Briefly about the feeding habits of the river turtle. Who was “warmed up” and where? What snakes are found in the North Caucasus Types of freshwater turtles

The turtle is rightfully considered one of the most interesting orders of reptiles. Scientists who studied ancient remains in order to find out how many years she had been living on the planet found that their existence on Earth lasted more than 220 million years. These are rare animals that can live on land and in water. The turtle is a reptile that has 328 species, grouped into 14 families.

Origin of the name

If we consider the Slavic and Latin origins of the name of the reptile, it is easy to see the commonality. Both languages ​​demonstrate a response to appearance in the word: translated from Latin “tile”, “clay vessel”, “brick”; from Slavic - “shard”.

Indeed, many turtles resemble the stone for which the people who gave them this name mistook them. Despite this etymology of the name, it also contains an indication of the unique shape and color of the hard shells.

What do turtles look like?

In the diversity of turtle species, there are common characteristics for all that unite them into one order.

The main distinguishing feature of the order is the shell, which absolutely all representatives have. It consists of a carapace (dorsal) and plastron (abdominal), connected to each other. This durable device serves, first of all, to protect the animal from enemies. When necessary, the turtle is fully capable of hiding its body and head in it, lowering its upper part and remaining protected from any attack on it.

The shells are covered with hard horny scutes, different in color and shape depending on the species. There are holes into which the paws, head, and tail extend and retract as needed.

The strength of the shell, as studies have shown, is so great that it can withstand a weight exceeding the weight of the animal by 200 times.

Reptiles molt periodically: the old skin peels off from their shell in scales, and the color becomes brighter.

How much does a turtle weigh? Turtle sizes

The turtle is a unique reptile. Some species can reach gigantic sizes - up to 2 meters, and weigh up to a ton. But there are also tiny representatives whose weight does not exceed 120 grams and size - 10 cm.

Each type of turtle has its own parameters, which we will talk about, characterizing them separately.

Paws

All species have four paws, which can be hidden in the shell if necessary.

The structure depends on the lifestyle and species. Terrestrial animals are distinguished by thickened front paws, suitable for digging soil, and powerful hind paws, which help to move along the surface. The river turtle, which lives in fresh water, has membranes between its toes. The sea turtle, evolving, acquired fins instead of paws, and the front ones are much larger than the back ones.

Tail

Almost everyone has a tail, the length of which depends on the species and lifestyle. If necessary, the tail can be retracted into the shell.

For swimming reptiles, it serves as a kind of rudder that helps maneuver in the water, and is more developed than that of its land-based counterparts.

Head and neck

All turtles have a medium-sized head with a streamlined shape. When danger arises, many representatives of this class hide their heads in their shells. But there are turtles that have a fairly large head and cannot retract it.

Depending on the species, the front of the head can be elongated or flat, but it always ends with the nostrils.

The eyes are also positioned differently: in reptiles living on land, they are directed downward, while in swimming reptiles they are directed much higher. Animals have excellent vision and see this world in color.

Some turtles have quite long necks. In other representatives they are of medium size and are perfectly retracted into the shell if necessary.

Sometimes these animals, sticking their heads out of the water, are mistaken for huge snakes.

In many representatives of the species, the oral part begins with a hard beak-shaped process, with which they easily bite off even the hardest food and are able to catch prey. The edges of these processes can be either sharp or jagged.

But they don't have teeth. The chewing movements that reptiles make are necessary in order to move food into the pharynx. Language also helps them with this.

Despite the lack of teeth, turtles have powerful jaws that can handle almost any food.

Sexual characteristics of a turtle

The sex of turtles is determined by appearance and behavior, since these animals do not have clear genital differences, and it is almost impossible to figure out the sex at first glance. However, males differ from females:

• according to the shape of the shell (in females it is more elongated);
• the lower part of the shell is slightly concave in males, flat in females;
• the tail of males is longer, wider and thicker, it is more curved down;
• according to the shape of the anus;
• in males, the claws of the front paws are slightly longer;
• a small notch in the shell in the tail area is present only in males;
• The behavior of males is characterized by activity.

In some species, gender, in addition to the indicated characteristics, is expressed by the color or shape of the head.

In nature, these reptiles are completely herbivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous. Most eat both plant and animal foods.

Lifespan

On average, turtles live about 20-30 years in the wild. But it depends on the type of reptile. There are centenarians who can reach 200 years of age. As a rule, turtles live longer in captivity, but this also depends on the species and conditions of detention.

Types of turtles

The long stay of representatives of this order on the planet allowed them to divide into 328 species, differing in external characteristics, size, habitat, nutrition and lifestyle.

The classification involves the division of reptiles, depending on how they hide their heads in the shell, into cryptonecks and side-necks. The first group presses their head into the shell by contracting the neck muscles. The second is folded to the side, under one of the front paws.

Another classification is based on the habitat of these reptiles:

• sea ​​turtle - lives in the salty waters of the seas and oceans;
• terrestrial - capable of living both on the surface of the earth and in fresh waters; this variety, in turn, is divided into freshwater and land.

This sea turtle chose the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and even Indian oceans for its life.

There are two subspecies of these reptiles: Atlantic and eastern Pacific. Its elongated shell can be not only green, but also dark brown with yellow and white stripes or spots.

Reptiles got their name not from their external coloring, but from the color of the meat they ate.

The green turtle is one of the largest species. The length of its shell can reach up to 2 m, and its weight can reach 400 kg.

