General Care Discussion :: Hibernation

[thatgirl05]

Hey Guys!

Yesterday (dec 26) my heat lamp broke and I dont think Ill be able to get to the store till next week..and my RES is already acting like shes trying to hibernate...or so says the Hubby. I havent seen it, but he said she was "sleeping" at the bottom of her tank. She still has a water heater and her uvb and she still eats the hubby is just freaked that shes gonna try to hibernate and die. Can she do that..in water?

[grey goose]

Do you have a thermometer in the water? Water temp should be around 76F for an adult, 78F for a baby.
I don't think she will try to hibernate if the water temps are in that range. I'd be more worried about her developing RI in that situation. Turts are exothermic, meaning they have no control over their internal body temperature. When they are cold, they climb up on the basking ramp, which should be set at about 90F, and when they are warm, they will slide back into the cooler water.
A clamp lamp is pretty cheap, they also sell them at hardware stores, probably cost less than at the pet stores. I'd get one for her as soon as you can....

[PetriTheTurtle]

Petri sleeps under water ALL THE TIME! It used to freak me out, but I guess if that's how she likes to sleep....

If you can't get to the store until next week do you have a regular light (like a desk lamp or something) that will provide a little extra warmth?

[FLhaven4strays]

Use a regular household bulb for heat - 60, 75 or 100w depending on how far away it is from the basking area. If you don't already have one, clamp lamps (or desk lamps w/ a clip) are only about $7.00. You don't need a 'heat lamp'...household bulbs work great.

Our 3 turtles usually sleep near the surface, but I do sometimes catch them napping at the bottom.

[RunninWideOpen]

No, the turtle won't hibernate if the proper water temperature is still being maintained. She just may not bask. This is more of a shell health issue than anything else. Like FLhaven said, any regular household bulb will do. I don't use any specialized bulbs for heat except in my box turtle pen, because I need 150W bulbs to keep that warm enough.

sleeping in the water is quite normal. i would be more concerned with sleeping out of the water, especially if the basking light is not on.

[marisa]

You don't need to go to the store for a heat light, just use a regular incandescent light bulb. Use a wattage that will get the basking area temp in the range of 88-90F.