In nature, the red-eared turtle lives in freshwater bodies of water, which can become covered with ice in winter. In such cases, the red-eared turtle hibernates.

There are several different species of red-eared turtles, which vary in size. They are not difficult to keep at home, but some species require organization of sleep and in this regard, the owners have a number of questions:

Does a red-eared turtle need hibernation if it is not in natural conditions?
Why do they hibernate?
What needs to be done to prevent the turtle from falling asleep?
What is the function of hibernation for turtles?
What is the red-eared slider's sleep period?

Is it possible to sleep in a refrigerator?

Biologists recommend placing turtles in the refrigerator during hibernation, because it is easy to maintain the same temperature.
First, the turtle is placed in a cardboard box, which is not much larger in size than the animal, the voids are filled with torn paper, and placed in a refrigerator with a temperature of +12 degrees. The temperature is reduced every day by 1 degree until it reaches +5. To overwinter in the refrigerator, the turtle can be buried in a substrate of turf soil, sand and fine gravel. The layer of mixture above the turtle should be within 8-9 cm, but to prevent it from suffocating, the refrigerator door must be opened for 10-15 minutes every 2 days.

How to tell if a turtle is sick or hibernating

As a rule, turtles kept in apartments do not need long hibernation. With the onset of seasonal cold, in October-November, the inhabitant of the aquarium may slightly change her behavior. She loses her appetite and sleep duration increases. But she is unlikely to hibernate, since the apartment is quite warm and light, and her own “home” is also additionally illuminated.

On the other hand, the behavior of a turtle, which its owners regard as hibernation, can be a dangerous and sometimes fatal disease. Therefore, if the apartment is warm, and the turtle is sleeping, you should sound the alarm. The first thing you need to do is touch it: if the head and limbs are extended and do not respond to touch, it is likely that the pet has died. When a living turtle gets into warm water, it will definitely begin to move its legs and try to swim. Another sure way to determine if a turtle is alive is to check the corneal reflex. If the eye does not react to the touch of any object, then the turtle has died.

Hibernation is often confused with suspended animation, a condition that suppresses the body’s vital functions. Unlike suspended animation, hibernation is a natural process characterized by a more superficial suppression of general activity and internal processes.

Let's figure out how hibernation occurs in red-eared turtles and by what signs it can be determined.

Aquatic turtles hibernate (winter) when temperatures are too low, falling below 15° and remaining at this level for a long time. The reptile goes underground and sleeps until the temperature rises in a dug hole.

Red-eared turtles hibernate when winter arrives and do not emerge from it until early spring. Their sleep lasts from 4 to 6 months and depends on the size of the reptile. The smaller the turtle, the more time it needs to sleep.

How do turtles sleep?

Aquatic turtles (red-eared, marsh) can sleep both on land and under water. Sleep can also catch them during a walk, when the owner releases the animal from the aquarium. Therefore, you need to do this only for a few hours and periodically monitor your pet so that it does not get lost or get stuck in hard-to-reach places.

Most often, domestic red-eared turtles sleep on land. They climb onto the island, close their eyes, calm down and fall asleep. Some animals retract their head and paws into their shell, while others do not. They leave their head extended and simply close their eyes. This happens because they get used to a calm environment, the absence of predators and competitors.

However, the red-eared turtle can also sleep in water. A sufficient amount of air accumulates in her lungs, the supply of which lasts for several hours. The animal sleeps in the water, completely submerged there, or stands on its hind legs on the bottom of the aquarium, and rests its front legs on an island or other object. The pet can spend several hours in a row in this position.

Preparation

So, how do red-eared turtles hibernate at home? About 2 months before hibernation, switch your pet to an enhanced diet so that she can store as many nutrients as possible

This is important because during hibernation animals lose weight by almost 2 times. It is useful to give your turtle special nutritional supplements (they are sold at the pet supply store)

But a week before bedtime, the animal needs to stop feeding altogether.

The ideal temperature during sleep is from 1 to 6 degrees Celsius. This regime can be ensured by placing the animal, for example, in the basement. However, be careful. Hypothermia is fatal for red-eared turtles. It is also necessary to maintain optimal humidity conditions. It can be provided by moistened moss and leaves. This environment is well ventilated.

