European marsh turtle at home. European marsh turtle with yellow spots on the body Which turtles are small

The low carapace (carapace) is almost oval; if you look at it from above, you can see that the width in the back is slightly wider than in the front. The length of the shell is 20 cm or more in adult large turtles. Since water has always been the key habitat for turtles, the carapace scutes naturally fit perfectly together. In terms of their structure, the carapace and plastron are completely streamlined and have no protrusions. There are large claws on the legs, small membranes are located between the toes. The claws of a swamp turtle can easily tear prey apart and can significantly scratch your hand. The tail of this turtle is relatively long, can reach 3/4 of the length of the carapace (about 12 cm) and during swimming it takes part as an auxiliary rudder during any turns (the main steering is carried out by the legs) and as a counterweight that holds the turtle in the required position during maneuvers. The carapace usually has a dark olive, dark green, sometimes almost black color, the plastron is light, yellowish. The shell, neck, head, legs are covered with small light spots. Often females have yellow eyes, while males are slightly reddish. Females have slightly shorter tails than males.

Territory of Russia: from the Smolensk region at the border with Belarus and Ukraine in the south, in the Caspian lowland, on the middle Volga, in the upper and lower reaches of the Don, in the Caucasus. Belarus, the left bank of the Ural River, Lithuania, North-West Africa, Southern and Central Europe, Northern Iran, Turkey, the Urals, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia. They live in swampy places, ponds, lakes, and in addition they can often be found in quiet river backwaters with a gentle bank and muddy bottom, however, under a number of conditions: there must be open places on the shore where they can bask in the sun for a long time.

Young people every day, adults 2-3 times a week. The amount of food must be selected personally depending on how much food the turtle eats. As a rule, the volume of food is 2-3 pieces of 1 cm3 for babies, 2-3 pieces of 2-3 cm3 for older individuals. The food must be moist and at room temperature. The main food for turtles is fish. It is preferable to feed only live small fish, which can be instantly introduced into the aquarium.

Types of feed

Fish (not very fatty and of all kinds - thalassa, cod, hake, gobies, etc.), meat (in particular internal organs: chicken heart, beef liver, beef heart, but not chicken), crustaceans and insects in the form of an infrequent delicacy (bloodworms, daphnia crustaceans, gammarus, earthworms, beetles, woodlice, legless locusts), others (small freshwater snails, squid, tadpoles, shrimp, frogs).

Turtles are required to receive vitamins and mineral supplements in their food. For these purposes, the food is supplemented with calcium-containing crusts and vitamins (Wardley and other companies), or a varied and complete food is given (fish with internal organs and bones). With a precise diet, auxiliary calcination will not be required. In addition, it is preferable to place a mineral neutralizer block in the aquarium.

Since swamp turtles are predators, their thinking abilities are much greater than those of land turtles, and they learn easily and simply. You are allowed to try to teach a turtle to take food from tweezers: they willingly do this by stretching their head out of the water and on the shore. It is also interesting that, having grabbed food outside the water, the turtle goes to swallow it into the reservoir, but still, with this feeding, the water most often remains clean. Soon, when the owner appears, a conditioned reflex will be provoked: the turtles will harmoniously stick their heads out of the water. In addition, they are tamed at certain feeding times and will be able to recognize the owner.

Reproduction

In the spring comes marriage time. During this period, turtles (age 6–8 years and shell 9–12 cm) are far from water bodies. Turtles can also mate in water. The sperm of turtles can be stored in the female’s tract for up to 1 year or more; as a result, a female caught in the wild can “personally” lay completely full-fledged eggs after 5-6 months. Between May and July, females lay eggs three times in holes dug in the ground. During the season, the female produces 1–3 clutches. The depth of the pits is approximately 10 cm. The eggs that fall into them are beautiful: their shells are snow-white, they themselves have an oblong, regular shape, size 30 x 20 millimeters, weight approximately 8 g. In any clutch there are about 5–10 eggs, and they The female buries it most carefully. After approximately 2-3 months, these eggs produce tiny turtles about 24–25 millimeters long, weighing 5 g, with a large yolk sac on the belly. The shell of young turtles is usually dark brown with yellow lines. They dig small tunnels near the nest, where they spend the winter in most cases. In the spring, turtles crawl out of their shelters onto the surface of the earth and begin an independent life. The incubation temperature is about 25–30°C and the duration is 54–90 days. Incubation humidity 90%. The water depth for newly born turtles is approximately 5 cm. Young individuals feed on daphnia and insect larvae.

The terrarium must be sufficiently free (120–150 liters, 120 liters is a minimum for 1 individual), which consists of two halves - water and land, with a ladder between them. It is preferable to have a pond up to 10 cm deep for small specimens, 15–20 cm for large ones. An ultraviolet lamp and an incandescent heating lamp for reptiles (10% UVB) are placed above the dry part of the territory at a height of at least 20 cm. A water filter and heater must be present water (a heater, however, is not required if the water temperature does not drop below 24-26 degrees, in fact, this is what it should be). On land, the air temperature in front of the lamp is 30-33 C. In the cold season of the year, in natural conditions, the turtle falls into hibernation, but at home at a temperature of 22–25°C this fact does not happen.

To prevent the water from becoming polluted, the turtle is transplanted into a basin or bathtub and fed there, and then put back into the aquarium.

Additional information

Scientists identify 13 subspecies of the marsh turtle in nature, but only 5 are found in Russia. In the summer, turtles live near bodies of water and, if an enemy appears, they rush into the water and dive to the bottom, often burying themselves in silt. Swamp turtles hibernate in the fall, in October, thereby waiting out the winter at the bottom of reservoirs.

