Hibernation

Oct 25, 2006 04:28

I find myself having the same anxiety this time of year that I had last time of year: should I or should I not hibernate Rex ( Read more... )

al, rex, turtles

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dartpoly October 25 2006, 13:12:38 UTC
perhaps hibernation is "important for a [temperate-clime] turtle's health"?

is Rex a native of this temp-zone?
has Rex been here long enough to count?
would he hibernate in the wild?

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reptilegrrl October 26 2006, 00:01:24 UTC
Hm.

Rex's species has traditionally NOT been considered native, but new evidence suggests that they ARE native to the prairies south and west of here, like Katie, Alvin, etc.

Rex lived here back in the late 90s, then moved to Seattle with my ex, then came back here in 2004. He supposedly did hibernate in Seattle but the info I have is sketchy.

He would hibernate in the wild if he was in the right temp for it The problem is that in this reagion, because the winters are so mild, hibernation is actually somewhat more dangerous than in very cold climes. Because the winters can have warm days, turtles will often wake up and eat something... then it snaps cold again and the food rots in their stomachs and they die.

Today I was thinking about setting up a warm house for him using a clear sterilite tub as a greenhouse thing.. that way he can move in and out of it as he wishes.

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