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I have a red-eared slider who is about 2 years old. We've had him in a 20 gallon tank indoors until this summer, when we built him a pond in the backyard. He's been out there (and loving it!) for about 2 months. I had planned to let him stay out there all winter, but now that it's October and getting chilly I've been having second thoughts.

It's an in-ground, pre-formed pond that is roughly 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. It's only 2 feet deep. About 6 inches of the depth is taken up with substrate: a mixture of top soil, sand and large pebbles. We have water hyacinths floating in there too, but I'm guessing they'll die off when it gets colder. He's well protected from raccoons and other critters -- we kind of built him a fortress.

What I'm worried about is whether the temperatures will be stable enough this winter for him to survive. We live in Virginia, so average temps in the winter are in the high 30s, low 40s F, but it can easily get much colder ( 0-20 F is not all that rare either). I doubt it will freeze to a big block of ice -- it doesn't stay cold long enough for that. But other posts about him needing a thick, leafy bottom and at least 3 feet of water made me worry.

I'd hate to put him back in his cramped 20 gallon tank, but it's better than freezing to death. Any advice would be most welcome.

It's a tough call... though I would think that it's unsuitable. Perhaps local herp keepers might provide better insight.

I work in a pet store in Alabama and I rescue sliders from customers that either do not know how to care for them or do not have the financial means. In the past I have kept the larger turtles for approximately 2 months to make sure they are healthy and to teach them to catch their own live food before releasing them to a body of water far away from any roads or anything that can harm them. (I take advice about releasing from a local reptile doctor who is highly versed with water turtles and who believes strongly in releasing turtles into the wild in the Spring, as opposed to keeping them as pets)

I have plastic baby pools all over my yard that I keep the rescues in, seperated by sizes. BUT...it has mostly been the case that my larger rescues were ready for release in the summer months and did not have to remain in the pools through a winter.

This year I wound up with three large rescues, one of which has a bad leg, and I received them too close to the winter season to release them. I purchased a large fiberglass pond and prepared it with a pump and fountain. Then I installed two large aquarium heaters, one on each side, submerged 3/4 deep. I found a great deep pond thermometer on Ebay and put it in yesterday. The temps for the last two weeks or so have been going down into the 50's at night and I was worried about the cold also. So...this is what I have done so far but not sure it will work out when it gets even colder.

My concerns are due to the fact that the aquarium heaters are spec'd for 'Indoor Use Only' and I am being told that they will not keep the water at 78 degrees as it gets colder. These heaters will only raise the water temp a few degrees above what the temp is outside. The only heaters I can find on Ebay are the round floating type that describe that it will keep a round hole melted in the surface ice so that gases created by wastes can escape and keep the turtles/fish healthy but it doesn't keep the water warm. I did find one submersable pond water heater site but the prices were outragous. They ran anywhere from $400 to $1200. I can't afford that so I am still trying to decide my next move.

I have been considering putting the turtles into some sort of plastic deep container full of soil and letting them hybernate but according to this site, that should not be done. I thought about this idea when I recently fixed up an indoor aquarium for two infant rescues I just took in. I seperated the water from the land in this tank by installing a piece of plexiglass in the aquarium. When I put the babies in, instead of wanting to swim around, the went for the dirt side and buried themselves. This was a few days ago. I dug them out of the dirt after the first couple of days but they only stayed out for a little bit and went right back into the dirt. This told me that some turtles do want to hybernate in winter. So...I am torn about whether or not to try it outside with the big guys. I have been feeding them alot less, as I have studied to do so before winter hybernation periods.

Any new suggestions would be mucho appreciated!
Sorry this was so long,
Thanks!
Cavebuddy

Captive turtles should not be released into the wild, they should be re-homed or released into private and protected ponds.

You shouldn't have any problem using fully submersible heaters as long as the plug doesn't get wet. What are your winters like?

Naturally wild RES would hibernate in the bottom of ponds. Hibernation is tricky for beginner owners, which most RES keepers are. Since it is not a necessary aspect of RES keeping, it is not recommended. What's the temp for the hatchlings? Wanting to bury themselves would make me think their environment is too cold.

Well, the winters here have become increasingly unpredictable and getting worst. It was colder here last year than ever and
I expect it to be worst this year. It can go as low as 10 degrees or more on some days. Some days in the 30's or higher.

The babys are in an aquarium inside where it is warm and I have a small heater in the water. The one that kept poking its head out of the dirt is now hanging out in the water but the littlest one keeps going back into the dirt. I hate to keep digging it out and bothering it but I am worried that as an infant it is too young to hybernate and not eat. I dug it out yesterday and it swam for about 45 minutes then went back underground. I promise I'm keeping the water warm enough.

When I say 'back into the wild'...I do mean a wonderful area that is indeed protected and thrives with other turtles. What the Doc has always told me (because I worried about it so much) is that even though a turtle is born in captivety or wild caught as infants, that they acclimate very well into nature and are better off out there when they become adults. But I still have a fear that since they've always been hand fed...that they won't understand having to catch their own food, so when I get them,
I continue their regular diet for a while then gradually slow that down and add guppies and feeder gold fish so they can learn to catch their own food before releasing them.

The heaters I bought were very expensive with lifetime warranties but stated that they were for indoor use only. My friend brought it to my attention that if these heaters are indoors they can work properly to keep the water at 78 degrees, but outdoors the ambient temp will not allow the heaters to keep the water at 78 during cold winters. It will only help it to stay several degrees over what the ambient temp really is. Does that make sense or did I explain that wrong...lol

Thanks so much for communicating with me. I will follow any advise you may have.
Btw...I really like your site Been looking for a good turtle site for a while.
Thanks!

P.S. Please don't think that I fully believe that the sun rises and sets with this doctor. He's just the best reptile vet I have to listen to in this area. He has tons of experience with turtles and sees so many mistreated ones. He is very passionate but I am sure he has tunnel vision about releasing 'because' of all the problems he encounters. I am open to anyone's suggestions. Not just his. I would actually like to know what 'you' think about one of his theories. It is this. Most people think sliders like to stay in the water all the time. They don't, he says. They like to get out just as much as they like to stay in (when preditors are not an issue). That was what gave me the idea that maybe they wanted to hybernate in dry soil. What do you think of he says here? I personally see so many people that keep them in water 100% of the time, except for a small basking area.

I would not hibernate any turtle that's less than 3 years old and is not in good health or injured.