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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Do water turtles hibernate in the water under ice during the winter?

The reason that I'm asking is that one of my outside pond sliders is in our pond %26amp; it's frozen over. The goldfish will survive all winter. I just don't know if I need to poke holes for him to come up for air. He is alive.

Do water turtles hibernate in the water under ice during the winter?
Make sure you have all the right things for him to hibernate. Check out this site- http://www.redearslider.com . They have a section there about hibernation.
Reply:yes, they "burmate"


they dig in the bottom of the pond and breath thru skin cells in the "tail" area :)
Reply:They do hibernate, I know they usually burrow themselves in the mud. I am not sure what you should do in this situation. I would probably call a vet and see what they can tell you.
Reply:He hibernates, and he is o.k. so are the frogs and other water creatures in your pond.
Reply:Yes, they do. Their metabolism slows to the point that they need no food, and very little oxygen. Even if you poked holes in the ice, the turtle wouldn't come up for air.


The turtle will be fine, as long as it is a species that is adapted to cold weather, and the pond doesn't freeze to the bottom, and the water retains some oxygen.



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