Young individuals live exclusively in water, where they feed on small fish, mollusks, and jellyfish. Adult reptiles come ashore, where they begin to feed on plant foods, which over time become their main diet.

The tasty meat of these animals was traditionally used for food (they are even called soup animals), which led to a decline in the population. Hunting them is currently prohibited in many countries.

The onset of puberty occurs after 10 years, sometimes much later. Reptiles mate in water, but lay their clutches on the shore, in the same places where their predecessors laid eggs. They dig very large holes in which they place up to 200 eggs. Small turtles, hatching, run towards the water. If they managed to get there, they will spend many years in the ocean, until the moment comes when they themselves have to go ashore to give birth.

If your pet is a sea turtle, keep in mind that caring for it at home is much more difficult than for land-based ones, since you need to have spacious aquariums with water adapted for the reptile.

Another name for this species is Chinese trionix, or Chinese tortoise. The Far Eastern turtle prefers to live on the silt-covered bottom of large lakes and rivers with gently sloping overgrown banks. Their habitat is Primorye, the southern part of the Amur in Russia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The Far Eastern turtle is green-brown or green-gray in color with pale yellowish spots. Its usual size is about 30 cm, but there have been specimens up to 40 cm and weighing more than 4 kilograms. They have fleshy lips covering strong jaws.

The shell of these animals in young individuals has a rounded shape. It becomes flatter with age. A distinctive feature of young individuals is their bright orange abdomen, the color of which becomes pale over time.

The Chinese turtle is capable of hunting both in water and on land, where it goes out to bask in the sun. These reptiles hibernate by burying themselves in the mud.

The diet of these predatory reptiles consists of fish, shellfish, amphibians and insects. The Far Eastern turtle can guard its prey for a long time by burying itself in the mud.

At the age of 6-7 years, the Far Eastern tortoise becomes sexually mature. Usually in July they lay eggs at a short distance from the water. During the season, the female makes several clutches, from which about 70 turtles emerge. After 1.5 - 2 months, babies appear, the size of which is no more than 3 cm. They quickly run to the water and hide for a long time in coastal vegetation and between stones.

The Far Eastern tortoise has a fairly aggressive character and can strongly bite its attacker.

If this turtle lives in a house from an early age, it easily gets used to a person and can even feed from his hands.

Living in the southeast of Eurasia, this steppe loves wet areas in river valleys, foothills, agricultural lands, sandy and clay semi-deserts. Animals dig holes or occupy empty ones.

Observations shed light on how many years this turtle lives. It turns out that life expectancy depends on its activity. At home in a closed terrarium, it is unlikely to overcome the 15-year mark, when in the wild it can live for 30 years. Not in a natural environment, the Central Asian tortoise, even if care and nutrition are as close as possible to natural ones, lives much shorter.

The Central Asian tortoise does not grow more than 20 cm, while males are slightly smaller in size than females.

This steppe turtle hibernates quite early: at the beginning of summer, immediately after laying eggs. This is due to the fact that this particular time in their habitat is the driest. Lack of food in sufficient quantities forces them to wait out in a state of sleep.

The Central Asian turtle has a very beautiful shell - reddish-olive with dark round spots.

Reptiles of this species are dark brown, dark olive, almost black in color with small yellow streaks or spots. A distinctive feature is a very long tail and the absence of a beak.

The habitat of these animals is unusually wide: they can be found in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Bashkiria, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and even in northwest Africa. They prefer forest, forest-steppe and steppe areas, the banks of slow-flowing rivers, and wetlands.

These reptiles are found in mountainous areas at altitudes of up to 1500 meters above sea level.

It is impossible to say that this is an aquatic turtle. She prefers to get out onto land quite often and moves relatively quickly along it.

The diet of representatives of this species is unusually wide: it eats worms, mollusks, small reptiles, fish, and chicks of waterfowl. She does not disdain carrion.

Depending on the region, they become sexually mature at the age of 5-9 years. Eggs are laid near water bodies. The sex of the offspring depends on temperature. When the levels are high, females are born, while when they are low, males are born.

Unfortunately, the clutches are attacked by predators (foxes, raccoons, otters, crows), who are happy to feast on both the eggs themselves and the small turtles.

Another name for these reptiles is directly related to their habitat - the Seychelles giant tortoise. This terrestrial animal is endemic to Aldabra Island.

The size of the shell of this large animal reaches a meter. It flaunts clearly defined shell segments, has fairly large legs that help it move on land, and a relatively small head.

Given its size, the reptile is a herbivore. Everything a turtle eats grows around it. She happily eats all low-growing bushes and grass.

There are currently only 150,000 left in the wild, so the reptile is protected. On the island where they live, not only hunting is prohibited, but also any economic activity.

Reptiles lay eggs from May to September, and they are able to regulate the population size: if there was not enough food, their clutches will contain only 5-6 eggs.

He is the largest representative of his squad. These reptiles live only on the Galapagos Islands and are not found anywhere else. Their weight sometimes exceeds 400 kg, and the length of the shell reaches 2 m. They have fairly muscular paws, which have sharp claws (5 on the front and 4 on the hind). In case of danger, they pull their head and limbs into the shell.

At the end of the 20th century, the population of these animals decreased to 3,000 individuals, which became critical, so a decision was made to protect the reptiles.

Currently, there are two varieties of these reptiles, differing in habitat (relatively small individuals live in arid areas), size, color and shape of the shell.

