European marsh turtle with yellow spots on the body. Geochelone elegans (Indian star turtle) Carolina box turtle

European marsh turtle(lat. Emys orbicularis) is a very common species of aquatic turtle, which is often kept at home. They live throughout Europe, as well as in the Middle East and even northern Africa.

We will tell you about its habitat in nature, maintenance and care of a marsh turtle at home.

As already mentioned, the European marsh turtle lives in a wide range, covering not only Europe, but also Africa and Asia. Accordingly, it is not included in the Red Book.

She lives in various bodies of water: ponds, canals, swamps, streams, rivers, even large puddles. Swamp turtles live in water, but they love to bask and climb onto stones, snags, various rubbish to lie under the sun.

Even on cool and cloudy days, they make attempts to bask in the sun that breaks through the clouds. Like most aquatic turtles in nature, swamp turtles instantly flop into the water at the sight of a person or animal.

Their powerful paws with long claws allow them to swim through thickets with ease and even burrow into muddy soil or under a layer of leaves. They love aquatic vegetation and hide in it at the slightest opportunity.

Description

The European marsh turtle has an oval or rounded carapace, smooth, usually black or yellow-green in color. It is dotted with many small yellow or white spots, sometimes forming rays or lines.

The shell is smooth when wet and shines in the sun, and becomes more matte as it dries. The head is large, slightly pointed, without a beak. The skin on the head is dark, often black, with small spots of yellow or white. The paws are dark, also with light spots on them.

Emys orbicularis has several subspecies that differ in color, size or detail, but most often in habitat. For example, the Sicilian marsh turtle (Emys (orbicularis) trinacris) with a striking yellow-green carapace and the same skin color. And Emys orbicularis orbicularis, which lives in Russia and Ukraine, is almost completely black.

Adult marsh turtles reach a carapace size of up to 35 cm and a weight of up to 1.5 kg. Although, when kept at home, they are usually smaller, despite the fact that the subspecies living in Russia is one of the largest.

The European marsh turtle is very similar to the American marsh turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), in appearance and habits. They were even classified for a long time in the genus Emys. However, further study led to the fact that these two species were divided according to differences in the structure of the internal skeleton.

There is no consensus on how long a marsh turtle lives. But everyone agrees that she is a long-liver. By different opinions Life expectancy ranges from 30 to 100.

Availability

The marsh turtle can be found on sale, or caught in the wild, within warm months. But, with normal maintenance, owners with zero experience in breeding turtles successfully produce offspring. All individuals kept in captivity are unpretentious and easy to care for.

However, it is important to note that to keep a marsh turtle, you need to create fairly precise conditions. And just bringing it and putting it in a basin won’t work. If you catch a turtle in the wild and you only need it for fun, then leave it where you found it. Believe me, this way you will make your life easier and will not kill the animal.

Juvenile marsh turtles should be kept indoors, but older individuals can be released into home ponds for the summer. For 1-2 turtles you need an aquaterrarium with a volume of at least 100 liters, and as they grow, twice as much. A couple of turtles need an aquarium 150 x 60 x 50, plus dry land for heating. Since they spend a lot of time in water, the larger the volume, the better.

However, it is important to keep the water clean and change it regularly, plus use a powerful filter. While eating, turtles litter a lot and there is a lot of waste.

All this instantly spoils the water, and dirty water leads to various diseases in aquatic turtles, from bacterial eye diseases to sepsis. To reduce contamination during feeding, the turtle can be placed in a separate container.

You don’t have to use decor and soil, since the turtle doesn’t really need it, and cleaning it up in the aquarium is much more difficult.

Approximately ⅓ of the aquaterrarium should be dry land, to which the turtle should have access. They regularly come out onto land to warm themselves, and so that they can do this without access to the sun, a heating lamp is placed above the land.

Heating

Natural sunlight is best, and it is advisable to expose small turtles to sunlight at summer months. However, there is not always such a possibility and an analogue sunlight needs to be created artificially.

To do this, in an aquaterrarium, above land, an incandescent lamp and a special lamp with UV rays, an ultraviolet lamp for reptiles (10% UVB), are placed. Moreover, the height must be at least 20 cm so that the animal does not get burned. The temperature on land, under the lamp should be 30-32C, and the length daylight hours at least 12 hours.

In nature, they spend the winter and hibernate, but in captivity they do not do this and there is no need to force them! Her home conditions allow her to be active throughout the year; it’s not winter when there’s nothing to eat.

