Hibernation

I am pretty sure that my turtles are hibernating. They sleep all day under the bark. I get them out to feed them and put them in water. They won't eat and they just crawl back under the bark to sleep.

I heard if it's cold really cold outside and they won't come out or eat, then they are probably hibernating. Dribble and Bibble definitely seem to be hibernating. This is our first winter with my turtles. I hope that they survive.

I have also noticed that I have never seen an Eastern Box Turtle outside during the winter months. I spend a lot of time in the woods all year long. Turtles are found more in the spring and summer months.

How is Bibble...

If your wondering how Bibble is doing, then you need to read this...

Bibble's shell has changed. It has now gotten a little harder and more color. It used to be grey but now it is brown. Bibble is not eating and we are still researching to find out what to feed him since he is a baby. I thought that it was not warm enough so we started turning a desk light on him. That did not seem to help. I tried cutting up a worm but that didn't work either. Then I found a tiny worm but he still didn't eat. I am also trying to give him small pieces of our turtle food. I know that the Momma turtle does not come back so he must know what to do but I don't know. If anyone has any ideas, please leave a comment on "How is Bibble...".

Bibble does seem to like Dribble. Sometimes he climbs up on Dribble's back and rides. He also watches Dribble eat but he doesn't know how to eat.

GUESS WHAT? ONE TURTLE EGG HATCHED

Guess what? One turtle egg hatched. I named it Bibble. Guess how I found it? It was September 23rd sharp exactly 3 months from the day the Momma turtle laid the eggs. I kept checking the fenced in area for turtles. I found it right after the school dedication (which I got to sing at). I didn't see it the first time I looked and I started to walk back. I said, "Well, maybe I didn't look good enough." So I turned around and there it was...a beautiful baby Eastern box turtle looking straight back at me. I couldn't believe my eyes. They almost popped out of my head. I was jumping up and down, up and down, up and down! I was screaming, "A turtle, a turtle, a turtle!" It's shell was soft and grey. It's tail is actually longer than Dribbles and I know that the girl turtles have longer tails than the boys.

I hoping for more turtles!

Notice the picture of the two turtles above. The larger turtle with more color is Dribble. He was found last spring. The smaller turtle with less color is the baby turtle, Bibble.

The picture on the top is Bibble in my hands.

Hisser Came Back

Saturday, September 20, 2008, Hisser came back for the fifth time. We were about to paint nail polish on it before we let it loose but my dad said, "No". Here is a fact about where we keep the turtles: UNDER THE DECK - HA/HA/HA! Hisser loves our family. He always comes back. Oh, I have another fact: if you ever get a wild baby turtle, where ever they were born, it will come back to lay its eggs when it is grown up if it is a girl turtle.

Setting Up

If you are planning on raising a baby box turtle, then you need to read this. You need an aquarium, a couple of plants, gravel or bark, water bowl, food bowl, and room. It should probably look like the picture above.

LOOK AT THE DRIBBLE POEM!

Look at little Dribble

Isn't he cute?

He mostly sleeps all day.

And comes out at the night.

When he gets moving,

he's really quite fast

especially when you yell

"Go, Dribble, Go!"

A poem called Turtle Time Ends

Turtle time ends
Fall is here
Turtles tucked in. Kiss them good Hibernation.
I hope they will come back in the spring.

Spring time came
Turtles are out.
Whole other season until Hibernation again.

by Brett Warner
(I came up with this poem on a walk in the woods with my friend Mikey as we looked for turtles.)