If you are going to hibernate your pet at home and find out how the red-eared turtles sleep, then you definitely need to know that they should not have any diseases, and preparing for hibernation in moral and physical terms is of great importance. After you enter the turtle in the desired state, you will have to constantly maintain a certain temperature and humidity regime. If you neglect at least one point, the pet can remain in hibernation forever.
However, as elsewhere, and in hibernation, there are pluses. She is an excellent assistant in maintaining the activity of the thyroid gland, which in turn significantly increases the life of the turtle. It synchronizes sexual activity in males and follicular growth in females. It helps in maintaining hormonal status at a normal level and blocks excess growth.
In order for the hibernation of red-eared turtles to begin painlessly and correctly, you need to know some of the subtleties of this process:
1. Before the hibernation of red-eared turtles begins, in the beginning of winter or the end of autumn, it is necessary to thoroughly feed the turtle so that its fat is sufficient to feed throughout sleep. She should drink no less than she is.
2. You need to be completely sure that the health of the turtle is at the proper level. In order to check this, it is enough to consult a veterinarian, but in no case can you give supplements and various vitamins just before the start of wintering, as this can end badly.
3. Two or three weeks before the start of wintering, the turtle needs to stop feeding, this is done so that all the food eaten by it is completely digested. For small individuals, this period is slightly shorter, one to two weeks.
4. About ten days before hibernation of the red-eared turtles is planned, it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the terrarium to about 10-12 degrees Celsius, reduce the duration of its daylight hours and increase the level of humidity to the level that is needed during the cooling period. In order for the turtle not to get a cold, you should lower the temperature level as smoothly as possible.
5. The place that will be selected for wintering should have an approximate temperature of 7-12 ° C, an ideal option would be 8 degrees, it should also not let in light and have excellent ventilation. This can be a box filled with peat or moss to a thickness of 30 centimeters. Peat should be covered with hay or dry leaves. The main thing is that the substrate in which the turtle hibernates is wet, but it should not be allowed to get wet.
6. If the red-eared turtle does not open its eyes, then the hibernation has begun and will last from about 10 to 12 weeks. The maximum hibernation period can be up to 4 months.
7. In order for the hibernation of the red-eared turtles to proceed properly, it is necessary to check its condition.
8. In the event that at a temperature of 10-11 ° C the turtle began to move and show general activity, it is necessary to stop the wintering.
9. In order for the turtle to get out of hibernation correctly, you need to start a smooth rise in temperature, bringing it to its normal level within a week, and then bathe the turtle in a little warm water.
In the event that you do not want your four-legged pet to hibernate, you need to work hard. You need to raise the temperature in the terrarium to the level of 28 degrees and bathe your turtle as often as possible. It may happen that she refuses food, in this case, the best option is to go to the veterinarian, as he will make a vitamin injection that stabilizes her.
If you have a red-eared turtle, then this article will help you to handle it correctly during hibernation.