Hurricanes require much preparation-putting up shutters, finding a "safe" place to stay, stocking up on food and water. In the rush to get the humans ready, it is easy to forget what the animals need. This article details ways to keep aquatic turtles ready and safe during a hurricane and is based on my personal experience-hurricanes Frances and Jeanne came ashore ten miles to my south.

         Before the hurricane (preferably before hurricane season!), have on hand:

plenty of turtle food (at least a three week supply)
buckets of the water the turtles are used to (enough for ten days of water changes)
-mark clearly "turtle" to keep it separate from the human supply
dechlorinator
hand sanitizer
plastic sweater box with tight fitting lid bigger box (in case the lid isn't tight fitting!)
something to use as a cave if you have shy turtles
heat lamp/heat packet/or hot water bottle (if you have a turtle that needs to be kept warm)
water test strips

         A three weeks' supply of turtle food is necessary since it may take two weeks to get power back (it took 11 days and 10 days for ours to be restored), and chances are pretty good pet stores will not immediately reopen. If your food requires refrigeration, an ice chest with ice packs may keep it cool enough. I would highly recommend acclimating your turtles to dry/prepared food-it makes feeding a lot easier in a pinch.

         Plastic buckets with lids can be obtained from bakeries-their icing buckets hold about three gallons of water and are free if you ask nicely. Buy the sturdiest plastic box you can for temporary housing-the "high top" variety is the best as they provide more air space. Clear ones let you keep an eye on your turtle and let light in. If your turtle is large, the plastic totes for storage also work well, and in a pinch five gallon buckets can be used.

         Hurricanes have a nasty habit of destroying the integrity of a roof, so I would recommend keeping your turtles with you in the plastic sweater box in your "safe room". Cover the old tank with a blanket to keep out falling debris, and unplug any filters/lights/heaters to avoid damage due to power surges. Check any air lines to make sure they are not siphoning onto the floor (one way valves are a must! Trust me on this!!!). Unless the turtles' main tank is easily portable, I wouldn't leave them in it. Glass tanks break easily and can harm the turtles. Should you have to evacuate, a small plastic box/tote is much easier to move.

         When the hurricane approaches, fill the plastic box with enough water to completely cover the turtles shell. Ideally, fill it with enough water so that the water level equals the width of the turtle's shell. That way if the turtle flips over, it has enough water to right itself. Keep the lid on if you have curious dogs or other animals, or if you do not have the box in sight. Turtles are very good escape artists and you do not want to be searching for a stray turtle during a hurricane! Keeping the smaller box inside a bigger box will help with accidental splashing. Leave enough airspace between the water and the lid for the turtle to have enough air to breathe. Open the lid several times a day-every few hours at least, more often is better. This will let the stale air out and fresh air in. The turtles will probably scratch at the sides of the box, more from being confined than the storm. If you have shy turtles, place some sort of cave in the box (pieces of PVC pipe of sufficient diameter work well). Make sure that the lid is on securely- turtles are adept at climb on top of things to escape. Once the storm passes, leaving the lid off the box is better (assuming the box is escape proof!!). You could drill holes in the lid for air-I found that the box being waterproof was more important to me and it was no trouble to air the box out.

         You will soon find that in the smaller, non-filtered confines of a plastic box the water will need to be changed daily. This presents a problem when there is no power if you have a well-hence the buckets of water. If you are on city water, you can change the water with the tap water if the water supply is still on. Add the dechlorinator to the water in case the municipality added more chlorine due to the storm. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling turtles or their water-the hand sanitizer works well.

         If you have to move the turtles, drain out most of the water, only leaving enough on the bottom to keep the turtle moist (1/2" or so). A piece of foam rubber cut to size and dampened can be used instead of the 1/2" of water to avoid splashing. Try not to jostle the turtle too much, they do not appreciate being knocked about! Most water turtles can handle being out of water for several hours as long as they are damp. Placing a damp towel on the bottom is another alternative to the foam rubber-just be careful that the turtle does not get tangled up in the fibers, especially those with long nails.

         Once the hurricane is over, feed the turtle sparingly to avoid contaminating the water with uneaten food. I only fed mine every three days as they were adults and the smaller food amounts would not harm them. The more you feed, the messier the temporary housing will be. If the temperature is lower than what the turtle is used to, it may not want to eat anyhow. Until the power is restored, and the filtration is re-established, it is easier to keep the turtles in their plastic boxes to facilitate water changes.

         If you have young turtles that need heat (such as young red-eared sliders), one option would be to run a heat lamp off of a generator. Another option would be to transport the turtle in their plastic box to a location that has power and set up the heat lamp. A clip on desk light works in a pinch; just ensure that it cannot fall into the water and that it is not close enough to melt the box. A hot water bottle can hold heat for several hours, or the little packets that are sold to warm hands can be placed on the sides of the plastic box to warm up the water. If you live in a hurricane area, chances are good the air temperature will be fine for the turtles though.

         Once power is restored, make sure there is no debris in their permanent housing and do at least a 50% water change, more if the water smells bad before replacing the turtles. If you use biological filtration, leave the media undisturbed-as long as it stays wet some of the beneficial bacteria will survive. I simply added an extra mechanical filter the first three days and the tanks underwent only a mild cycling. Test the water before replacing the turtles.. After a hurricane the municipalities will flush out the mains to kill bacteria, so be careful.

         Personally, my six water turtles (five three striped muds and an eastern mud) came through all of the hurricanes with no problems at all. Hopefully, yours will do the same! Above all, keep yourself safe! No going outside "just to look" during the storm-it is amazing how fast the wind comes out of nowhere! Never underestimate the power of mother nature-you cannot help your animals if you yourself are injured…

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