Are there turtles in the sura. Briefly about the nutritional features of the river turtle. Reproduction of the European marsh turtle

A common representative of the class of reptiles is bog turtle. The body length of this creature is from 12 to 35 cm, weight - about one and a half kilograms or a little less.

As seen on a photo,marsh turtles it is not difficult to distinguish from relatives by the structure of a rounded low shell, connected on the sides with the lower part of the body by elastic ligaments; as well as the absence of a beak on the muzzle of a reptile and the following external signs:

• the color of the shell can be black, brown or olive;
• skin covered with yellow spots has a green tint;
• the pupil of orange or yellow eyes is usually dark;
• their legs with swimming membranes and long claws;
• the tail, which plays the role of a rudder when moving through the water, is quite long.

Representatives of the genus of marsh turtles are distributed throughout Europe, they can be found in the Middle East, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, as well as in the northwestern regions of Africa.

They settle in forests, forest-steppes and mountainous areas, trying to settle down near water bodies, they live not only in swamps, as the name implies, but in rivers, streams, canals and ponds.

The nature and lifestyle of the marsh turtle

These animals, belonging to the freshwater family, are active during the day, but at night they sleep at the bottom of reservoirs. They feel great in the aquatic environment, where they can stay for about two days.

But on land they also feel great, so the marsh turtle can be found on large lawns, where these cold-blooded animals like to bask in the sun, thus feeding their body with energy.

The bog turtle feels great both in water and on land

For sunbathing, they try to find other suitable places, often using driftwood and stones protruding from the water. Reptiles strive closer to the sun even on cloudy, cool days, despite the cloudy sky, trying to catch the sun's rays breaking through the clouds.

But at the slightest danger, the reptiles immediately plop down into the water and hide in its depths among the underwater vegetation. The enemies of these creatures can be predatory animals and.

Also, they often do not have to expect anything good from a person, and in some countries of the east it is customary to eat them, which causes significant damage to the population of the marsh turtle genus.

The sense of smell and vision of such reptiles are well developed. Moving on the ground quite quickly, while swimming beautifully and quickly, and in their movements in the water they are helped by strong limbs.

The paws of marsh turtles are equipped with large claws, which makes it possible for them to easily dig into a layer of leaves or muddy ground. In wildlife, these reptiles hibernate in cold weather. This usually happens in early November and continues until the end of April.

Considered quite rare, marsh turtles ended up in Krasnaya. And although the total number of such animals is quite stable, they have completely disappeared from some habitats where they were found earlier.

Species of bog turtles

The prominent representative of this genus is European marsh turtle. She is the owner of a smooth carapace, which has a round or oval shape.

Its color can be greenish-yellow or black with a pattern, dotted with various combinations of rays and lines, as well as white or yellow spots. When wet, the shell changes color as it dries, from shiny in the sun to a matte finish.

The head of the turtle is pointed and large, and the skin on it and the paws are dark, dotted with spots. Reptiles weigh about one and a half kilograms, and reach approximately 35 cm in size. Moreover, the largest individuals live in Russia.

European bog turtles are divided into 13 subspecies with different habitats. Their individuals differ in appearance, size, color and some other parameters.

Pictured is a European marsh turtle

On the territory of Russia, where five subspecies of such reptiles are distributed, black turtles are mainly found, and individuals with a greenish-yellow shell live under the hot sun of Sicily.

The genus of the described reptiles also includes another species - the American marsh turtle, which has a carapace 25-27 cm long. The main background of the shell is dark olive, and small light spots are clearly visible on it.

Representatives of the fauna from this species have significant similarities with European marsh turtles in terms of appearance and behavior. For a long time, these two species of animals belonged to scientists to the same type, but a deeper study of the genetics and structure of the internal skeleton led to the identification of significant differences in these reptiles, which gave reason to now consider them separate. marsh turtle species.

Care and maintenance of a marsh turtle at home

These reptiles are often kept as pets in their own homes. They can be easily bought or personally caught in their habitats, for which the warm summer months are very suitable.

