How Do Pet Turtles Get Through Winter? A Detailed Guide to Winter Care and Management

During winter, turtles enter hibernation; if you are not careful, pet turtles may freeze to death. So how do pet turtles get through winter?

1. How Do Pet Turtles Get Through Winter?

1. If they are hatchlings, it is not advisable to let them hibernate, because this way, the turtles can easily die. Newly born turtles cannot withstand the test of severe winter cold, and the mortality rate is very high. We should keep them indoors and continue feeding them until the turtles are raised to two years of age and have the ability to withstand severe cold; only then should we let the turtles hibernate.

2. You can put a layer of potting soil in the bottom of the container used for keeping the turtle, with a thickness of 3 cm. On top, spread aquatic plants, and place it in a spot within the straw that does not freeze. Wait until the next year, and then take the turtle out again.

3. During the turtle's hibernation period, we should not disrupt the turtle's normal metabolism, that is, we should not go look at the turtle. If we disturb them at this time, it is very easy to make the turtle repeatedly wake up while in the hibernation state, causing the turtle's death.

4. The hibernation temperature must not be lower than 0 degrees Celsius, so when keeping turtles outdoors, be sure to remember to place the turtle in the middle of thick straw, ensuring that the temperature inside is higher than the critical temperature the turtle can withstand.

2. The Habitat Environment of Pet Turtles

Pet turtles generally live in streams, rivers, lakes, swamps, reservoirs and mountain streams, and sometimes also come ashore to move about. In the natural environment, turtles feed on worms, snails, shrimp and small fish, and also eat the stems and leaves of plants. The turtle is a poikilothermic animal. In winter, or when the temperature remains at a low level for a long time, the turtle will enter hibernation. Different species of turtles begin hibernating at different temperatures, but usually all at 10-16 degrees C. At this time, the turtle will remain curled up in its shell for a long time, almost inactive. At the same time, its breathing rate decreases, its body temperature drops, the speed of blood circulation and metabolism slows down, and the nutrients it consumes are relatively reduced. This state is similar to sleep, except that it is a deep sleep lasting several months, and may even show a slight state of torpor.