Scientists actively studying the life of Galapagos endemics have identified interesting facts about turtles of this species: for example, the fact that they can eat poisonous plants that no other animal eats. In some cases, they are able to live for several months without food or fresh water.

Mating and laying of eggs of these giants occurs at any time of the year, but peaks of activity occur in certain seasons.

This reptile is also called the yellow-bellied reptile. The water turtle received its original names solely for the bright accents in its color: there is a red spot on its head, and its abdomen is yellow.

There are 15 subspecies of these reptiles belonging to the American freshwater family.

The size of the animal depends on the subspecies and gender - from 18 to 30 cm, with males slightly smaller than females.

Its main habitat is America, but its presence is also noted in Europe (Spain and England), northern Africa, and Australia. For their life, they choose swampy areas with low banks, since this river turtle loves to get ashore and bask in the sun.

In Australia, the water turtle is considered a pest and its numbers are controlled.

The water turtle lays its eggs on land, where it digs out a spherical nest and places up to 20 eggs there. Reptiles of this species do not care about their offspring.

The water turtle feeds on insects, small fish, and worms. She chews her food with her head completely immersed in the water. If you have a water turtle living in your home, care and feeding should be consistent with its natural needs.

We have long found out how many years a turtle lives at home. If the maintenance and care are natural, it can easily live for half a century. In nature, this age is somewhat less.

One of the subspecies is the yellow-eared turtle. As the name suggests, its main decoration is the bright color of the shell and the yellow spot in the area of ​​the auricle.

The yellow-eared turtle differs from its red-eared counterparts only in color. Their habitat, diet and reproduction are identical.

The yellow-eared turtle thrives at home. Maintenance and care do not require much time and do not cause much trouble for the owners.

Small in size (the maximum length of the shell is no more than 13.5 cm), the reptile has chosen the American continents.

Its dirty-brown shell has three longitudinal ridges, and light stripes are visible on its head.

It lives in small rivers with silted banks, where this river turtle hunts and lays eggs.

When the water temperature drops below 10 degrees, the reptile begins to dig a hole for hibernation. Unlike many species, muskies can sleep in groups. The period of sleep itself depends not on the season, but on the temperature: in the southern regions, where there are no low temperatures, this reptile is active throughout the year and does not hibernate.

If you have a musk turtle in your home, keeping it alone is not advisable. It is better to have several individuals at once. This will affect how many years the turtle lives at home.

The musk turtle is quite common in home aquariums; keeping, feeding and caring for it does not require much effort.

Where do turtles live? Habitat

Reptiles of this order live on almost all continents of the world. The only exceptions are Antarctica and desert areas, the climate of which is completely unsuitable for these animals. Any coast - be it the oceans or small rivers and lakes - can boast of its own view, or even more than one.

They find food almost everywhere: it can be insects, worms, small fish, crustaceans and vegetation. Its unpretentiousness in food makes the reptile able to survive in almost any place.

Even in reservoirs located in large cities, you can find these animals. They go ashore to bask in the sun. During the breeding season, you can come across clutches of their eggs on deserted beaches.

A turtle is a reptile that has long settled in homes, becoming a favorite pet. Home care for this reptile is insignificant, so many people choose them for their home.

How many years a turtle lives at home, first of all, depends on the species, age of the animal that comes to you, and the conditions in which it will live. Comfortable existence and feeding as close as possible to natural habitat conditions will allow your pet to live long enough. If the turtle feels good in the house, and the maintenance and care are appropriate, then it can live up to 50 years.

Which turtle is best for a home?

Usually river reptiles become pets. A river turtle, once at home, adapts quite quickly. Its maintenance does not require an overly spacious aquarium, but it is very important to equip it correctly, creating a swimming area and dry land for your pet to go to when necessary.

• water (red-eared and yellow-eared);
• European (swamp);
• Central Asian (steppe);
• Far Eastern;
• musk turtle.

Keeping sea turtles in home aquariums is very problematic. Even young individuals require special water, reminiscent of ocean water. And for older ones, very spacious tanks are needed, since in limited spaces the animal will not be able to be active enough, and this also determines how many years a turtle lives at home.

Before purchasing an animal, get acquainted with useful information about it. Temperature, nutrition and care, activity and the ability to live alone or in pairs are very important for the reptile.

What does a turtle prefer to eat at home?

If you have a pet turtle, its nutrition, maintenance and care should resemble its natural lifestyle. Before adopting a pet, study what it eats in nature and during what periods it is active.

Young individuals, as a rule, consume 70 percent of live food (food worms, insects, small crustaceans). Growing up, they switch almost entirely to plant foods. Suitable for feeding:

• vegetables and their tops (tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, carrots, and occasionally cucumbers);
• berries (strawberries, wild strawberries, watermelon);
• fruits (plums, peaches, apples, bananas).

Do not overfeed the animal! If you see that there is food left after feeding, be sure to remove it and subsequently reduce the portions.

If you have a turtle at home, caring for it must necessarily include cleaning the aquarium. Be especially attentive to leftover food: stale food can lead to intestinal upset, which will affect how many years a turtle lives at home.