Domestic marsh turtles are usually smaller in size than individuals found in the wild. Their unpretentiousness allows any, even the most inexperienced owners, to keep them and even have offspring from their pets.

Marsh turtle at home unable to live fully without sunlight. That is why healthy adults in warm summer weather can be let out for a walk in the yard of their own dacha, especially if there is a small artificial pond there.

Pictured is a baby turtle

These reptiles can be kept in pairs, but care behind marsh turtle requires an aquarium with a volume of at least one hundred liters, as well as a place for heating, illuminated by an ultraviolet lamp that heats the environment up to 30 ° C and provides animals with a twelve-hour daylight hours.

Living at home, marsh turtles do not hibernate, and pet owners should know this and not worry about this. To disadvantages marsh turtle keeping refers to its immense aggressiveness. Reptiles are pugnacious to such an extent that they are able to injure each other and even bite off their tails.

They are not friendlier to other pets, not tolerating rivals in the house, especially when it comes to the struggle for food. They are capable of being deceitful and can be, if careless, dangerous to small children. However, turtles are smart enough to reward those who feed them with gratitude.

Pictured is a marsh turtle in a home aquarium

Bog turtle nutrition

The lifespan of such reptiles remains largely a mystery to scientists, and so far there is no consensus on this matter. But, like all representatives of the turtle family, they are long-lived. Experts usually give a figure of 30-50 years, but some biologists believe that marsh turtles, in some cases, are able to live up to 100 years.

Emys orbicularis

Description. A medium-sized turtle up to 23 cm long. The carapace is smooth, oval, slightly convex and connected to the plastron by a movable ligament. Axillary and inguinal shields are absent. The back of the plastron is rounded and does not have a noticeable notch. From above, the shell is colored dark olive or brown-brown, with yellow dots or dashes, from below - dark brown or yellowish. The throat, legs and tail of the turtle are dark, with numerous yellow spots.

Males differ from females in their longer tail and slightly concave plastron; in females, the plastron is flat or slightly convex. In young animals, the carapace is rounded, with a median keel in the posterior part; eyes with red or orange pupils. Within the range, signs of external morphology vary greatly.

Spreading. The bog turtle is common in the South. and Center. Europe, Western Asia, North-West. Africa, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus in the Aral Sea region and in southwestern Turkmenistan (Terentyev and Chernov, 1949).

In Russia, this species is found in the central and southern regions of the European part and in the Caucasus. Small isolated populations of turtles are known in Moscow and the Leningrad region.

Within the species, 13 subspecies are distinguished, of which 5 inhabit the territory of the former USSR. In the European part of Russia, there is a nominative subspecies that occupies most of the species range. In Dagestan and in the basin of the river. Kura (from the mouth to the west to Gori) lives the Iberian tortoise, E.o. iberica Eichwald, 1831 (= E.o. Kurae Fritz, 1994).

Lifestyle. Inhabits forest, steppe and forest-steppe regions. It lives in swamps, ponds, lakes, floodplains, oxbow lakes, canals, preferring flat water bodies. As a rule, the turtle stays close to water bodies, although it can move away from them for a short distance. She swims and dives well, can stay under water for a long time. The number in Transcarpathia is 5-8 individuals per 1 km of the route, in Turkmenistan from 3.2 individuals (rivers of the western Kopetdag) to 11.1 individuals per 1 km along the banks of flat water bodies. The maximum number was noted in the Astrakhan region - 58 individuals on a segment of 150 m, in the Stavropol Territory 75 - 125 ind./ha. In Kalmykia, on the left bank of the Volga, in lakes Turepashye and others, there were 60-75 individuals per 1 km of the coastal strip. In Dagestan, in the delta of the Terek River and in the Agrakhan Bay, there are 20-30 individuals per 100 m of the coastal strip. Active during the day and at dusk. During the day it basks in the sun for many hours, at night it sleeps at the bottom of the reservoir. In case of danger and during wintering, it burrows into the silt. Wintering from late October - early November to April - May. In spring it emerges from wintering at an air temperature of 6-14 o C and a water temperature of 5-10 o C. In warm years it can be active in winter. Mating occurs in late April-early May. The female makes 1-3 clutches per season, depending on the area, from 3-13 white eggs with a calcareous shell measuring 28-39 mm x 12-21 mm. The female lays her eggs in a hole 10 - 17 cm deep. The incubation period lasts 60 - 110 days. Newborns with a carapace length of 20-25 mm hatch from eggs in the Krasnodar Territory from early August to early October. Most of the young do not surface until the next spring.

