Do turtles hibernate?

The turtle family is a. big one. The huge ocean‑going turtles do not hibernate. They come on land only to lay their eggs in warm climates there are land turtles that never hibernate. However, many land turtles do hibernate through the winter. They bury themselves in the mud or soft earth; some do this even during a long, summer dry spell.  Different turtle cousins, it seems, have different habits.

Chances are, your little pet is a slider turtle, he gets his name because of the way he slides into the water to escape danger. Naturally you want to make him comfortable, summer and winter. If he came from a novelty shop, he may have fancy paint on his back, Storekeepers do this to make him seem more attractive.

However this is very bad for the little turtle.  The paint interferes with his growing shell. So the first thing you do for him will be to remove the gaudy paint from his little back. You will find he is just as beautiful without it. He will also grow better and live longer.

Give him a sizeable home with land and water. He loves to swim and to bask in the sun. If you fix the land area, as an island make the shoreline almost on a level with the water. If you give him a sunken swimming pool make the rim almost on a level with the land. After all, he is a slider and a slider likes to slide in and out of the water. Put his box where he can enjoy plenty of sunlight.

You may buy packages of ant eggs to feed him. But they will not provide him with a balanced diet. He needs to eat chopped raw melt and bits of fish. Once in a while he needs an insect or a live earthworm. For salad he enjoys bits of lettuce and other greenery. His dessert is fruits and berries. He needs all these different foods for a balanced diet.

You may decide whether you want to keel him with you for the winter or not. He will want to dig himself Into the mud and go to, sleep if the temperature goes below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want him to hibernate until spring you may turn him loose outdoors. He will find a soft patch of mud arid dig in for himself. If the ground is still frozen, he can't do this. So you may provide him with a box or pail of deep earth in the wood shed.

Chances are, you will tempt your little pet to stay with you through the winter. He can stand temperatures of 60 degrees to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. But he is better off if his box stays between 75 and 80 degrees; Your home might be just the right temperature for him to remain active all winter,

During the winter he may need extra. things on his diet, Mix a drop of cod liver oil and a little bone meal with his food. If his shell should ever become soft, add a lump of Plaster of Paris to his swimming pool. If his eyes become puffy, swab them with a warm solution of boric acid. And see to it that he enjoys an extra dose of direct sunlight.

Maybe this seems a lot of trouble for one little turtle. But he is well worth It. If you can keep him alive and healthy he may be with you for fifteen or twenty years Many of our little pet turtles don't make the grade because their owners don't know how to help them live and grow.