• Representatives of this order of amphibians can boast that they have left their mark on the history of astronautics. Two individuals of the Central Asian tortoise species were the first among animals to fly around the Moon and return alive to Earth.
• The meat of these animals is a delicacy. But some species are not recommended for consumption. This happens because sometimes this turtle eats poisonous mushrooms or jellyfish. They do not eat the meat of box turtles, leatherback turtles and hawksbill turtles.
• Reptiles of this order can swim well and move on land. But the European tortoise can also be called a jumping tortoise. She can jump into the water from three-meter mountain ledges.
• Turtles have their own long-lived lives. So in 2006, the oldest turtle, Advaita, died, whose age, according to experts, was more than 150 years.
• Many people wonder how long a turtle can live without food. In the natural environment, determining this time is quite difficult. But for pets, this is a maximum of 3 weeks, taking into account the fact that the animal is hibernating. In nature, the sleep period can last several months. It is believed that at this time the reptile does not eat at all.
• During the period of courtship and mating, sea turtles stick their heads out of the water and make drawn-out sounds similar to howls.

O. GERASIMOVA, M. PESTOV (ecological center "Dront", Nizhny Novgorod). Photo by N. Anufrieva and M. Pestov.

It’s hardly worth describing what a turtle looks like. Its only defense - a strong shell - turned out to be so effective that it allowed animals to survive many millions of years of evolution almost unchanged. However, these reptiles turned out to be absolutely defenseless in front of humans. They are hunted mercilessly, and not only for meat and eggs. When tortoiseshell combs, combs, cufflinks and other crafts became fashionable, this same shell, covered with a beautiful pattern, threatened the existence of many species. What can be done to protect animals?

Science and life // Illustrations

Swamp turtles can stay underwater for a long time, but they need atmospheric air to breathe. Once caught in fishing nets, they suffocate and die.

The female bog turtle is a cute, curious, and full of life creature. In captivity, in city apartments, these animals quickly lose their bright individuality and interest in life.

Male marsh turtle. Unlike yellow-eyed females, males have brown eyes.

In one of the private pet stores in Gelendzhik, with an unwavering hand, they wrote out a sales receipt for a Mediterranean tortoise, listed in the Red Book of Russia. Catching and selling these turtles is strictly prohibited.

Before releasing a Mediterranean tortoise into the wild, we assign it an individual number so that we can find out about its future fate.

Oddly enough, the turtles living in our country suffer mainly from the “good” attitude towards them, namely from the fashion that arose not so long ago to keep turtles at home as living toys.

There is a misconception that there is nothing easier than keeping such an undemanding creature: you don’t have to take it for a walk every day in any weather three times a day, wash its paws after a walk, clean the sofa and armchairs of hair. But this is a misconception. Like any other animal, reptiles require attention and special care.

The fate of turtles caught in captivity is most often sad. After suffering for several years in unsuitable conditions in city apartments, they die without leaving offspring. Meanwhile, more and more batches are going on sale. As a result, populations are seriously damaged, and some species are now on the verge of extinction.

We often hear that turtle owners are sincerely attached to their pets. But what does this do for their pets? With really thoughtful, good care (you can read more about this in the articles published in the magazine, see “Science and Life” No. 9, 1998; No.), some reptiles can live for more than half a century. Is it possible to guarantee that not only the current owners, but also their children, and perhaps grandchildren, will have the patience to care for the animal?

Most often, as practice shows, a feeling of attachment to a turtle is often combined with blatant ignorance regarding its biology and the necessary conditions of detention. For example, some owners are confident that it is enough to feed their pets dandelions once every six months and that they can live for 300 years without food. Sometimes turtles are allowed to “winter” on a hot radiator, although they require a shaded, cool, damp place. And we had to listen to stories about how a turtle that had fallen into hibernation was thrown out, considered dead, dozens of times.

We are members of two divisions of the Dront environmental center, organized in 1989 with the status of a “public institution.” Currently, the eco-center has about 30 structural divisions, each of which conducts a separate area of ​​work, has its own director and is self-financing. The Youth Ecological and Biological Union "Chilim" was created in 2002 to introduce children and teenagers to nature conservation and scientific research. The Nizhny Novgorod Society for the Protection of Amphibians and Reptiles at the Dront ecocenter seeks to unite the efforts of herpetologists - specialists and amateurs - to study and protect endangered species.

For four years now we have been implementing the “Attention, Turtle!” project, the goal of which is to organize cooperation and information exchange with herpetologists from other regions and countries in order to develop and implement measures to protect rare species of these reptiles. By disseminating information about the project through the media, we collect animals almost all year round in order to return the turtles to their natural environment in late spring and early summer. We transport them to their habitats in different ways - depending on possibilities - by train or by car.

It seems that the main problem is that the current owners do not know how captured turtles are delivered to them. In order to clarify the picture, we present only one excerpt from the publication of the Russian representative office of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW):

“On April 25, 2003, the capital’s environmental police confiscated 1,660 Central Asian turtles from a citizen of Uzbekistan. The small turtles were tightly packed in huge bags, each animal was wrapped in tape to limit mobility and facilitate smuggling. 5 animals died during transportation, another 19 during the next months. About a hundred turtles had severe shell deformations."

Of the four species of turtles currently living in our country, two most often end up as living souvenirs: the marsh turtle ( Emys orbicularis), common in the lower reaches of the Volga and in other southern regions of the European part of Russia, and Mediterranean ( Testudo graeca), living on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and in Dagestan. Both species are listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Mediterranean species is also listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation in category “1” (a species with a steadily declining population, some populations of which are on the verge of extinction) and in the annex to the Convention on International Trade in Wildlife Species endangered fauna and flora.

