How long does it take for sea turtles to hatch? Do red-eared freshwater turtles breed in captivity? How much is the entrance ticket to the turtle farm in Kosgoda?
Facts about the characteristics of turtles and their unique properties and achievements:
1.
Slowest traveler:
A tortoise named Chester, marked with a white stripe for identification, escaped in 1960 and was found by a neighbor of the owners in 1995, having gone only 686 m from the house.
2. The loneliest creature on the globe:
Elephant tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus abingdoni) named Lonesome George, male, lived for a long time in a single copy on the island. Abingdon, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Unfortunately, Lonesome George died alone.
3. The largest ancient turtle
Archelon is considered ( Mesozoic period). Its length was approximately 3.05 m.
Before turtles reach maturity, their mass increases 2,000 times.
4. The speed of gigantic turtles reaches only 0.37 km/h. Slowness land turtles depends on temperature environment: At low temperatures, the movement of turtles slows down.
5. The most a large number of eggs, laid by turtles amounted to 200 pieces at a time. The sex of turtles also depends on the temperature: at low temperatures, males appear in the nest, at high temperatures, females appear. The laying of eggs by females does not depend on the habitat - all turtles lay their eggs on the ground.
6. Turtles can go hungry for years.
Land turtles are very hardy. If we talk about the frequency of food intake, land animals may not eat food (we are, of course, talking about healthy animals kept in conditions suitable for them) for weeks or months. Cases of turtles starving for years have been described. A case is described when marsh turtle She lived without eating for more than five years. She retains her conditioned reactions even after removing the main part forebrain- by reducing the levels of the nervous system.
7. Turtles can live with major injuries.
With its head broken to rags, a turtle can live and move for tens of days!). Italian scientist Francesco Redi in the 17th century. He performed a cruel experiment: he removed the brain of a turtle. But even without it, the experimental specimen lived for six months!
8. Turtle power.
Some species are amazing in their strength: a green sea turtle can carry 4-5 people on its back - as many as can fit on its shell.
At the end of the 19th century, in the families of Russian capitalists " new wave“Teaching heirs turtle riding was a fashionable fad. It was believed that the mentioned sport instills in future shareholders the skills of managing employees, because it clearly shows the impatient young nature that:
1) Any instruction is always executed with a delay;
2) The performer works only with the prospect of reward in the future;
3) Shouting at the performer is pointless. He is slow and impenetrable.
9. Turtles can’t breathe for a long time.
Some species of turtles can: remain in an atmosphere without oxygen for up to 10 hours.
10. Turtles are smart.
During long-term communication, both terrestrial and freshwater turtles without difficulty, they distinguish people by sight, and visually, and not chemically, which would be quite understandable. In the pool of the turtle (old Trionics), the attendant left a small red rubber ball, which over time Trionics began to periodically push with his paws and nose in different directions, without showing any food, defensive or aggressive reflexes, i.e. without relating the object to which -or for practical purposes.
Large sea turtles understand the language of dolphins. Having arrived to lay eggs in the Nicobar Islands, turtles do not come ashore until they wait for a signal from the dolphins, indicating the possibility of moving towards the shore.
11. Turtles have long necks.
The length of the neck can reach two-thirds of the length of the body, and Trionix is capable of throwing its head at lightning speed in the direction of the enemy, inflicting very dangerous bites.
12. Turtles respond to voices.
There are stories of sea turtles emerging from the water to sing for a long time. Turtles respond well to voice intonation: if you talk to a turtle kindly, it will stretch its neck and listen, and vice versa, if you scold it, it will hide in its shell.
13. Sea turtles use the Earth's magnetic fieldas a compass and map.
The phenomenal ability of green has been experimentally confirmed sea turtle(Chelonia mydas) sense the slightest changes in the Earth's magnetic field.
Ridleys, sailing hundreds of kilometers, gathering in flocks along the way, were so numerous in the time of Columbus that they became an obstacle for ships. Nowadays, a ship with the Ceylonese zoologist Deraniyagala on board met a whole caravan of ridleys, stretching out to sea for 108 kilometers! The turtles swam at a distance of 200 meters from each other, but all in the same direction.