How to prepare a turtle for hibernation in captivity?

Important: Never try to hibernate a turtle if it has recently eaten.

As autumn approaches, turtles eat less and less - this is a natural process. The functioning of the animal's digestive system mainly depends on air temperature. When biological processes slow down, the body needs 2-4 weeks for the last food eaten to completely pass through the digestive tract. Therefore, it is best not to attempt to hibernate a tortoise if there is a possibility that there may be undigested food left in the intestines. This is very dangerous: the gases released can cause potentially fatal colic. To properly prepare your turtle for hibernation, give it a period of fasting that should last at least three weeks. It should be noted here that the exact time depends on the size of the reptile (small turtles need less time for the hunger period, large ones need more). During this period, the animal should be kept at a temperature slightly lower than normal. It is also necessary to gradually reduce the lighting level.

Particular care should be taken to monitor the turtle's health during the period immediately preceding hibernation. If you suspect that your turtle is unwell, do not try to hibernate it under any circumstances. This may result in the death of the animal. The same applies to turtles that weigh below normal. If you are not sure of the complete health of the turtle, it is recommended that it overwinter in a warm, dry and ventilated terrarium. It is also undesirable to hibernate animals that you have recently acquired.

How long does turtle winter last?

Ah, this is where the fun begins. It turns out that the duration of wintering depends not on the calendar, but on the age of your pet. So,

young turtles should not be left in hibernation for more than 4 weeks, but adults in this state can spend half-asleep up to 5 months a year.

All this time, you must monitor the state of the sleeping pet, and if suddenly it seems to you that the turtle is starting to show signs of activity (waking up) or it has been sleeping for too long, it will need to be woken up. Yes, yes, without your participation the turtle will not be able to wake up, because the awakening processes are launched against the background of accompanying factors, the creation of which you will have to take care of.

Description of the species

Red-eared turtles in nature reach 30 cm in length (based on the shell), but when kept at home they rarely grow to that size. Females are significantly larger than males. The shell of juveniles is bright green, but as the turtle matures it becomes brown or olive in color with patterns of bright yellow stripes.

The head, neck and paws of the animal are decorated with a series of white and black stripes. The species got its name due to the bright red spots near the eyes. These “ears” can also be deep orange or rich yellow. It is thanks to its bright appearance that the red-eared turtle has become one of the most popular exotic pets.

She prefers to lead a sedentary lifestyle, but swims very quickly in the water and is extremely curious. May hiss and snort, expressing his displeasure and anxiety. When defending its life, it can inflict serious wounds with the sharp claws of its hind legs. In the cold season, a phenomenon called suspended animation, or hibernation, occurs for red-eared turtles.

The first wintering of a marsh turtle

Surprisingly, little turtles go into their first winter hibernation immediately after birth, without ever leaving their nest. The thing is that the habitat of swamp turtles is often not pleasant in the long summer, so warm days are only enough for small turtles buried deep in the sand to form in their shells. Reptile eggs are completely dependent on the sun, so warm days are only enough for the turtles to hatch, since the incubation period ranges from 54 to 90 days, depending on the ambient temperature.

Turtles hatch in mid-autumn, when it is already starting to get colder and there is not enough food for them, so they do not leave their underground nest, hibernating where they emerged from the shell. Turtles do not have stored fat, but they have large sacs of yolk on their abdomens, which help them survive the winter cold while hibernating. Newborn turtles are literally frozen in their nests, but when spring arrives, they wait again and emerge into sunlight for the first time.

How to properly bring a turtle out of hibernation

In order to properly remove an animal from wintering, it is worth performing all of the above steps, only in reverse order. It is necessary to initially increase the temperature in the room, then carry out digging procedures and only then offer the animal food and water. Ideally, red-eared turtles emerge from hibernation five days after they begin to awaken.

If after the specified time no changes in the pet’s condition have occurred, you should definitely seek help from a veterinarian, who will recommend how to correctly carry out this process without losses to the animal’s body.

Under natural conditions, leaving hibernation is a normal process that goes away on its own, but at home it is quite difficult to wake up a reptile. It is also worth noting that a sufficiently large number may die after entering hibernation due to various diseases and sufficiently weakened immunity.