Swamp turtles of the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions die in the hundreds in fishermen's nets, under the wheels of cars, in trenches dug during the laying of communications, when draining reservoirs and during reed fires. Tourists also make a significant “contribution” to the extermination of the species: every year they export a large number of animals outside the Lower Volga region.

However, in the southern part of the Lower Volga region this species still remains quite numerous; special protection measures are not yet required. It is enough to carry out the usual fight against fish poaching and environmental education of the population.

The current state of the Mediterranean tortoise is of great concern. The number of animals is steadily declining, which is noted not only by experts. According to the stories of local residents, previously they could be seen in the wild almost every day, but recently such encounters occur no more than once a year. One of the reasons for the disaster is the uncontrolled fishing of turtles by traders and tourists. The greatest demand is for young, immature individuals under the age of 10 years. Thus, animals end up in captivity without having time to leave offspring and, as a result, find themselves completely lost to the species.

During trips along the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory in Gelendzhik and Novorossiysk, members of our expedition saw Mediterranean turtles openly sold in private pet stores. They are also available for free sale in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Naturally, catching and selling these animals is absolutely illegal and, theoretically, should entail fairly serious penalties. In practice, the trade in rare species of turtles is thriving, bringing considerable income to its organizers, since the fine that they are supposed to pay under the article of the criminal code looks simply ridiculous.

Several years ago, specialists working on the Red Book of the Nizhny Novgorod Region proposed adding the marsh turtle to the list, since zoologists had repeatedly discovered it in various areas. It was included in the regional Red Book, but later scientists came to the conclusion: the marsh turtle is not found in the Nizhny Novgorod region, and the individuals they encountered were thrown away by the owners who were tired of the “toy”. Along the way, it turned out that every year tourists who visited the lower reaches of the Volga bring many dozens of reptiles to the region, dooming them to slow death. It was then that the idea arose to organize a collection of swamp turtles.

All sorts of turtles were brought to us during the work on this project: emaciated, with softened and deformed shells, immobilized, dried out, like mummies, so much so that many of them could not dive into the water and floated on the surface like a fallen leaf. The story is simple and typical. Having received an animal as a gift from someone, the owners let it crawl on the floor in the apartment and tried to feed it traditional dandelions. And the turtle, firstly, is a predator, and secondly, an aquatic animal, can only eat in water. For a year, she refused the plant food offered to her, and the owners had no idea that she needed to be put into the water. During all this time, the animal did not have the opportunity not only to swim, but even to drink enough.

“Our turtles are very kind,” the owners of two other swamp turtles told us, “they have never bitten us!” The “good” turtles lay motionless in a cardboard box. During the three hour ride in the car they never moved. Meanwhile, healthy animals would tear such a box to pieces. After a month of rehabilitation in the center, they quickly rose on their hind legs against the glass partition when they began to feed other animals in the neighboring pool, and actively defended their territory, making sharp lunges with an open mouth, as soon as you passed your hand next to them.

Over the years of working on the project, we have become convinced that owners bring in Mediterranean turtles much less often than marsh turtles, and some individuals cannot be saved. Obviously, they tolerate captivity worse and die before they have time to tire of their owners.

In addition to the marsh and Mediterranean turtles that live in Russia, there is also a Central Asian tortoise ( Argionemys horsfieldii). These inhabitants of semi-deserts and deserts are most often kept in apartments. So far we have not been able to find a solution to a difficult question: what to do with large quantities of confiscated turtles? It is extremely difficult to officially return animals to their homeland. Moreover, it turned out, for example, that all the animals from the batch confiscated in 2003 were sick with salmonellosis (one of the arguments not to keep these animals in apartments).

The situation with red-eared turtles looks even more hopeless ( Trachemys scripta elegans). Their homeland is North America, they reproduce well in captivity, and this species is not yet in danger of extinction. Many people willingly buy small bright green turtles with red stripes on their heads for aquariums. Problems begin when the animal grows, loses its brightness and no longer fits in the aquarium. So what should owners do? They begin to offer turtles to friends, school groups, and zoos. Sometimes they are simply thrown away or released into the nearest body of water, and this is an illegal introduction of an alien species, fraught with very serious environmental consequences.

In a number of European countries, in order to protect local water bodies, nurseries have been created where overgrown turtles are accepted from the population. There is a similar nursery in the Baltic states. It doesn't exist in Russia. That is why visitors to the Moscow Zoo probably paid attention to the numerous red-eared turtles living in the same pool as the caimans. They feel good there, they even warm themselves by sitting on the caimans’ backs, despite the fact that they eat them for breakfast from time to time. You cannot blame the zoo employees for cruelty; you can only sympathize with them. Imagine how many individuals are brought to the zoo every year from all over Moscow!

Now, according to our observations, the market is also flooded with Far Eastern soft-bodied turtles - three-clawed Trionics ( Trionyx sinensis) - a rare species for Russia. But neighboring China has relatively recently mastered its cultivation on farms. In pet stores, Trionics are often called "Chinese leatherback turtle." Before you buy a cute, nimble, nosed baby, think about the fact that, firstly, it is a predator and very active; In the conditions of an ordinary city apartment, it is difficult to create normal conditions for him, and without the necessary warm-up and with improper nutrition, he grows up into hunchbacked dwarf freaks. Secondly, the weight of an adult Trionix can reach 15 kg. Predators of this size at home are a dangerous toy!