Feeding

What to feed a marsh turtle? The main thing is not what, but how. Swamp turtles are very aggressive when feeding!

She eats fish, shrimp, beef heart, liver, chicken heart, frogs, worms, crickets, mice, artificial food, snails. The best food is fish, for example, you can put live fish, guppies, directly into the aquarium. Juveniles are fed every day, and adult turtles once every two to three days. They are very greedy for food and easily overeat.

For normal development, turtles need vitamins and calcium. Usually artificial food contains everything a turtle needs, so adding food from a pet store to the diet will not be out of place. And yes, they need sunlight to absorb calcium and produce vitamin B3. So don’t forget about special lamps and heating.

Appeal

Very smart, they quickly understand that their owner is feeding them and will rush to you in the hope of feeding them. However, at this moment they are aggressive and you need to be careful. Like all turtles, they are cunning and can bite, and quite painfully.

You need to handle them carefully and generally touch them less often. It is better not to give it to children, as they pose a mutual danger to each other.

Take a look:

If you are lucky enough to meet a turtle with yellow spots on its body near bodies of water, it is a European marsh turtle. She is one of the 2 trusted swamp genus, and the yellow spots on the turtle’s body are its distinctive specificity.

This one is exotic for our geographical area The confidant of reptiles lives, like other modern turtles, in a form that has remained approximately unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs.

The fact that over such a long period, these animals were preserved in virtually former form, highlights their great adaptability and unimaginable biology.

The European marsh turtle is a reptile from the freshwater family that lives in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Western Asia, as well as in Europe, with the exception of its northern part: Scandinavia, Great Britain, the Benelux countries, northern France and Estonia. Also lives in northern Africa.

Synonyms of names: Testudo europaea (Schneider, 1783), Testudo orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758).

Foreign names:

• Latin name: Emys orbicularis;
• English: European Pond Turtle;
• German: Europ?ische Sumpfschildkr?te;
• Czech: ?elva bahenn?;
• French: Cistude d'Europe;
• Spanish: Gal?pago europeo.

External differences of the European marsh turtle

• The shell of this turtle is smoothed, covered with small yellow dots and specks. The back is chestnut with small yellow spots. Larger yellow spots are located on the abdomen. They may also cover the head and legs. But occasionally this pronounced sign is absent;
• The skin is black, has countless yellow spots of various sizes, occasionally merging with each other. Occasionally the skin becomes completely yellow. The arrangement of these yellow spots has an incorrect character, which is certainly different for every animal, just like fingerprints for a person;
• Eyes - the iris in females is pale yellow, and in males it has an orange or approximately reddish tint;
• Sizes – there are gender differences in size related to the physiology of reproduction; males are slightly smaller than females and have a concave lower part of the body (plastron), while in females it is quite flat. Also, females and males are characterized by differences in tail size. Males have a much longer and more bulky tail. Top part The shell shell of both sexes is very similar, slightly convex, often richly covered with algae. The common squirrel of this species has a carapace length of about 20 cm in females and 17 cm in males.

The eyelids are opaque and elastic. The tail is 1/3 of the length of the shell. The head can be retracted and hidden in the shell.

Lifestyle and behavior

European marsh turtle in wildlife can live more than 120 years. These types of turtles spend a large part their lives in the immediate vicinity of bodies of water, from which only females come to land and lay eggs. The turtle hunts in water; it lives mainly in this environment. In the water it moves smoothly, awkwardly and slowly.

Active during the day, lives in standing or slowly moving bodies of water with a muddy bottom (small, overgrown lakes, forest ponds, swamps, densely overgrown and inaccessible ponds, huge rivers with dense vegetation).

She spends most of her time in water, but breathes atmospheric air. Can stay under water for up to one hour. The animal is very timid and cautious, which makes it difficult to meet. In quiet places it likes to get out of the water and soak up the sun. European tortoise with yellow spots on the body, overwinters in mud, at the bottom of reservoirs for about 6-7 months (usually from October to March).

Males are very hostile towards each other, exclusively during the mating season.

This species easily tolerates drought and is resistant to low temperatures; it loses motor activity only at temperatures of 2-3° C.

It feeds on insects, snails, tadpoles, and occasionally eats amphibians and fish. The main food for turtles is the larvae of insects, invertebrates and various amphibians, fish fry, and occasionally they feed on carrion.