If you are a conscientious owner and take proper care of your pet’s health, namely, nourish his body on time with vitamins and microelements, and also organize proper nutrition for him, then the wintering regime will pass without consequences, and the animal will only regain its strength for the entire next year.

Hibernation of red-eared turtles

As mentioned above, this type of amphibian can fall into suspended animation - a state of reduced activity. Usually this period occurs during the cold season and is a protective reaction of the animal’s body to a decrease in temperature and a decrease in the amount of available food.

How does a red-eared turtle sleep at home? Considering the optimal conditions for keeping the amphibian and the lack of the need to get its own food, domestic red eared cats may not go into suspended animation at all. But since instincts can work at the subconscious level, in winter the turtle may be more lethargic and suffer from poor appetite.

If you notice this behavior in your pet, it is best to take him to the vet, as it may be caused by an illness. How long does a red-eared slider sleep? Typically, the period of suspended animation lasts one to three months, but at home it can be much shorter.

Is hibernation artificially induced in red-eared turtles? Yes, you can deliberately put an animal into a state of suspended animation. To do this, simply lower the temperature and reduce the lighting in the aquarium. However, it is best to consult with your veterinarian about the need for artificial hibernation before taking any action.

Rules for caring for a sleeping turtle

If you notice the first signs of the approaching winter in a red-eared slider, be sure to consult with a veterinarian, who will examine it and tell you what needs to be done if the reptile actually hibernates.

During the winter, adhere to the following recommendations:

Lower the water level
. The turtle burrows into the ground, where it can sleep for a long time without rising to the surface. Oxygen is obtained by special membranes in the cloaca and oral cavity.
Turn off additional lighting
. The pet will have to go to the bottom to maintain warmth, so turn off the filtration and monitor the water level. Excessive movement will destroy the thermal layer, and a low water level will lead to freezing to the very bottom.
Avoid feeding
. Thanks to slow digestion, the turtle digests the food eaten the day before over the course of several months.
Monitor your pet's well-being
. Domestic turtles fall asleep as early as November, when daylight hours begin to shorten, and sleep for about 4 months. It happens that the reptile does not wake up even in February. In this case, you have to wake up the pet yourself.

If the turtle looks active or it is February, then gradually increase the temperature and light to normal. The recovery period takes from 5 to 7 days.

You can feed your pet only after returning to normal activity, but not earlier than the 5th day.

If your turtle sleeps too long or too little

In this case, you just need to observe the behavior of the animal. If the pet eats well, swims actively, communicates with other neighbors in the aquarium, i.e. behaves as usual, her health is safe. Typically, such periods of instability end after a few weeks, after which red-eared turtles spend the night in their usual rhythm.

If your reptile sleeps very little and is too active, it should be taken to the veterinarian. He will be able to clarify the reason for this behavior and prescribe sedatives and other medications. If turtles sleep a lot, literally for several days in a row, but wake up, feed, swim and fall asleep again, this is quite normal. If a sleeping turtle is not active at all, this may indicate the beginning of the development of the disease.

The only exceptions are those cases when the animal has gone into hibernation. This usually happens during the autumn-winter season, provided that the owner specially prepares the pet. To do this, reduce the temperature in the aquarium for several days in a row, significantly reduce portions or do not feed the turtle at all, etc.

Pleasant awakening

Coming out of hibernation is an important moment in the life of a turtle, and it needs help to cope with this task. How to bring a turtle out of hibernation? All autumn reserves are used up, the turtle wakes up weak, exhausted and vulnerable to infections. At this moment, she needs care and quality nutrition more than ever.

After the turtle comes out of hibernation, it is warmed with a lamp or fan heater, then a “bath day” is arranged - in a small container with warm water. The turtle should bathe for about 10 minutes, this will restore the water balance in its body.

After hibernation, water procedures must be repeated every day for a week. They can be stopped when the reptile urinates for the first time. At first, her urine will be thick and dark yellow, but gradually the toxins will come out and it will become light in color again.

Now you can “sit down at the table,” of course, if its appetite has awakened along with the turtle. At first, the reptile may refuse food, this is normal, gradually everything will recover.

