I have a red eared slider turtle that always wants to go back into hibernation?

Question

the red eared slider that i have always wants to go back into hibernation even when its in the middle of the summer.she has been doing this for about a year now.and when ever i take her out from where she is hibernating she just goes right back.im woried that something something bad like a disease has happeded to her but i dont noe TOO much about turtles so i dnt noe.i just cant figure it out

Answer 1

How can you not know too much about turtles, if you keep one!!!!! Obviously you are not a very responsible owner! First of all i allready know that the temperatures are too cold, making the turtle feel sleepy, drowsy and sick! You need to raise the temperatures. Read this, and see if your setup is correct, if not immediatly upgrade to save your turtle.You will need to get a 50 gallon starter tank and upgrade to a 75 gallon later on when your turtle is over 6 inches...If you can not get that big of a tank right now then for now you can use a huge rubbermaid container filled up with clean warm water 3/4 of the way.  The water should be 75-82F, that can be achieved by buying a water heater at the petstore, along with a water filter. Water filters that are best are canister filters, like the Rena xp3 filter which costs $200, but filters very well. Do buy a filter please, even a cheap one at $25, is better then none at all, since turtles are extremely messy and p**p-ful (haha). The bottom of the tank should be bare, no gravel because they could choke on that mistaking it for food. On top of the water you need 3 things, 1. a basking dock ( buy a large size zoomed basking dock). 2. you 100% need to buy a basking lamp+bulb, you buy them separatly, then s***w the bulb in ( 50 watts) and shine it on the basking dock over a mesh hood( cut a hole out of it and place the light there!). 3. This is very important, you need a uvb light. It is a long thin light, you need to get the actual lamp+ the long skinny bulb. Reptosun 5.0 is the best bulb( together costs $55). Shine that onto the basking dock as well. Turtles need these together because they use the uva for heat, so they stay warm ( the basking site should be 90-95F, not colder) and they need the uvb rays to metabolize calcium and vitamin d3 for a stronger shell ( like you need it for your bones!) The diet for the turtle should be reptomin pellets ( and other nutricuos pellets!) crickets, mealworms, bloodworms, shrimp, and krill. All of this is found dead at the petstore!;) They also need vegetation, get kale, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, and collard greens. Drop all of the food in the tank once a day, and remove any leftover bits after a few hours. By the way ALL of the protien food ( dead food, that was alive once) should be dusted with a calcium supplement ( powder) and you need to get a cuttlebone found in the bird aisle of the petstore and drop it in the water for him to knaw on, keep it there for a while (month) until he eats all of it, then get another. Once all of these things are done your turtle will be pretty happy

Answer 2

Sliders are great for decorating ponds or large tanks. I have had two for 36 yrs now plus a 8 yr old and a 5 yr old. This is how I have taken care of them for 36 yrs. Great pets.

Mine never did hibernate really only to certin degree..they moved around a tad and ate very little from about Oct  to March ..here in Calif.

My old gals and my 2 jueveniles just eat less and thats about it.

I wish you luck

Answer 3

double check the water and tank temperatures they might be a bit on the cool side. also check your uv light is working and is in the correct position (remember uv bulbs have to be changed every 6-8months)

see if it perks up after this otherwise get a vet to check it out

Answer 4

check out website below for care on a RES

Answer 5

First of all RES turtles don't hibernate, turtles like box turtle do.... it happened the same to me so I investigated about it, and those are signs that your turtle is sick, you are lucky to have it one more year, if you can take it to the vet or buy a good book about turtles, I recommend this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764111...

Also here are some tips about caring for your turtle:

1. Move a sick turtle to a quarantine aquarium

2. Act immediately to correct any contributing factors such as drafts, cold or improper diet.

3.If its necessary to apply ointment, be sure the body part is clean and dry.Keep the turtle away from sand

4.A sick or weak turtle may linger too long under the heat lamp or UV light, and this might lead to sunburn. If your pet is ill , limit basking to about 5 minutes a day.

5.Likewise, a turtle that spends to much time under a infrared light may become dehydrated.Ask the vet how much infrared light is safe.

6.A disposable syringe (without a needle) is useful for administering liquid medications.

Follow this steps and your turtle will be healthy and strong :D