In the family of land turtles (lat. Testudinidae), 10-13 genera are distinguished (depending on taxonomy), including about 40 species.

About 20 species of land tortoises live in Africa and 8 species in Southeast Asia. Several species can be found in Southern Europe, 3 species in South America and 2 species in North America. Most species of land turtles inhabit deserts, steppes and savannahs. Individual species can also be found in wooded areas.

Among land turtles, there are both giant forms, reaching a meter or more in length, and small animals 10-12 cm long.

The shell of these terrestrial animals is high, less often flattened. The head and thick columnar legs are covered with scutes and scales.

All land turtles are slow and clumsy. Unlike freshwater turtles, in case of danger, they do not flee, but use only a means of passive protection - the shell.

In the wild, tortoises feed mainly on a variety of green vegetation, with only occasional invertebrates. If succulent vegetation is present in the diet, they can do without water for a long time, but if possible they drink with pleasure.

The central genus of the family of terrestrial tortoises is the terrestrial tortoises (Testudo). These turtles are widely distributed in Africa, South America, South and West Asia, and also in Southern Europe. Apparently, the once numerous giant tortoises can be considered the most ancient varieties, rare specimens of which can still be found today in the Galapagos and Seychelles.

Lives on the Galapagos Islands (Testudo elerhantopus). Adult individuals weigh about 100 kg, and the weight of individual giants can reach 400 kg.

Testudo elehantopus

Various geographic forms giant tortoise(Testudo gigantea) 200 years ago met in the Seychelles, Madagascar, on about. Rodriguez and on about. Isabela. Unfortunately, fishing for these majestic animals has led to their extinction on most of the islands. Today they can only be found on the Aldabra Atoll.

Both Testudo elerhantopus and Testudo gigantea are unsurpassed giants of the tortoise world, however, other representatives of this genus can be quite impressive in size. We are talking about African spur(Testudo sulсata) and panther(Testudo pardalis) turtles, whose shell length can reach 70 cm.

Leopard or panther turtles are native to the savannas of South and East Africa. Their habitats are characterized by a large amount of diverse vegetation, where they prefer grassy areas overgrown with undersized shrubs. These turtles are able to climb mountains up to 2000 m above sea level. The main background of the panther tortoise carapace is sandy yellow. Juveniles have a dark brown pattern on the scutes of the carapace.

The African spurred tortoise is often confused with the Mediterranean tortoise with a spur on its thigh. The latter is not only much smaller in size, but also has completely different habitat requirements. The length of the African spurred tortoise can reach 83 cm, and the maximum recorded weight is 105 kg. Keeping a spur turtle at home is only possible if you live in a hot and dry climate and can provide the animal with a large area for grazing outside the house. This species of turtle digs huge holes and can dig under fences and house walls. The spur-bearing turtle requires a lot of fresh vegetation as food.

Another rather rather big turtle (the length of the shell can reach 50 cm) with great coloring is Madagascar radiant tortoise(Testudo radiata) Its high domed black carapace is decorated with bright yellow rays stretching to the edges of the shields. In addition to this species, Madagascar is home to Madagascar beak-breasted tortoise(Testudo yniphora) and a flat turtle (Testudo planiсauda), which is distinguished by its miniature size (shell length is not more than 12 cm). The same tiny South African knobby turtle(Testudo tentoria). The southern regions of the mainland are also inhabited by two larger species - beak-breasted turtle(Testudo angulata) and geometric turtle(Testudo geometrika).

The northern regions of Africa cannot boast the same species diversity of turtles as the southern ones. In North Africa, only 2 species of the genus Testudo are found: the Mediterranean tortoise (Testudo graeca) and the Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleimanni).

mediterranean tortoise in addition to North Africa, it is found in Asia Minor, in southern Spain, in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, in the east of the Balkan Peninsula, in Iran. Prefers to live in semi-deserts, steppes, mountain slopes and dry sparse forests. The shell of the Mediterranean tortoise is convex, yellow or olive in color with dark spots on the scutes. There are spurs on the thighs. The length of the shell can reach 35 cm. The basis of the diet is various vegetation, but if possible, it also eats invertebrates. The Mediterranean tortoise is often kept at home. It is relatively unpretentious and, with an abundance of warmth and proper feeding, lives in captivity for decades.

(Testudo kleinmanni) lives in the deserts of Northeast Africa. The length of the carapace of this baby is only about 12 cm. The carapace is colored yellow with dark spots. In danger, the "Egyptian" quickly burrows into the sand.

