I found the smaller one submerged underwater when i came home. ... or it can look like hardened pus and dead skin around the mouth, or it can spot the tongue with red or black with blisters. sorry to say though ive also never herd of a turtle not coming out of hibernation with ease. Ours has not eaten in a few. hey i really need some help, I have two baby turtles. Can you tell if it is hibernating? Ours has not eaten in a few months. Cats September 26, 2016 at 12:25 pm. Your actions affect your tortoise and what you do will impact the tortoise's ability to live to its full potential, which can be 50 years or more. In nature, box turtles and other land turtles tend to search for soft ground cover such as piles of yard clippings, leaves, or overgrown weeds. The logical conclusion then is that freezing a turtle to death is not painful for the animal. They burrow in a hole up to one foot deep. only 2.5 inches the biger one, and the smaller one like 2" . In northern states they may hibernate for 6 months while in Florida and along the gulf coast they may only slow down during the cooler winter months and not enter a true hibernation state. I didn't mind the temperature, since they hibernate in the cold. 16 thoughts on “ What Should I Do if My Box Turtle Won’t Eat? Hibernation. But is it true hibernation? Or do we need a different term to describe what they do, namely brumation? Box Turtle Hibernation. How to tell if a turtle is dead? Unlike desert tortoises, box turtles should not be allowed to hibernate in a dry box. During this time, food is scarce and outside temperatures are so low that box turtles cannot raise their body temperature high enough to maintain normal activity. Most box turtles live in geographic areas that require them to hibernate for three to four months of the year. Very concerned. Any box turtle that has recently been ill should not be allowed to hibernate. They may die from dehydration. Perhaps, due to the amazing ability to slow its metabolism during times of hibernation, the box turtle is able to live a good 100 years given the proper care. no response to my touch. habitat, they should be allowed to hibernate. Well, the answer to the question “Do box turtles hibernate?” seems to depend on who you ask. Nothing. But then I went on vacations for Christmas and left the turtle alone in my house at temperatures 50-60 degrees (F) for 15 days. put the container under the heat light and warm her up. Box turtles reemerge from March through May depending on the climate. Wellfleet Bay is blessed with a healthy, replicating population of Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina), a species of special concern in Massachusetts.We study our population closely from spring until fall, but we haven’t spent much time monitoring them during brumation, which is the hibernation-like state that cold-blooded animals utilize in very cold weather. A sick box turtle may not eat and may lose weight, have swollen and/or runny eyes, nasal discharge, swollen ears, lumps or swellings, and/or wounds to the shell. And now won't swim or open his eyes. Do not hesitate to reach out to your pet turtle… When the outdoor temperatures drop, the days get shorter and the sun sits lower in the sky, turtles and tortoises will begin to prepare for a period of hibernation. If you are keeping a turtle as a pet, it may hibernate indoors or outdoors. ... Our basement door blew open last night and I'm worried if our box turtle is dead. Some of them emerge occasionally for water, others stay buried all winter. Box turtles kept indoors and warm during the winter may not hibernate, but may reduce their food intake for … However, many box turtle owners successfully go through this process each year, and you can learn how to follow in their footsteps. Still, many box turtle keepers will keep their turtles awake and inside all year, by maintaining heat, humidity, and daylight hours. Ive never seen a dead turtle that wasn't stiff. try putting it in a small container with the water level being up about to her top shell. Turtles in their natural habitat will hibernate if their given climate gets cold during the winter months. so i thoguht she drowned because she was underwater and her mouth was half open.