14. Turtles are aggressive.
Trionyx Trionyx cartilagineus - terribly biting soft shell turtle. A hungry flock of adult reptiles can bite a large animal to death.
15. Turtles, albeit unwittingly, saved people.
In 1969, a passenger on a ship in the Caribbean fell overboard. For more than 15 hours, until he was picked up by another ship, he swam holding on to the shell of a large sea turtle.
16. Turtles flew into space.
On September 21, 1968, a turtle from Kazakhstan orbited the Moon for the first time in history.
Zond-5 09/15/1968 Tests of the lunar spacecraft Soyuz-7K-L1. The first return of a spacecraft to Earth after orbiting the Moon. On September 18 the ship passed over reverse side The moon is 1,950 km away. There were living creatures on board: turtles, fruit flies, worms, plants, seeds, bacteria. Before entering the atmosphere, due to an error by the ground operator, the orientation system failed, and the ship descended along a ballistic trajectory with overloads of up to 20g. The ship splashed down in Indian Ocean On September 21, he was picked up by Soviet warships and delivered to the USSR via Bombay. During the flight, the turtles reportedly lost up to 10% of their body weight, but remained active and had a good appetite.
17. Turtles are not afraid of the cold.
Snapping turtles are not afraid of the cold and can crawl on ice. And some types of turtles spend the winter frozen in the ice. And in the spring they calmly thaw and continue to live.
Northern populations painted turtles(Chrysemys picta marginata and C.p. belli) in Canada can freeze into ice and withstand temperatures down to -2.5°C.
Another species of turtle, the Blanding's turtle, also tolerates the cold. This turtle thrives under the ice of the Great Lakes.
18. Turtles are mysterious.
One of the mysteries is how they got to Galapagos Islands- still no answer. There were suggestions that they swam, since the Galapagos elephant is a good swimmer. But from the salty sea water the turtle dies. There are also guesses that they were brought by people, but this is only a hypothesis.
19. Turtles store water.
Turtles can "catch" water during short rains in the desert. Turtles raise the back of their shell above the ground and water accumulates in the two front pits of the shell, formed by curved marginal scutes. Then the turtle raises the front part of the body and the water rolls down the neck plate onto the head and into the mouth.
20. Turtles know how to preserve their species.
It is observed in turtles interesting property- the ability of active sperm to be stored for several years in the female genital tract. This was determined by completely isolating the females. After a year of isolation, they laid 124 eggs, and only one of them turned out to be a “babbler”; after three years of imprisonment, they laid 130 eggs - this time 39 eggs turned out to be viable; and four years later, out of the same number of eggs, only 4 turtles hatched.
21. Turtles are the most ancient creatures.
The age of turtles is 200 million years. Modern turtles are similar to their ancestors. However, there is still a difference - the absence of teeth and the ability to hide his head.
Giant turtles inhabited our planet 70 million years ago. Among modern turtles there are also giants. These are leatherback turtles whose habitats are seas and oceans. The weight of leatherback turtles ranges from 300 kg to half a ton.
Turtles are long-lived: they can live more than 100 years. The age of turtles can be determined by the rings that appear annually on the scutes that make up the shell.
22. Do turtles glow?(somewhat controversial)
Turtles have phosphorus in their shells. If the shell lies in the sun during the day, then at night it will phosphorescent. Such a glow was noticed in Uzbekistan. The golden eagle, hunting turtles, brought them to the rock and threw them, trying to break the shell in order to feed the chicks. The rock with turtle shells was called “luminous”.
23. Turtles are popular
Turtles can be found on all continents except Antarctica.
24. Turtles are excellent hunters.
To get food vulture turtle there is no need to make any effort. All she needs is to lie down at the bottom of the reservoir and open her mouth, sticking out her tongue. The fish themselves swim into the turtle’s mouth, mistaking its pink tongue for a worm.
