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Step 1
Begin the "winding down" period in the fall. A turtle must have an empty stomach for eight weeks before hibernating. Gradually cut back on the food you are feeding him over the course of a week and then stop feeding completely.
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Step 2
Lower the temperatures gradually after withholding food has begun. The temperature needs to be between three and seven degrees for hibernation to occur.
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Step 3
Take care to monitor the turtle's weight loss while hibernating. It is normal for a turtle to loose approximately one percent of their body weight each month they are in hibernation.
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Step 4
Watch for any signs that the turtle has urinated or defecated while in hibernation. If she does, then you will need to wake her up.
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Step 5
Raise the temperature above ten degrees to wake the turtle from hibernation.










Comments
Bozant said
on 10/27/2008 It is not possible for my desert tortice to get to cold while hibernating ? She/he is partly burrowed under concret slab in Southern Oregon.