How to care for an aquatic turtle at home. How to train a dog at home

14.06.2019

Turtle species are diverse and numerous, there are more than three hundred of them on Earth, they are grouped into 14 families and three suborders. Reptiles can be divided into land and water. The latter can be freshwater and marine.

These are the oldest animals on Earth that lived before the appearance of people. Usually in wild nature they live in the tropics and temperate climates. Many people love to keep turtles at home.

Who is most likely to be found at home?

Among the most popular types of domestic turtles are the following:

Central Asian tortoise.
Red-eared turtle.
European swamp.
Far Eastern Trionics(Chinese).
Musk.

Turtles kept at home should not freeze, they are thermophilic. The temperature that they need to provide should not be lower than 25 degrees Celsius.

earth reptiles

All kinds of popular types land turtles have significant differences in appearance, but there is little strict classification in appearance.

Scientists know three main suborders of turtles:

hidden neck - the most adapted to life;
lateral neck;
shieldless.

The first two species owe their name to the methods of retracting the head: in the hidden neck - vertical, in the side neck - horizontal. Turtles appeared during the Middle Triassic.

Side-necked turtles inhabit only Southern Hemisphere. Hidden neck turtles live everywhere - in deserts, forest-steppes (maybe in water). They eat animal and plant foods. Universal reptiles.

Central Asian

Clumsy slow, frequent inhabitant of city apartments. This species is listed in the Red Book, they are forbidden to be sold, but who stops: in pet stores they are all the time ... In natural conditions This species lives in Central Asia.

Despite the fact that outwardly they can be confused with other species, the land tortoises of the Central Asian "breed" have their own characteristics. Light-colored shell with dark shields, four-fingered limbs. The terrarium should be maintained at a temperature of about 30 degrees. These reptiles love open space, so they will live longer.

mediterranean

Outwardly, she looks like a Central Asian "sister". This species includes about 20 more subspecies, they can be found in different climatic conditions in various regions of the world. They are fans a large number direct rays of the sun. Their shell sizes and colors are different. Its maximum diameter is 35 centimeters. The back of the animal contains horny tissues in the form of a tubercle. The front paws are five-fingered, the hind legs are spurred. In an apartment with such a turtle, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 25-30 degrees.

Egyptian

Head in the sand... Not only ostriches and not only the head do this. Do you know what type of turtle is common in Egypt? It is the little Egyptian turtle that, at the slightest danger, immediately burrows into a hot, saving sandy hole. The reptile "wears" a shell that does not exceed 12 cm in diameter. The shield has a yellow color with a dark frame. It is also characterized by the absence of spurs on the hind legs. Most often, in addition to Egypt, they are found in Israel.

Balkan

Visually, it cannot be distinguished from the Mediterranean breed, the difference is only in the diameter of the shell, it is smaller and does not exceed 20 cm. Light, with dark patches, it darkens with age, this distinguishes the Balkan from other types of turtles. The photo shows another of its features: a spike at the end of the tail.

Balkan reptiles live mainly in Southern Europe, in coastal areas, while those that live in the west are smaller in size than those living in the eastern part. They can be kept in captivity at temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius.

Freshwater turtles. Musk

If you are going to start aquarium turtle, remember that they need a "house" with a volume of 200 liters or more.

This baby does not exceed 10 cm in length and is rightfully considered one of the smallest domestic turtles. The musky reptile has unusual color: her torso is dark in color, and on her neck there are bright light stripes leading to her head. It looks very unusual and contrasting.

For home content, this is perhaps the most unpretentious breed of the rest. She doesn't need special conditions, and she eats almost everything in a row - crustaceans, fish, grass, and cabbage - she is omnivorous.

As for the aquarium - she needs to provide loneliness. Do not add fish to her and do not put algae there, she will simply eat them! Spare no water for the aquarium and provide an island of land in it, which is necessary for all turtles.

Bolotnaya

Visually, this type of turtle is distinguished by a low and smooth shell, dark, with a greenish tint and light spots over the entire surface.

This individual is listed in the Red Book.

The turtle is characterized by thumbs with sharp claws and a considerable tail, which is about 70% of the entire body in length. The reptile itself is no more than 35 cm, and its weight is approximately 500 grams.

They can often be found in apartments and houses, some specific features they are no different. The breed has about 13 subspecies. They are freely sold in pet stores, do not require special care. Marsh turtles eat both fish and plant foods. They need an aquarium with a volume of 100 liters or more, while an island of land can reach 50% of the volume of the entire aquarium.

