Is it safe to keep my pet turtle in a blanket for winter hibernation?

Do not hibernate her this year. Keep her enclosure temperature between 20 C and 27 C. Provide a basking area of about 32 C with UVB lighting. Provide food and vitamin/mineral supplementation as well as several baths weekly.

Box turtles are so fun to watch in the wild! Your backyard turtle knows exactly when and where it should hibernate, so do not bring it inside. The conditions within your house are likely not ideal for the turtle. Have fun watching him in your backyard and look forward to his re-emergence in the Spring! Thank you for using pet coach.

Thank you for your question about your turtle. I think that housing your turtle in your pond during the warmer months would be a great idea, as long as you feel that the husbandry parameters that are required can be met. This will include appropriate water temperatures (often times supplemental heat is required for ponds), protection from predators (some owners will bring their turtles indoors at night), and a mixture of shad and sun (so that your turtle doesn't overheat). As far as your question about the winter, I would not recommend allowing your turtle to hibernate outdoors. Even though this is done in the wild, an artificial pond is unlikely to allow for the same parameters as a wild setting, and this may result in a dangerous situation for your turtle. You could continue to house your turtle in the winter and then add the outdoor housing in the summer as well. I hope this gives you a place to start, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach, It is normal for this species to hibernate when it gets cold. This in itself should not be a problem; however, if Creek is unwell for any reason then it is better to keep him active by providing a warm environment throughout the winter. This would ensure that his immune system continues to function properly. A yearly veterinary health check just before it gets cold could help you decide whether or not to let him hibernate.

First of all if he is in the house, then he is most likely dead as it is too warm to go into hibernation. If he is outside it's not easy to tell, at least not in the beginning, eventually you will know as you will see him start to decompose after a few days of being dead, it will start smelling as well.

As long as the house is between 68 F and 80 F, Mikey should be fine. As a reptile, he does need a basking area to warm up and UVB lighting. Nighttime temps can drop to 60-65 F. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and an unflavored electrolyte replacement beverage for 30 minutes. This will warm him up and provide hydration. If he is kept indoors year round at constant temperature s, he does not "need" to hibernate.

Thanks for reaching out about Oj. To prevent hibernation, you must keep the environmental temperature at the preferred optimal temperature zone range of 75-85 degrees. If allowed to cool but not hibernate, you are just shutting off the immune, digestion and other symptoms, allowing bacterial or parasitic diseases to proliferate unhindered. During this period of non-hibernation, Oj should continue to eat and be active, otherwise something is not correct. Photoperiod and exposure to UV radiation is important also. Decreased photoperiod and UV exposure stimulates hibernation patterns, so light periods and UV should be kept higher (like summer) to prevent hibernation. Good Luck.