Adults and larger individuals can be hostile at times and try to bite. It is necessary to take them by the edge of the back of the shell, since the head on the long neck has great physical activity. The bite can be very painful, since, having grabbed the soft part of the hand with its mouth, the turtle convulsively clenches its jaws several times. However, if you treat this animal well, they instantly become tamed, stop hiding their head under their shell, and, on the contrary, pull it towards the owner-breadwinner.

Major diseases

Fungal skin infections, pneumonia, septicemia.

Swamp turtles began to be delivered to central Europe back in the Middle Ages, then they were eaten during the period of fasting, traders brought them from Italy.

Characteristics of this species

The European marsh turtle is characterized by a brown-brown or dark olive oval shell (carapace) with diverging lines or bright yellow dots, paws with sharp claws (4 claws on the hind legs and 5 on the front) and moderately developed swimming membranes, a long tail . The head and paws are decorated with yellow spots. The plastron is lighter, ranging in color from yellow to dark brown with black. The color of the shell can change as it grows and forms. Newborn turtles are almost entirely black with a yellow rim along the edges of the plastron and carapace. Turtles lighten with age and become covered with a bright yellow pattern, the plastron also turns yellow, and the carapace changes from brown to dark olive. Depending on the subspecies, the length of the shell reaches 18–25 cm, and males are usually smaller than females. In nature they live up to 120 years.

Habitat

The European marsh turtle is common in temperate climates. Lives in Central and Southern Europe, Western Asia, America, Western Europe (Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania), North-West Africa. In Russia, it is distributed in the warm temperate climate zone of the European part. The habitat ranges from the Smolensk region at the border with Belarus, Ukraine to the south (Caucasus, Caspian Lowland, Transcaucasia), in the middle Volga, in the upper and lower reaches of the Don and the left bank of the Ural River. The turtle lives on slowly flowing rivers, ponds, and lakes with flat banks and muddy bottoms.

Protection measures

This species is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (RL/nt), in provision II of the Berne Convention, and in the Red Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The population of this turtle species is in danger of extinction. Recent studies show that it is being replaced by a related species such as the American marsh turtle.

The main reasons for the decline in the number of the species are fishermen, land reclamation, and urbanization. A person finds marsh turtles near bodies of water or far from them. Most often, these are females who are looking for a good place to lay eggs at the mouths of rivers, and moving away from their usual habitat for a number of kilometers. People don't realize the damage they cause to nature when they take a turtle into their home. Even the best conditions in captivity can never replace natural ones. And very often turtles are kept in basins or, by and large, behind a closet, under a radiator, etc. When treated this way, the animal slowly dies over many years. Irreversible pathological processes occur in the turtle's body. For example: dehydration (the turtle dries out, the skull bones stand out on the head, the epidermis begins to adhere to the bones), loss of swimming membranes, overgrowth of the choanae, which can cause respiratory pathology, respiratory diseases, lack of heat leads to serious gastrointestinal diseases, various kidney pathologies, drying out and loss of the tip of the tail.

Conditions at home

Equipped terrarium with access to the bank. Water temperature is 24–26°C (acceptable 25°C). The temperature on the shore must be at least 28–30°C; if not, then there must be an incandescent light bulb above the shore to maintain the desired temperature. A ReptiGlo 10.0 UV lamp must be installed in the aquaterrarium. (Hagen) (10–12 hours a day) at a distance of 20–25 cm from the shore. The depth of the water is determined by the age and size of the turtles. For turtles under one year of age - no more than 5 cm. After a year, the depth must be such that the turtle, rising vertically on its hind legs, has the opportunity to breathe freely. For adult healthy turtles, the water depth can be 30–40 cm with an aquarium size of no less than 100 liters, as this helps strengthen muscles when swimming and brings them closer to natural living conditions. It is allowed to use medium and large stones as soil, but only such that the animal could never swallow them. It is prohibited to use sand as soil. It must be remembered that even the best home conditions can never replace life in natural conditions for turtles. The turtle population is steadily decreasing. Before you make the commitment to own a turtle, you need to think about the fact that you are depriving the animal of a full life. Turtles found or captured in their habitat must be released near a reservoir. Only sick or injured individuals need temporary care; they must be released after treatment.

Features of behavior

The marsh turtle sleeps at the bottom of the reservoir at night, and remains active during the daytime. Whiles away several hours in the sun on land. It can be several kilometers away from bodies of water. The marsh turtle swims very quickly, buries itself in the mud even if there is a slight threat, and moves quite quickly on the ground. In captivity, turtles instantly adapt to new circumstances: they swim or sit on the bottom, emerging from time to time (every 15-20 minutes) for a breath of air. However, they will be able to stay without air for up to 2 hours without harming their well-being. During minimal activity, their anaerobic respiration mechanism turns on. For marsh turtles in an aquaterrarium, it would be good to create conditions so that there is a dark place (under the shore, behind the grotto) where they have the opportunity to hide or take a nap. Turtles love to bask or sunbathe on the shore with their hind legs extended.

