Section: Turtles That Hibernate
The following list is a guide as to which species may hibernate:
Box Turtles
Terrapene carolina species
Common or Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Three Toed Box Turtle (T. c. triunguis)
Gulf Coast Box Turtle (T. c. major)
Florida Box Turtle (T. c. bauri)
Terrapene ornata species
Eastern Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata)
Salt Basin or Texas Ornate Box Turtle (T. o. luteola)
Florida Box turtles, Gulf Coast Box turtles from the southern extremes
of their range and Ornate Box tortoises from the southern extremes of
their range do not usually hibernate.
Gopher Tortoises
Gopherus (Xerobates) species
Desert Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus (Xerobates) agassizii)
Texas Gopher Tortoise (G. (X.) berlandieri)
Mexican Gopher Tortoise (G. flavomarginatus)
Florida Gopher Tortoise (G. polyphemus)
Tortoises
Testudo species
North African or Moorish Tortoise (Testudo graeca graeca and T. g. ibera)
Hermann's Tortoise (T. hermanni hermanni and T. h. boettgeri)
Afghan, Steppe or Horsfield's Tortoise (T. horsfieldi)
Greek or Spur Thighed Tortoise (T. ibera)
Marginated Tortoise (T. marginata)
Egyptian Tortoise (T. kleinmanni)
Most Testudo species hibernate. The exceptions are some North African
tortoises (not a common pet) and those of African origin, such as the
Egyptian tortoise.
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Waking from Hibernation
Sometime between October and March, your tortoise or box turtle may go into hibernation, the dormant state when certain animals “sleep.” Some period of hibernation is almost certainly beneficial to your...
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