maybe some of our members having more experience with T.c. major outdoors will comment soon.

@HermanniChris @Eric Phillips

 

[coloto]

Thank you all for the replies and advices

I build the pond because Majors tend to go more often to take baths, and they need more the water than other box turtles like T.Ornata. I see them in the pond, specially in summer (very hot and dry in Spain).
Sorry for my english, when I said floating, I meant the turtle was like a wood board in the pond, in a "catatonic" state.

My box turtles always spend the winter buried, that's why I was somehow concern.

Thank you again!

 

[HermanniChris]

All our T. c. major hibernate in water, at the bottom of the ponds in their enclosure from late November until late March. This species is highly aquatic so this kind of behavior is normal.

 

[coloto]

It's just amazing. I've never heard or read about this kind of hibernation in water, but it makes sense. I've been observing them during these days and is the same behaviour.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[coloto]

Regarding this thread:

http://theconversation.com/the-secret-to-turtle-hibernation-butt-breathing-86727

 

[jsheffield]

Cool thread, thanks for the info!

Jamie