25. Turtles are beautiful.
The title of "beauty queen" went to star tortoise, living in India and Sri Lanka. The scutes of her shell look like pyramids. The yellow stripes stand out brightly against the black background of these pyramids.
Auto selections: Miladyad
The red-eared (aka yellow-bellied) turtle is one of the most popular pets. Many owners of these wonderful reptiles are thinking about breeding them. The reasons for this are very different: someone wants to increase the number of pets without buying them, but by raising them themselves from birth to adulthood.
Some are thinking about starting to sell grown turtles, others plan to give them to friends and acquaintances. The motives can be very different, but people often make the same mistakes. To avoid them, you need to know a few key things (this is the bare minimum):
- What conditions should be created for the breeding of turtles?
- How to determine their gender
- How do turtles mate in captivity?
- What to do with eggs. Egg incubator.
- How to care for newborn turtles and what to feed them.
If man decided to breed turtles, we can assume that he already knows the basic things: how to arrange an aquaterrarium, what to feed the pets, how often to change the water, etc. If anyone still has doubts about how properly organized the “living space” is for their favorite reptiles, and If you don’t want to re-read a huge amount of material, it’s easy to find short but informative videos on the Internet about how everything should be arranged.
It is important to understand that the conditions necessary for turtles to survive and grow may not be sufficient for them to reproduce. What do you need to consider to make everything work?
Necessary nuances
Males reach puberty earlier approximately in the fifth year of life, while in females in the sixth year. Many people either don’t know this difference or forget about it. Naturally, in this case nothing happens.
If there are several turtles, it is better when for several females there is one male. This will help avoid conflicts between “boys” and possible injuries. You can understand what sex a reptile is no earlier than it is one year old. Males are smaller in size, but have more large claws and tail. The lower part of the shell also helps to understand the gender - in boys it has a very noticeable “dent”.
For mating It is recommended to place the female and male in a separate aquarium. It must be filled with clean, settled water. Temperature is extremely important - it should be warmer than the water in the “main” aquaterrarium. The fact is that changing water and increasing its temperature are for red eared turtles an important additional stimulus for mating.
In order for turtles to mate, they need water., but at the same time the male can get carried away and not allow the female to surface. Therefore, the depth in this “special” aquarium should be small, about 10–12 centimeters.
Before mating interesting things are happening mating games» : The male swims close to the female, periodically tickling her face with his claws and hitting her shell with the front edge of his shell. On YOUTUBE you can find a video of exactly how the “flirting” of red-eared turtles occurs.
The duration of sexual intercourse is on average 7–15 minutes. If, after “relocating” to a separate aquarium, the reptiles do not pay attention to each other, then they need to be resettled for a couple of days.
It is better to separate a pregnant female from the male, as he may involuntarily injure her.
Care of masonry and newborns
Red-eared turtles lay eggs in sand or soil. It is better not to leave the clutch unattended: leaving everything as is, it is more difficult to control development and increases the risk of losing all the eggs. They may be accidentally damaged by the turtles themselves, or mold may develop on the eggs.
It is best to transfer the eggs to an incubator.. This must be done extremely carefully, trying not only not to damage, but not even to turn them. Some experts advise marking top surface eggs with a marker, which makes it easier to control their position.
The temperature in the incubator is set between 21–30 degrees. Changes are unacceptable, so I did not want to place the incubator in a place that would not allow:
- exposure to direct sunlight
- drafts
Development of the embryo lasts from two months to six months. After the babies hatch, they must be “separated” from the adult turtles. If it is not possible to place them in a separate aquaterrarium, you need to at least fence them separate territory inside the main one. In order for the “young animals” to grow and develop normally, it is necessary to periodically allow them to “warm up” under the rays of UV lamps.
The ideal food for newborn red-eared turtles is raw, lean fish. To ensure that the food is balanced, it is worth periodically feeding the babies with special food for newborn turtles.
