How Do Turtles Get Through the Winter? A Detailed Guide to Overwintering Methods for Turtles
The turtle is a reptile of the family Geoemydidae and the genus Mauremys, also known as the golden turtle, grass turtle, mud turtle and mountain turtle, so how do turtles get through the winter?
1. Basic Introduction to Turtles
Most turtles are carnivorous animals, generally feeding on snails, shrimp, worms, small fish and the like, and they also eat the stems and leaves of some plants. In China, turtles are mainly distributed in the provinces along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, while abroad they are generally found in countries such as Japan, Brazil and Korea.
Turtles are further divided into wild turtles and artificially bred turtles. Artificially raised turtles are kept in ponds, tanks, wooden basins, reservoirs and ponds, and some people also keep turtles as pets.
Turtles are gentle in temperament and rather timid. When raising them, the environment of the rearing pond must be kept quiet, otherwise the turtles' normal activities will be affected.
2. How Do Turtles Get Through the Winter?
Turtles get through the winter by hibernating. Generally, when the temperature is below 15°C, turtles will hibernate and stop eating, and they can get through the winter safely as long as the temperature is not lower than 4°C. Therefore, when raising turtles, you must pay attention to adjusting the indoor temperature. One month before the turtles hibernate, they need to be fed sufficient food so that they have enough nutrition to get through the winter.
Before the hibernation period, you should also check the turtles' growth condition. For the weak ones, increase the feed, and feed more of the feed that turtles like to eat, so that the turtles store up a large amount of nutrients; only in this way can they get through the winter safely.
About 10 days before hibernation, begin to stop feeding the turtles, letting them expel the feces from their bodies. When they have completely entered the hibernation state, you only need to cover them with a moist towel, and then place them in a place with no noise.