Bog turtles often defend their area. So, for example, if 2-3 turtles are sitting on the shore under a lamp, they will definitely divide the territory among themselves. If there is an attempt to encroach on its place, then the turtle begins to defend its territory. This manifests itself in this way: the turtle opens its mouth and stretches its head towards the offender, demonstrating with its own behavior “This place is mine!” Do you want to protest?" As a rule, conflicts never arise between females; they get along together absolutely calmly. But two males can be quite hostile in their relationship to each other. To do this, it is necessary to take into account that the actions of any individual depend on personal characteristics. There are absolutely serene turtles that show affection for their neighbor turtles and people. In the future, these turtles become virtually tamed, do not hide in their shells at all, are not afraid of people, raise their heads when the owner-breadwinner approaches, and respond to their own name. However, there are also quite hostile individuals whose actions are difficult to predict.

Age determination

The age of swamp turtles, like other species, is determined by the number of growth rings on the carapace. It should be taken into account that in the first or second year of life, 1 ring appears within 3-6 months. After two years, one ring is equivalent to one year of existence.

In nature, growth occurs noticeably faster than with household maintenance. As a result, by the thickness of the last (outer) rings it is easy and simple to determine how many years the turtle spent in captivity.

Sexual behavior

Turtles become sexually mature at approximately 6-8 years old, with a shell length of 10-12 cm. Males dynamically flirt with females, sniff their tail, paws, and stretch their nose to their muzzle. Males are often quite aggressive; they chase females on land, then they sit on top of the females’ shell, tightly grasping the edges of the shell with their paws and begin to knock on the female’s head with their noses. Such turtle fun often ends in mating. In females, egg laying occurs in approximately 1-2 months. During pregnancy, females need increased nutrition, which should be enriched with vitamins, protein and calcium. Please pay special attention that calcium is needed 2-3 times more than with normal nutrition. The female stops eating 2-3 months before laying (the main sign of the upcoming laying); until this time, the female needs daily food and a higher temperature (2-3 degrees more) of water and air to absorb and digest the necessary substances. Particular attention must be paid to the ultraviolet lighting regime, without which it is simply impossible to absorb calcium and synthesize vitamin D3. During pregnancy, it is preferable for the female to be kept separately from the male.

Reproduction

Under natural conditions, female turtles lay about 5-12 eggs between May and July. During this time, the female lays 1-3 clutches (usually in May, June and July). The eggs of swamp turtles are oval, covered with a hard shell, about 28-33 millimeters long and about 18-20 millimeters wide, weighing about 8 g. Females lay eggs at night in initially dug holes about 10-12 cm deep. Small turtles are about 15 long millimeters hatch after 2-3 months between August and October. They spend the first winter in the ground, feeding on the yolk sac located in the abdominal scutes of the plastron. They appear from the ground, as a rule, only by next spring, if the air temperature reaches 15-20C.

European marsh turtles kept in captivity have every chance of breeding. A couple of days before laying, the females become restless, try to get out of the aquarium, and often sit on the shore and dig the soil. During this period, you need to worry about creating ideal conditions for masonry. On the shore, it is allowed to place a ditch with wet sphagnum, sand or vermiculite (you can use a mixture of vermiculite and sand), where the turtle could lay eggs. If the coast is small, you can transplant the female into a separate box overnight with a 12-15 centimeter layer of soil. After the eggs have been laid, they must be carefully placed in the incubator without turning them over. Incubation temperature is 28-30C with an optimal moisture level of 80%. The duration of incubation depends on the temperature and is approximately 2-3 months.

Nutrition

In nature, the main sources of food are small frogs, fish, woodlice, insect larvae, worms, mollusks, coastal and aquatic plants.

In captivity, the main types of food are squid, shrimp, earthworms, and lean fish. Recommended plant foods include lettuce, dandelions, cabbage, and duckweed. Only adult turtles eat plant foods.

The source of calcium in the natural diet can be snails or fish with small bones.

Supplements that contain calcium and vitamins that are designed only for reptiles are used as supplements. Of the dry foods, it is allowed to give only Reptomin (Tetra) or Nutrafin (Hagen) for aquatic turtles, which are more balanced foods, enriched with substances necessary for growth and formation. Constant feeding of dry food is not recommended.

The marsh turtle can only eat in water. When feeding, it is recommended to transplant the turtles into a separate bowl of water (the water temperature should be slightly higher than 32-34 C for better digestion of food). When feeding in an aquarium, the water instantly becomes polluted and spoils.

European marsh turtle - Video

Everyone associates turtles with the eternal slowness characteristic of these reptiles, but not everyone knows that turtles are one of the most ancient representatives of the animal world of our planet. These creatures have been living on Earth for more than 220 million years, yes, they are the same age as extinct dinosaurs. The very name of the word “turtle” comes from the ancient Slavic “shovel”, “tile”, and the Latin name for the turtle is similar – “testa” is translated as “tile”, obviously, the turtles were nicknamed this way due to the similarity of their shells with the tiles themselves.

Turtle: description, structure, characteristics. What does a turtle look like?

Perhaps it is the shell of a turtle that is its most characteristic difference, a kind of turtle calling card. For a turtle, it is, in fact, a sort of mobile home + a means of protection from enemies. The turtle shell consists of a dorsal (carapace) and abdominal (plastron) part. The carapace, in turn, consists of two parts, one of which is the internal armor, formed from bone plates, and the second is the outer part, consisting of horny scutes. In some species of turtles, the bony plates are covered with skin.

The shell of a turtle is very durable, so it can easily withstand a load exceeding the weight of the turtle itself by 200 times.

How big are turtles?

The size of a turtle and its weight differ greatly from the species, so in the turtle family there are both giant turtles with a weight of more than 900 kg and a shell size of 2.5 meters or more, and small turtles with a weight of up to 125 grams and a shell size no more than 10 cm.