Summary
Without following these rules it will be impossible to get offspring from these wonderful reptiles. It is important to understand that, like any other animals, red-eared turtles reproduce worse in captivity than in wildlife. To succeed, you will have to put in a lot of effort and create the most comfortable conditions for the turtles.
Reproduction of turtles
Turtles lay eggs, which hatch into babies after a certain period of time. Newborn turtles do not need parental care and are able to take care of themselves.
Turtles breed in captivity quite rarely. Breeding turtles is a painstaking and responsible work that only experienced specialists can do. However, the first to achieve good results, was an amateur who devoted many years to his work, so you should not despair if you do not immediately get offspring.
One of the keys to success in reptile breeding will be patience.
In order for turtles kept at home to begin to reproduce, they need to be provided with the proper conditions: proper nutrition, hibernation, suitable habitat and relative freedom of movement.
For successful reproduction, in addition to observing all conditions of detention, it is advisable to place several individuals of the same species in one pen or terrarium. When forming a group, the correct ratio of the number of females and males is important, which contributes to the manifestation of elements of mating behavior in these animals. In freshwater turtles this ratio is approximately 2:1, and in land turtles in most cases it is 3:1.
In addition, when choosing animals, you need to take into account their age - you should select sexually mature, but not old individuals, which must first be checked by a veterinarian. Sick or weakened animals will most likely not produce offspring.
The red-eared slider can mate throughout the year. In a terrarium, the mating season usually occurs at the beginning of spring; the female lays eggs from July to September.
A group of selected turtles must be carefully observed for some time to determine how ready they are for mating and reproduction. If relationships have been established between individuals of different sexes, the remaining turtles need to be moved to another place.
It is interesting to watch the mating games of turtles both in natural conditions and at home. Both aquatic and land turtles often show themselves in a completely different way during the breeding season than in ordinary life.
Males land species They often fight among themselves, seeking the favor of the female they have chosen. They push each other, trying to pry each other up with their shells to turn them over onto their backs. Female turtles do not always prefer those males who won the fight. They can choose either a defeated male or a male who did not participate in the battle.
Turtles, like other reptiles, after building a nest and laying eggs, do not care at all about their offspring, and small turtles emerge completely ready for independent life.
In nature, water turtles lay their eggs in coastal sand, burying them near a body of water. Land turtles bury their clutches in a hole dug in the ground. Under natural conditions, mating in most species of turtles occurs in April-May, and the offspring are born the following spring.
In preparation for reproduction, it is necessary to add foods containing vitamin E to the turtles' food. In nature, in most species of turtles, the breeding period begins immediately after the end of hibernation, so it is recommended to hibernate the animals for several months.
Small turtles that have just hatched from eggs already see well and navigate mainly through vision. Under natural conditions, baby aquatic turtles reach the water on their own a few minutes after birth, most likely guided by the level of illumination of the water, which is higher than the illumination of land, even at night.
During the breeding season, turtles need to create comfortable conditions: do not disturb them, exclude all extraneous noise and vibration, try to touch the animals as little as possible. At home, if you decide to breed offspring, you need to take care in advance of the place where the eggs will be located.
For freshwater turtles to begin mating, the water temperature in the terrarium or aquarium must be 22–26 °C. On land, you should prepare a place where the female will lay eggs. You can dig a small hole in the sand or soil and place a container with sphagnum moss there so that it is flush with the land. After the female lays her eggs, the container should be removed and placed in an incubator. The incubator temperature should be maintained at 28–30 °C.
After 2-3 months, depending on the type of turtle, small turtles will emerge from the eggs. They should be immediately placed in an aquaterrarium or aquarium. They eat almost the same as adult turtles, with the exception of plant foods.
Birth of Balkan tortoise calf
Newborn baby turtles, like other reptiles, have remnants of the yolk sac, which disappear a few days after birth, as well as a special egg tooth, which they use to cut the shell. In addition, in the first days after hatching from the eggs, turtles can see a transverse fold on the plastron - a consequence of the bent position of the baby inside the egg.
