outside hibernation

[terryo]

I don't know if anyone hibernates their Box Turtles outside, but I just finished the hibernation cave and thought I'd post some pictures of what I do.

The soil is loosened up to about 2 feet, then I put another foot or more of dried leaves. (I saved a few bags from last Fall in my garage)

On top of that I put about another foot of pine hay. I love pine hay. It's so soft. I go to the woods and collect a few dead branches from a pine tree.

On top of that I put a piece of plywood toward the back of the cave so no rain gets in.

Next comes another piece of plywood covered with a piece of pond liner stapled to it.

Then another piece of pond liner to cover the whole thing

I just put some heavy things on top so the wind doesn't blow anything

In the Spring when the turtles are all up, I mix all that up into the soil, and it makes a nice compost pile where they'll be lots of worms and bugs for them to eat all Summer.

Pi has to watch everything I do....or maybe he's just looking for one of the females?

And here's Poor Pio inside for the Winter.

 

[tyler0912]

I bet pio loves it indoors...in your house so like....outdoors?
And thats' great all that you do your a devoted mother!

 

[jackrat]

Great tutorial on setting up for hibernation,Terryo. We do much the same for our boxies.

 

[dmarcus]

Glad that you did this Terry, with all the threads about hibernation thats been popping up. This will definitely help a lot of people out...

 

[DerekS]

Just curious, do you put the turtles in there or do they find it themselves and bury down?

 

[terryo]

They find it themselves, but they go in there all Summer to dig up worms and bugs, and they stay there if there's bad weather. From now until the frost sets in, I'll go out every night when it gets dark, and put any that are outside in the cave. So far my little Gulf Coast hasn't gone in so if I see her not interested in digging down, I'll take her inside for the Winter, but so far it looks like she'll be coming inside.

 

[Len B]

Very Good Thread, The way you set them up for cold weather will work in any climate.I think mine will be getting ready for winter starting tomorrow, rain all day, then high temps in the low to mid sixties for at least a week.Being on the river helps the temps stay warmer longer, but in spring it stays cooler longer. Len

 

[Saloli]

They find it themselves, but they go in there all Summer to dig up worms and bugs, and they stay there if there's bad weather. From now until the frost sets in, I'll go out every night when it gets dark, and put any that are outside in the cave. So far my little Gulf Coast hasn't gone in so if I see her not interested in digging down, I'll take her inside for the Winter, but so far it looks like she'll be coming inside.

hey Terry. I'd suggest bringing your Gulf inside for the winter. i'm not sure if it would survive you winter they come from zone 8-9 which has a lot warmer winter then your zone 6. so maybe bring her in whennights get into the 50's

 

[Turtle Guru]

Hibernating mine inside because I feel more comfortable about inside hibernation instead of outside because I can check th m way better but that's my opinion and nice cave I like it

 

[terryo]

They find it themselves, but they go in there all Summer to dig up worms and bugs, and they stay there if there's bad weather. From now until the frost sets in, I'll go out every night when it gets dark, and put any that are outside in the cave. So far my little Gulf Coast hasn't gone in so if I see her not interested in digging down, I'll take her inside for the Winter, but so far it looks like she'll be coming inside.

hey Terry. I'd suggest bringing your Gulf inside for the winter. i'm not sure if it would survive you winter they come from zone 8-9 which has a lot warmer winter then your zone 6. so maybe bring her in whennights get into the 50's

I'm in Staten Island, and the Winters here are really bad. Last year we had so much snow that it didn't melt until Spring. I've asked so many people, including Tom from Turtle Tails, and he hibernates his GC outside. But I'm really nervous about doing it. Last night I put her outside and she went into the cave, and as of this morning she's still in there, but it's not that cold out yet.....and she's only 2 years old, so I'll probably bring her in.

 

[Grigor.Love.]

This is great! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[reneereichert]

Terryo, I wanted to thank you for this post..I got my Easterns in April this year and have gone back and forth on how I am going to hibernate them, and this is it!! I am going to start working on it today...awesome awesome thread, thank you. Do you think I should remove or block other hides when I do this?