Testudo kleinmanni

Central Asian tortoise(Tеstudo horsfieldi) lives in the steppes of Central Asia, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the north-west of India, as well as in the southern regions of Kazakhstan. You can meet her in sandy and clay deserts with thickets of vegetation, on cultivated lands and in river valleys. In the foothill areas, it is able to rise up to 1200 m above sea level.

Today, turtle lovers most often find this particular variety. The most important thing when keeping a Central Asian tortoise at home is an abundance of heat and light. green leaves, edible flowers, vegetables and fruits. With a clear regime, they quickly get used to the place and time of feeding.

In winter, it is recommended to lay the Central Asian tortoise.

Kinix Turtles(genus Kinihys)live in the tropical regions of Central Africa. This genus has a very original shell structure: the posterior third of the carapace (the underside of the shell) is connected to the main part of the transverse tendon layer. They use this feature at the moment of danger as a defense mechanism for soft, fleshy parts. The largest turtle of this genus, the toothed kinix (Kinixys erosa), reaches a length of 30 cm. Without experience, it is rather difficult.

flat turtles(genus Homorus) includes 4 species. They live in South Africa, where they are found in semi-deserts and dry woodlands. These are one of the smallest land turtles (the length of the shell is about 10-11 cm). The largest species in this genus, Homorus femoralis, grows up to a maximum of 15 cm.

Another miniature turtle (Pyhis arachnoides), whose shell length does not exceed 10 cm, lives in the west of Madagascar. spider turtle can be found in dry savanna woodlands or in thickets of shrubs. The anterior part of the reptile plastron is movably connected to the main part by means of a transverse tendon ligament. This feature allows the animal to close in front when attacked by predators.

Another genus close to land turtles is the gopher (Gorherus). This genus is represented by (Gorherus roluphemus), which lives in the southern regions of the United States and in northern Mexico, where it is found in dry sandy areas, dunes, and pine woodlands on the sands. This species differs from terrestrial turtles in flattened strong front legs and wide and short claws, which are adapted to digging the ground (they can dig holes from 3 to 12 m). Gopher turtles reach a length of 34 cm. The low, sometimes slightly tuberculate shell is painted brown with light, indistinct spots.

Gorherus

Lives in Tanzania and Kenya elastic turtle(Malacochersus tornieri), which has a very unusual appearance. Its shell is formed by thin perforated bone plates and is soft to the touch. The underside of the carapace is strongly flattened and cut off almost vertically at the back, while the marginal shields protrude backward like toothed lobes. The elastic turtle perfectly climbs and climbs between stones, and in case of danger it hides under stones or in crevices of rocks. When you try to get it out of the gap, it jams with your feet, and perhaps even swells slightly.

All turtles are associated with the eternal slowness inherent in these reptiles, but not everyone knows that turtles are one of the oldest representatives of the animal world of our planet. These creatures have been living on Earth for more than 220 million years, yes, they are the same age as the extinct dinosaurs. The very name of the word "tortoise" comes from the Old Slavic "shard", "tile", similarly, the Latin name of the turtle - "testa" is translated as "tile", obviously, the turtles were called that due to the similarity of their shells to the tile itself.

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

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

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

What size turtle?

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

Turtle head and eyes

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

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

Vision in turtles is well developed, even more, turtles, like humans, have color vision, they can distinguish colors, very few animals have this gift. Also, nature gave them excellent hearing, allowing them to hear potential enemies at a distance.

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

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

Tortoise limbs and tails

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

Also, almost all turtles have a tail. The turtle's tail is also able to hide in the shell, like the head. And interestingly, some turtles have a real pointed spike at the tip of the tail, which serves as another means of protection from enemies.

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

How long do turtles live

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

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

Where do turtles live

Turtles live in all tropical regions, as well as some places with a temperate climate. Sea turtles swim in the warm oceans of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. They are not only near the Arctic and Antarctica, which is natural, because all turtles love warmth.

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

What do turtles eat in nature?

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

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

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

Turtle Enemies

Speaking of enemies, under natural conditions, the main enemies of the turtle are some birds of prey (eagles), which grab small turtles, raise them to a great height, from there they throw them onto stones and peck out their insides from a split shell.

An interesting fact: the great ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus died an extremely ridiculous death, he was killed by a tortoise that fell on his head. The eagle, which lifted the tortoise to a height, mistook the bald head of the playwright for a large stone suitable for breaking the tortoise shell.

Death of Aeschylus by an eagle and a tortoise.

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

When the turtle hibernates

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

How to determine the sex of a turtle

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

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

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

3. Tail, in males the tail is longer and wider at the base, while in "turtle ladies" the tail is straight and short.

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

Types of turtles, photos and names

The family of turtles is divided into two suborders, divided by the way turtles put their heads in their shells:

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

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

Below we take a closer look at some of the most interesting types of turtles.

