Box Turtle Hibernation

"Now, when caring for your Box Turtle it is typical for most experienced or knowledgeable owners to send their turtles in to a winter shut down period where they hibernate for three months out of the year in the winter months. They shouldn't lose much weight during that time because they should have enough stored up, but if you wait to do the winter hibernation period until four years of age, then the growth rate tends to climb much faster. If you want to get your turtle to full size as soon as possible, I would definitely recommend not, not introducing them to the hibernation period until the fourth, their fourth year would probably be a good time to start. And this doesn't affect them in any negative manner. This just um, the only difference is they're eating year round instead of skipping three months out of the year. The potential span of, or lifespan of a Box Turtle is generally considered thirty to forty years. There are many, many, many reports of turtles living much longer than this. There are many reports of Box Turtles even reaching the age of one hundred or more. So, don't assume that your Box Turtle is going to live thirty or forty years. You might want to try assuming that your Box Turtle may outlive you. So be careful when choosing your turtle because you want to make sure that it's something that is going to be cared for if you're unable to do so."