How Turtles Overwinter and Key Points for Keeping Them

In a broad sense, "turtle" refers to the collective term for the order Testudines; in a narrow sense, it refers to species under the family Emydidae. The Chinese pond turtle (Chinemys reevesii) is also known as the golden turtle, grass turtle, mud turtle and mountain turtle. In animal taxonomy it belongs to the class Reptilia, order Testudines, family Emydidae, and is one of the common Testudines animals. It is an ancient extant reptile. It is characterized by a very sturdy shell on its body; when attacked, the turtle can retract its head, tail and limbs into the shell (except sea turtles and snapping turtles). Most turtles are carnivorous, feeding on worms, snails, shrimp and small fish, and also eating the stems and leaves of plants. Turtles are distributed almost everywhere in China, but the yield is higher in the provinces along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Guangxi and various parts of Shandong also produce them, with larger numbers especially in southeastern Guangxi and southern Guangxi. Abroad, they are mainly distributed in Japan, Brazil and Korea. Overwintering management in turtle farming is very important. Below we look at what methods and precautions there are for overwintering in turtle farming.

There are mainly the following ways to overwinter farmed turtles:

1. Natural overwintering

Turtles begin hibernation when the water temperature falls below 15°C, not eating and not moving. Overwintering for turtles is relatively easy. In winter, inspect the pond in the morning. Ponds with mixed turtle and fish culture are managed the same way.

2. Cellar overwintering

Choose a spot sheltered from the wind and facing the sun, and dig a hole at least 30 cm below ground level; the size depends on how many turtles there are. The turtles can overlap each other, but they should not be piled too thickly. Extend 1 ventilation pipe from the hole, with the outer opening facing south, sheltered from the wind. Seal the hole with wooden boards or cement boards, pile them firmly on top and cover with straw. Check once every 20 days. If the temperature inside the hole exceeds 13°C, reduce the insulation on top of the hole; if the temperature inside the hole is below 2°C, thicken the insulation. This overwintering method is simple and safe, and the hole has its own humidity, so there is no need to sprinkle water. By the same principle, caves and air-raid shelters can also be used for overwintering.

3. Indoor overwintering

Given the turtle's tenacious vitality and resistance to stress, it can be allowed to overwinter naturally indoors. The specific method is: when winter comes each year and the water temperature drops below 13°C, scoop the turtles out of the pond and put them in a quiet empty room, stacking the turtles in 2-3 layers, covering them with 30 cm of warm straw that has been soaked beforehand for half a day, then pouring water through once, sealing the doors and windows and blocking out light; afterward, sprinkle water about once every 1 week so that the straw does not dry out. According to records, even when the indoor air temperature is below 0°C it is very safe, the survival rate exceeds 98%, and reproduction in the following year is not affected. The greatest advantage of this method is that the turtles can be tended at any time, and it can accommodate large batches of breeding turtles for overwintering.

4. Overwintering with insulation in jars and boxes

Put the turtles in a jar or box, put a lid on top, and leave certain ventilation holes in the lid. After placing the turtles, add some wet cloth or wet sponge on top of them, and check once every 10-15 days. Keeping them from drying out also allows them to overwinter. This method is suitable for overwintering tortoises (land turtles), semi-aquatic turtles and small to medium-sized turtles. As long as the air temperature in the jar or box is not allowed to fall below 0°C (not below 5°C for tropical turtles), most turtles can overwinter safely and soundly.

In addition, for small-scale home turtle keeping, the turtles can be placed in a water container and kept indoors; maintaining above 0°C allows them to pass the winter safely, and the stocking density can be increased by more than 1 time compared with usual, which helps raise the temperature somewhat. If turtles are kept in a small pool in an outdoor courtyard, covering the pool with plastic film so that the pool water does not freeze is a very reliable overwintering method. Appropriately deepening the water level also has an insulating effect. The simplest way is to put some foam plastic boards in a small pool and place straw on top, which can also let the turtles overwinter safely.

Special precautions needed for overwintering turtles:

Turtles generally enter hibernation when the room temperature is below 13°C. When entering hibernation, the turtle's head and limbs retract into the shell. Its eyes are tightly closed. It does not eat, drink or move, and naturally does not excrete either. Generally, a hibernation temperature of 1-10°C is suitable for turtles. If the temperature keeps fluctuating and causes the turtle to wake up, it easily consumes the turtle's physical strength. At this time it is very easy to cause the turtle's death. Therefore, the room temperature should be kept within a certain range, and fluctuations should not be too large.