Most of you are seeing your turtles and tortoises become less active and reducing their food intake as the weather gets cooler. All of ours do this in the sanctuary, pond and turtle hospital. Hibernation is slowing them down, as food bills get smaller. If you have turtles in a tank, even they are feeling sleepy, and should be allowed to hibernate in their tanks as well.
If your turtles live outside all year, you need to provide a suitable place so they are safe from predators. Best to leave them outside in a safe, dry shelter if that’s where they live anyway. If you cannot provide a safe outdoor area, they can be moved to the house, in a cold room. Put them in a tall box with a lid, safe from curious pets like dogs and cats (and small kids). The garage temperature and moisture is ideal, but make sure there are no rats or other creatures that can harm your turtles or tortoises. Some like to go under the bed to snooze while others like your shower. Turtles and tortoises from tropical climates do not hibernate, as there is no need to do so. That’s fine in their country of origin, but you need to provide additional care, food and warmth throughout the winter. Some will slow down, but best to continue their normal care and feeding. Leave them outside in heated houses (we use Kane Heat Pads for safety as heat lamps can catch fire). We add doors to the shelter for warmth. It is important to note that even turtles and tortoises that do not hibernate may need to be kept indoors during the winter months, especially in climates with very cold temperatures. If you choose to keep your turtle or tortoise indoors, be sure to provide them with a warm and humid environment. Hard to do this with a 100 pound sulcata! Turtles in ponds hibernate underwater as mine do. The same turtles that I have had for 25 years, still do this every fall. They even survived the fire underwater as they were hibernating when we lost our home. A turtle friend of mine in New York said her pond had five feet of rock hard ice, but when spring came, the turtles were all fine! They are truly amazing! Some popular tortoises that do not hibernate include:
Thanks for reading this, and send questions to [email protected]! The future of turtles and tortoises that have graced our planet for millions of years is more at risk today than ever before. Already, 61 percent of turtles and tortoise species are extinct or in danger of extinction. As founder of American Tortoise Rescue and World Turtle Day®, I've been devoted to protecting and advocating for these magnificent creatures for decades. We, along with our fellow sanctuaries, are sounding an alarm internationally, and we need your help.
Picture this: the landscapes we know today, the ecosystems where turtles and tortoises thrive, are facing unprecedented challenges. Climate change is altering turtle habitats at an alarming pace. Rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns disrupt nesting and feeding grounds affecting their survival and breeding cycles. Destructive practices and habitat loss due to urbanization, pollution, and deforestation are pushing our shelled friends to the brink, threatening their existence. The cruel pet trade, fueled by ignorance and greed, is driving species to the brink of extinction. After surviving an asteroid that few other species did millions of years ago, we must fight for those without a voice. Let’s use our passion and compassion to protect turtles and tortoises before it is too late. Here's how you can make a difference and ensure turtles and tortoises don't become extinct as experts predict by 2050:
Join with me before it is too late. I need your help. Susan Tellem Founder, American Tortoise Rescue Read this to help your baby water turtle live a healthy and happy life. They should not be purchased as it is illegal to sell them anywhere in the states if they are under four inches. You cannot give them away as prizes either.
Baby Water Turtle Care Water turtles can live 50 or more years if treated properly and eventually moved to an o outdoor pond. Read this to help your baby water turtle live a healthy and happy life.
Last night when I went to put the turtles away, I saw that Popcorn the 125 lb Sulcata had not eaten his breakfast, which is very odd. I looked in his house and saw that he was almost invisible and was below the level of the dirt.
The house is 12 feet long, so I could not get in there without suiting up. I was scared that he was digging a tunnel underground or that he was dead or upside down. I prayed to St. Francis and St. Anthony that things would be OK. This morning I put on long sleeves and gloves, tied my pants legs closed at the ankle, put on a shower cap and grabbed my wide snow shovel. He was alive, and so I gave him a banana to keep him busy far away in his enclosure. They are not allowed to eat fruit so this was a big deal. I crawled and tried to refill the depression but realized the dirt was as hard as a rock, so I think the 6 months of heavy rain turned that area to mud and now it has hardened. Thank goodness as digging "burrows" is a no no for tortoises. They can collapse on them or they can actually dig so far that they go under a neighbor's house or worse. All's well but this was a good reminder of what it takes, caring for a tortoise! Be prepared to sacrifice yourself for your turtle or tortoise if there is a problem. - Susan, American Tortoise Rescue, 2023 Malibu, CA – July 17, 2023 – American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), the first national turtle and tortoise rescue, is sending a plea to parents – buy toys, not turtles. Seth Rogen, a producer on the film, saw the first Ninja movie as a youngster in 1990, the same year ATR was founded, and is expected to draw more crowds than in the past.
History shows that after the release of a series of these successful Ninja movies, turtles lose their lives through the pet trade. Most of the turtles have been scooped out of the wild to be sold in pet stores or over the internet. After seeing the film and thinking real turtles jump through the air or fly like Ninja turtles, kids ask parents to buy live turtles. Sadly, after bringing the turtle home, sticking it in a small tank and waiting for it to perform, kids abandon interest when nothing happens – the turtle just sits there. The best thing parents can do is purchase action figure toys that actually mimic the ninja movements from the film. “I like to say putting a turtle in a tank is how we would feel if we had to live in a bathtub all our lives,” said Susan Tellem, co-founder and executive director of ATR. “After the successful release of previous Ninja films, turtles, most commonly the red eared slider or box turtle, were purchased by the thousands for children who wanted their own Ninja turtle. The purchase is often an impulse buy without regard to the fact that turtles can live 25 years or more. Sadly, most of these turtles were abandoned in shelters and rescues or dumped into lakes and waterways (or worse toilets) after the movie’s young fans found out that the real turtles did not fight crime or perform incredible stunts.” Tellem says that this proved disastrous for thousands of turtles. “Red eared sliders easily identifiable because of the red stripe next to their eyes, are the most common turtles given up for adoption,” she said. “We recommend only adopting these turtles to people with private ponds where they can mimic their natural habitat. We, along with many rescues, have to turn away hundreds turtles annually because we are at capacity. Unfortunately, no one tells the potential owner that these turtles live long lives instead of staying a cute little quarter or palm size,” Tellem said. For more information, contact Susan Tellem at [email protected]. Follow on twitter @tortoiserescue and on Facebook at AmericanTortoiseRescue. Suggested tweet: Buy #TMNT toys not live turtles for kids. |
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