Well, the winters here have become increasingly unpredictable and getting worst. It was colder here last year than ever and
I expect it to be worst this year. It can go as low as 10 degrees or more on some days. Some days in the 30's or higher.
The babys are in an aquarium inside where it is warm and I have a small heater in the water. The one that kept poking its head out of the dirt is now hanging out in the water but the littlest one keeps going back into the dirt. I hate to keep digging it out and bothering it but I am worried that as an infant it is too young to hybernate and not eat. I dug it out yesterday and it swam for about 45 minutes then went back underground. I promise I'm keeping the water warm enough.
When I say 'back into the wild'...I do mean a wonderful area that is indeed protected and thrives with other turtles. What the Doc has always told me (because I worried about it so much) is that even though a turtle is born in captivety or wild caught as infants, that they acclimate very well into nature and are better off out there when they become adults. But I still have a fear that since they've always been hand fed...that they won't understand having to catch their own food, so when I get them,
I continue their regular diet for a while then gradually slow that down and add guppies and feeder gold fish so they can learn to catch their own food before releasing them.
The heaters I bought were very expensive with lifetime warranties but stated that they were for indoor use only. My friend brought it to my attention that if these heaters are indoors they can work properly to keep the water at 78 degrees, but outdoors the ambient temp will not allow the heaters to keep the water at 78 during cold winters. It will only help it to stay several degrees over what the ambient temp really is. Does that make sense or did I explain that wrong...lol
Thanks so much for communicating with me. I will follow any advise you may have.
Btw...I really like your site
Been looking for a good turtle site for a while.
Thanks!
P.S. Please don't think that I fully believe that the sun rises and sets with this doctor. He's just the best reptile vet I have to listen to in this area. He has tons of experience with turtles and sees so many mistreated ones. He is very passionate but I am sure he has tunnel vision about releasing 'because' of all the problems he encounters. I am open to anyone's suggestions. Not just his. I would actually like to know what 'you' think about one of his theories. It is this. Most people think sliders like to stay in the water all the time. They don't, he says. They like to get out just as much as they like to stay in (when preditors are not an issue). That was what gave me the idea that maybe they wanted to hybernate in dry soil. What do you think of he says here? I personally see so many people that keep them in water 100% of the time, except for a small basking area.