How Do Juvenile Softshell Turtles Overwinter? Detailed Overwintering Management Methods

The softshell turtle is a kind of aquatic product we commonly eat; its meat is very delicious and tender, and it is an indispensable delicacy on the table during festivals. Some friends who love keeping fish and turtles also keep softshell turtles as pets, so when caring for softshell turtles, how do you let the softshell turtle overwinter smoothly?

1. How Do Juvenile Softshell Turtles Overwinter

The softshell turtle is an animal that hibernates. Hibernation generally starts in early November and lasts until around May of the following year. Softshell turtles very much like to burrow into soft sand to hibernate. During overwintering, you should prepare sand for the softshell turtle to spend the winter and feed it enough food before hibernation, so that it will not die from lack of heat before hibernation. The specific methods are as follows:

1. Before the softshell turtle hibernates, sun-expose the sand to disinfect it. During hibernation, keep the sand moist; every half month to one month, take the turtle out and put it in water to let the softshell turtle drink, then continue hibernation.

2. When using water for hibernation, let the water cover the softshell turtle's back, and change the water once a month.

3. When using cloth for hibernation, wash the cloth clean with soap before hibernation, wring it dry and keep it moist; every half month to one month, take the softshell turtle out to drink some water, then continue hibernation.

When kept indoors, the softshell turtle can also be prevented from hibernating. You can use an aquarium heater rod to heat the water body and feed it food; in this way the juvenile softshell turtle will not hibernate, and the survival rate is also high. By the time spring comes next year, the juvenile softshell turtle may even have grown a bit. The food is meat; fish and shrimp are best, and lean meat from other animals also works. Just put it in the water; the amount is best controlled to be equal to the size of its head, as too much is not good for its health. When the temperature is above 20 degrees, you can appropriately feed a little more, but it is best not to feed too much; too much can promote its growth but affects its lifespan.

2. Habits of the Softshell Turtle

The softshell turtle likes cleanliness and fears dirt, likes sun and fears wind, likes quiet and fears disturbance. In the natural environment, the softshell turtle likes to inhabit waters such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds with clean water quality. On calm, windless days, it often lies on the sunny shore basking in the sun. The turtle is very timid and is very sensitive to sounds and the movement of objects in the surrounding environment; at the slightest sign of trouble, it dives to the bottom of the water. During artificial breeding, the rearing pond must be built in a place with sufficient sunlight and a quiet environment, avoiding fright, which is beneficial to the growth of the softshell turtle. At the same time, the feed for feeding the softshell turtle must be disinfected and cleaned, and prepared and used immediately to avoid spoilage and deterioration, which could cause the softshell turtle to die.

The above is some little knowledge about softshell turtles. Friends who want to keep softshell turtles can also learn more about this area of knowledge.