releasing slider

Question
hi mark.live in the midlands of Sc.found a 1"slider in my bkyd in april of '05. its about 5" now. I have a lined koi pond. could the turtle winter in their? do they dig? would it try to burrow in the plastic lining? Is it too late to release into a nearby natural pond. its not eating much at all anymore.  thanks.  lucy

Answer
It is a bit late to release in most of the US but if it is still above freezing at night there you can try it.

Turtles hibernate in the mud at the bottom of a pond. If there is mud there already, great. Otherwise it won't settle in properly.

Try the articles at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for more ideas.