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Hibernation Question - New type of question

PostPosted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:38 am
by drtweak
Alright so i've had my turtle for almost 2 years. She has been at my friends house in his 2000 gallon pond with 3 other turtles and some koi and has been happy. Well its getting cold and shes never hibernated before. I want to get her out (by saturday) and get her into my 220 gal i'm gonna get with a water heater. My buddie says she rarely comes out as much and what not...

Now my question is. Even though she has never hibernated before and she starts before i can get her out, what are the odds she will be fine?

And if i do get her out in time and make the temp change would it hurt her?

I just want to know if it would be better off to leave her or take her out...Just if i take her out i dont know if i'd have to let her keep hibernating every year or if she will be ok with just once?

any and all opitions are welcome. I really do want to get her out and get her home. She sooo out grew the 30 gal she was in. She was 6 inches and had to money to get a bigger tank or place to put it so buddy took her in and i bought him food for all the turtles.

PostPosted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:13 pm
by TheComputerGremlin
If she has already began brumation (reptile hibernation), it is best to leave her alone for the winter. Whether she survives or not is just playing the odds, but if you take her out of brumating, she can go into shock.

If she's still awake and moving, you want to move her in to a tank with similar temperature water and slowly raise the temperature until it is 72 degrees F. You just don't want to exceed putting her in water that is greater than about 10 degrees difference, otherwise, that can also send her in to shock.

PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 7:14 am
by drtweak
Alright that was pretty much was i was expecting. Thanks for the info!