Collecting turtles caught in Russia and returning them to their natural habitats is not the main content of the project. Its basis is educational work aimed at reducing consumer demand for reptiles.

In the first years of its work, the project was supported by the Committee for Nature Protection and Environmental Management of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. This is the third year we have been supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). This year, the organization received additional targeted support under the small grants program from the Rufford Foundation (Great Britain) for the study and protection of the most rare and vulnerable species of turtles in the Russian fauna - the Mediterranean tortoise. We are trying to track the entire chain of illegal activities - from the capture of these animals in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions to the sale of live goods in large cities - and take appropriate measures in alliance with local environmental structures. We hope that people, having become more familiar with "turtle problems", will think seriously before catching or buying an animal for pet keeping. In any case, in recent years the number of turtles brought to us by residents has decreased significantly.

Perhaps someone reading this article will think: there are many much more serious problems in our society. But it is no coincidence that the ancient Indians placed the turtle as the basis of the grandiose cosmogonic pyramid - a symbol of wisdom, endurance and longevity. (And in many other religions they did not ignore it, making it an object of veneration.) And let us remember the words of the wonderful American poet T. Eliot: “Do not touch a flower, lest you shake a star and bring down the universe.” The disappearance of one species will certainly affect the entire ecological chain. And the universe may indeed collapse.

The European marsh turtle (Emys orbiсularis) belongs to the freshwater turtles of the genus Swamp turtles. Recently, a reptile of this species is increasingly being kept as an original and not too whimsical pet.

Appearance and description

The European marsh turtle has an oval, low and slightly convex carapace with a smooth surface and a movable connection with the lower shell. Juveniles of this species are characterized by a rounded carapace with a weak median keel on the posterior rounded part.

There are long and fairly sharp claws on the limbs, and small membranes between the fingers. The tail part is very long. An adult turtle has a tail up to a quarter of a meter long. It is the tail part that plays an important role when swimming, and serves, along with the hind limbs, as a kind of additional steering. The average length of an adult can vary between 12-38 cm with a body weight of one and a half kilograms.

The coloring of the shell of an adult turtle is usually dark olive, brownish brown or dark brown, almost black with small spots, streaks or dots of yellow. The plastron is dark brown or yellowish in color with blurry dark spots. The area of ​​the head, neck, legs and tail is also in dark colors, with a large number of yellow spots. The eyes have a very characteristic yellow, orange or reddish iris. The specific feature is the smooth edges of the jaws and the complete absence of a “beak”.

Range and habitats

European marsh turtles have become quite widespread throughout the southern, as well as central and eastern parts of Europe, and are found in the Caucasus and most Asian countries. A significant population of this species has been recorded in almost all countries that until recently belonged to the territory of the Soviet Union.

This is interesting! As numerous studies show, in the pre-glacial period this species was more widespread on European territory, and in some areas even today relict residual populations can be found.

Lifestyle and behavioral characteristics

Swamp turtles prefer to settle in forest, steppe and forest-steppe zones, but are also quite often found in fresh natural bodies of water, represented by swamps, ponds, lakes, slowly flowing rivers and large water canals.

Optimal for life are flat natural reservoirs with gently sloping banks and very well-warmed shallow areas with a sufficient amount of vegetation. Some individuals are found even in mountain ranges.

This is interesting! It was experimentally proven that a marsh turtle in an aquatic environment at a temperature of 18°C ​​is capable of surviving without air for almost two days.

During the period of mass reproduction, adult, mature turtles are able to leave the reservoir and move away from it at a distance of 300-500 m. The reptile can swim and dive excellently, and can also spend a long time under water, emerging to the surface every quarter of an hour. Swamp turtles belong to the category of semi-aquatic animals that are active during the daytime and bask in the sun's rays for a long time. The turtle can feed throughout the day, and at night goes to sleep at the bottom of a natural reservoir.

Lifespan

In natural conditions, several varieties of swamp turtles are common, which differ in behavioral characteristics, diet, etc. The European marsh turtle is the most common species, but the life “resource” of such a reptile can vary significantly depending on habitat conditions and territorial features.

All individuals inhabiting central Europe are capable of living up to fifty years, and turtles that live in Ukraine, as well as Belarus and our country, extremely rarely “step over” the milestone of forty years. In captivity, a marsh turtle, as a rule, lives no more than a quarter of a century.

At home, marsh turtles require proper care at all stages of growth and development. It is very important to choose the right aquarium, as well as provide the reptile with high-quality care and a complete, maximally balanced diet. To decorate the underwater space, driftwood and artificial vegetation are most often used, which allows you to create good underwater shelters that your pet needs for proper rest and night sleep.

Aquarium selection and characteristics

For a pair of adult European turtles, it is advisable to purchase an aquarium, the volume of which should exceed three hundred liters. The third part of such a structure is always allocated to land, on which the indoor reptile can periodically warm up or rest. A pair of turtles will feel quite comfortable in an aquarium with dimensions of 150x60x50 cm.

The most optimal place to keep a marsh turtle would be a small and well-fenced artificial pond in the local area. Such a garden pond should be in direct sunlight most of the day, which will ensure uniform and stable heating of the water. In an outdoor pond, small places must be equipped, as well as a platform for freshwater animals to sunbathe. The shoreline is typically used by turtles to lay eggs, so it should be sandy.

In the southern regions of our country, depending on weather conditions, you can place turtles in a garden pond starting in early spring and leaving them there until late autumn, which will allow the animal’s body to naturally prepare for the wintering period. A turtle must overwinter at a temperature of 4°C, so experts recommend arranging a “wintering” for the turtle inside a regular household refrigerator.

