The turtle’s body consumes vitamin A lot during hibernation. You can also prepare a turtle for hibernation by feeding it vitamin A through carrots and leafy green vegetables. Alternatively, place the box outside but make sure the temperature inside the box never goes below freezing. If you want to keep your turtle indoors, place the box inside a fridge with the temperature set just above freezing. Put a substrate in the inner box, such as: Fill the gap with insulation material like foam, to really improve your turtle’s security during hibernation. You can build one from plywood, then build a smaller one in the first one. A hibernaculum is the hibernation box you construct for your turtle. This is where the hibernaculum comes into play. A turtle can feel this and may choose to interrupt its brumation to take a peek outside. If the light is stronger, it means the sun is shining brighter, which also means that it’s warmer outside. Not only temperature but also light plays an important role in premature interruptions of hibernation in turtles. If spring comes sooner and the temperatures become warmer, the turtle will interrupt its hibernation ahead of time. But typically, either a water or land turtle will hibernate for 2-4 months, from October to February. They can walk out of their dwelling at any time. How Long do Turtles Hibernate?Īs I said, turtle brumation doesn’t mean they’re inactive for a set period of time. After bringing their health back to an optimal state, you can let your turtle hibernate. If it has a cracked shell, irritated eyes, or is underweight, I recommend not letting it to brumate. It’s also best not to force a sick turtle to hibernate. To prevent hibernation, use aquarium heaters to warm the turtle’s water. Even if you keep your turtle indoors, its instincts are still there, so it’ll try hibernating if the temperatures drop suddenly. A pond is best for their hibernation!Īll turtles hibernate, whether outside or inside. So, don’t try to set up a pile of leaves for your water turtle because it may not like it. Water turtles, on the other hand, bury themselves in the mud in ponds or lakes. After it burrows into the substrate, a turtle will generally leave the top of its shell exposed. Land turtles will look for soft ground or piles of leaves to start their hibernation. Even if the temperatures are near-freezing, that substrate provides insulation, preventing the turtle from freezing. From what I read, turtles look for a cozy substrate and they burrow into it. To compare its metabolism, a turtle’s heart beats 40 times per minute in hot weather, but only 10 times per minute in cold weather. It needs less oxygen and food, so it can start the brumation period. If the sun burns brighter, you may see a turtle coming out to bask in the sun, even if it’s winter.Īt the beginning of fall, when it’s becoming colder outside, a turtle’s metabolism slows down. The only difference between a hibernating bear and a brumating turtle is that the turtle may become active at any time. ![]() They don’t eat for months on end because they don’t need to. They only wake up when spring comes.Ĭold-blooded reptiles like turtles go through brumation instead of hibernation. When winter is coming (hah!), bears retreat into their lairs and go to sleep for months at a time. Bears are one of the best examples of this. Hibernation is the period of dormancy that hot-blooded mammals go through when the weather is too cold. Next up, we’ll talk about various aspects related to turtle hibernation! How do Turtles Hibernate? Turtle hibernation is called “brumation” but that’s everything. They don’t completely go to sleep but rather remain slightly active during this period. ![]() However, turtles hibernate quite differently from other animals. Yes, both land and water turtles do hibernate. Many animals hibernate during winter when the weather outside is incompatible with their lifestyle.
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