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Chun-Ming Chew.
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Home › Forums › Diamondback Terrapins › Hibernation?
Hi Everyone! I’ve caused some confusion here – Can anyone give both ME and JKFACTOR an answer on what would be the best way to winter our diamondbacks?! I’m in Southern CA. and jk is in Fresno – Northern CA. Mine are in a 160 gal heavy plastic horse trough as I believe theirs are. My climate zone in S. CA is zone 9. Thanks for any help!
I’m not really doing anything different. All my diamondbacks with the exception of my ornates will remain in their 125 gallon pond outside. The water level is about 2′ deep and should provide a buffer against temperatur extremes. An ideal situation would be to have mud or sand for the terps to bury themselves in, but that’s not a very practical scenario when you have pumps and filters involved. Others might use other substrate like crushed coral and some will cover their ponds with plastic tarp. And yet others still do not even hibernate their terrapins. Go figure. -Chun — In diamondbackterrapins@y…, Tom & Sharon Paquette
Thanks Chun! I figure I will treat mine the same as the rest of my water turtles. The only thing I was a little concerned with was whether or not I should use the heater in it. I don’t think a heater would do much other than run up an electric bill! One little 350w heater can’t possible do much in the way of heat on 165 gals of water?! The lady that had them before me used it-yet it made no difference in their activity from what I understand. What’s your opinion? Thanks so much for the reply – Sharon Chun-Ming Chew wrote:
A 350W heater would have a hard time heating up 165 gallons of water. 2 or 3 of them might work but then you wouldn’t really be hibernating them. Oh and the electricity bill – yikes! -Chun — In diamondbackterrapins@y…, Tom & Sharon Paquette