Land turtle eggs should be placed in a container with sand and kept in an incubator at a temperature of 28–32 °C. If you don't have an incubator, you can use a regular glass jar or an aquarium filled with sand, which should be moistened regularly. This incubator can be heated using a regular incandescent lamp. You can place the incubator next to the central heating radiator.
Turtle eggs have a calcareous, sometimes leathery shell and an oval shape. Their sizes vary depending on the type of animal. The number of eggs in a clutch can be from 2 to 8 pieces for a Mediterranean turtle and up to 70 eggs for a Far Eastern turtle.
Eggs laid by turtles are not always fertilized. In order not to keep empty eggs in the incubator for several months, they need to be checked. To do this, you can build a primitive ovoscope: place a small electric light bulb, for example from a flashlight, in a small cardboard box, and cover the box with a lid in which a hole is cut in the shape of an egg, but slightly smaller. To check the egg, you need to place it, without turning it over, on the hole and turn on the light bulb. In the middle of a fertilized egg there will be a noticeable darkening, and an empty one will transmit light evenly. When checking, you should remember that the longer the eggs mature, the more accurate the result will be.
The eggs of land and aquatic turtles, unlike bird eggs, should never be turned over, so they should be transferred to the incubator very carefully.
After the female lays her eggs, she should be kept separate from other animals for some time. The female's nutrition for several weeks should be enhanced, since during this period the turtles' immunity is weakened and they are more susceptible to various diseases.
If turtles appear, you need to try to save them all. Under no circumstances should they be placed in the same pen or terrarium with adult turtles, since these reptiles do not have maternal instinct and they can harm the young.
From the book Caring for Domestic Cats author Antonova Lyudmila6 REPRODUCTION The instinct to procreate is inherent in all living beings. Of course, cats are no exception. However, there are notable differences between domestic and wild cats. U wild cat The mating season occurs once a year, and the number of cubs born by one female
From the book The Dog Cane Corso author Lyakhova Kristina Alexandrovna8 Reproduction Cane Corsos become physically mature when they reach 24-30 months, but puberty begins much earlier, and therefore the first mating can be carried out at a younger age. The first mating of bitches is carried out after the 3rd heat (the interval between heats
From the book Rottweilers author Sukhinina Natalya Mikhailovna10 Reproduction The maintenance and diet of dogs intended for mating should be given increased attention. Approximately 1 - 1.5 months before the day of the planned mating, Rottweilers should be given anthelmintic drugs, the veterinarian will help you choose the right ones. Feed for
From the book Lovebirds author Zhalpanova Liniza Zhuvanovna4. Reproduction With the right approach to breeding lovebirds in captivity, you can achieve certain results and even try to breed new varieties of parrots with unusual coloring. But for this you need to familiarize yourself with the features
From the book Pigeons author Zhalpanova Liniza ZhuvanovnaReproduction In order for pigeons to reproduce successfully, it is necessary to prepare them in advance for the nesting season. You can start with a thorough cleaning and disinfection of the dovecote, which should be done at the end of winter. To do this, it is best to choose a sunny day and
From the book Persian cats author Zhalpanova Liniza Zhuvanovna10. Reproduction by Possessors purebred cats Many people dream of becoming one, but not everyone knows that Persian breeding is not only a very interesting activity that gives a lot of joy and pleasure, but also a great responsibility. In addition, this will require the person to be sufficiently
From the book Red-eared Turtles author From the book of Mice author Krasichkova Anastasia Gennadievna5. Feeding red-eared turtles B natural conditions Red-eared turtles feed on both plant and animal foods. When keeping these animals at home, it is important to properly organize their diet so that it is as close to natural as possible in terms of calories and
From the book Diseases of Pig author Dorosh Maria Vladislavovna8. Prevention and treatment of turtle diseases Like other pets, red-eared turtles can get sick. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to avoid this, but many diseases can still be prevented by taking simple preventive measures. In nature
From the book Terrarium. Device and design author Sergienko YuliaThe influence of vitamins on the health of turtles No animal can do without vitamins. Reptiles, including red-eared turtles, are no exception. Below we look at the importance of individual vitamins for the health of turtles, as well as symptoms indicating a deficiency.