Head and eyes of a turtle

The turtle's head is streamlined and medium in size. Such dimensions allow turtles, in case of danger, to quickly hide their heads inside an inaccessible shell. Although among them there are also species with large heads that either fit poorly in the shell or do not fit at all.

In land turtles, the eyes are usually directed towards the ground, while in aquatic turtles they are located closer to the top of the head and point forward and upward. The neck of many turtles is usually short.

The vision of turtles is well developed, even moreover, turtles, like people, have color vision and can distinguish colors, a gift that very few animals have. Nature also gave them excellent hearing, allowing them to hear potential enemies from a distance.

Does a turtle have teeth? How many teeth does a turtle have?

Modern turtles, unfortunately, do not have teeth, but ancient turtles had them, those that lived during the era of dinosaurs, but over time they disappeared. Then how does a turtle eat? To bite and grind food, turtles use a strong beak; the surface of this beak is covered with rough protuberances, which practically replace teeth for turtles. The tongue of turtles is short; it serves exclusively for swallowing food, but not for capturing it, and as a result, does not protrude outward.

Limbs and tails of turtles

All turtles, without exception, have four legs. But the very structure of these paws depends on the type and habitat of the turtle. The paws of land turtles have a flattened shape, they are adapted for digging soil and are quite powerful. In the process of millions of years of evolution, sea turtles' paws have turned into real flippers for the convenience of swimming in the depths of the sea.

Also, almost all turtles have a tail. The tail of a turtle, like its head, is also capable of hiding in its shell. Moreover, what is interesting is that some turtles have a real pointed spike at the tip of their tail, which serves as another means of protection from enemies.

An interesting fact: some land turtles can molt with age, and their old skin peels off and falls off, both from the paws and sometimes from the shell.

How long do turtles live?

Turtles are truly long-lived even by our human standards, because they live many times longer than us humans. So the average life expectancy of turtles in natural conditions can be 180-250 years.

The oldest turtle in the world, named Jonathan, lives on the island of St. Helena and remembers (probably) the times of Napoleon, because the former emperor of France lived here in exile for some time.

Where do turtles live?

Turtles live in all tropical areas, as well as some places with temperate climates. Sea turtles swim in the warm ocean spaces of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. They are only absent near the Arctic and Antarctica, which is natural, because all turtles love warmth.

Land turtles live in the steppes and semi-deserts of Africa, South and North America, Australia, and Asia. In Europe they can be found in the south, in a number of southern countries: Greece, Italy, Albania.

What do turtles eat in the wild?

The diet of turtles directly depends on their species, habitat and lifestyle. Land turtles are practically vegetarians; their main food is tree branches, fruits and grass, mushrooms and vegetables. However, it was not in vain that we wrote practically, since in order to maintain the protein balance in their bodies, turtles can sometimes eat various small animals such as snails, slugs and worms. Land turtles also drink water with pleasure.

But sea and freshwater turtles are already real predators, since their diet includes various small fish, snails, crustaceans (some sea turtles happily eat squid, cuttlefish and other shrimp). But the gastronomic preferences of aquatic turtles are not limited to living creatures; along with them, they also eat plant foods: algae.

Interesting fact, there are species of sea turtles that eat poisonous jellyfish. From such food, the meat of the turtles themselves, in turn, becomes poisonous, which scares potential predators away from them. This is a gastronomic remedy.

Enemies of turtles

Speaking of enemies, in natural conditions the main enemies of turtles are some birds of prey (eagles), which grab small turtles, lift them to a great height, from there they throw them onto stones and peck out their entrails from their broken shells.

Interesting fact: the great ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus died an extremely ridiculous death, he was killed by a turtle that fell on his head. The eagle, having lifted the turtle to a height, mistakenly considered the playwright's bald head to be a large stone suitable for breaking the turtle's shell.

Death of Aeschylus by an eagle and a turtle.

As for giant turtles, given their weight and size, they have no enemies in nature. Even people are increasingly treating these majestic, long-lived creatures with due respect.

When does a turtle hibernate?

Yes, turtles, like some other animals, tend to hibernate, during which all life processes in their body slow down for a while. This usually happens in winter, and hibernation for heat-loving turtles living in temperate latitudes allows them to survive the winter cold without problems.

How to determine the sex of a turtle

The gender difference in turtles is so weakly expressed in appearance that it is sometimes difficult to determine whether this turtle is a “boy” or a “girl.” However, if you approach this issue with due attention, you can identify a number of signs that help determine the sex of a turtle.

1. Shell; in females the shell has a more elongated shape than in males.

2. Plastron, also known as the lower part of the shell. If you turn the turtle over, you can see that in females the lower part of the shell (the one closest to the anus) is flat, while in males it is slightly concave.

3. Tail, males have a tail that is longer and wider at the base, while “lady turtles” have a straight and short tail.

4. Claws, in males they are usually longer on the forelimbs than in females.

Types of turtles, photos and names

The turtle family is divided into two suborders, divided by the way turtles retract their heads into their shells:

• Hidden-necked turtles fold their heads into shells in the shape of the letter S.
• Side-necked turtles hide their heads in one of their front paws.

Also, according to their habitat, all turtles are divided into land and sea turtles, which in turn are divided into freshwater turtles, living in rivers and lakes, and marine turtles, living in the seas and oceans.

Below we take a closer look at some of the most interesting turtle species.

She's a turtle. These are real giant tortoises, the weight of a Galapagos tortoise can exceed 400 kg, the length of the shell reaches up to 1.9 m. These tortoises live on the Galapagos Islands, which gave them their name.

