My Box Turtle Won't Totally Hibernate This Year???

Elizabeth Massari

New Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2016
Messages
12
Hi Everyone-
My name is Beth. You helped me out a few months ago w/a question about my Box Turtle. Thanks again BTW. I'm hoping you can help me solve a problem I'm having. My Eastern Box Turtle is almost 10 years old. I've had her since she was a very tiny baby. She is and has always been kept indoors in a very large aquarium. Every year, since she was very young.....she has going into hibernation herself, without any encouragement from me. I do,of course, change and prepare special organic potting soil, sphagnum moss, shredded leaves etc. about a month before I think she is ready to hibernate. I give her 30 min soaks in tepid water and make sure she has been given supplements high in A and D and calcium, of course. She is very healthy, and thank the good Lord, has never had any health issues! But this year, for some strange reason.....she hasn't gone into full hibernation!? She stopped eating and is still soaking herself often. (in addition to my soaks) She weighed 396 grams a month ago and now weighs 368 grams. I've done everything exactly the same as all the other years and nothing is different or has changed! She doesn't want to eat, and she is getting sluggish, yet she won't go into full hibernation. I don't know what to do. I just recently installed her lights again, hoping she warm up and start eating, but she hasn't. She still looks very healthy, but I'm very concerned because I want to KEEP her HEALTHY!! She's my baby!! LOL I am hoping some of you experts might have some suggestions!! Thanks so very much in advance for your help! Oh, and Happy Holidays too!:)
Beth
 

Elizabeth Massari

New Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2016
Messages
12
Hi-
Thanks so much for the quick reply!! She is now, since she hasn't hibernated & I reinstalled lights, kept at 85 degrees. I've been leaving the lights on for about 12 hrs a day and turning off at night.
 

lisa127

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10 Year Member!
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Feb 11, 2012
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Try keeping gentle heat on her during the night. And also keep uvb light on 13 to 14 hours. These two things will hopefully trick her into thinking it's summer and get her eating. This is what I do to overwinter mine every year. However, I've never hibernate mine before so our situations are a bit different.
 

Elizabeth Massari

New Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2016
Messages
12
Thanks!!!!:) I will give that a try. She's pretty SMART though!!! LOL I don't know if she can be tricked!!!:) I actually NEVER new how SMART turtles could be until I had her!! When she's hungry .......she'll sit in her food bowl and when we walk by, she will open and close her mouth!!! That's just one example.....but sometimes I think she is smarter then my Jack Russell!! (and she is EXTREMELY smart!!.....LOL) Thanks again....I'll let ya know how I made out!!!
 
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