How to care for a turtle that’s too cold?
Usually it’s best to build your turtle’s habitat outside in a location that has sunny spots and shady spots so that he can handle his own warming up. But sometimes your turtle has just come up from hibernation, and is too cold and you’d like to get him eating again. I’d put him in a mixing bowl of warm water up to his plastron (the bottom of his shell), and let him soak. Make sure he’s in a warm bathroom. Then pat him dry with paper towels. Depending on how warm it is outside, either put him out in a sunny area in his enclosure so he can bask, or put him in a temporary terrarium under a heat-lamp. If you’re taking a turtle to the vet and don’t want him to get too cold you can put him in a box on top of a hot water bottle wrapped in a pillowcase. The warm surface should keep him warm.