This is already a small representative of land turtles, the length of the Egyptian tortoise shell is no more than 10 cm. They have a yellow-brown color of the shell. This turtle lives in northern Africa and the Middle East.

This is a small turtle that lives in Asia, has a rounded shell and is colored yellow-brown with dark spots. The average size of the shell of this turtle is 10 cm. It is also one of the most popular types of turtles for home keeping.

She's a turtle. It is of medium size, the length of the shell is 0.7 m, with a weight of up to 50 kg. The shell of this turtle is high and dome-shaped. The pattern of the shell shows a spotted pattern, similar to the color of a leopard. The leopard tortoise lives in Africa.

It is notable for being the smallest turtle in the world. The length of its shell is no more than 10 cm, with a weight of up to 165 grams. Lives in South Africa.

Types of freshwater turtles

This small turtle lives in waters of the USA and Canada. It has an interesting olive-green or black shell color and leathery membranes between the toes.

This small turtle lives in the waters of Europe and a number of Asian countries; the length of its shell is 35 cm and its weight is 1.5 kg. It has a brown-brown or olive-colored shell, and also a very long tail, like for a turtle.

So named due to the presence of a bright red spot on the head. The length of the shell of this turtle is 30 cm. Red-eared turtles live in both Americas, in the USA, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and several other countries.

Its characteristic feature is the presence of a cross-shaped plastron and a long tail covered with small spines. It is of medium size, the weight of this turtle reaches up to 30 kg. It lives in the USA and southern Canada; it survives the winter cold in hibernation.

Types of sea turtles

She's a real carriage. The shell of this turtle is painted in brown tones with a pattern of multi-colored spots. The front flippers of this turtle are equipped with two claws. This turtle lives in almost all oceans, with the exception of cold waters near the poles.

Notable for being the largest turtle in the world. Only the span of its front flipper-like paws reaches 2.5 meters. Its weight is more than 900 kg, and its shell length exceeds 2.6 meters. The surface of this turtle's shell is covered with a dense layer of skin (hence the name). It lives in tropical regions of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

It is also a fairly large turtle, its weight reaches up to 450 kg with a shell length of 1.5 m. It has an olive or green shell color, which, however, may have white stripes and dark spots. Its shell is small in height and oval in shape, and its surface is covered with large horny scutes. The head of this turtle is much larger than that of other relatives, and therefore does not hide inside the shell. It lives in tropical areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Reproduction of turtles

The mating season for turtles occurs at different times depending on the species. However, in all turtles it occurs in a similar way: the males stage real battles for the right to mate with the female. How do turtles fight? It’s very simple, the land ones try to turn the enemy over with a blow from their shell, and the water ones hit and bite each other with their beaks. Only after driving away a potential rival does the male turtle begin courting his “lady,” forcing her to take a position convenient for the actual mating.

Some time after mating, the female turtle lays spherical or ellipsoidal eggs, from which small turtles will be born. Turtles dig special holes for their eggs, and sometimes even use the nests of crocodiles.

From 1 to 200 eggs can be laid at a time (depending on the species). Also, the duration of the incubation period can last from 2 months to six months or more.

After hatching, small turtles begin to struggle for survival; not all of them will survive to adulthood; young turtles are an excellent target for various predators, especially birds of prey.

How to care for a turtle at home

Keeping turtles at home has recently become very popular, both land and aquatic turtles are kept. And why not, because caring for them is extremely simple, and turtles themselves are unpretentious creatures. True, all of the above is true for small turtles, since keeping large turtles in the house will not be entirely appropriate.

So, what are the rules for caring for turtles? First, in the turtle's habitat, you need to keep a thermometer to monitor the air temperature and a thermometer to monitor the water temperature (if it is an aquatic turtle in an aquarium).

The water in an aquarium for turtles must either be purified using filters, or if there are none, then changed every day. Maintaining hygiene for aquatic turtles involves removing algae from their shells. But land turtles need to be bathed daily in warm water, washing away dirt and food debris. Also, in winter, it is advisable to irradiate turtles a little with the rays of a quartz lamp, thus creating a kind of sunbathing.

What to feed a turtle at home

Turtles need to be provided with a balanced diet. Land turtles can be fed with cabbage, dandelion leaves, apple pulp, cucumbers, and tomatoes. To meet the need for protein food, they can be given boiled chicken eggs and vitamin supplements.

Feeding aquatic turtles will be a little more difficult, because they need small animals; you can feed them with dried daphnia, bloodworms, earthworms, boiled chicken or beef. They will not mind eating various insects, cockroaches, and small aquarium fish.

Adult turtles need to be fed once a day, young turtles twice a day and a so-called fasting day once a week.

• It was turtles that were the first to fly around our moon, on board an experimental research probe launched by the Soviet Union back in 1968.
• Turtle meat is an expensive and delicious product in some cuisines around the world.
• Turtles are also present in heraldry, in the depiction of the coats of arms of some cities.
• Despite the fact that turtles do not pose a danger to humans, there are exceptions, for example, male leatherback turtles can confuse a swimmer with a female, grab them with their paws and drag them to the bottom.
• The sex of turtles in the egg is determined by the ambient temperature. At lower temperatures, males are born, at higher temperatures, females are born.

Turtle, video

And finally, here is an interesting documentary about turtles.