 

[terryo]

You don't have to block them, but each night I would check everywhere in your enclosure to make sure that they are in the hibernation cave (or section), and if they aren't, I would put them in there. This way they will know enough to go by themselves when the weather gets cold. I don't have any other hides, except for one large pot turned up side down with a hole in it. They usually go into the cave or under a shrub during the hot hours of Summer or when there is bad weather. I am glad it helped you. The pictures aren't too good, but this is just a little place for them to get out of the sun it they want to.

 

[reneereichert]

You don't have to block them, but each night I would check everywhere in your enclosure to make sure that they are in the hibernation cave (or section), and if they aren't, I would put them in there. This way they will know enough to go by themselves when the weather gets cold. I don't have any other hides, except for one large pot turned up side down with a hole in it. They usually go into the cave or under a shrub during the hot hours of Summer or when there is bad weather. I am glad it helped you. The pictures aren't too good, but this is just a little place for them to get out of the sun it they want to.

Your pictures are always great! Thank you so much for sharing...how did you cut that hole in the pot?

 

[terryo]

You don't have to block them, but each night I would check everywhere in your enclosure to make sure that they are in the hibernation cave (or section), and if they aren't, I would put them in there. This way they will know enough to go by themselves when the weather gets cold. I don't have any other hides, except for one large pot turned up side down with a hole in it. They usually go into the cave or under a shrub during the hot hours of Summer or when there is bad weather. I am glad it helped you. The pictures aren't too good, but this is just a little place for them to get out of the sun it they want to.

Your pictures are always great! Thank you so much for sharing...how did you cut that hole in the pot?

Thank you. You can see the line that I made for the hole. My son cut it with some tool that he uses in his tile business...don''t ask me what the name of the tool is...

 

[pdrobber]

very helpful!

 

[DixieParadise]

TerryO, thanks again for the wonderful information. My "Jeter" has been covered up for two days now, so I guess he has decided to hibernate. I do check on him daily, but I haven't disturbed him. Since he chose the dripline of the house, I am going to take other precautions for him. Your pictorial and info has really helped. I will see if I can't give Jeter a better area to winter in.

P.S. I laughed at your Clay Pot. Looks like the one I did for my RFs. I used a grinder and couldn't keep within the lines either. Did managed to get the hole cut though.

RF's inside as well. Too cold now for them outside. They don't like it(inside) , but they are getting along ok. Just have to do the soaks when they are inside.

 

[Roxie]

I'm trying to decide what to do with Roxie. If you remember, she wasn't doing well over the summer and then we built her an outside enclosure. Now she is thriving and eating like a pig! Well, she has slowed down a bit since we have had some rain and now cooler weather. Our temps this week are about 78/58 with the new cold front. She is eating less and hiding more, but her favorite hidey spot is a shallow depression next to a log under a big spring of grass. At night she goes into a little cave.

I don't think she has ever hibernated before and she's about 6 years old. Now that she's outside and she's a native turtle, should I let nature take its course? Should I keep offering food and let her choose to eat? I can reinforce her cave area to make it more comfy, warmer, and drier.

 

[DixieParadise]

Your temps are really a bit warmer than mine. Not sure where you are at.... I am loosening the soil and adding more leaves to Jeter's area today. I found a hard platic grocery tote that I am going to make a hide with. I think if I bury that down into the soild and cover similar to TerryO...that he should be alright. I did check on him this morning and he had moved to another area of the enclosure that he likes. His was inside his shell, but I could see his head and his eyes. So, with this cold weather snap..think he has decided to hibernate.
Since I have never had a turtle or tortoise that hibernated before, I am just assuming from his actions that this is what he is doing. Can someone out there give me some input on this?

 

[terryo]

I don't know the weather where either of you are, but you have to find out where your frost line is. Mine, here in SI is about 22 in. So I have to dig beyond that to make sure they don't freeze. Usually they know how low and where to go. Also make sure your hibernation place is dry, and slightly elevated. Every night when I go out to check them, there is still one or two that's in their favorite hiding place, and not in the cave. I have to put them in. Eventually they will al go in and I won't see them any more. Do not use any green leaves, green plants, grass clippings, or weeds. Green plant material will generate heat and mold. You do not want to generate heat but rather reduce the penetration of cold and maintain a stable cold temperature. I know...it's scary. But they've been doing it for thousands of years, the only difference is that we are now controling their environment, so we have to get it right. I'm always a nervous wreck waiting for Spring.