These animals feed around the clock, however, they are extremely energetic at dusk and sometimes at night. They capture their prey with their jaws and tear them with their claws. During the day on clear days they rest and bask in the sun.

How do representatives of this species reproduce?

Turtles wake up from hibernation in early spring and become energetic in late March or early April, depending on the weather. The mating period takes place in water and begins in April, because the animals are very resistant to low temperatures.

Soon after waking up, individuals walk in shallow parts of lakes and reservoirs. Mating occurs very colorfully and energetically. There have been cases of mutilation during mating games.

After the conclusion of the mating season, the males remain in their former sites, and the females, in late May and early June, go on a hike to the nesting sites, where they will remain for many years. Reservoirs located a short distance from nesting sites are a wonderful refuge for newly hatched cubs.

After completing their journey from breeding site to nesting site, females lay eggs. The female lays her eggs in July in a hole in the ground, which she digs with her hind legs. The eggs have thin shells, their dimensions reach 2x3 cm. One female has on average from 6 to 16 eggs (occasionally their number reaches 20).

The eggs do not remain in direct clear rays, but are buried in the ground to a depth of several centimeters, where in favorable conditions temperature conditions incubated for approximately 100 days.

The most important for the positive development of the embryo are high temperatures in June and July. Turtles in eggs, like other reptiles, undergo a thermal sex determination process. Yes, in warm weather summer days Larger females hatch, and males hatch in cold weather.

When temperatures are low, turtles are able to overwinter in eggs until spring. If the summer is cool, then turtles do not hatch, this happens more often on the northern borders natural habitat of this type.

Under typical conditions, in late autumn, small turtles, 2.5 cm long, which have a soft shell, emerge from the eggs. They emerge from their earthen burrows only in the spring.

After the young turtles leave the nest, they head into the water. During this trip, the cubs are vulnerable to attacks from all kinds of earthly predators. Only after 10 years of life does their shell become so huge and strong that turtles can feel relatively safe. Juveniles reach sexual maturity after approximately 7 years.

Depending on the weather conditions The spotted turtle leads an energetic lifestyle from March or April until October. In the fall, turtles go into hibernation.

Swamp turtles in every Europe are under state protection and have the rank of unconditional protection. Catching and hunting them is strictly prohibited.

The turtle is a symbol of wisdom and longevity, because this amphibian lives for three hundred years, which means it manages to learn a lot in its life. Exists popular belief, that the turtle moves so slowly because it has a long life and there is nowhere for it to rush.

The image of a turtle evoked by your subconscious in a dream is most likely a realization of such well-known folk expressions as “Crawl like a turtle” or “Hide your head in your shell like a turtle.”

Everyone knows that the first expression is used to refer to people who are slow and slow-witted, and the second to those who are cowardly and not independent.

So, the image of a turtle that appears in a dream can mean procrastination, an obstacle in business, and also personify a person who does not have time to do everything that is assigned to him, is lazy or simply does not want to do anything.

Watching in a dream how a turtle hides its head in its shell is a sign that in your environment there is a dependent person who not only interferes with the implementation of your plans, but also has a bad influence on you.

Seeing a turtle hidden in its shell in a dream is a sign that you have a calm and happy life ahead of you. Harmony will reign in your home, relationships with your loved one and children will be normalized.

Watching in a dream a turtle that grabs the paws of a bird in order to learn to fly - such a dream indicates that you are a very arrogant person and do not listen to the practical advice of other people at all, not even suspecting that you are making it worse for yourself.

Watching a slowly crawling turtle in a dream means that in reality you are a very slow person and therefore it is difficult for you to adapt to the changes that are happening around you.

Perhaps such a dream indicates that your work partner, due to his slowness in making decisions, is slowing down your affairs, while you will not be able to influence the course of events in any way and, despite all your efforts, you will not achieve anything new.

If you dreamed of a turtle crawling to race with any animal, then real life You will not be able to compete with your business partner: you are too weak and slow to do this.

To see a turtle lying on its shell in a dream is a sign that there is a very wise person in your environment, influential person who thinks several times before doing anything. Listen to his advice.

Walking with a turtle in a dream - such a dream portends a long and happy life. If in a dream you saw one of your close friends walking with a turtle, then this person will live a long life.

If in a dream you buy a turtle, it means that soon a person will appear in your environment who will only disturb you, although his task will be to help you in your work. Demand a replacement from your superiors, don’t waste your energy on this slow person, it won’t do any good.

