HC-TortoiseFiinder
New Member
Hi everyone. My dog found a young, small box turtle yesterday-in Southern Maryland. We have been having below-freezing temperatures, and the turtle was all closed inside its shell. S/He did not appear injured. I assumed it was hibernating so we placed him/her in a box with a lot of leaves and other dried plant stalks to protect it from the cold and the dogs. We placed the box in our garage. So today, I went to check on the turtle and s/he had moved positions inside his/her box--not far, but movement, nevertheless. S/He was again closed up in the shell. So maybe s/he is not really hibernating? Over the next two days, we expect temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s, but then back to colder temps over the weekend (especially at night). If I release the turtle (near where my dog found it, but on the other side of the fence where the dogs can't go) tomorrow when it is warm, will the turtle dig him-/herself back into a hibernation burrow? Or will s/he be too sluggish to dig a burrow? Will s/he die over the weekend if s/he doesn't burrow in? What should I do to help him/her? We don't want to keep him/her. Thanks for any advice!