The turtle eats a variety of foods, mostly of animal origin. On land, the basis of food is insects (most often orthopterans and beetles), nodule and wood lice. In the water, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, tadpoles, frogs and, less often, fish, mostly snails or fry, are harvested. The turtle's diet also includes algae, higher near-water and aquatic plants.

Turtle clutches are devastated by foxes, raccoon dogs, otters and crows. In the Central Black Earth region of Russia, this species has become rare. The reasons for the decline in numbers are associated with the destruction of clutches and the destruction of habitats suitable for laying eggs.

The bog turtle is listed in the Red Books of Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia, protected in many European countries, included in the International Red List (IUCN).

Literature.

Anan'eva et al., 1998; Ataev, 1985; Bannikov, 1951; Bannikov et al., 1977; Guskov et al., 1983; Kireev, 1983; Lukina, 1971; Nikolsky, 1905, 1915; Severtsov, 1855 (quoted from: Severtsov, 1950); Terentiev and Chernov, 1936; 1949; Tertyshnikov, 2002; Tertyshnikov and Vysotin, 1987; Shammakov, 1981; Shcherbak, 1966; Shcherbak, Shcherban, 1980; Bozhansky and Orlova, 1998; Boulenger, 1889; Eichwald, 1831; Fritz, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2003 (detailed bibliography here); Guldenstadt, 1783; Kuzmin, 2002; Mazanaeva and Orlova, 2002; Schneider, 1783.

(Linnaeus, 1758)
(= Emys europaea - Eichwald, 1841; Emys lutaria taurica Mehnert, 1890; Emys orbicularis aralensis Nikolsky, 1915)

Appearance. Maximum length carapace 23 cm. Neck (throat), legs and tail are dark, with numerous yellow spots. shell above dark olive or brown-brown with yellow dots or dashes, below dark brown or yellowish. In males tail longer; their plastron is slightly concave; in females it is flat or slightly convex.

Spreading. The extensive range of the species covers southern and central Europe, Asia Minor and northwestern Africa. On the territory of the former USSR, the marsh turtle is found in the central and southern regions of the European part, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus, in the Aral Sea region eastward to the city of Kzyl-Orda on the Syr-Darya River, the Irgiz and Turgai rivers in Kazakhstan. To the north it is distributed to Lithuania, northern Belarus, in Russia to the Smolensk region, the upper reaches of the Don, the Republic of Mari El, possibly Chuvashia, the middle Volga (Samara region), Bashkiria and the left bank of the Ural River to the Kustanai region in Kazakhstan. Occasional finds of turtles to the north (even if they lay eggs in natural conditions, for example, in the south of the Leningrad Region) are most likely explained by their importation.

Systematics of the species. Currently allocate 13 subspecies united in 5 groups. On the territory of the former USSR live 5 subspecies from two groups.

1. Nominate subspecies with red or orange pupil in males, Emys orbicularis orbkicularis(Linnaeus, 1758) occupies most of its range in the north and east, including northern Crimea, Central Asia, and Kazakhstan. Its synonym is Emys orbicularis aralensis Nikolsky, 1915, described from the shores of the Aral Sea.

2. East Mediterranean tortoise with yellow pupil, Emys orbicularis hellenica(Valenciennes, 1832) inhabits mainly the western coast of the Balkan Peninsula from Albania to the south and the Peloponnese. Relic populations of this subspecies are represented in the south of the Crimea and, probably, on the Aegean coast of Turkey. In most of the Balkans and in Anatolia, there is an intergradation zone with a nominative subspecies.

