our new additions to our family :)

[Insect Direct]

i was thinking of either getting more or trying to breed some and keep some of the babies and sell the rest - but i think that may be an issue with not having an indoor tank for the babies to grow up in.

prob best to stick to the 3 you have, perfect number for that size pond. You will have trouble getting rid of the babies.

[repto]

I know its probably not what Donna means when she says they burrow into it for warmth??There is nothing warrn about hibernation.What they want somewhere of even temperature where they can be undisturbed through winter.I have seen more problems with good intentioned people getting them out and having a look at them to see if they are alright?When they hibernate provide them with suitable habitat and let them get on with it.

[oO SKIPPY Oo]

I know its probably not what Donna means when she says they burrow into it for warmth??There is nothing warrn about hibernation.What they want somewhere of even temperature where they can be undisturbed through winter.I have seen more problems with good intentioned people getting them out and having a look at them to see if they are alright?When they hibernate provide them with suitable habitat and let them get on with it.

yep for sure - i want these guys to survive outside so im trying to learn as much as poss before winter comes - going to look at getting some sort of long plastic container on it side or something that they can hide in which they may use for winter or just general hiding out

got myself a huge peice of driftwood tonight so will have to chop that down a bit so it sits low enough in the water for the turts to climb onto for basking -

also will getting some dirt or mix of dirt / sand to put into my daughters sandpit for if / when my girls decide its time to lay eggs since it looks like i didnt put enought thought into the basking / egg laying side of things when i was designing the pond

[livingart]

you could make a ramp and a box area that sat on the deck for a wintering environment

[oO SKIPPY Oo]

you could make a ramp and a box area that sat on the deck for a wintering environment

you mean to keep them out of the water ?

[livingart]

some of mine hibernate out of the water, some just stay in the water

they dig into soft earth under plants

[DonnaM]

I know its probably not what Donna means when she says they burrow into it for warmth??There is nothing warrn about hibernation.What they want somewhere of even temperature where they can be undisturbed through winter.I have seen more problems with good intentioned people getting them out and having a look at them to see if they are alright?When they hibernate provide them with suitable habitat and let them get on with it.

Yes you're right...not 'warmth' as such. Then again, I had to pop an aquarium heater in my pond last winter to keep the temp at around 4-6 C as when it was getting colder then that I had 3 go into 'shock'. Head and limbs limp and fully extended, eyes half open and unblinking and totally unable to move ...and that was before it really even got into late April.... I've had that before down here if I've done a large water change and then suddenly air temp drops.... It can get very cold very quick and some have just not coped. I'm thinking they were probably not strong enough to start with as so many I have no idea of history before they get to me. And its not good to have large fluctuations in water temp. On the other hand the others are swimming around fine :roll: They do need to be able to get into 'something'. In the wild its probably a pile of mud in the bottom of a deep pond.

The barley straw can be got from farm merchant type places.... I dont know what the stuff is thats sold as rabbit food?

[Insect Direct]

Mine just dig into the sediment on the bottom of the pond, i dont worry about them and barely see them over winter if at all. If they cant handle it then they wouldnt be out there. Maybe different in the South Island but i think your better to let them be.

Must be fun having to fish out the straw

An aquarium heater could cause trouble as will create a warm current/patch i would imagine