From the book Poultry author Vlasenko ElenaThe most common diseases of turtles When proper care and when kept, red-eared turtles can live for a very long time without getting sick. Various diseases Animals that are weakened as a result of long journeys and climate change are most susceptible. Diseases
From the author's bookPrevention of turtle diseases It is always unpleasant when a pet is sick. Although most diseases can be treated, it is still better to spare no effort in preventing them than to subsequently waste time and money on visits to the veterinarian. In addition, you should remember
From the author's book6 Reproduction of mice Decorative mice, like most rodents, have one feature - they are able to reproduce all year round. Breeding these animals at home requires special attention and involves the emergence of various kinds of difficulties. For
From the author's bookReproduction of pigs Reproduction (reproduction) is the ability of all living organisms to reproduce their own kind (offspring), ensuring the continuity of life of the species and the continuity of generations when two sex cells merge - sperm and egg. Education
From the author's bookReproduction of Turtles Turtles lay eggs, which after a certain period of time hatch into young. Newborn turtles do not need parental care and are able to take care of themselves. Turtles reproduce in captivity quite rarely.
From the author's bookReproduction of chickens The breeding season lasts for chickens almost the entire year, except during molting. Cockerels become sexually mature at the age of 3 months, hens - at 4 months. During the reproductive period, the sexual secretion glands become several tens of times larger than in the state.
Sea turtles are reptiles of the turtle family, which includes 5 genera.
Turtles live in the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Ocean, as well as in the Atlantic. These animals are tireless swimmers, spending their entire lives in the water. On the shore, turtles are slow and only go there to lay eggs.
Sea turtles choose small islands, lost in the vast waters of the ocean, as places to procreate. However, animals unerringly find pieces of land, swimming vast distances. Scientists have put forward many hypotheses commenting on how they manage to navigate the water perfectly. One hypothesis is that sea turtles may use magnetic field land.
Structural features and sizes of turtles
All sea turtles are quite large creatures. The largest in the family is the green sea turtle, whose body length is 1.5 meters and weighs from 80 to 190 kg.
The length of the shell of such a turtle is 80-120 cm. There are very major representatives of this family, whose weight exceeds 300 kg. Turtle most large sizes, which scientists were able to measure, had a shell length of 153 cm and weighed 395 kg. Small representatives of this family also live in nature.
Sea turtles are large reptiles. The smallest turtle is the sea turtle olive turtle Ridley. This leisurely creature weighs no more than 50 kg, and the length of the shell is 60-70 cm. Females usually weigh less - 25-48 kg. The weight of the heaviest male representatives of this species does not exceed 35 kg. The remaining species of sea turtles are between these two species in size. What unites all members of the family is that the limbs in the form of flippers and the head do not retract under the shell.
The dorsal-ventral shell of large sea turtles is flat. The front legs, much better developed than the hind legs, are flippers. The turtle's head is large, sitting on a short neck. The head is not retracted into the shell, nor are the limbs. The shell of a sea turtle, called the “carapace,” has a bony base and is covered with horny scutes. The color of the shell varies - black, light brown, greenish.
Nutrition, population situation
Small sea turtles feed on zooplankton and small nekton, while adult turtles prefer plant food. Despite the fact that during mating season These animals migrate far into the ocean; their main habitat is in the coastal zone.
Sea turtles are omnivores. At a depth of ten meters, a sea turtle finds a variety of plant foods. In addition to various algae, the diet of turtles includes mollusks and jellyfish. Sea turtles attack those inhabitants of coastal waters that are even slower than themselves. For relax this type chooses sea caves.
Since ancient times, the main destroyer of sea turtles has been man. People have always had a huge commercial interest in these leisurely inhabitants depths of the sea because of them delicious meat. Sea turtle eggs were considered a delicacy and a huge number of clutches were destroyed.