What signs can be used to determine that a turtle has safely emerged from hibernation? A healthy reptile's tongue will be pink or orange, without a coating. If it is bright red, the animal may be infected with something. The eyes should be clear and clean, also without plaque or discharge.

Hibernation is a completely natural process for turtles living in nature, but for indoor pets, wintering is often not relevant. This is a rather complicated procedure and a huge burden on the turtle’s body, so it is not recommended to hibernate turtles on your own, only under the supervision of a specialist.

The first signs that it is time for the animal to winter can be observed in late October - early November. The turtle becomes less active, its appetite decreases, it tries to bury itself in the ground or almost never leaves its shelter. In the natural environment, hibernation lasts from 3 to 5 months, all vital processes of the body slow down, and accumulated resources are used to maintain life. There are also advantages to wintering: it is indicated for turtles from which the owners plan to get offspring, since hormonal levels are adjusted, life expectancy increases, and the activity of the internal glands is maintained.

It is worth remembering that under artificial conditions hibernation should not be so long: for small breeds it is 8-10 weeks, for large breeds it is 12-14. The animal must be absolutely healthy, and a suitable microclimate must be maintained constantly, otherwise the turtle may not emerge from hibernation. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is easier to maintain normal conditions: temperature at 27-28 degrees, frequent bathing, good nutrition. Does your turtle eat well? – go to the clinic, a specialist will give her an injection of vitamins.

How to help a turtle hibernate

If you want the animal to hibernate, spend maximum time preparing the animal for it. Then the event will occur - red-eared turtle: suspended animation. Gradually lower the temperature of the water in the aquarium to the temperature most typical of the area where your turtle lives. Preparation should take from a week to ten days. To do this, you can replace incandescent lamps with less powerful ones or equip a special aquarium with wet sand for hibernation, where the animal can burrow.

In the next two months, after the onset of hibernation, be sure to check its condition and move it to more familiar conditions when it wakes up.

The animal should be fed 5 or 7 days after waking up. The temperature of the water in the aquarium should also be increased gradually.

The nature and characteristics of hibernation are individual for each animal. And therefore, the need for it, as well as its absence, will easily be revealed by the behavior of your turtle. Be attentive to your pet and you will easily understand what he needs for a full life in modern apartments.

Turtles, like many animals on our planet, hibernate. This is how they adapt to survive in conditions of seasonal temperature drops. However, hibernation in mammals is associated with a lack of food, while turtles fall asleep when the first cold weather sets in. There are a number of other factors that influence the seasonality of life. This includes the amount of food, body size, photoperiod, reproductive activity, and, ultimately, individual biorhythms. Individuals of the same species living in different climatic zones, different sexes and ages, may differ from each other in periods of hibernation.

The following stages of hibernation in turtles are distinguished:

1. As the temperature drops, turtles’ appetite decreases.

2. Finding a warm, secluded corner containing a sufficient amount of moisture (to prevent dehydration). But the lack of oxygen will not affect the health of reptiles in any way, because they tolerate its lack well.

3. During hibernation, metabolism slows down and the body needs only a small amount of energy to meet its needs. The source of this energy is fat, which accumulates in the liver and fat bodies. A small amount of it is consumed during hibernation, but the bulk of the fat is very necessary in the spring, when turtles wake up.

4. As the temperature rises, the stage of awakening from hibernation begins. Many turtles overwinter underground, so photoperiodism does not matter in this case.

Thanks to hibernation, the sexual cycles of breeding turtles are synchronized. A healthy turtle loses more than 10% of its body weight due to a decrease in fat and glycogen stores, as well as dehydration.

Turtles such as Trionyx spp. hibernate at the bottom of the pond. They are characterized by so-called “water hibernation.” Such reptiles breathe oxygen dissolved in water, receiving it through the skin.

a turtle need

living at home,
hibernating
?

A turtle living in a terrarium and receiving sufficient heat, moisture and ultraviolet radiation will not hibernate. This is the safest option for keeping an animal, because to properly organize wintering for reptiles, it is not enough to make every effort. It is also necessary to have experience that will help determine whether the tortoise is ready to winter. Therefore, if you are not going to use hibernation to stimulate sexual cycles, use a safer option - do not create conditions for hibernation for the turtle.