Turtles are reptiles that belong to the reptile family. Reptiles are among the most ancient on Earth, having appeared on the planet even before the appearance of humans. In the wild, they like to live in the tropics as well as temperate areas. Reptiles can live both in water and on land. Today, such reptiles are in demand among many people; they are kept as pets. There are about 300 species, but this article will present only the most common types of turtles.

Land reptiles

Central Asian species- land turtles. This type of turtle is clumsy and tends to move very slowly. It should be noted that this species is included in the Red Book. This means that they are prohibited from being sold, but in many animal stores you can see this species for sale. Under natural conditions they live in Central Asia.

Animals have a light-colored shell with dark shields. There are 4 fingers on the limbs. When keeping such a reptile in a terrarium, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of about 30 degrees. In addition, the reptile does not like closed spaces, which is why they most often die. The photo shows this view:

Central Asian species

Mediterranean reptile includes approximately 20 more subspecies of turtles. The breed lives in different regions with different climates. They love plenty of sun and direct sunlight. Each subspecies has its own characteristic features, which include the size and color of the shell. The maximum shell is 35 cm in diameter. On the back of the animal there is horny tissue in the form of a bump. The front paws have 5 toes, and the hind paws have spurs. When keeping reptiles at home, you need to keep the temperature around 25-30 degrees.

Mediterranean reptile

Egyptian view very small in size. Their maximum shell diameter is only 12 cm. Their scutum is yellow, with a dark frame. There are no spurs on the hind legs. They often live in Egypt and Israel, like other species, the main temperature for them is and it should be from 25 to 30 degrees. This type of turtle has some differences from other reptiles, which consists in behavior: if the animal senses danger, it will immediately bury itself in the sand.

Egyptian view

Balkan reptile very similar visually to the Mediterranean breed. The only difference that will allow us to determine the species is the diameter of the shell, which is 15-20 cm. Its color is light with dark inclusions. The older a reptile gets, the darker its shell becomes. Another distinctive feature is the spike that is at the end of their tail. They live mainly in Southern Europe, near the sea. Reptiles that live in the west will be smaller in size than those that live in the eastern part. In captivity, keeping is possible if the temperature is kept within 26-32 degrees.

Balkan reptile

Freshwater turtles

Swamp turtle- is considered a frequent inhabitant of apartments and houses, although she is not distinguished by anything special. The breed has about 13 subspecies. They are easy to buy in stores, easy to care for and maintain. Pet reptiles can eat both fish and plant foods.

Visually, the marsh turtle has a low and smooth shell. The length of the reptile is about 35 cm, and their weight does not exceed half a kilogram. The color is dark with green shades, their whole body has light spots. The toes are large with sharp claws. The breed is distinguished from others by its large tail; its length can be approximately 70% of the entire body. The best habitat for them is lakes and ponds. Reptiles are very active during the daytime, one of the turtles that is listed in the Red Book. For them, the ideal air temperature will be about 30 degrees. For this species, you need an aquarium of 100 liters or more, with an island of land, which can consist of 40-50% of the volume of the entire aquarium.

Swamp turtle

Red-eared turtles- These are the most popular reptiles kept in captivity. There are about 15 subspecies of such aquarium animals; they are also often called decorated. The animals got their name from the spots around their ears. They are often red or yellow. Photos will allow you to see all the beauty of turtles more clearly:

Reptiles grow small, about 18-30 cm in length. Young animals have a light-colored shell; the body of the animals has characteristic green stripes. Many people are interested in the question of how to determine a male from a female, but this is easy to do; you need to evaluate the claws and tail. In males they are more powerful.

Red-eared individuals are lazy, slow, but should be kept in a large terrarium or aquarium with a volume of at least 200 liters. They also need to set the temperature from 26 to 32 degrees.

Red-eared turtles

Chinese Trionix- a turtle of an unusual appearance and non-standard. Such a reptile can be called an exception to the rule, because instead of a hard and durable shell, it has a soft texture. These animals are not large in size, about 20 cm. The shell has a leathery texture, without scutes, and its color is green.

This species surprises people not only with its shell, but also with a trunk instead of the usual nose, and the animals have 3 toes on their paws. Such a reptile may seem good-natured and cannot offend anyone, but this is not the case. The animal's jaw has sharp edges, thanks to which Trionix grabs prey in the water. The breed is distinguished by its activity and quick reaction.

Animals are no less dangerous for people, since they can be aggressive and bite. It is very difficult to tame a turtle, so if you want an exotic pet, it is better to get one from birth and raise it yourself. In China and Japan, they love to eat this breed, because there their meat is very valuable and is considered a delicacy. The animal feeds, as a rule, on fish and crustaceans. A spacious 250-liter aquarium is suitable for keeping, which will contain not only water, but also a large soil layer.

Chinese Trionix

Caspian turtle– has a flat and oval-shaped shell. The animal is medium in size, about 30 cm. The entire shell is greenish in color with yellow stripes. In addition, similar stripes are found on the head, paws and tail.

In nature, they can be found not only in fresh water, but also in salt water. The main thing is that there is a sandy bottom and vegetation on the shore. This species differs from sea turtles due to the fact that it can climb high into the mountains. They live for about 30 years. In order to keep them at home, you must adhere to the temperature regime, like other breeds.

Caspian turtle

Musk breed reptiles are considered the smallest of domestic inhabitants. The length of the reptile does not exceed 10 cm. The musky species has an unusual color: the body is dark in color, on the neck there are bright stripes of light colors that extend to the head and go to the edge of the shell. This allows for an unusual contrast.