All this, along with the low survival rate of young animals, led to a sharp decline in the population of these unique armored animals. Currently, there is a ban on hunting sea turtles, however, this law is difficult to enforce in large expanses of ocean. In this regard, the population of sea turtles is not high and leaves much to be desired.
Reproduction and lifespan
Young sea turtles reach sexual maturity at 25-30 years of age. All the time before the start of the breeding season, turtles swim in the salty sea. But in the year of nesting, having reached mature age sea turtles rush to that piece of land where they once hatched from an egg.
Having reached small islands scattered in the ocean, turtles mate close to the shore. Then the females begin to prepare the nests. They crawl ashore and rake up the sand with their hind paws. Nest holes emerge, approximately 40-50 cm deep. The female lays eggs there.
Sea turtles are long-lived. The number of eggs in one clutch can be up to 200 pieces. Having laid the eggs, the female buries the nest and carefully compacts it so that the hole looks as inconspicuous as possible. During the year of nesting, the female makes 5-7 clutches of eggs. Next period reproduction will occur only after 3-4 years.
After the female sea turtle lays her eggs, she leaves to surf the sea and does not care about her offspring at all. She is not interested in what will happen to the masonry. The period of development of turtle cubs in eggs occurs within 2 months. Moreover, the sex of hatched turtles depends on the ambient temperature.
If the temperature was quite low, males are born. At higher air temperatures, the eggs will hatch into females. But if the temperature change is too sharp, the masonry may die completely.
The turtle egg shell is pierced with the so-called egg tooth. The newly born sea turtle cubs rake up the sand and climb out of the nest hole. This is where the worst comes in dangerous period from life. They are hunted both on land and in water, and from the air. As a result, a very small number of reptiles of this species survive to adulthood. But if little cub The turtle still managed to survive; its lifespan could be 80 years.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
Red-eared turtles are unpretentious animals that quickly adapt to home conditions. But in captivity they rarely produce offspring: this requires special conditions of detention.
In general, breeding red-eared turtles should not pose any problems for the owner. Females lay eggs on their own; you just need to provide proper care: a suitable habitat, proper nutrition, freedom of movement and peace.
Choosing a partner
The best time for turtles to breed is from February to May. For successful reproduction, it is advisable to place several individuals of the same species in one terrarium. The ratio of females to males 2:1 promotes mating behavior in animals. If several pairs live in the aquarium and there are established a good relationship, you need to put other turtles away for a while. There is a high probability that “this is love” and mating will occur soon.
When choosing suitable turtles for mating, you need to consider the age of the animals. Turtles must be mature, but not old. The ideal age is 5 years.
Choosing a mating site
Sometimes males and females are kept separately, moving into a common enclosure only during the mating period. In this case, it is advisable to move the female turtle into the territory of the male. For mating, you can use a separate terrarium with warm water, the depth of which does not exceed 10 cm.
Mating of turtles occurs in water and on land, and one fertilization is enough for several (4-5) clutches. Sperm can remain in the female genitals for a long time - up to two years.
Choosing a location for masonry
If mating does not occur, the animals can be stimulated by increasing the water temperature and increasing the duration daylight hours in the enclosure. If there is no “land” in the aquarium where the turtles live, you need to build an artificial beach. In order for the female to lay eggs, she will need a flat bank with a layer of sand of 3-5 cm. It happens that the turtle lays directly in the water, then the eggs must be removed immediately.
Turtles often lay unfertilized eggs, like many other reptiles. If a female living alone has laid a clutch, there is no point in caring for the eggs. Only when several turtles of both sexes permanently live in an aquarium is there a chance of mating.
Egg care
The most difficult stage in reproduction is caring for the eggs. The masonry must be very carefully placed in an incubator, which can be used as an ordinary glass jar with sand. The jar should be heated with an incandescent lamp or placed near a radiator, and the sand should be regularly moistened. Optimal temperature in the incubator – 28–30°C.
Eggs must be protected from mold and ventilated. Breeding turtles is a big responsibility and difficult work for breeders. But all the troubles will be rewarded when, after 2-3 months, little turtles are born.