# Where do turtles go in the winter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603 "2007-09-18T13:56:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![copperwindow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603/1 "2007-09-18T13:56:42Z")
I live in Vermont where we have a large population of turtles. During the winter, the lake freezes and seeing that turtles can’t move quickily, I was wondering what happens to them during the winter. Do they hibernate? How do they not freeze to death? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603/2 "2007-09-18T14:10:32Z")
In northern areas turtles generally hibernate by burrowing into the mud at the bottom of lakes and ponds. Except for the shallowest ones, these do not freeze to the bottom. The turtle’s metabolic rate is so slow it is able to absorb enough oxygen through the skin inside the mouth and throat or through the cloaca. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603/3 "2007-09-18T14:31:42Z")
An exception to this in North America is the box turtle, which is terrestrial. Box turtles dig burrows, usually in forest leaf-litter, in which to hibernate. What **Colibri** wrote is accurate for the semi-aquatic species. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603/4 "2007-09-18T20:07:49Z")
[QUOTE=copperwindow] I live in Vermont where we have a large population of turtles. [/QUOTE] We do? Huh…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a turtle in the wild up here. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603/5 "2007-09-18T20:08:32Z")
[Turtle Bay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_Bay%2C_O%27ahu)? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603/6 "2007-09-18T21:18:29Z")
[Where to find the turtles in Vermont.](http://community.middlebury.edu/~herpatlas/the_atlas.htm#SppMaps) ---
**Author:** ![copperwindow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603/7 "2007-09-19T02:24:51Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] We do? Huh…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a turtle in the wild up here. [/QUOTE] Bike up the bike path into Colchester. After crossing the bridge over the Winooski River, there is a turtle preserve. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603/8 "2007-09-19T12:02:26Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] [Where to find the turtles in Vermont.](http://community.middlebury.edu/~herpatlas/the_atlas.htm#SppMaps) [/QUOTE] That is an amazing web page. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-turtles-go-in-the-winter/419603/9 "2007-09-19T15:10:32Z")
At the bottom of the lake, it’s turtles all the way down.