AT vivo the best place lakes and ponds are considered to be inhabited by marsh turtles; these reptiles are especially active during the day.

red-eared

This is the most popular turtle species and is often found in captivity. Includes about 15 subspecies, which are also called "decorated". Due to spots of red or yellow color in the area of \u200b\u200bthe ears, she got her name.

Reptiles grow in length by 18-30 centimeters. The color of the shells of young individuals has a light shade, on the body there are characteristic green stripes. Males have more powerful claws and tail, which makes them different from females.

Feel great at temperatures up to 32 degrees. These are rather lazy and slow turtles, for their maintenance you need to buy large terrarium or an aquarium with a volume of at least 200 liters.

Silty or heady

This turtle is different unusual shape heads. The size of the animal in length is 18 centimeters. Its carapace is small compared to its paws and head. The animal bites painfully, its teeth penetrate deeply into the tissues. Therefore, before you get such a pet at home, think about whether it is worth putting yourself in danger.

Chinese trionyx

An unusual, exceptional tortoise with a soft, leathery green shell without scutes. Does not grow more than 20 cm.

There is another amazing feature of them - a trunk instead of the usual nose, and three fingers on the paws. Thrionix's jaw has dangerous sharp edges, thanks to which the animal grabs prey in the water.

In China and Japan, these turtles are eaten with pleasure, their meat is valued and equated with delicacies. Trionyx itself feeds on fish and crustaceans.

If you decide to keep one at home, remember that this is an active, fast-reacting turtle, and it can be aggressive and bite. It is very difficult to tame her. For its maintenance, buy a spacious 250-liter aquarium with a thick layer of soil on the bottom and fill it with water.

Caspian tortoise

This type of turtle is distinguished by medium size (about 30 cm), as well as a flat and oval appearance of a greenish shell with yellow stripes, which are also found on the head, tail and paws.

They are found in both fresh and salt water, the main habitat condition is the sandy bottom and vegetation on the coast. These turtles can climb high into the mountains and their life expectancy is about 30 years. For keeping at home, follow temperature regime set for all turtles (30 degrees).

There are seven types of sea turtles

These individuals live mainly in tropical and subtropical seas. The females come ashore for several hours and lay their eggs.

Differ marine reptiles low flat bone shells with horny plates at the top, flippers instead of legs. Examples include green and loggerhead hawksbill.

Once every few minutes, turtles come up to take a breath of air. Their organs of vision and smell are well developed, with their help reptiles look for food, they can detect both enemies and a mating partner. They have no teeth, they bite off and grind food with powerful horny beaks.

Unique sea turtle

Among the huge number of categories and species of turtles, the name "leather sea" stands apart. Some distinguish it in a separate suborder. Its shell consists of separate horny shields and is covered with leather. It is not attached to the spine and ribs; the leatherback turtle cannot retract its head into the shell.

The tortoise is an animal of the chordate type, reptile class, turtle order (lat. 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.

characteristic feature turtles have a shell that 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, certain types it can be compared with 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. At 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 rear 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 ( Bottom part 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. Almost all species except leopard turtle, 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 in mating season they are distinguished by aggressiveness towards the opponent and towards the “lady of the heart”, they pursue 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 that fold their necks in the form 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)(lat. 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(lat. Testudo kleinmanni) is a 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.

(lat. Testudo (Agrionemys) horsfieldii) is a small reptile with a carapace size of up to 20 cm. The carapace has a rounded shape and is colored in yellowish-brown tones with darker spots of 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. inhabits Central Asian tortoise in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, northeastern Iran, northwestern Pakistan and India.

leopard turtle (panther turtle)(lat. 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 tortoise(lat. Homopus Signatus) - the smallest turtle in the world. 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)(lat. Chrysemys picta). A rather small species of turtles with individual sizes from 10 to 25 cm. Top part the oval dorsal carapace 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 (lat. 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 are very a long tail(up to 20 cm). The color of the upper shell is brown or olive. Skin color is dark with yellow spots. The turtle lives in Europe, the Caucasus, and Asia.

. 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. The red-eared turtle lives in the USA, Canada, in the north-west of South America (in the north of Venezuela and Colombia).

Cayman turtle (biting)(lat. 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. Unfavourable conditions the caiman turtle is hibernating. This turtle lives in the USA and in the southeast of Canada.

Types of sea turtles.

Turtle hawksbill (true carriage)(lat. 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(lat. Dermochelys coriacea) is the most big turtle 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)(lat. 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. Because of big size the heads of these reptiles do not hide it inside. The green turtle lives in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Often the establishment of a turtle is a spontaneous decision. A sudden purchase or gift - and you have a new pet at home, about which you know little. Of course, a lot of questions immediately arise about how to keep a turtle, how to feed it, whether it is healthy, whether it sleeps a lot or not. You can find answers to these questions in this article.

