outdoor box turtle hibernation in pensacola

Question
my box turtle is male to start. im having a problem with him staying in a container of water i keep for him during the summer because of heat and drought. ive tried to redirect him to a shelter that i dug down and lined with leaves and covered with sticks leaves and dirt. i dont if i should leave him alone and he will figure it out or drain most of the water out. hes kept outdoors year round and this is the first winter ive had him. and also i know he is at least 6 yrs old from what ive read. hope you can help me out and thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi Frank,

I checked your weather and it looks like temperatures should be just about cold enough, so he should be ready to dig down soon.  What I would do to encourage him to dig in is simply put piles of leaf litter, straw, hay, etc. around his enclosure.  If the ground is hard, you might also dig it up a bit.  He may be soaking in the water more to help himself eliminate and to hydrate prior to hibernation, but temperatures are getting colder I wouldn't let him keep it up unless the temperatures are in the 60s (so not early morning).  You might want to remove the water and just soak him every other day.  In general, box turtles are good at hibernating themselves, so I wouldn't worry too much unless temperatures really start to drop and he still refuses to dig in.  If necessary, you can also put him in a plastic storage bin filled with hay/leaves and then put that in the hibernation area you prepared.

If at any time you suspect he might be sick, or if you see any signs of illness (runny nose, wheezing, etc.), keep him up for the winter and try again next year.