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Now, when caring for your Box Turtle it is typical for most experienced or knowledgeable
owners to send their turtles in to a winter shut down period where they hibernate for
three months out of the year in the winter months. They shouldn't lose much weight during
that time because they should have enough stored up, but if you wait to do the winter
hibernation period until four years of age, then the growth rate tends to climb much faster.
If you want to get your turtle to full size as soon as possible, I would definitely recommend
not, not introducing them to the hibernation period until the fourth, their fourth year
would probably be a good time to start. And this doesn't affect them in any negative manner.
This just um, the only difference is they're eating year round instead of skipping three
months out of the year. The potential span of, or lifespan of a Box Turtle is generally
considered thirty to forty years. There are many, many, many reports of turtles living
much longer than this. There are many reports of Box Turtles even reaching the age of one
hundred or more. So, don't assume that your Box Turtle is going to live thirty or forty
years. You might want to try assuming that your Box Turtle may outlive you. So be careful
when choosing your turtle because you want to make sure that it's something that is going
to be cared for if you're unable to do so.