Sunday 7 November 2010

Insulating Turtle Hibernation Bath

After giving it a lot of thought , i have decided against hibernating my Emys in their pond. The reason for this is, they have only been outdoors a couple of months and i would rather monitor the pool through its first winter without them in it.
So, i captured them during the recent mild weather and before it turns cold again.
I still want to hibernation to occur but in a more controlled way......somewhere that has easy access to the turtles.
Deciding to use a plasterer's bath, some insulation was in order and 50mm thick poly foam boards proved to be ideal. One pack of these panels is just enough to completely clad a standard plastic bath.


It is shaped easily using a serrated kitchen knife, much better than normal polystyrene and a denser material too.

One board goes underneath, two others are cut to suit the sides, it can then be held together using duct tape.
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A lid is made to fit, giving the tub all round protection from what could be another cold winter.


Finally the bath is covered with a portable plastic breathable cold frame as extra protection against the elements.

As i have said before, at least this way i have some control and easy access to the turtles. I may only use the lid during severe cold spells.
I will check this set up against an unprotected bath nearby and will have the option of bringing the turtles inside should it not prove successful.

1 comment:

  1. Graham
    I just discovered your blog - it is wonderful and the emys pond is spectacular. I'm sad to see the blog has lain fallow for some time but hope you and your animals are well and there is an update here at some point.

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