Care and hygiene

One of the most basic requirements when keeping a European marsh turtle at home is the purity of the aquarium water. Such an amphibian pet is not known for its cleanliness, so all waste products and waste from feed quickly become the main problem of water cleanliness.

Pathogenic and pathogenic putrefactive microflora multiply very quickly, therefore, in the absence of quality care, they can cause the development of eye diseases or pathological changes in the skin. It is very important to install a powerful and highly efficient filter that has the highest possible volume and smooth flow.

Important! To facilitate the systematic cleaning of aquarium water and the entire structure, it is desirable to minimize the number of decorations on the bottom and reduce the volume of underwater soil.

What to feed a marsh turtle

Under natural conditions, marsh turtles belong to the category of omnivorous amphibians, but the basis of their diet most often is various small invertebrate animals, represented by mollusks, worms and various crustaceans.

Very often, turtle prey is underwater or terrestrial insects, as well as their larvae.. The larvae of insects such as dragonflies, diving beetles, mosquitoes, wood lice and beetles are eaten in large quantities. There are also cases of swamp turtles eating young snakes or waterfowl chicks, as well as any carrion.

At home, despite its omnivorous and unpretentious nature, the issue of feeding a marsh turtle must be approached very carefully. The basic diet must include:

• meat of lean fish, including haddock, cod, perch and pollock;
• liver components, including chicken or beef liver and heart;
• crustaceans and arthropods, including daphnia crustaceans, worms and beetles;
• all kinds of marine life;
• small mammals and amphibians.

A prerequisite for good nutrition is supplementing the diet with dry and plant foods, which can be represented by vegetables and fruits, herbs, aquatic vegetation, as well as special complementary foods for aquatic turtles.

This is interesting! Young growing specimens and pregnant females are given food once a day, while the diet of adult individuals involves giving food only three times a week.

Health, disease and prevention

Freshwater species of turtles rarely get sick under proper conditions and have good innate immunity.

However, the owner of such a pet may face the following problems:

If the aquarium is not properly set up, injuries and various damage to the animal’s skin cannot be ruled out.

This is interesting! Most often, inexperienced or novice owners of a marsh turtle make various significant errors in care, which cause deformation of the shell. As a rule, this phenomenon is the result of an acute lack of vitamin complexes and calcium at the stage of adulthood or active growth of the turtle.

Reproduction of the European marsh turtle

Males, unlike females, have a longer and thicker tail, as well as a slightly concave plastron. Eggs are laid in holes on the sandy shore, in close proximity to the reservoir.

The laid elliptical eggs are buried by the female. Newborn turtles are almost black in color and have a very slightly pronounced yellow pattern. The young animals are fed throughout the winter period through a fairly large yolk sac located on the abdomen.

All turtles are characterized by temperature determination of the sex of all offspring, therefore, at an incubation temperature of 30 ° C or more, only females hatch from eggs, and at low temperatures, only males.

Intermediate temperatures cause the birth of cubs of both sexes.

Hibernation

The average duration of the main active period directly depends on many factors, the main one of which is climatic conditions. In our country, marsh turtles emerge from hibernation around April or the first ten days of May, after the air temperature reaches 6-14°C and the water temperature is 5-10°C. The wintering period begins in the last ten days of October or early November. Hibernation occurs in conditions of the muddy bottom of the reservoir. When kept at home, the reptile remains fully active in winter.

Buy a marsh turtle, price

European swamp turtles, thanks to their original appearance, fairly wide distribution and relative unpretentiousness in keeping at home, in recent years have increasingly become a decoration for the aquariums of lovers of such exotic pets. Among other things, amphibian connoisseurs are captivated by the very affordable cost of such a pet. The average price of one young individual, regardless of gender, is approximately one and a half thousand rubles.

The snake “population” of the North Caucasus is quite diverse. The region is home to both poisonous and harmless water and land snakes. You can meet them anywhere - from city lawns and ponds to mountain slopes. Large representatives of the squamate order, of course, avoid living in populated areas, but they may well live in fields along highways. The character of local snakes, as serpentologists note, is quite phlegmatic - they will not rush at a person out of instinct or sudden aggression. But of course there is always a risk.

The most common snakes that live in the North Caucasus are in our selection.

Viperaceae

The viper family is the most numerous in the snake class of the North Caucasus. These snakes are poisonous, and even newborns have poison. The viper looks unremarkable: gray or brown color, pattern on the head, body length - up to 75 centimeters. Among vipers, serpentologists distinguish several main species.

The viper is real. The venom of this snake is considered the most toxic. When bitten by a viper, a person immediately feels a sharp pain, which intensifies when swelling appears at the site of the bite. After a couple of hours, inflammation of the blood vessels begins, and after a couple of days hemorrhagic blisters appear. If you do not contact a doctor, you can die from a real viper bite.

You can find a poisonous snake in rotten stumps, animal burrows and even bushes. Any sudden movement, scientists believe, can be regarded by the snake as a provocation. Therefore, when meeting a viper, do not panic and do not make sudden movements.

Common viper. It can be recognized by its flat head, which differs in size from the thickness of the body. Most individuals have a zigzag pattern along the ridge. The bite of a common viper is rarely fatal, however, it is dangerous to humans. Medicine knows of cases where those bitten did not feel any symptoms at all, but more often snake “victims” experienced nausea, vomiting and dizziness, convulsions and even loss of consciousness.

