SLIDERS IN POND FOR WINTER?

[XRAYZ]

i have two sliders (red eared 5" and yellow belly 8") in an outdoor pond. it is about 140 gallon preformed above ground (for now). it gets about 3-4 hours of direct sunlight a day. filtration consists of a homemade 5 gallon bucket overflow filter. the turtles have been in the pond for about 6 months. i live in Tucson, AZ. not much freezing weather here.

can i leave them in the pond all year long? i talked with someone at the local reptile shop and he said they will be fine as long as they are not juvies. he said they mite hibernate for a couple months. just want some more input before it gets colder.

 

[benzjamin13]

I live in Southern California (which isn't bad weather either) and during the winter, I ask if I could see my, now ex, girlfriend's turtle, which she kept outside. The turtle was dead. I kinda felt bad because she wouldn't have known if I didn't ask...serves her right, ******!

 

[softturtle]

I don't know if its a good idea becuase your pond is a preformed unit. Most of the time when a turtle is wintering, they'll dig down in to the dirt and deterious. It could be possible but I wouldn't risk it. Unless you are breeding them. Sometimes turtles won't breed until they winter. But I don't think you are breeding a RES to a YBS so I'd bring them inside.

 

[fishyboi]

I live in socal any my red ear sliders do find outside all yr long

 

[DeLgAdO]

i live in so cal too, san diego, winters are bitter here, the lowest it gets is 40-50 F

i would not keep a turtle in a pond with temps below 70

too dangerous especially if the turtle does not get enough heat to digest its food

turtle kept in cold conditions run the risk of getting a "cold" which the turtle had resperatory problems and will most likelyy need to see a vet for treatment.

 

[thefishofdoom]

it would be fine as long as it dosnt drop below frezing but why risk it just bring them in

 

[XRAYZ]

thank you all for your comments.

 

[softturtle]

if you were going to winter your turtles, you should have stopped feeding them about 3 weeks ago. In the wild the stop eating before winter. If they winter with food in their stomach it would rot their insides, so, bring em in.