What do you need to know to properly organize hibernation for a turtle?

Bringing a turtle out of hibernation begins with a gradual increase in temperature. It should reach room temperature within 5 days. Then they turn on additional heating and bathe the turtle in warm water. After about a week, your pet will begin to eat. If the turtle refuses to eat, it means something went wrong and the animal needs to be treated urgently.

When and how long do they sleep?

The answer to this question is ambiguous, since each animal develops its own habits over time. The duration of sleep and the characteristics of biorhythms depend on a number of factors:

Gender
: Males have been found to sleep longer than females. Males can be distinguished by their more powerful paws and long tail.
Age
: young individuals are very active, they can swim around the aquarium all day, play, run around the room if the owners let them out. As a result, such turtles fall asleep for several hours, just like a person. They get very tired and can sleep all night. An old turtle often falls asleep on the go, it is slow and behaves calmly, so it requires less time to sleep.
Health status
: if the pet is cheerful and behaves as usual, nothing threatens its health. But sometimes the animal can become slow, falling into a kind of hibernation for 5-7 days in a row or more. Inexperienced owners may even think that the reptile has died, although in fact it is simply resting to recuperate.
Individual characteristics
: it is not the duration of sleep that depends on them, but biorhythms, i.e. time of falling asleep and waking up. There is no general law here: some turtles like to sleep during the day, after which they make noise all night. Others, on the contrary, fall asleep at night because during the day they are disturbed by light, noise from people, household appliances, etc.

Awakening

A few words about how to bring a red-eared turtle out of hibernation. If conditions are good, then the duration of hibernation is 3-5 months. You cannot feed the animal immediately after waking up; you need to wait until its digestive system starts working. Wash the animal in warm water, this will speed up the awakening process. You can't let hibernation be too long. Gradually increase the temperature of the reptile, thereby stimulating the awakening process. If you do not do this, the animal may become completely weak.

What can pet turtles die from?

The causes of death can be divided into two categories: those independent of the pet owner and those dependent.

The animal initially had weak immunity and/or a congenital disease.
Poor conditions for breeding and keeping at the supplier, poor quality transportation, non-compliance with sanitary standards in the pet store.

Poorly organized place for reptiles. These include: a small aquarium/terrarium, unsuitable soil, too low/high temperature, excessive/insufficient lighting, drafts in the room with the aquarium/terrarium.
Poor diet . Turtles prefer a variety of plant foods. Her well-being can be harmed by foods such as: bread, eggs, seafood, meat, sausage, milk, cottage cheese, cheese. Feeding frequency has an impact. Young individuals are fed once a day, adults should be fed once every 2 to 3 days. The lack of vitamins also has a detrimental effect on the turtle's health.
Lack of water treatments . If you do not bathe the animal once every 1 - 1.5 weeks, it can get sick and die.
Frequent transportation . A turtle, like any other pet, is best kept alone and not subjected to unnecessary transportation. If this cannot be avoided, then this should be done as carefully as possible in a special container.

How long does the red ear live and where does it live?

This type of turtle can rightfully be considered a long-liver. In favorable conditions, life expectancy is 40 years. An interesting fact is that the red-eared turtle has a high level of intelligence, not typical of other reptiles. These animals are very sensitive to vibrations and their behavior can warn of an impending earthquake or storm. When choosing food, the red-eared turtle first focuses on the color, and only then on the smell and taste of the object.

These reptiles are widespread in nature. They can be found in their natural environment in Central and South America, Israel, South Africa, Spain and even Great Britain. But in Australia, this species is officially recognized as a pest, since it destroys local endemics. The red ear lives in shallow ponds and lakes, and in other bodies of water with swampy shores.

Keeping this exotic animal turns out to be much more difficult than initially thought. These turtles spend most of their time in the water, although they need land. For one adult, an aquaterrarium with a volume of 120-150 liters will be comfortable, while land should occupy no more than 25% of the total area. On the improvised bank, special soil or crushed stone should be poured, making a gentle rise. The turtle's shell must fit completely in the water so that the animal can easily roll over onto its back and back.