Watch for aquatic turtles that swim in the aquarium - You need to be patient, because you will have a period of painful waiting.

In a dream, feeding a turtle means you are supporting not the person who needs your help, but a parasite who has found strings in your soul on which to play and get what you want from you.

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A dream about a turtle portends some interesting case in your life. Its consequences will undoubtedly strengthen your character and affect your work.

If you ate turtle soup in a dream, you have dubious entertainment ahead.

We rode in our sleep sea ​​turtle- V Lately you are very worried about something. You cannot get rid of this anxiety and create anxiety in the people around you. Look at the world more optimistically, there is no reason for such a gloomy mood.

If you dreamed that a turtle did not want to “come out” of its shell, then you are inclined to blame anyone for all your problems, but not yourself. Think about the fact that you yourself are not perfect, and stop ruining your relationships with people.

Watched a crawling turtle - a disease is possible, and the reason for it lies in your overly hot-tempered character.

If you are lucky enough to meet a turtle with yellow spots on its body near bodies of water, it is a European marsh turtle. It is one of two representatives of the swamp genus, and the yellow spots on the turtle's body are its distinguishing feature.

This representative of reptiles, exotic for our geographical area, lives, like other modern turtles, in a form that has remained almost unchanged since the time of dinosaurs.

That these animals have remained virtually unchanged over such a long period highlights their great adaptability and incredible biology.

The European marsh turtle is a reptile from the freshwater family that lives in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Western Asia, as well as in Europe, with the exception of its northern part: Scandinavia, Great Britain, the Benelux countries, northern France and Estonia. Also lives in northern Africa.

Synonyms of names: Testudo europaea (Schneider, 1783), Testudo orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758).

Foreign names:

• Latin name: Emys orbicularis;
• English: European Pond Turtle;
• German: Europäische Sumpfschildkröte;
• Czech: Želva bahenny;
• French: Cistude d'Europe;
• Spanish: Galápago europeo.

External differences of the European marsh turtle

• The shell of this turtle is smooth, covered with small yellow dots and spots. The back is brown with small yellow spots. Larger yellow spots are located on the abdomen. They may also cover the head and legs. But sometimes this pronounced sign absent;
• The skin is black, has numerous yellow spots different sizes, sometimes merging with each other. Sometimes the skin becomes completely yellow. The arrangement of these yellow spots is irregular, completely different for each animal, just like human fingerprints;
• Eyes - the iris in females is pale yellow, and in males it has an orange or almost reddish tint;
• Sizes – there are gender differences in size associated with the physiology of reproduction, males are slightly smaller than females and have a concave lower part of the body (plastron), while in females it is quite flat. There are also differences in tail size between females and males. Males have a much longer and more massive tail. The upper part of the shell of both sexes is very similar, slightly convex, often abundantly covered with algae. A typical representative of this species has a carapace length of about 20 cm in females and 17 cm in males.

The eyelids are opaque and flexible. The tail is 1/3 of the length of the shell. The head can be retracted and hidden in the shell.

Lifestyle and behavior

The European marsh turtle can live more than 120 years in the wild. These types of turtles spend most their lives in the immediate vicinity of bodies of water, from which only females come to land and lay eggs. The turtle hunts in water; it lives mainly in this environment. In the water it moves smoothly, awkwardly and slowly.

Active during the day, lives in stagnant or slowly moving bodies of water with a muddy bottom (small, overgrown lakes, forest ponds, swamps, densely overgrown and inaccessible ponds, big rivers with dense vegetation).

She spends most of her time in water, but breathes atmospheric air. Can stay under water for up to one hour. The animal is very shy and cautious, so it is difficult to meet. In quiet places it likes to get out of the water and soak up the sun. The European turtle with yellow spots on its body overwinters deep in the mud, at the bottom of reservoirs, for about 6-7 months (usually from October to March).

Males are very aggressive towards each other, especially during mating season.

This species easily tolerates drought and is resistant to low temperatures; it loses motor activity only at temperatures of 2-3° C.

It feeds on insects, snails, tadpoles, and sometimes eats amphibians and fish. The main food for turtles is the larvae of insects, invertebrates and various amphibians, fish fry, and sometimes they feed on carrion.

These animals feed around the clock, however, they are especially active at dusk and sometimes at night. They capture their prey with their jaws and tear them with their claws. During the day on clear days they rest and bask in the sun.

How do representatives of this species reproduce?