What is your turtle?

Most often, 4 types of turtles fall into the hands of Russians:

Aquatic red-eared turtle (a green turtle with red "ears", which are passed off as pygmy),
- aquatic marsh turtle (black turtle with yellow spots on the whole body and shell, they are often found on the street),
- Central Asian land tortoise (beige-greenish tortoise with a low shell),
- land Mediterranean tortoise (darker in color and with a higher shell, they can be found in nature and, unfortunately, on sale in the Krasnodar Territory).

Any turtle is as wild an animal as a lizard, snake or crocodile and requires the same serious attitude. Turtles are kept in glass terrariums or aquariums, or in large plastic containers. Turtles must not be kept on the floor, in a cage or in a cardboard box, as this is fraught with injuries and health problems in this reptile.

The land tortoise needs a terrarium with a large layer of soil (usually soft hay or sawdust), a 40-60 W incandescent lamp and a 10-12% UVB reptile lamp. The UV lamp should be changed once a year or more often. Soil is needed so that the turtle can dig into it completely, and lamps to simulate the sun - heat and ultraviolet rays so that calcium is absorbed. The size of the terrarium is from 80x50x40 cm for one adult turtle.

An aquatic turtle needs an aquarium with a spacious bank, a good internal or external filter (the filter should be rated for 2-3 times the volume of the water in the aquarium), a 40-60 W incandescent lamp and a 5-10% UVB reptile UV lamp . If the house is cold, then a water heater is needed to maintain the water temperature - 22-24 C. Lamps are installed above the shore, where the turtle will go out to warm itself. The volume of the aquarium is from 100 liters per adult turtle.

What to feed the turtle?

Aquatic turtles are fed a variety of foods similar to the natural diet, these are: aquatic insects (bloodworm, daphnia, tubifex, coretra), land insects (crickets, locusts, zofobas, wood lice, grasshoppers, earthworms, snails (Achatina and aquarium), raw lean River fish with bones and entrails, beef liver, raw shrimps, Reptomin dry food. All food is given raw at room temperature. Adults red-eared turtles also give plant food(lettuce, dandelions, plantain) in between feedings with animal feed.

It is better to feed the turtles in the morning and in a separate feeding bowl, so as not to spoil the water in the aquarium. Small turtles are fed every day, but as soon as the turtle grows to 7-8 cm, it is necessary to transfer to food every other day.

Land tortoises are fed plants and occasionally vegetables. In summer, plants (dandelions, goutweed, plantain, nettle, yasnotka, clover and many others) can be collected in the forest or in the country, and for the winter they are dried and frozen, adding store salad to them in winter. Once a week, skulls can be given vegetables (grated carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, sweet peppers). Also, once a week, turtles with food are given vitamin and calcium supplements in the form of powder, which is sprinkled on the food. This is necessary so that the turtles do not get sick, and their shell is hard.

What can't you feed a turtle?

In no case should you feed turtles with meat, human food (cottage cheese, eggs, sausage, bread, cheese, etc.), cat or dog food, give them milk, cook food for them, oily fish. It is undesirable to give berries, fruits, white cabbage, tomatoes, radishes.

How long does a turtle live?

Turtles of small size - up to 25 cm (they just include red-eared, marsh, Central Asian, Mediterranean turtles) live for about 40-50 years, so you need to be prepared that this animal is not for a couple of years.

Boy or girl?

If you want to know what gender your turtle is, you will have to wait until it grows up. The sexual maturity of turtles occurs at about 4 years and at a length of about 10 cm. The males of all turtles grow a large long tail. At red-eared males claws grow very long, in the marsh and Mediterranean on the lower shell you can see a concavity, also in the marsh males, the eyes turn from yellow to brown.

Is it expensive and difficult to keep a turtle?

Compared to cats and dogs, no. It is enough to immediately buy a large aquarium or terrarium, and it will serve the turtle for a lifetime. You will only have to change the soil and equipment as it fails. Turtles do not need to be walked, they get sick when proper care they are rarer than mammals, they are not vaccinated.

What to do if the turtle is sick?

If your turtle has been refusing food for more than a week, is not eating well, is inactive, looks strange - you should contact a herpetologist (reptile specialist) veterinarian. There are not many such veterinarians, and they are not accepted in every veterinary clinic. You can find the nearest veterinarian to you online.

What else do you need to know about turtles?

