Does anyone know when I should expect my turtle to start trying to hibernate? I live in NW Washington. Just got the turtle for our pond at the beginning of the summer and now it is getting close to fall and I am unsure of what I need to do to help her get ready for hibernation.

I'm on the other side of the country so I'm not sure what is normal for your area. When temperatures go below about 60 degrees F, the turtle will eat less and less and spend more time on the bottom. Below 50 degrees F, and the turtle will probably stay on the bottom, coming up to get air less often.

Read my page on turtle ponds at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/turtles/turpond.htm and the page on winterizing ponds at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/winter.htm