It is recommended to keep your pet in a separate aquarium without fish and algae, otherwise they will be destroyed by the reptile. Like all types of turtles, musk turtles need both plenty of water and an island of dry land.

Musk breed

Unusual because of its head. It is small in size, the shell is small, but the paws and head are very large in comparison with the shell. The reptile grows no more than 18 cm in length. The animal has teeth that penetrate deeply into the tissue when biting and can cause very large damage. It is better not to have such a pet at home, because contact with it can lead to injury.

Mud turtle or loggerhead turtle

All types of aquarium turtles require housing of at least 200 liters, but not this breed. A volume of 60 liters will be enough for them. Prefers to eat animal feed and only raw food.

Turtles (lat. Testudines) are representatives of one of the four orders of modern reptiles belonging to the phylum Chordata. The age of fossil remains of turtles is 200-220 million years. is 200-220 million years.

Description of the turtle

According to most scientists, the appearance and structure of turtles have remained virtually unchanged over the past 150 million years.

Appearance

The main distinguishing feature of a turtle is the presence of a shell, represented by a very complex bone-leathery formation that covers the reptile’s body from all sides and protects the animal from the attacks of numerous predators. The inner part of the shell is characterized by the presence of bone plates, and the outer part is characterized by leathery scutes. This shell has a dorsal and abdominal part. The first part, called the carapace, is distinguished by a convex shape, and the plastron, or abdominal part, is always flat.

This is interesting! The turtle body has a strong fusion with the shell part, from which the head, tail and limbs protrude between the plastron and carapace. When any danger arises, turtles are able to completely hide inside their shell.

The turtle has no teeth, but has a beak, pointed at the edges and quite strong, allowing the animal to easily bite off pieces of food. Turtles, along with some snakes and crocodiles, lay leathery eggs, but the reptiles most often do not care for their hatched offspring, so they almost immediately leave the laying site.

Turtles of different species differ greatly in their size and weight. For example, the length of a land spider turtle does not exceed 100 mm with a weight in the range of 90-100 g, and the size of an adult sea leatherback turtle reaches 250 cm and weighs more than half a ton. Among the currently known land tortoises, the category of giants includes the Galapagos elephant tortoises, whose shell length exceeds a meter and can weigh four hundredweight.

The color of turtles, as a rule, is very modest, allowing the reptile to easily camouflage itself with objects in the environment. However, there are also several types that are distinguished by a very bright and contrasting pattern. For example, the radiated tortoise in the central part of the shells has a characteristic dark background with bright yellow spots and numerous outgoing rays located on it. The head and neck area of ​​the red-eared slider is decorated with a pattern of wavy lines and stripes, and behind the eyes there are spots of bright red color.

Character and lifestyle

Even despite the insufficient level of brain development, as a result of testing it was possible to determine that the turtle’s intelligence shows fairly high results. It should be noted that not only land turtles, but also many freshwater species of turtles, including European marsh and Caspian turtles, took part in such experiments.

Turtles are reptiles that lead a solitary lifestyle, but such animals need the company of their own kind with the onset of the mating season. Sometimes turtles gather for the wintering period in not too numerous groups. Some freshwater species, including toad-headed turtles (Phrynops geoffroanus), are characterized by an aggressive reaction to the presence of their relatives, even outside the mating season.

How long do turtles live?

Almost all existing species of turtles deservedly belong to the category of long-lived record holders among numerous vertebrates.

This is interesting! The well-known Radiant Tortoise of Madagascar, named Tui Malila, managed to live for almost two hundred years.

The age of such a reptile often exceeds a century. According to scientists, a turtle can live even two hundred years or more.

turtle shell

The turtle's carapace is distinguished by a convex shape, represented by a bone base and a horny covering. The bony base of the carapace consists of eight presacral vertebrae, as well as the dorsal costal sections. Typical turtles have fifty plates of mixed origin.

The shape and number of such scutes are a very important feature that allows us to determine the species of a turtle:

• land species usually have a high, convex and very thick upper armored shield, which is associated with general intestinal volume indicators. The dome-shaped shape provides significant internal space, facilitating the digestion of plant roughage;
• burrowing land species have a more flattened, elongated carapace, which helps the reptile easily move inside the burrow;
• Various freshwater and sea turtles are most often characterized by the presence of a flattened, smooth and streamlined carapace, which has an oval, ovoid or teardrop shape, but the bone base may well be reduced;
• soft-bodied species of turtles are distinguished by a very flat carapace, the bone base of which is always quite strongly reduced in the absence of horny scutes and the presence of a leathery covering on the shell;
• The carapace in leatherback turtles does not have any fusion with the axial part of the skeleton, therefore it is formed by a mosaic of small bones united with each other, which are covered by the skin;
• Some turtles are distinguished by a carapace in the presence of a well-formed semi-movable joint of the synarthrosis type with cartilaginous tissue at the joints of the plates.

The border of the armored horny scutes can be imprinted on the superficial part of the bony carapace, and the horny carapace, or horny type scutes, have names similar to the located bony plates.

Types of turtles

Currently, more than three hundred species of turtles belonging to fourteen families are known. Some of these peculiar reptiles lead an exclusively land-based lifestyle, while another part is characterized by excellent adaptation to the aquatic environment.