It is recommended that tortoises be bathed once a week in lukewarm water for an hour. The depth of the water is up to the middle of the shell.
In summer, at temperatures above 20 C, it is recommended to walk both aquatic and terrestrial turtles for at least an hour in the sun, but the turtle should be able to go into the shade so as not to overheat.
If you can no longer keep your turtle, then you do not need to let it out or toss it to the neighbors. Look for those who want to take it on the forums and message boards, for sure someone will be found.
Not all turtles get along well, so consider buying several turtles at once. And even worse, turtles get along with dogs. Such acquaintances often lead to severe injuries in reptiles.

Turtles are very interesting and intelligent animals. This is not just a "stone with legs", but a creature for observation and admiration, as aquarium fish, but with the ability to pick up, stroke. With proper care, the turtle will remain active and beautiful and delight the owner for many years.

It has now become fashionable to have exotic animals at home, such as a turtle. These exotic representatives of the flora are aquatic and terrestrial. If you take care of them correctly, then keeping the turtle will not cause big problems.

Many mistakenly believe that a land tortoise can easily move around the apartment and does not need its own house. However, it is worth considering some points:

Therefore, the land must have its own place to stay. best home for her is a special terrarium. He is sure must be horizontal, about 60 cm long and 40 cm wide. Such big sizes This animal needs a terrarium for free movement and you should not cover it too much with branches and sticks.

The bottom of the terrarium is covered with a special coating, which is easy to care for. You can use a mixture of sand and clay, coarse gravel, hay or sawdust. Some people mix these types of fillers. The optimum layer thickness should be three centimeters.

Land tortoise care includes heating and lighting the terrarium. These animals in their natural habitat receive ultraviolet radiation in sufficient quantities. Lack of sunlight at home contributes to disease in these animals, therefore, two types of lamps are installed above the terrarium.

An incandescent lamp maintains the required temperature in the terrarium. Its power should be 60-100 W and it should be installed at a distance of 35 centimeters from the surface. As a result, half or 1/3 of the area of \u200b\u200bthe terrarium will be illuminated, and the temperature under the lamp should be about 35 degrees. The temperature in an unlit place is usually in the range of 24 degrees.

The ultraviolet lamp provides the turtle with vitamin D and promotes the absorption of calcium, which is so necessary for its growth. If it is not installed, the animal often develops rickets and other serious illnesses. The lamp is installed 40 cm directly above the turtle, because the glass makes it difficult for the healing rays to penetrate and the effectiveness of the lamp may not be as great.

In order to maintain the temperature in the terrarium all day long, a flat stone is placed under the lamp. It retains heat well from the switched on lamp and gives it away when it is turned off.

Feeding the tortoise

Thus, the diet of the land tortoise usually includes following products supply:

As additives, turtles are given special dry food, sunflower seeds, dry seaweed, bran and soybean meal.

By the way, the turtle can be given the following products only 1-2 times a month: dry sea kale, horseradish, dry yeast, onion, herbs, bran, garlic, rhubarb and asparagus. You can feed her once a week. minced meat or seafood.

It is strictly forbidden to feed this animal with potatoes, poisonous mushrooms, eggshells, grasshoppers, crickets, locusts. Also, do not give her bread, cereals, milk, citrus peels, berries and fruit seeds.

Turtles need to be constantly fed fresh food. drinking water. Can buy a special drinker or install a heavy ceramic container in the terrarium. To keep the water constantly warm, the drinker should be placed under the lamp.

Hygiene of a land tortoise at home

Caring for turtles also means keeping them clean. They often get dirty by digging in the soil that fills the bottom of the terrarium, and the skin around the mouth is contaminated with food particles. That is why they should be constantly bathed. For this warm water is used, to which baking soda is added (1 teaspoon of soda is placed per 1 liter of water). Water is poured into a shallow bath and the turtle is immersed in it, leaving only the head on the surface.

At first the animal begins to worry, then calms down and freezes. After 20 minutes, it is removed and left to dry, after which the skin is smeared with a small amount of olive oil. The air temperature in the room where the turtle is bathed should be 23 degrees; at a lower temperature, it can catch a cold.

Caring for a land tortoise includes personal hygiene. Categorically it is forbidden to wash the feeder and drinker in the kitchen sink.

How long can tortoises live?

The life expectancy of turtles at home is somewhat different than that of those living in natural environment habitat. Such a variety of domestic land tortoise, like the Central European one, can live up to 40 years, while it practically does not get sick. Other species reach the age of 20 years, and land species live longer than waterfowl.

Thus, keeping and caring for a turtle at home is not so difficult. Therefore, you can safely buy it for your child.