3. Colchis tortoise, Emys orbicularis colchica Fritz, 1994 with dark colored carapace and smaller head lives in southwestern Transcaucasia, on the Black Sea coast and in eastern Turkey.

4. chicken turtle, Emys orbicularis kurae Fritz, 1994 is distributed in the Caucasus in the basin of the Kura River from the mouth to the west to Gori, and also along the Caspian coast to the north to Dagestan (Makhachkala); the transitional zone to the nominative subspecies is located in Ciscaucasia (region of the Terek, Kuma and Sal rivers).

5. Range persian tortoise, Emys orbicularis orientalis Fritz, 1994 covers the Caspian regions of Iran and western Turkmenistan.

Habitat. The marsh turtle inhabits forest, forest-steppe and steppe regions, where it lives in swamps, floodplains, oxbow lakes, ponds, lakes, rivers, and canals. As a rule, it avoids rivers with a strong current, preferring flat water bodies with sloping banks and vegetation. In the south of Crimea, it is found in mountain rivers with fast currents and waterfalls. It does not rise above 1000 m into the mountains (up to 1400 m in Sicily, and up to 1700 m in Morocco). On land, turtles keep close to a reservoir, but can sometimes move up to 500 m from it. In Azerbaijan, in the Mil steppe, they were once found 7-8 km from the water.

Activity. Animals are active during the day and at dusk. Turtles are fast swimmers, good divers and can stay underwater for long periods of time. They often come ashore and can lie motionless for hours, basking in the sun. In case of danger, they immediately rush into the water and burrow at the bottom.

Reproduction. Turtles after hibernation appear when the water temperature is 5-10°C, and air 6-14°C. They were recorded in March in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, in March-April in Transcarpathia and Ciscaucasia, April-May in the Volga-Kama region. Pairing occurs both on land and in water, in Ciscaucasia in late April - early May. In Dagestan, during the season, the female makes 1-3 clutches (in May, June and July), 5-10 eggs each. In the Stavropol Territory and Azerbaijan, 2 clutches were noted: at the end of May (9-12 eggs each) and in June (from 3 to 13 eggs). In the Krasnodar Territory, mass egg laying takes place from late June to early July; in laying from 5 to 19 eggs. Eggs covered with white calcareous shells have an elongated shape 28-39 mm long and 12-21 mm wide with a weight of about 7-8 g.

Females come ashore in the afternoon, but eggs are laid at night. To choose a suitable place, females can sometimes move away from the reservoir up to 300-400 m. There are cases when eggs were laid on a plowed field. Before laying, the female first clears the area with her head and front paws, moistens it with water stored in the bladder, and then digs a hole with a depth of about 10-17 cm with her hind legs. Its diameter is 5-7 cm from above, and can be up to 13 cm below. Digging a hole takes 1-2 hours. Eggs are laid in batches of 3-4 pieces with an interval of 3-5 minutes, after which the hole is carefully filled.

Incubation period is 70-100 days. Hatching of turtles in the Krasnodar Territory occurs from early August to mid-October. They usually do not emerge from the hole and remain underground until the following spring, subsisting on the nutrients of the yolk sac. Some move to a reservoir where they hibernate. The length of the newly hatched turtles is 22-25 mm.

Maturity occurs at the age of 5-8 years with a shell length of 9-12 cm. The sex ratio is approximately equal.

Nutrition. The composition of food for turtles is very diverse, but mainly of animal origin. On the shore they feed on nods, wood lice, as well as locusts, beetles and other insects. In the water, they catch insects, crustaceans, mollusks, tadpoles and frogs, less often fish, mainly dead fish or fry; can even eat the corpses of waterfowl. In addition, they feed on algae, higher aquatic and near-aquatic plants.

On masonry attack various animals. Their main despoilers are foxes and raccoon dogs, as well as otters and crows.

Wintering. Turtles leave for wintering in mid-October - early November. They overwinter, buried in mud or lying on the bottom of a reservoir. In warm years, they can be active in the winter months.

