Disease Prevention for New Turtle Keepers in Autumn: 3 Key Points to Help Turtles Overwinter Healthily!

Autumn is the season when turtles are most prone to getting sick. The main reason is that the air temperature changes too drastically in an instant. Many turtle-raising novices who have just “entered the pit” (just started coming into contact with a certain activity or hobby) look worried all day long, constantly wondering if their turtles will get sick.

As a “person who has been through it” (referring to someone with experience in a certain area) among turtle enthusiasts, [I can tell you that] if a beginner does the following points well when starting to raise turtles in autumn, there is actually no need to fear the turtle getting sick at all.

Selecting Healthy Turtles and Prevention Awareness

When buying turtles, you must find a reliable source. Do not be greedy for cheap prices and buy those turtles with poor constitutions. Remember to purchase healthy turtle hatchlings from legitimate merchants; this is the most important 1st step in raising turtles well.

Additionally, you must establish the awareness that “prevention is better than cure.” Some people say it is not too late to treat the turtle after it gets sick, but for a beginner, that is too late. Because novices generally do not know how to handle common turtle diseases like enteritis and pneumonia. Don’t think about struggling to save the turtle after it is truly sick; the safest method is to take precautions in advance and pay close attention to temperature changes at all times in autumn. As long as it is not that kind of extreme high temperature or super low temperature, turtles can live peacefully. Turtles are most sensitive to excessive “temperature fluctuations,” and the temperature change in spring and autumn is an important factor that causes turtles to get sick. In cases where a beginner lacks experience, the more they raise the turtle, the more problems arise.

Autumn Care for Turtles

Here, let’s talk about the care methods for turtles after autumn begins. If you are raising an adult turtle, keeping it outdoors is not a big problem. Sometimes, the lighting and ventilation of the natural environment will enhance the turtle’s constitution. However, you must provide it with a corner for shade and shelter from the rain; prolonged exposure to the direct sun is also bad. But if it is a hatchling, because its immunity is not as good as an adult turtle, it is best to keep it indoors. The ambient temperature will not change very much, and it is convenient to take care of the hatchling.

Principles of Scientific Feeding

Feeding must also closely follow temperature changes: when the temperature is high, appropriately reduce the feeding amount; if the temperature is on the low side, stop feeding directly. When the daily average temperature is below 20℃ for consecutive days, you have to stop feeding the turtle to let the turtle prepare for hibernation.

Don’t be afraid that the turtle will starve to death. Remember:

There are no starved turtles, only turtles fed to death

If you overfeed when the temperature is relatively low, the turtle’s stomach simply cannot digest it, which will inevitably cause enteritis. Once this condition appears, the difficulty of nursing and curing it is high for a beginner.

Maintain Water Cleanliness

Raising turtles well in autumn is just about keeping a close eye on the temperature and scientific feeding. Besides that, since there is a lot of cloudy and rainy weather in autumn, you must also pay attention to changing the water in the turtle tank and disinfecting it in time to avoid water quality deterioration causing other physical problems for the turtle. As long as you do these few key points well, a beginner can also let their turtle spend the autumn peacefully.