Turtles awaken from hibernation in early spring and become active in late March or early April, depending on the weather. The mating period takes place in water and begins in April, as the animals are very resistant to low temperatures.

Soon after waking up, individuals walk in shallow parts of lakes and reservoirs. Mating occurs very expressively and actively. There have been cases of mutilation during mating games.

After the mating season is over, the males remain in their previous areas, and the females, in late May and early June, go on a hike to the nesting sites, where they will remain for many years. Reservoirs located a short distance from nesting sites are an excellent refuge for newly hatched cubs.

After completing their journey from breeding site to nesting site, females lay eggs. The female lays her eggs in July in a hole in the ground, which she digs with her hind legs. The eggs have thin shells, their dimensions reach 2x3 cm. One female has on average from 6 to 16 eggs (sometimes their number reaches 20).

Eggs don't stay straight sun rays, and burrow into the ground to a depth of several centimeters, where they are incubated under favorable temperature conditions for about 100 days.

The most important for proper development embryo are high temperatures in June and July. Turtles in eggs, like other reptiles, undergo a thermal sex determination process. So, on warm summer days, more females hatch, and on cold days, males.

When temperatures are low, turtles are able to overwinter in eggs until spring. If the summer is cool, then the turtles do not hatch; this happens more often at the northern borders of the natural range of this species.

IN normal conditions at the end of autumn, small turtles 2.5 cm long, which have a soft shell, hatch from the eggs. They emerge from their earthen burrows only in the spring.

Medium sized turtle. The length of the shell is from 18 to 30 cm, depending on the sex of the turtle and the subspecies. Males are noticeably smaller than females. In young animals the carapace is bright green; with age it becomes olive or yellow-brown, decorated with patterns of yellow stripes. On the head, neck and limbs the turtle is decorated with a pattern of white and green wavy stripes and spots. The turtle got its name because of two elongated bright red spots next to its eyes. This spot can be orange, bright yellow in the subspecies of the Cumberland turtle, or Troost's turtle, or yellow in the subspecies of the yellow-bellied turtle. The bottom of the shell is oval, usually dark color with yellow lines and a yellow border around the edge.

Pond slider can be considered a long-liver. Under favorable conditions, it may well live 30 - 40 years. At the same time, the turtle has quite high level intelligence, which is many times greater than that of many reptiles. It is able to perceive sounds at very low frequencies. For example, the red-eared turtle senses soil vibrations and the approach of a person or animal at a level of 1000-3000 hertz. At the same time, representatives of this species are endowed with very sharp vision. So, when looking for food, they first pay attention to the color of the object, and only then to the smell and taste. In addition, the females are very fertile, and the small turtles that are born are very hardy and grow quickly. The size of a newborn baby is about 3 cm; in adults it is 10 times larger. Moreover, females are much larger than males. Over the course of a year, the shell grows by 1 cm; this rapid process is facilitated by food high in protein. But turtles kept at home are 15-20 cm smaller than their free-living relatives and do not experience discomfort due to cramped housing.

The red-eared turtle is widespread in nature. Its range covers the United States from southern Virginia to northern Florida and Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico in the west, Mexico, all Central America, northwest South America(northern Colombia and Venezuela). The species was introduced to the south of Florida, Arizona, Guadeloupe, Israel, South Africa and some European countries. In particular, to Spain and Great Britain. The red-eared slider has entered Australia, where it is officially recognized as a pest, displacing local endemic fauna.

In nature, it lives in small lakes, ponds and other bodies of water with low, swampy shores. Leads a relatively sedentary lifestyle. Extremely curious. If the turtle is full, it crawls ashore and basks in the sun. If hungry, it swims slowly in search of food. When the water temperature is below +18 °C, the turtle becomes lethargic and loses its appetite. The turtle is able to notice danger at a distance of 30-40 m, after which it slides into the water with lightning speed, which is why it received the name “Slider”.

The turtle's vocal cords are not developed. All he can do is hiss and snort with excitement. The red-eared slider has well-developed vision and sense of smell. In contrast to vision, hearing is poorly developed. However, red-eared turtles are very good at navigating by hearing and hide in the water at any rustle. It not only hisses, but also makes a sound similar to a short squeak.

The red-eared turtle, contrary to popular belief among ordinary people, is very agile and fast. With these qualities, she could well compete with some types of fish, and it is not a fact that she would come to the finish line second. This representative does not lose its agility even on land. Here, as quickly as in water, she is able to avoid obstacles in her path and hide from her pursuers.

