Texas Turtle Owners: hibernation?

[txturtle13]

This will be my first year for Dora (female adult TTBT)... I live in Humble area (north of Houston).

Any idea when she will hibernate? What do you typically do with yours? Our weather is pretty warm here, so I wasn't sure what to expect!


<3 Husband : 2 Dogs : 4 TT Box Turtles : 1 Betta Fish

 

[tortadise]

Ours up in north Texas start in octoberish early November. But I leave them in the greenhouse. So not quite a hibernation for them. I will occasionally see a female or 2 out and about during winter.

 

[mike taylor]

Are you keeping them outside? They will start slowing down and stop eating . Put some hay in there enclosure so they can borrow into and do there thing . How big are they adults or babies ? For babies I would keep them inside and not worry about it till they get older .

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[txturtle13]

She's an adult, maybe 9 years old. The babies that I have are inside my house.

I think I'm gonna just let her do her thing and throw more hay in. I think I'll just be nervous this first go around.


<3 Husband : 2 Dogs : 4 TT Box Turtles : 1 Betta Fish

 

[Bibbit]

I'm in North Texas also. I've done it both ways. I've just put leaves/dirt in an area of a larger enclosure and they've bedded down on their own. That made it hard to check on them during the winter and I worried about them alot during our few really cold streaks.

Last year, I hibernated them in leaves and soil in rubbermaid tubs in the garage. I'm going that route again this year. Being able to check on them helped ease my mind a lot and they seemed to do well.

 

[Ferretinmyshoes]

My 5 three-toeds do it all in their own, usually disappearing in November and emerging in March. I rarely know where they are because they dig down and have a large outdoor enclosure. Petey has been hibernating this way for over 20 years with me.

 

[txturtle13]

I need to make a decision... I'm leaning towards the 50 gallon Rubbermaid in the garage or barn. I know I will worry about her if we have a freeze :/

 

[Saleama]

I work in a warehouse and my Juveniles as well as my Russian Torts will hiberate in rubber made totes here at work. I am like you. I would go nuts trying not to worry about them. My Uncle hibernates the adults and any hatchlings we do not find (obviously) out doors and it kills me how he doesn't worry. He says nature will do what nature does and he doesn't like to interfere beyond setting up a ritz-carlton like box for them, LOL. He had a big male rescue that he kept over 20 years die during hibernation in 09. Make sure she does not eat for about two weeks before you try to hibernate her. Also, if you are not comfortable with it, set up an indoor pen and keep her up all winter. It will not hurt her not to hibernate.

 

[Bibbit]

My turtles are are still eating live food (one will still eat fruit/veggies also), so I guess we're not quite ready to start prep for hibernation. They are getting slow, though. One is dug in, and I just left her today in the ground instead of attempting to feed her. The other two are not nearly as active as they have been.

In looking at the weather, we're still supposed to be in the seventies for highs until the first full week in November. They will probably stop eating on their own at that point. I'll start the regular soaks for a couple of weeks, then put them in their boxes.

The last time I let them hibernate naturally in their enclosures it drove me crazy. The weather is just too unpredictable here now, I think. Either we have deep freezes, or it's strangely warm. Either way, I worry too much about them to let nature do it's own thing. As some have noticed, nature is a little psychotic right now.

 

[txturtle13]

I made the decision, thanks to y'all for the help! I decided 50 gallon in the garage.

She's too precious to me and I'd hate if something went wrong. Our weather is very erratic here, like y'all said. We have some harsh winters, and some winters where its 70 degrees on Xmas.

We had 2.25" of rain and It hailed for 30 minutes, sideways. All I could think about was hoping she had taken shelter under her log. Went out this morning and she's doin fine.

I have noticed her starting to slow down, eats some worms and the fruit I gave her yesterday, but I could tell she wasn't eating very aggressively.

#turtlestress

 

[txturtle13]

It's been such a warm winter here so far! As always Texas winters=unpredictable.

She is doing good in the 50 gallon, I'm just anxious for Spring for so many reasons.