For this type of amphibian, the optimal temperature is 25-30 degrees Celsius. When the temperature drops to 20 degrees, hibernation may occur in red-eared turtles. The water in the aquarium is changed as needed, at least once a month. In order for the turtle to be healthy, it also needs to be provided with portioned irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp.

What to feed the red ear?

When living in captivity, the diet of this species of turtle must include shrimp or any other small crustaceans. The red-eared turtle will happily feast on river snails, small pieces of fresh fish or meat, as well as bloodworms and earthworms. Turtles need to get enough calcium, otherwise shell diseases will begin. Poor appetite may indicate illness. Hibernation of red-eared turtles is also preceded by a decrease in interest in food.

It is worth adding plant foods: duckweed, seaweed, lettuce, spinach, cabbage. Due to the active growth of the body, young individuals need twice daily feeding. Turtles over two years old should be fed no more than three times a week. With a monotonous diet, it is worthwhile to provide feeding with special vitamins for turtles.

How to prepare a turtle for hibernation?

So, you have decided to send your pet to winter rest. The easiest way is to place the turtle in the basement or on a glassed-in balcony and constantly monitor the ambient temperature. However, before that, do some preparatory work. For wintering, use a wooden house or container, at the bottom of which coarse sand is poured, sphagnum moss, dry leaves, hay and pieces of bark are placed. For aquatic turtles, the substrate should be moist but not wet; it should be sprayed from time to time.

The turtle is dewormed, all tests are taken, they are not given food for 2 weeks, but they are bathed in warm water and given something to drink so that everything previously eaten is digested. Mineral supplements and vitamins are also not given just before hibernation. In the terrarium, the temperature is gradually lowered by one degree to 10-12 degrees, the lighting is dimmed, but the humidity level is increased. When the pet gets used to the temperature, you can put it in a box for wintering. Check your tortoise's condition regularly; it normally loses 1% of its body weight every month. If the weight loss is critical (about 10% of weight per month), hibernation must be stopped. It is not recommended to disturb, let alone feed or bathe pets. It is worth remembering that 0 degrees is death for a turtle, the optimal temperature for hibernating reptiles is +8 degrees, but it can range from +1 to +12.

Preparation

In the fall, when the turtle is about to hibernate, it begins to eat less, no need to be surprised. Metabolism in turtles is truly “turtle-like”, the activity of the digestive system slows down, the body digests food within 2-4 weeks.

There is no need to hibernate your turtle if there is undigested food left in its intestines. The gases that are released can cause serious harm to the health of the turtle. If you notice that the reptile has become slow and inactive, stop feeding it; for it, hunger is better than feeding during this period. The ambient temperature can be reduced slightly and the daylight hours can be shortened.

But 2 months before hibernation, the turtle needs to be well fed so that it can accumulate enough nutrients and useful substances in its body. After all, during wintering the reptile loses up to 50% of its weight.

Warm baths, which can be done for the turtle 1-2 days before hibernation, will help activate digestion. During bathing, it will be saturated with water, since it has the ability to absorb water through the skin, and will get rid of food debris in the intestines.

On the eve of hibernation, the turtle should be healthy and of normal weight. If the weight and general condition of the animal cause you concern, you should not artificially hibernate it. And if she falls asleep on her own, keep her in a warm and dry terrarium with good ventilation.

In nature, a turtle hibernates by burying itself in sand or silt; you should try to create the same conditions for it at home. It is not necessary to take the mud home, but dry, clean sand in a box will do just fine. Fallen leaves or moss will be a good material for our purposes; thanks to them, the terrarium will have normal temperature and air humidity.

You can do without sand and leaves if you put small pieces of paper in the box. Newspaper is not suitable for these purposes - it contains harmful printing ink. The box with the sleeping turtle should be kept in a dry room with above-zero temperatures.

It is advisable to maintain the temperature during hibernation at the same level, within +5-6 degrees. Temperatures from +2 to +10 degrees Celsius are allowed. If you keep a sleeping turtle for a long time at a temperature of +2 and below, or +10 and above, it can become seriously ill or die.

The duration of wintering depends on the size - for small turtles, 3-3.5 months will be enough for hibernation. The red-eared slider spends 4-5 months in hibernation.