Number and conservation status. The bog turtle is not uncommon in general, although it appears to be declining in numbers; for example, in the Central Black Earth region of Russia, this species has become very rare. Found in many nature reserves. The species is included in Appendix II of the Berne Convention, as well as in the IUCN list (low risk category), and is protected in many European countries. It is listed in the Red Books of Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Armenia. It does not appear in the Red Books of the former USSR, Russia and other republics.

Similar types. From the Caspian tortoise, with which it coexists in the Caucasus and Turkmenistan, it differs in the color of the head, neck and legs (yellow spots instead of light stripes), the movable connection of the dorsal and ventral shields of the shell, the mobility of the back of the abdominal shield and the absence of a noticeable notch on it.

Ecological Center "Ecosystem" purchase color identification table " Amphibians and reptiles of central Russia"and a computer determinant of reptiles (reptiles) of Russia and the USSR, as well as other methodological materials on animals and plants of Russia(see below).

On our website you can also find information on anatomy, morphology and ecology of reptiles: general characteristics of reptiles, covers,

The snake "population" of the North Caucasus is quite diverse. Both poisonous and harmless, both water and land snakes are found in the region. You can meet them anywhere - from city lawns and reservoirs to mountain slopes. Large representatives of the squamous order, of course, avoid life in settlements, but they may well live in fields along roads. The nature of local snakes, as noted by serpentologists, is rather phlegmatic - they will not rush at a person because of instincts 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.

Vipers

The viper family is the most numerous in the snake estate of the North Caucasus. These snakes are poisonous, and even newborn individuals 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 poison 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 vessels begins, after a couple of days, hemorrhagic blisters appear. If you do not turn to the doctors, you can die from the bite of a real viper.

You can find a poisonous snake in rotten stumps, animal burrows and even bushes. Any sudden movement, scientists say, can be regarded by the snake as a provocation. Therefore, when meeting with a viper, in no case should you 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 spine. The bite of a common viper is rarely fatal, however, it is dangerous to humans. Medicine knows cases when those bitten did not feel 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 the settlements of the Stavropol Territory is small.

Steppe viper. The snake is brown in color with a dark pattern on the 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 water bodies, steppe vipers show themselves as excellent swimmers, and can also climb branches of shrubs and trees. The steppe viper is especially common in Kalmykia.

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

The tortoise is an animal of the chordate type, reptile class, order of the turtle (Testudines). These animals have existed on planet Earth for over 220 million years.

The turtle received its Latin name from the word "testa", meaning "brick", "tile" or "clay vessel". The Russian analogue comes from the Proto-Slavic word čerpaxa, which in turn comes from the modified Old Slavic word "čerpъ", "shard".

Turtle - description, characteristics and photos

turtle shell

A characteristic feature of turtles is the presence of a shell, which is designed to protect the animal from natural enemies. turtle shell consists of dorsal (carapace) and ventral (plastron) parts. The strength of this protective cover is such that it easily withstands a load exceeding the weight of a turtle by 200 times. The carapace consists of two parts: an inner armor made of bone plates, and an outer one made of horny shields. In some species of turtles, the bone plates are covered with dense skin. The plastron was formed thanks to the fused and ossified sternum, clavicles and abdominal ribs.

Depending on the species, the size and weight of the turtle vary significantly.

Among these animals there are giants weighing more than 900 kg with a carapace size of 2.5 meters or more, but there are small turtles whose body weight does not exceed 125 grams, and the shell length is only 9.7-10 cm.

Turtle head and eyes

turtle head has a streamlined shape and medium size, which allows you to quickly hide it inside a safe haven. However, there are species with large heads that do not fit well or not at all in the shell. In some representatives of the genus, the tip of the muzzle looks like a kind of "proboscis" ending in nostrils.

Due to the peculiarities of the way of life on land, the eyes of the turtle look at the ground. In water representatives of the detachment, they are located closer to the crown and are directed forward and upward.

The neck of most turtles is short, however, in some species it can be comparable to the length of the carapace.

