PLEASE PLEASE HELP ROOKIE !!!!! :-)

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NewTurtleMommy

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Hello. Due to the torrential downpours here in Texas, our newly rescued Boxie, Booker, has been having to stay inside as we cannot build his pen. We have him in a large recycle bin with cypress mulch, his water, and his food. I ended up buying a basking light since he is indoors for at least the next week or so. Once he goes out into his new pen, should we keep him outside until it gets cold and bring him in, or allow him to hibernate naturally? Our pen will be made with cinder blocks and a decent size, but since it is being constructed so late in the year, he wont have too many plants. Any and all advice is appreciated. My main goal is for Booker to be happy and healthy!

Thank you so much!
 

NewTurtleMommy

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Please I see there are numerous views...can nobody point me in the right direction? Or direct me to more of a beginner's forum?
 

Greg T

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Even though we've had a lot of rain here in Texas, the temperatures aren't dropping much yet, so hibernation is still a few months off. Simply keep him inside in your existing set-up until the heavy rains subside. Whether you hibernate him or not is up to you. If you want to try it, then make sure he has some nice soft and deep dirt in an area of the pen he seems to favor. He'll take care of the rest. If you want to keep him inside for a few months in an indoor enclosure, it sounds like you have a decent set-up already. I set mine up in a large enclosure in the garage with heat and UV lamps over the cold months.

I'm not up on all the requirements for a boxie, so I hope others with more experience provide their opinions also.

Good luck! :)
 

NewTurtleMommy

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Thanks so much Greg-I have only had aquatic turtles before so I wanted to make sure I was doing right by Booker. I am probably so much of a worry wart I will bring him in around mid November (I am in San Antonio and we are LUCKY if it even gets to 60 degrees by then-lol). I appreciate your advice. Thank you so much! :)
 

Yvonne G

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Hi:

How big or how old is Booker? The general rule of thumb is you don't allow a new, especially a rescue, turtle to hibernate the first year you have him. It's too close now to winter for you to become accustomed to his ways and to make sure he's well enough to live through hibernation. In my opinion, you would do well to keep him indoors this winter, awake, warm and eating, then let him be natural next year, setting him out in the spring and acclimating to living 24/7 outside.

It sounds like your recycle bin set up is satisfactory for him to live in this winter. Just be sure the light is over to one side, giving him plenty of space to get away from it.
 

sara

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one thing i have read about on this site are about the sad losses of a beloved tort due to raccoons. I have a red foot who at the moment is kept inside, but my husband built me an outdoor pen for daytime. its built like fort knox. when he gets older and bigger he will have the same thing, just bigger. Here in wyoming i have to worry about birds of prey as well as fox, cyotes, coons and other preditors. make sure nothing can get in from above or in from the bottom. we used a thick wire mesh so nothing can chew its way in either. I dont think you can be overly cautious.
 
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