How to Keep Turtles in Winter? A Detailed Guide to Key Winter Care Points

Many people who keep pet turtles at home know that turtles hibernate when winter comes with its relatively low temperatures, and if you are not careful during hibernation, the turtle may die. So how do you keep turtles in winter?

1. Methods for Keeping Turtles in Winter

1. Starting in September, feed the turtle twice a day and let it eat as much as possible, for one month.

2. From October, the turtle stops eating and prepares for hibernation. You can prepare warm water and soak the turtle in it, which stimulates its digestive tract and helps it pass stool, which is good for its health.

3. In addition, you should maintain suitable temperature and humidity. If the turtle has enough body weight and fat, it can hibernate normally; otherwise, you should use warm water to get it through the winter.

Because the turtle's hibernation period is generally about half a year, and during that half year it has to rely on the fat stored in the previous month to get through the winter, which is actually very difficult. Only turtles with enough body weight and fat can last.

If the turtle at home has been kept for a relatively long time and is fairly healthy, you can spread thick, damp sand in the container and cover it with crumpled newspaper on top. The turtle will burrow into the sand to hibernate on its own. Add water once a week to keep the sand and newspaper moist.

If the turtle at home is relatively small and has not been kept for long, it is better to raise it with warm water and let it eat normally through the winter.

2. Precautions for Keeping Turtles in Winter

1. When the air temperature drops below 13°C, the turtle begins to hibernate, but the suitable hibernation temperature for a turtle is 1-10°C. It is recommended to maintain this temperature. If the temperature is relatively high, the turtle will easily wake up, which affects its health.

2. If the turtle is relatively thin and ate poorly in September, and you want to get it to eat again, you can raise the temperature back to 28°C and the turtle will start eating again.

In short, although a turtle generally does not move during hibernation, the owner still needs to observe and care for it carefully so that the turtle will grow better and better.