Do turtles have teeth? How many teeth does a turtle have?

To bite off and grind food, turtles use a hard and powerful beak, the surface of which is covered with rough bumps that replace teeth. Depending on the type of food, they can be razor-sharp (in predators) or with jagged edges (in herbivores). The ancient turtles that lived 200 million years ago, unlike modern individuals, had real teeth. The tongue of turtles is short and serves only for swallowing, not for capturing food, so it does not protrude.

Limbs and tail of turtles

A turtle has 4 legs in total. The structure and functions of the limbs depend on the lifestyle of the animal. Species that live on land have flattened forelimbs adapted for digging soil, and powerful hind legs. Freshwater turtles are characterized by the presence of leathery membranes between the toes on all four paws that facilitate swimming. In sea turtles, the limbs in the process of evolution were transformed into peculiar flippers, and the size of the front ones is much larger than the back ones.

Almost all turtles have a tail, which, like the head, is hidden inside the shell. In some species, it ends in a nail-like or pointed spike.

Turtles have well-developed color vision, which helps them in finding food, and excellent hearing, which allows them to hear enemies at a considerable distance.

Turtles molt, as do many reptiles. In land species, molting affects the skin in a small amount; in aquatic turtles, molting occurs imperceptibly.

During molting, transparent shields peel off from the shell, and the skin from the paws and neck comes off in tatters.

The life expectancy of a turtle in natural conditions can reach 180-250 years. With the onset of winter cold or summer drought, turtles go into hibernation, the duration of which can exceed six months.

Due to the weakly expressed sexual characteristics of turtles, it is very difficult to determine which of the animals is a “boy” and which is a “girl”. Nevertheless, if you approach the issue with care, having studied some of the external and behavioral characteristics of these exotic and interesting reptiles, then finding out their gender will not seem so difficult.

• shell

In the female, it usually has a more elongated, elongated shape compared to the male.

• Plastron (lower shell)

Turn the turtle over and look at it carefully - the shell from the side of the abdomen closer to the anus in female turtles is flat, in males it is slightly concave (by the way, this nuance facilitates the mating process).

• Tail

In male turtles, the tail is slightly longer, wider and thicker at the base, most often bent down. The tail of the "ladies" is short and straight.

• anal opening (cloaca)

In females, it is somewhat closer to the tip of the tail, shaped like an asterisk or a circle compressed on the sides. In male turtles, the anus is narrow, oblong, or slit-shaped.

• claws

In almost all species, except for the leopard tortoise, the claws of males on the forelimbs are longer than those of females.

• notch at the tail

Male turtles have a V-shaped notch at the back of the shell, which is necessary for mating turtles.

• Behavior

Male turtles are most often more active, and during the mating season they are distinguished by aggressiveness towards the opponent and towards the “lady of the heart”, they chase her, trying to bite, nod their heads in a funny way. The female at this time can calmly observe the "courtship", hiding her head in the shell.

• Some species of turtles have specific differences between females and males, such as color, size, or head shape.

Types of turtles - photo and description

The turtle squad consists of two suborders, divided by the way the animal puts its head into its shell:

• Hidden neck turtles, folding the neck in the form of the Latin letter "S";
• Side-necked turtles, hiding their heads towards one of the front paws.

According to the habitat of turtles, there is the following classification:

• Sea turtles (live in the seas and oceans)
• Land turtles (live on land or in fresh water)
  • Land turtles
  • freshwater turtles

In total, there are more than 328 species of turtles, forming 14 families.

Varieties of land turtles

• Galapagos tortoise (elephant) (Chelonoidis elephantopus)

The length of the shell of these turtles can reach 1.9 meters, and the weight of the turtle can exceed 400 kg. The size of the animal and the shape of the shell depend on the climate. In arid regions, the carapace is saddle-shaped, and the limbs of the reptile are long and thin. The weight of large males rarely exceeds 50 kg. In a humid climate, the shape of the dorsal carapace becomes domed, and the size of the animal increases significantly. The elephant tortoise lives in the Galapagos Islands.

• Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni)

small representative of land turtles. The size of the carapace of males barely reaches 10 cm, females are slightly larger. The color of the shell of this species of turtles is brownish-yellow with a small border along the edges of the horny scutes. The Egyptian tortoise lives in northern Africa and the Middle East.

• Central Asian tortoise (Testudo (Agrionemys) horsfieldii)

a small reptile with a shell size up to 20 cm. The carapace has a rounded shape and is colored in yellowish-brown tones with darker spots of an indefinite shape. On the front limbs, these turtles have 4 fingers. The most popular type of turtle for home keeping, lives about 40-50 years. It lives in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, northeastern Iran, northwestern Pakistan and India.

• leopard turtle (panther turtle) (Geochelone pardalis)

The length of the carapace of this turtle exceeds 0.7 m, and the weight can reach 50 kg. The shell of this species of turtles is high and has a domed shape. Its coloration has sandy-yellow tones, in which young individuals clearly show a spotted pattern of black or dark brown, which disappears as they grow older. This type of turtle lives in Africa.

• Cape spotted turtle ( Homopus Signatus)

world's smallest turtle. The length of her carapace does not exceed 10 cm, and the weight reaches 95-165 grams. Lives in South Africa and southern Namibia.

Types of freshwater turtles

• Painted turtle (decorated turtle) (Chrysemys picta)

A rather small species of turtles with individual sizes from 10 to 25 cm. The upper part of the oval dorsal shell has a smooth surface, and its color can be either olive green or black. The skin has the same color but with different stripes of red or yellow tone. They have leathery membranes between their toes. Lives in Canada and the USA.

• European bog turtle (Emys orbicularis)

The size of individuals can reach up to 35 cm, and weight 1.5 kg. The smooth, oval carapace is movably connected to the plastron and has a slightly convex shape. Representatives of this species have a very long tail (up to 20 cm). The color of the upper shell is brown or olive. The color of the skin is dark with yellow spots. The turtle lives in Europe, the Caucasus, and Asia.

• Red-eared turtle (yellow-bellied turtle) (Trachemys scripta)

The shell of these turtles can be up to 30 cm long. Its bright green coloring in young individuals eventually turns into yellow-brown or olive. Near the eyes on the head there are two spots of yellow, orange or red. This feature gave the species its name. lives in the USA, Canada, in the north-west of South America (in the north of Venezuela and Colombia).

• Cayman turtle (biting) (Chelydra serpentina)

A characteristic feature of the turtle is a cruciform plastron and a long tail, which is covered with scales with small spikes, as well as the skin of the head and neck. The size of the shell of these turtles can reach 35 cm, and the weight of an adult animal is 30 kg. The caiman tortoise waits out unfavorable conditions in hibernation. This turtle lives in the USA and in the southeast of Canada.

Sea turtle species

• Turtle hawksbill (true carriage) (Eretmochelys imbricata)

The carapace of these turtles has the shape of a heart up to 0.9 m in size. The upper layer of the shell is painted in brown tones with a pattern in the form of multi-colored spots. In young individuals, the horny plates overlap each other like tiles, but as it grows, the overlap disappears. The front flippers of the animal are equipped with two claws. The hawksbill lives both in the latitudes of the northern hemisphere and in the southern countries.

• Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

it is the largest tortoise in the world. The span of its front flipper-like limbs reaches 2.5 meters, the mass of reptiles is more than 900 kg, and the dimensions of the shell exceed 2.6 m. The surface of the upper shell is covered not with keratinized plates, but with dense skin, for which the species got its name. The turtle lives in the tropical regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

• Green turtle (soup turtle) (Chelonia mydas)

The weight of the turtle ranges from 70 to 450 kg, and the size of the shell is from 80 to 150 cm. The color of the skin and carapace can be either olive with a green tint or dark brown with various spots and stripes of white or yellow. The tortoise shell has a small height and oval shape, and its surface is covered with large horny shields. Due to the large size of the head, these reptiles do not hide it inside. The green turtle lives in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.