Re: NANFA-- turtles getting cold...

Brian Bastarache (bast_at_ici.net)
Wed, 11 Oct 2000 17:34:47 -0400

Most Emydid turtles donot hibernate (estivate) but remain active, although
not very active, over the winter. Even up here in New England, our native
aquatic turtles remain sluggishly active under the ice.

At cold temps their basil metabolisms drop way down and the limit
cutainious (through the skin) resperation they are capable of is enough to
keep them going. I would stop feeding them about two weeks before the
"cold snap". This will let their guts empty so there is nothing to rot in
their GI tracts over the winter.

If they are native to your area I think they'll be fine. BUT if you want to
be sure put them in a tank in a cold corner of your cellar for the winter.
Still discontinue feedings.

Good Luck,

Brian Bastarache
New England Chapter
Bristol County Natrual History Center/
Bristol County Ag. School- Natural Resources Dept.
bast_at_ici.net

At 04:44 PM 10/11/00 EDT, you wrote:
>hi...
>i have a 25,000 gallon cement pond / former swimming pool in which 2 small
>pond sliders live. its getting cold and im wondering if they can stay in the
>pond throughout the winter. last year it froze over only for a couple of
>days. i live in chattanooga tennessee so we do not have extended hard
freezes
>or bitter cold. the winters are generally mild. short of trying to catch
them
>i was thinking of putting a 20 gallon gallon plastic container filled w/
>gravel in the 3' deep shallow end which would perhaps provide a place for
>them to burrow and hibernate.
>do you think this idea would work?
>how do they survive the winter in the wild?
>thanks...
>casper
>
>/--------------------------------------------------------------------------

---
>/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
>/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
>/ Association"
>/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
>/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
>/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
>/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
>/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
>/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org
>
>

/----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org