The common viper loves cool temperatures and mountainous terrain, so the chance of finding it in populated areas of the Stavropol Territory is small.

Steppe viper. The snake is brown in color with a dark pattern on its head. This type of viper is known for its slowness - on land they do not move as fast as their brothers in the family. But in reservoirs, steppe vipers show themselves to be excellent swimmers, and can also climb the branches of bushes and trees. The steppe viper is especially common in Kalmykia.

Dinnik's viper. The species of viper, named after the Russian zoologist, is traditionally more elegantly colored than its relatives in the family: a lemon-black pattern dissects the gray-green back. But the bite of this viper differs little from those practiced by relatives - the danger is the same. A person will urgently need a doctor, but it is unlikely that a pet can be saved after such an attack.
Dinnik's viper is common in the Stavropol and neighboring Krasnodar regions. The landscape that is attractive to the adder is subalpine meadows or forests. This viper does not like heat, so the risk of encountering it in the open sun is minimized.

According to experts, the Mediterranean turtle (Testudo graeca) is the most vulnerable of the turtles living in the Russian Federation. The Mediterranean tortoise is distributed in northern Africa, southern Europe, southwestern Asia and the Caucasus. The species is included in the International Red Book, the Red Book of the Russian Federation as a species with a steadily declining population, some populations of which are on the verge of extinction, and in the Red Book of the Krasnodar Territory. By the way, only in the territory of the Krasnodar Territory and Abkhazia lives a special subspecies - Nikolsky’s Mediterranean tortoise, named after the famous Russian herpetologist. The condition of this particular subspecies causes the greatest concern among specialists. The once uniform habitat of turtles from Anapa to Pitsunda is now fragmented and continues to shrink. The largest territorial group still lives on the section of the Black Sea coast from Anapa to Tuapse. This is where the greatest anthropogenic load is observed.

Turtles living in the western Caucasus within the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Abkhazia are classified as an independent subspecies T. graeca nikolskii. The subspecies T. graeca pallasi lives on the territory of the Republic of Dagestan (North Caucasus).

The main reasons for the decline in numbers, reduction and fragmentation of the Mediterranean tortoise's habitat are anthropogenic transformation and destruction of its habitats and the illegal capture of turtles for the purpose of sale for keeping at home. The reasons for the decline in the range and number of this species are the destruction and degradation of habitats as a result of development, expansion of farmland and intensive recreational use of the territory, and the death of turtles during forest fires.

Tourists often purchase turtles from local residents who earn extra money by illegally capturing and selling these animals, and take them away as living souvenirs. According to leading experts, the Mediterranean tortoise is one of the most endangered reptile species in the Russian Federation, and there is a real threat of its extinction. The degree of knowledge of the current state of the species is insufficient to organize effective measures for its protection.

Project “Attention, turtle!” aimed at studying and protecting the Mediterranean turtle in the Caucasus. From 2009 to 2012, the project was implemented by NABU-Caucasus together with the Society for the Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles at the NROO Ecological Center "Dront" (Nizhny Novgorod) with the support of the German Nature Conservation Union (NABU) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) .

The goal of the project is to create conditions th for the conservation of population and subspecies biodiversity of the Mediterranean tortoise in the Caucasus.

Main objectives of the project:

1. assessment of the current distribution, condition and population size of the Mediterranean Nikolsky tortoise on the territory of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia, identification of key habitats of the subspecies and assessment of the degree of provision of their territorial protection, assessment of the influence of the main limiting factors;
2. organizing interaction with official environmental structures of the Krasnodar Territory in order to prevent illegal trafficking of turtles and preserve key habitats of this species;
3. return to natural habitats of turtles removed from illegal trafficking or voluntarily transferred to us;
4. creating conditions for broad public support for the goals and objectives of the project by increasing public awareness about the problems of turtle conservation;
5. development of specific recommendations for the conservation of the Mediterranean tortoise and their transfer to official environmental structures, if necessary, design and lobbying for the creation of new protected areas in key habitats of this species;
6. continuation of work on the creation of the first nursery in the Russian Federation for keeping and breeding Mediterranean turtles in semi-free conditions with the aim of subsequent reintroduction of the raised young animals into natural habitats on the basis of the Safari Park (Gelendzhik).

As part of the project, new data was obtained on the distribution and status of populations of the Mediterranean Nikolsky tortoise in the Western Caucasus, in particular in the north and south of its range. For example, for the first time in the last 30 years, the existence of a viable population of turtles was confirmed on the territory of the Pitsunda-Myusser Upland in the Republic of Abkhazia.

Together with colleagues from Sukhumi State University and the State Ecological Service of the Republic of Abkhazia, proposals were prepared to include the identified key habitats of the Mediterranean tortoise in the Pitsunda-Mussersky Nature Reserve by expanding its territory. Cooperation was established with the Office of Rosprirodnadzor for the Krasnodar Territory to suppress the illegal trade in Mediterranean turtles.

In order to reduce consumer demand for turtles and create broad public support for the goals and objectives of our project, we actively work with the media: over 4 years, with our participation, dozens of publications in newspapers, magazines and on the Internet, television and radio stories dedicated to turtles and project. Thousands of pocket calendars and posters with original photographs of turtles were printed and distributed free of charge. A number of scientific articles have also been prepared on the current state of T. graeca.