The red-eared turtle has no teeth, but thanks to the remarkable strength of its jaw muscles, it can crush a fairly strong object. When threatened by other inhabitants of flora and fauna, the individual throws its head forward with lightning speed and bites its offender. Adults of this species can inflict serious wounds while defending their lives. At the same time, the red-eared beauty can scratch, her nails are strong and very sharp, which she also often uses for self-defense. People should beware of the hind legs of this creature, because the turtle will try to push off their hands with them. Therefore, experts do not recommend pulling the red-eared turtle out of the water for children. This should be done by adults: very carefully and without squeezing the shell, while keeping it at a decent distance from the face and areas with open skin.

An adult turtle needs an aquaterrarium with a volume of 100-150 liters, preferably that land occupies about 25% of its area. If possible, soil or crushed stone is poured on the shore. A gentle ascent with a rough but non-scratching surface is arranged to land. The water level must be greater than the width of the shell, so that if the turtle finds itself on its back, for any reason, it can turn over and not drown.

The water temperature in the aquarium should not be lower than 20°C, normal temperature 24-30°C (to maintain the temperature, it is advisable to install a heater). The water in the aquarium is replaced as needed, 1 - 2 times a week. A water filter allows you to do this much less often. However, a complete water change should be done at least once a month. It is advisable to install an incandescent lamp above the island in the aquarium. Turtles love to bask on dry land. Also, for the normal maintenance of a red-eared turtle, a source of dosed ultraviolet radiation is necessary.

In captivity, the diet of red-eared turtles includes small crustaceans such as gammarus or shrimp. Small aquarium or river snails, small or cut into pieces fish, meat cut into small strips, liver, small frogs, tadpoles, various insects and their larvae, earthworms, bloodworms, and tubifex are also suitable.

Don't forget that food red eared turtles should include foods rich in calcium: fish heads, bone meal, chalk, eggshells, etc. The diet of adult turtles includes additionally plant foods. Pets eat well dandelion leaves, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and plantain. Among algae, duckweed, elodea, spirogyra, seaweed, anacharis, water beetle, edogonium, etc. are well eaten. Young red-eared turtles are fed 2 times a day. Later they are transferred to single meals. Turtles over 2 years old should be fed no more than 2-3 times a week.

You should not feed your turtle the same thing; the diet should be varied. The amount of food is selected so that the turtles eat everything without leaving anything in the water. Turtles should be fed at the same time every day. It’s good if the turtle has warmed up well before this. At a temperature of 28-30°, turtle digestion is much more intense. You can also feed turtles outside the aquarium, for example in a basin with water. This will help keep the aquarium clean. If the turtle's food is not particularly varied, it should be given vitamins or vitamin complexes. You can find them in pet stores; choose ones marked “for reptiles.” Vitamins are fed to hungry turtles in their food. The dosage must be looked at in the instructions for the drug.

Reproduction of red-eared turtles

Juvenile red-eared sliders are essentially the same regardless of gender. Determining the sex of animals becomes possible when they become adults. Already at the age of more than one year, sex differences begin to be observed in turtles. The sex of the red-eared slider is easier to determine in comparison with other individuals. Females, as a rule, grow much larger than males. Although, given the age difference between animals, this sign cannot be used. Males have longer claws on their front paws than females. They serve for the courtship dance and help to stay on the female during mating. The male's tail is thicker and longer than that of the female. The lower part of the body in females is flat, while in males it is concave. The spots on the turtle's head are larger and brighter in color in males. In nature, turtles reach sexual maturity at 5-6 years; in captivity, this occurs somewhat earlier.

The courtship period for red-eared turtles occurs between March and July, and in captivity it can occur at any time of the year. The male swims in front of the female, tail first, and gently touches her muzzle with his claws, as if trying to stroke her. If the female is ready to reproduce, then she accepts courtship, otherwise the female drives the male away. In some cases it comes to a brawl. Young turtles can also perform mating dance, but having not reached reproductive age they are incapable of reproduction.

After successful mating, the female spends more time in the sun. Her eating habits may change, the amount of food she eats will change, and she may refuse some types of usual food. This is a normal reaction, you should try feeding her other foods and adjusting the amount of food.

