Hibernation is very important to box turtles. Healthy box turtles at Indiana Turtle Care stay out year round which allows them to hibernate in a natural setting. Each turtle is examined and weighed to determine if it is safe for outdoor hibernation. If there are turtles that appear healthy but need to be monitored, they are hibernated indoors. Being a natural instinct for box turtles, it is possible that not allowing hibernation can cause harm to health, including hormonal and immune systems, and instinctual habits. During hibernation, box turtles are in a deep sleep in winter months, burying deep in leaves and dirt and waking up in spring. They do not eat and their heart rate and respiration significantly slow down.
Box turtles have natural instincts for hibernation. Living outdoors, they sense the change of seasons not only by temperature change but also the location of the sun in the sky and the changing angles of shadows. They begin to quit eating to allow their digestive systems to empty during hibernation. As the leaves begin to fall, the box turtles soon begin to burrow down in the dirt and leaves. With occasional warm days, some do come out and move to a different area. Mulched leaves are added to areas of our hibernation pens to help the sleepers have extra coverage. In colder temperatures, damp leaves form ice crystals. Snow helps insulate the leaf and mulch coverings. It is easy to begin to worry about them in the coldest months of winter, but remember that they are meant to hibernate.
Sorority Pen in winter for our female box turtles.
Sorority Pen in summer for our female box turtles.
Can you see the eastern box turtle in the picture above? She just woke up!
Below are some photos of turtles coming out of hibernation. See if you can count how many are in each picture. Click on the photos for a larger view. Answers are at the bottom of the page.
Turtles that need to be monitored during hibernation are kept inside. We use large plastic storage containers that are filled with mulched leaf matter. It is misted throughout the hibernation period for hydration. The turtles are prepared for hibernation approximately a month or so before being put in the bins to bury down. Each turtle is weighed and soaked. A decrease in the amount and frequency offered is followed to enable the turtle to clean its digestive system. Hibernating with digested matter in the intestines and/or stomach is not healthy. Box turtles instinctively slow down and stop eating throughout this preparation period. At least once each month, the indoor hibernators are soaked in cool water for a short time, weighed and examined. If any show signs of illness, they are taken out of hibernation and slowly warmed up. Some of these symptoms are bubbling out the nose and/or mouth, swollen eyes, or gasping for air. These are signs of a respiratory problem or pneumonia. The bins are kept in a cool room that is in the low 40's. We use an unheated glass-enclosed porch. In the spring when the outdoor turtles are waking up, the indoor sleepers are slowly brought to a warmer temperature and begin to wake up.
Click on the photos below for a larger view.
