Power outage..

[westheturtlelover]

Hey guys, so i am about to get alot of icy rain and my turtles will more than likely die without heat for however long it takes ameren to get to where i live.. i was wondering what i can do to keep them warm? I have two three toed box turtles and three sliders.. any ideas??

 

[leigti]

I use a 3 gallon Rubbermaid tote with dry substrate over handwarmers. You can wrap the hand warmer and a pillow case or thin towel and then put the substrate on top of it in a relatively thin layer. Then put the lid on. Usually keeps it about 80°. Don't know what to tell you about the aquatic turtles though. You can also use hot water bottles.

 

[westheturtlelover]

Well you see, there is thick 1/2 inch ice on our roads so i cannot go get hadn warmers sadly.. but i will try water bottles, im also thinking about trying rice but idk im kinda desperate cause i had the power go out for days upon days before and i had to use two generators cause there lamps take so many volts

 

[johnandjade]

Is this where i ask for help because my piwer went out and my turtles are going into hibernation..?

i don't hibernate our tort so cant help, sorry


perhaps joes mum may be able to offer advice?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Is this where i ask for help because my piwer went out and my turtles are going into hibernation..?

Hello, and welcome.
Where are you and what type of turtles do you have ?
How long has your power been out and when will it be back ?

 

[westheturtlelover]

Ok well its freaking me out cause my sliders are now in a bin with a blanket ontop and a space heater about 5 feet away and theres no possible way that can be alright for them.. and my boxies are sitting under a blanket with me but theyre freaking out and hiding in their shells im in quite a predicament

 

[westheturtlelover]

Hello, and welcome.
Where are you and what type of turtles do you have ?
How long has your power been out and when will it be back ?

I am located in missouri and i have two three toed box turtles, a red eared slider, cumberland slider, and yellow bellied slider

 

[westheturtlelover]

My power has been out about 30 min rn and idk when it will be back

 

[leigti]

Move them to smaller enclosures. Much easier to keep a small enclosure warm then a big one. And it won't hurt them to be confined a little bit for a few hours or days. Plastic bins work well for that. And keep them all in one small room. At least you have generators.

 

[JoesMum]

Ok well its freaking me out cause my sliders are now in a bin with a blanket ontop and a space heater about 5 feet away and theres no possible way that can be alright for them.. and my boxies are sitting under a blanket with me but theyre freaking out and hiding in their shells im in quite a predicament

How long has the power been out and how long is it likely to be out?

If it's only for a short while they should be fine as long as they don't freeze. I'm going to get a mod to give move this to its own thread as I don't have direct experience with any of these species. Boxies are pretty hardy, I know.

 

[cmacusa3]

They should be fine in the house, they can handle cold temps. Just cover the enclosure with a blanket.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

My power has been out about 30 min rn and idk when it will be back

30 minutes isn't a worry.
Let's hope it comes back on.
If you can get hot water from a tank or gas supply this can be used to give them a warming soak.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

My power has been out about 30 min rn and idk when it will be back

They can manage in the cold for quite a long time.
keep them in smaller enclosures or containers and try to insulate them.
They won't try to hibernate, just get a bit sleepy, i should think.

 

[johnandjade]

Ok well its freaking me out cause my sliders are now in a bin with a blanket ontop and a space heater about 5 feet away and theres no possible way that can be alright for them.. and my boxies are sitting under a blanket with me but theyre freaking out and hiding in their shells im in quite a predicament

perhaps hot water bottles or pocket hand warmers could work?

 

[westheturtlelover]

No i do not i ran out of propane in my miniature torch and my kerosene ls running out

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

No i do not i ran out of propane in my miniature torch and my kerosene ls running out

Then keep them in small containers, try to cover the containers so as to insulate them and wait it out.
They should be fine for a long time, they're tough animals.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I think people have suggested blankets over the tubs the tortoises are in, to keep in the heat.

They would also insulated against the heat, keeping in the cold...Unless already warm.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

In a pinch, just dangle some regular, incandescent light bulbs nearby. They give off plenty of heat.

 

[cmacusa3]

They would also insulated against the heat, keeping in the cold...Unless already warm.

You put the blanket on top of the turtles much like leaves would be in the wild, not draped over it

 

[ZEROPILOT]

An electric hair dryer for a quick hot air touch up?