The following species live in our country:

• loggerhead turtles, or carriage turtles, or (lat. Caretta caretta) - reaching a length of 75-95 cm with an average weight in the range of 80-200 kg. The species has a heart-shaped carapace, brownish, red-brown or olive in color. The plastron and bony bridge may be cream or yellowish in color. There are ten costal scutes in the back area, and large scutes also cover the massive head. The front flippers are equipped with a pair of claws;
• leatherback turtles, or loot(lat. Dermoshelys coriacea) is the only modern species belonging to the family Leatherback turtles (Dermoshelyidae). Representatives are the largest modern turtles, having a body length of 260 cm with a front flipper span of 250 cm and a body weight of up to 890-915 kg;
• Far Eastern turtles, or Chinese Trionics(lat. Pelodiscus sinensis) - freshwater turtles, which are a representative of the family Three-clawed soft-bodied turtles. In Asian countries, meat is widely consumed as food, so the reptile is considered an object for industrial breeding. The length of the carapace of an adult individual, as a rule, does not exceed a quarter of a meter, and the average weight is 4.0-4.5 kg;
• European marsh turtles(lat. Emys orbiсularis) - freshwater turtles with an oval, low and slightly convex, smooth carapace, which has a movable connection with the plastron through a narrow and elastic ligament. The length of an adult individual of this species is 12-35 cm with a body weight of about one and a half kilograms;
• Caspian turtles(lat. Mauremys caspica) - reptiles belonging to the genus Aquatic turtles and the family of Asian freshwater turtles. The species is represented by three subspecies. An adult specimen is characterized by a length of 28-30 cm and an oval-shaped carapace. Juveniles of this species are distinguished by a keeled carapace. Adult males have an elongated carapace with a slightly concave plastron;
• Mediterranean, or Greek, or Caucasian tortoise(lat. Testudo græsa) is a species that has a tall and oval, slightly jagged carapace, 33-35 cm long, light olive or yellowish-brown in color with black spots. The front feet have four or five claws. The back of the thighs is equipped with a horny tubercle. Often a turtle of this species has an unpaired supra-tail shield, the plastron of which is light in color and has dark spots.

The Central Asian or steppe tortoise (Agrionemys horsfieldii) is often found on the territory of Kazakhstan and the countries of Central Asia. The species is characterized by a low, round, yellowish-brown carapace with vague, dark-colored spots. The carapace is divided by thirteen horny scutes, and the plastron is divided into sixteen scutes. The grooves present on the scutes make it easy to determine the number of years the turtle has lived. The average length of a turtle does not exceed 15-20 cm, and females of this species, as a rule, are noticeably larger than males.

Range, habitats

The range and habitats of different species of turtles are very diverse:

• Elephant turtle (Сhelonoidis elephantorus) – Galapagos Islands;
• Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) – northern part of Africa and the Middle East;
• (Testudo (Agrionemys) horsfielddii) – Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, as well as Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Lebanon and Syria, northeastern Iran, northwestern India and Pakistan;
• or ( Geochelone pardalis) – African countries;
• Speckled cape tortoise (Homophorus Signatus) – South Africa and the southern part of Namibia;
• Painted or decorated turtle (Сhrysemys pista) – Canada and USA;
• (Emys orbiсularis) – countries of Europe and Asia, the territory of the Caucasus;
• or ( Trachemys scripta) – USA and Canada, northwestern South America, including northern Colombia and Venezuela;
• (Сhelydra serpentina) – USA and southeastern Canada.

The inhabitants of the seas and oceans include Real carriage (Eretmoshelys imbricata), (Dermochelys coriacea), Green soup turtle (Сhelonia mydas). Freshwater reptiles live in rivers, lakes and swamps of the temperate Eurasian zone, and also inhabit reservoirs in Africa, South America, Europe and Asia.

Turtle diet

The food preferences of turtles directly depend on the species characteristics and habitat of such a reptile. The basis of the diet of land turtles is represented by plant foods, including young branches of various trees, vegetable and fruit crops, grass and mushrooms, and to replenish the amount of protein, such animals eat snails, slugs or worms. The need for water is often satisfied by eating the succulent parts of plants.

Freshwater and sea turtles can be classified as typical predators, feeding on small fish, frogs, snails and crustaceans, bird eggs, insects, various mollusks and arthropods. Plant foods are eaten in small quantities. Herbivorous individuals are also characterized by eating animal food. There are also species of freshwater turtles that switch to plant foods as they grow older. Omnivorous sea turtles have also been well studied.

Reproduction and offspring

With the onset of the mating season, adult male turtles organize traditional tournament fights and fights among themselves for the right to mate with the female. At such times, land turtles chase their opponent and try to turn him over by biting or hitting him with the front part of his shell. In fights, aquatic species prefer biting and chasing their opponents. Subsequent courtship allows the female to take the most comfortable position for mating.

Males belonging to some species are capable of making rather primitive sounds during the mating process. All known species of modern turtles are oviparous animals, so females lay eggs inside a pitcher-shaped hole dug with their hind legs and moistened with fluid secreted by the cloaca.

The hole with white spherical or elliptical eggs is filled up, and the soil is compacted using plastron blows. Sea turtles and some side-necked turtles lay eggs covered with a soft, leathery shell. The number of eggs varies among representatives of different species and can range from 1 to 200 pieces.

This is interesting! Giant tortoises (Megalochelys gigantea) have behavioral mechanisms that regulate population size by the number of eggs laid annually.

Many turtles lay several clutches during one season, and the incubation period, as a rule, lasts from two months to six months. An exception that takes care of its offspring is the brown turtle (Manouria emys), the females of which guard the nest with oviposition until the babies are born. Also interesting is the behavior of the Bahamian ornamented turtle (Pseudemys malonei), which digs up the oviposition and facilitates the release of the young.