What Do Turtles Do In The Winter

Turtles are one of the pets that more and more people have at home because they are the ones that take up the least space and are the easiest to care for.

These animals do not require much care, but all people who have turtles when winter comes ask the same question, Why doesn’t my turtle eat? Is she sick?

It is normal for turtles to stop eating in winter, this is because they are animals that hibernate in winter.

So in spring and summer, they eat a lot to be able to store food and endure the winter well.

If they don’t eat much in summer when they hibernate they can even die.

Another option

We have is to put a heater in the water of the turtle. So that in this way it always has a warm and pleasant temperature so that it can lead a normal life without hibernating.

If we choose this, we will observe that our pet continues to eat normally.

If we do not want to put the heater, it is advisable that in winter we place it in areas of the house that are warm.

So that the water is at a more comfortable temperature and the turtle stays awake.

If it has not eaten enough during the summer it is advisable that we wake it up from time to time to eat some food.

But if in summer it has eaten enough we should not worry at all because our turtle does not eat in winter, it is only hibernating.

One of the pets that are in fashion and that surely many at home have are the water turtles.

A pet that can be a bit expensive but that, by taking up little space and not being very “annoying” has become one of the first pets to be kept by children.

How do I prepare my tortoise for hibernation?

Before starting to hibernate your turtles, the main thing is to make sure that your turtle is in good health because if your turtle is weak, sick, or convalescing, it has much less chance of surviving the process.

To check the health of your turtle, the most appropriate thing is that you go to your trusted veterinarian or an expert turtle breeder.
Generally, you should avoid hibernating turtles by keeping them indoors or in a terrarium with summer weather if they show any of the following symptoms:

  • Secretions from the eyes, mouth, nose.
  • Wounds or breaks in the shell
  • Dehydration (a clear symptom of dehydration in turtles is when their eyes are sunken)
  • Some retained egg.
  • Dry legs or tail

If you notice that your tortoise is underweight or not eating well in the weeks leading up to winter, you will need to overfeed before letting it hibernate.

Remember that your turtle will not make it until spring without the necessary fat reserves, so it is essential to feed the turtles well during the summer.

That’s it.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *