It's brumation season. Please don't burry your turtles. They are more than capable of doing this on their own. Simply provide them with things like lawn clippings, cut shrubbery, hides, and leaves. They'll take care if the rest.
Please Dont Do This
- Thread starter DoubleD1996!
- Start date
Or better yet, protect them from weather extremes, predators, and many other catastrophes and bring them indoors for brumation at the correct and stable temperatures.
I appreciate the responses to your suggestion DD. I always wondered why folks actually buried them. Geez and yikes, I hope they never have to care for me! Seriously though, I understand the thinking about "helping"...its almost intuitive....but it's not. I suggest folks think "helicopter parenting".
All that said, Big Matt moved into his winter home on the credenza in the dining room a month ago. Good or bad he doesn't sleep over the winter....other than overnight. I bring him in for me, not for him. He's my buddy, I kinda like him hanging around.
All that said, Big Matt moved into his winter home on the credenza in the dining room a month ago. Good or bad he doesn't sleep over the winter....other than overnight. I bring him in for me, not for him. He's my buddy, I kinda like him hanging around.
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
And that is not helicopter parenting, wanting to keep him around? I sometimes call myself a helicopter parent when it comes to my tortoise. I too keep mine up
Absolutely, and who doesn't love the company
.If they don't respond to temps well you have to take the initiative and pull them, but my box turtles have got thr hang of it after many years.i'm amazed they can survive being buried in an 18" hole, that is something i'd have never known, and will/would never find out.... i live in zone 6a, i can drive less than 10 minutes and be in 5b , i don't believe eastern box turtles exist in a colder climate than 6a, they dig down here no more than 5-6" at the most and that's being generous, usually less, 2" over their shells i'd guess is normal.... i don't believe you could find any legit sources anywhere to substantiate eastern box turtles digging down anywhere near 18"..... ornate box turtles i believe are found in some 5a zone in south dakota and wisconsin, they are said by folks who have published papers on this subject to dig down around 9", not taking into account the ones using burrows dug by other animals........i can see clear survival disadvantages to digging down deeper than needed, and advantages to not digging down deeper than necessary...... i break up the ground in the fall down at least 16", they could dig down 16" easily, they don't......
Yes FT, you now know my secret.....I dote on him...a lot. He eats better than most of us do and my adult children are jealous of him. LOL I made sure to kick them out so they could "adult" but Matt, I dote on.
So maybe this will help explain why Mark. I read a "white paper" a year ago or so, it may have been posted on TFO.. of a study where they learned that an Eastern Box turtle can survive freezing to 60% of their body without long term damage. Almost like the frogs & goldfish! I cannot begin to count all the box turtles I had when I was younger and I also never saw one intentionally bury itself more than a "dig in" of a couple-few inches around here.
I'm quite sure Big Matt would have been fine outside in his 2nd year onward but he had a rough 1st Fall.
So maybe this will help explain why Mark. I read a "white paper" a year ago or so, it may have been posted on TFO.. of a study where they learned that an Eastern Box turtle can survive freezing to 60% of their body without long term damage. Almost like the frogs & goldfish! I cannot begin to count all the box turtles I had when I was younger and I also never saw one intentionally bury itself more than a "dig in" of a couple-few inches around here.
I'm quite sure Big Matt would have been fine outside in his 2nd year onward but he had a rough 1st Fall.