Pregnancy lasts on average about two months; if the female cannot find a suitable place for laying, this period can be extended. During the last two weeks, the female spends a lot of time on land, sniffing and digging. Having chosen a place, the turtle generously moistens the soil from the anal bladders and digs a nest with its hind legs. A female red-eared turtle can lay from 1 to 22 eggs, with an average of 5-10. She has no instinct to care for her offspring. Having laid eggs, the female leaves the nest.

The incubation period lasts 100-150 days. Incubation time and sex of young turtles depend on the temperature at which the eggs are incubated. At temperatures above 29°C, females are born; below 27°C, only males are born. To pierce the egg shell, turtles use an egg tooth, which falls off an hour after birth. After the egg hatches, there is a small pouch on the newborn’s stomach that contains food debris incubation period. Soon it will disappear, and the small wound remaining in its place will heal happily.

Diseases and treatment of red-eared turtles

The most common disease in red-eared turtles is pneumonia. Experts do not recommend keeping these exotic pets outside of an aquarium. The owners of a turtle sometimes let it walk around the apartment, thinking that it will be useful for their pet. In fact, this can be very dangerous, because the reptile can get caught in a draft and catch a cold. This also applies to the location of the terrarium; try to place it only in a place protected from wind and drafts.

If you notice that your animal is lethargic, is not eating well, or has refused to eat at all, it is most likely suffering from pneumonia. In an aquarium, the reptile swims only on the surface; it simply cannot dive. Probably yours a pet got hypothermic. It can be treated in two ways.

The traditional medicinal method involves a course of intramuscular injections. Keep in mind that red-eared turtles should only be treated under the supervision of a veterinarian. Self-medication can cost your pet's life. And don't forget about important point: When you calculate the amount of medicine for the weight of the turtle, you need to subtract the weight of the shell. To do this, it is enough to divide total weight in half.

Some turtle owners are afraid to use medications and resort to methods traditional medicine. One of the methods is based on steam baths. You need to prepare a chamomile decoction. Next, you should slightly heat the broth and hold the turtle over the steam for a while. Monitor the steam temperature. it shouldn't burn your hand. Now we are preparing a warm bath. In a ratio of 1:3, dilute chamomile decoction in water, the temperature should be about 30°C. A turtle should take medicinal baths for about an hour.

Eye diseases of red-eared turtles. Monitor the animal constantly. Examine your eyes. If you notice swelling of the eyelids, excessive discharge from the eyes, or a purple color of the mucous membranes, be sure to go to a specialist. To treat eye diseases in red-eared turtles, they must be kept on land. It is necessary to treat the affected mucous membrane with a veterinary agent. These may be antibiotics or sulfonamides. You should take a clean bath at a temperature of 28°C once a day for several hours. The water must be absolutely clean. Treatment is carried out until the veterinarian confirms recovery.

Shell diseases of red-eared turtles. Symptoms of pet turtle disease include soft-touch shells, lethargic behavior, and poor appetite. Most often, symptoms appear from a lack of ultraviolet radiation, poor absorption of calcium and vitamin D3. For elimination similar problems Give your pets daily exposure to a UV lamp. This lamp can be purchased at a pet store.

To treat this disease, red-eared turtles must have raw fish, preferably with small bones. Include calcium and vitamin supplements in your diet. Turtle shell diseases are dangerous and their treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. You should react especially quickly if the animal experiences detachment of the horny plates from the shell. With active growth, this phenomenon is acceptable, but with age it can only occur if the reptile is not kept properly. Preventing and treating disease for red-eared sliders means careful care. This also applies to diet. Perhaps this violation is a consequence of drying out. Detachment can be caused by fungus or blue-green algae.

And in the end, in a concise form, we will present all the rules that must be followed when keeping red-eared turtles.

When keeping red-eared turtles, you must not:
keep in close quarters;
keep the turtle in an aquarium without land; a turtle is capable of drowning, despite the fact that it is aquatic;
keep the turtle without heating;
only feed turtles raw meat;
feed turtles only plant food;
if the turtle does not receive food rich in calcium, it is necessary to give mineral supplements;
add oil vitamins to the food “by eye”;
keep turtles in dirty water, especially if a film forms on the surface;
clean the turtle with rough brushes and even more so remove the horny scutes if it is overgrown with algae;
keep several males in one aquarium and introduce new animals without prior quarantine;
use only smooth materials (glass, plastic) for the construction of the ladder and island;
wash the aquarium in the kitchen and use dishes for turtles in which food for humans is prepared.
Clean the aquaterrarium irregularly;
hibernation optional for turtles;