Not everyone is aware that the land tortoise, so familiar and common as pet, is listed in the Red Book. It is very responsible to be the owner of such a rare Central Asian reptile in nature. You need to know a lot about care and proper maintenance, nutrition and other things. Mistakes of many owners of turtles end very sadly for the latter.

Types of land turtles

In general, when talking about land turtles, one must keep in mind not only the most common Central Asians in our homes. In nature, there are 37 species representatives of this family. Most of them are Africans. The most familiar land turtles for us, common species that have taken root as pets are as follows:

A land tortoise at home requires a responsible attitude to the conditions of detention. Many mistakenly release it "on free bread" throughout the apartment. This is fundamentally wrong and unacceptable. First, you can step on it and cause injury. Secondly, the turtle will definitely climb into a dark corner, inhale the dust there, which will harm its lungs. Thirdly, if you do not find her hiding place, she will sit there hungry. Fourthly, drafts often “walk” on the floor, and turtles need a special warm and humid climate. Therefore, she needs her own home - a terrarium.

Terrarium for tortoise

Regardless of the species, they should be spacious so that the animal moves calmly, they should have a substrate of sand, gravel, straw, pressed sawdust 5-7 cm thick. natural environment live in hot areas, the air temperature in the terrarium should not fall below + 25 ° C. A shallow pan with water is desirable in the terrarium, so that sometimes the land tortoise can carry out water procedures.

House for land tortoise

Because turtles sleep most days and prefer dark and secluded places for this, you need to build something like a house for them. It may be inverted flower pot with a slot, a wooden box placed upside down, or even thick cardboard folded as a shelter. It is better to give preference to materials that can be washed, since the maintenance of a land tortoise includes constant monitoring of the cleanliness of its habitat.

Tortoise lamp

Above the terrarium, a lamp for lighting and heating with a power of no more than 60 watts should be lit, as well as a fluorescent lamp to obtain the necessary ultraviolet radiation. Once every six months, the UV lamp must be replaced with a new one. Keeping tortoises without lamps can result in health problems for the pet. Ultraviolet is necessary for the assimilation of calcium and a strong shell, and an ordinary lamp is necessary for heating the air to the desired temperature.

Land tortoise care

Any land tortoise needs proper care, which includes maintaining the cleanliness of its home, itself, ensuring the right lifestyle. So, how to care for a land tortoise:

regularly and variedly feed in accordance with one or another habitual diet;
bathing in warm water every week - this gives land turtles great pleasure, in addition, it helps to increase appetite and good bowel function;
take care of the claws - in captivity they do not have time to grind down as they grow, therefore they need to be cut off periodically with a special nail cutter;
take out for walks Fresh air- in warm and sunny days it is very useful to give the turtle the opportunity to walk in the open air, but you just need to keep an eye on it, because it can disappear from view in the depths of grasses in a very short time.

What to feed a land tortoise?

A natural question for novice turtle lovers is at home? Their main diet is plant foods - berries, fruits, vegetables, grass. It is best to feed them with a mixture of different ingredients - so their diet will be varied and balanced. You can put food on a flat saucer, the main thing is that it is convenient for the turtle to eat from it. Vegetable and fruit menu summer time you can and should diversify with clover, dandelions, sorrel, sprouted oats, pea leaves.

Vitamins for tortoises

Vitamin and mineral supplements are desirable in the diet of home-grown tortoises. As mineral additives carbonate, bone meal, ground eggshell, glycerophosphate can act. They should be given at the rate of 100 mg per 1 kg of animal weight. As for vitamins, the Central Asian domestic tortoise needs natural sources of vitamins A, B12 and D3. Do not give her oil preparations and vitamin D2. She must get everything she needs from food.

How to determine the sex of a land tortoise?

You can definitely when she was 1.5-2 years old, that is, sexual maturity has come. Here are a number of distinctive signs by which you can judge the gender of a reptile:

claws. In males, they are thicker and sharper. This is necessary to fix their body during mating. Females have shorter and blunter claws.
Shell. In males, the lower part - the plastron - has a concave shape, in addition, they have spurs (skin growths) on their thighs. All this is due to the need to stay on the female during mating. The shape of the shell itself is also somewhat different: in females it is rounded, in males it is oblong.
Tail. The reproductive organ of turtles is located in the tail. In the male, it is larger, wider at the base, while in the female, the tail is short and thin.
Animal size. The land tortoise at home is determined by sex and due to its size. Nature made the female larger because she needs to bear offspring. When several individuals of approximately the same age live in an aquarium at the same time, such a difference is obvious.
Eye color. Females have yellow eyes, males have brown eyes.