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

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

This is a small turtle, living respectively in Asia, has a rounded shell and is painted in yellow-brown tones with dark spots. The shell size of this turtle averages 10 cm. It is also one of the most popular types of turtles for keeping at home.

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

Notable for being the smallest turtle in the world. The length of her shell is not more than 10 cm, with a weight of up to 165 grams. Lives in South Africa.

Types of freshwater turtles

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

This small turtle lives in the waters of Europe and a number of Asian countries, its shell is 35 cm long and weighs 1.5 kg. It has a brown or olive color of the shell, as well as a very long tail, like for turtles.

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

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

Sea turtle species

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

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

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

turtle breeding

The mating season for turtles occurs at different times depending on the species. However, for all turtles, it goes in a similar way: males arrange real battles for the right to mate with a female. How do turtles fight? Very simply, the land ones try to turn the enemy over with a shell strike, and the water ones beat and bite each other with their beaks. Only after driving away a potential rival, the male turtle begins courting his “lady”, forcing her to take a position convenient for mating itself.

Some time after mating, the female turtle lays eggs of a spherical or elliptical shape, from which little turtles will be born. Turtles dig special holes for their eggs, and sometimes they can even use crocodile nests.

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

After hatching, little turtles begin to fight for survival, not all will survive to adulthood, turtle fry are an excellent target for various predators, especially birds of prey.

How to care for a turtle at home

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

So, what are the rules for caring for turtles. Firstly, in the habitat of turtles, it is necessary to keep a thermometer to control the air temperature and a thermometer to control the water temperature (if it is an aquatic turtle in an aquarium).

The water in the aquarium for turtles must either be cleaned with filters, and if they are not, then change every day. Maintaining the hygiene of aquatic turtles is to remove algae from their shells. But land turtles need to be bathed daily in warm water, washing away dirt and food debris from them. Also in winter, it is desirable to irradiate the turtles a little with the rays of a quartz lamp, thus creating a kind of sunbathing.

How to feed a turtle at home

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

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

It is necessary to feed adult turtles once a day, young animals twice a day and once a week to arrange the so-called unloading day.

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

Turtle video

And in conclusion, your attention is an interesting documentary about turtles.

The Galapagos tortoise is most commonly referred to as the elephant tortoise. The life expectancy of these reptiles is very long. There are cases when elephant turtles lived up to 400 years or more. The areas of distribution of the large Galapagos tortoise are savannahs, broad-leaved forests and shrub plains located in a tropical natural zone.

APPEARANCE

The shell of an elephant tortoise can reach 1.5 m in length and 0.5 m in height. The body weight of adults is from 150 to 400 kg.

Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: males are much larger than females. The paws of the elephant tortoise are strong and thick, with short powerful fingers.

Compared to water turtles, land turtles are not as agile, so in case of danger they hide inside the shell, rather than flee.

There are no webbing between the fingers. The neck is thin. The dorsal carapace is black, covered with small, weakly expressed mounds. In adults, the shell is covered with lichen.

Galopagos tortoise

LIFESTYLE

Elephant turtles are herbivores. Their diet includes grass, green parts of plants. Turtles that live on the lava plains of the Galapagos get their food on the plateaus formed on the site of an extinct volcano. Such plateaus provide turtles with an abundance of fresh water that accumulates in the depressions of the volcano.

The large size of the elephant tortoise makes it impossible to keep it at home.

Turtle mediterranean

The Mediterranean tortoise is a small land animal, the size of which in adulthood does not exceed 25–28 cm.

Under natural conditions, this species is found in the Mediterranean countries, from where the name of the turtle comes from, as well as in Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Azerbaijan and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.

In the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, Mediterranean tortoises live in steppes, semi-deserts and on the slopes of mountains covered with bushes, and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus - in forests. Sometimes Mediterranean tortoises live in fields and vineyards.

APPEARANCE

The shell of this species is strong, well developed, convex, covering the entire body. The scutes of the carapace form a complex pattern in the form of irregular rings, dark along the outer edge.

The older the turtle, the more rings on its shell, although their number does not correspond to the exact number of years of the animal.

LIFESTYLE

The most active Mediterranean tortoises

they show during the day, but in the summer, in hot weather, in the middle of the day, they often hide in the forest under fallen leaves and branches, and burrow into the ground in the steppe. In cool weather, in spring or autumn, turtles crawl out into the open to bask in the sun.

These animals are quite slow, but in the spring, during the breeding season, they often have to travel considerable distances. The Mediterranean tortoise feeds mainly on plant foods, occasionally eating worms, snails or insects.

For the winter, animals take refuge in crevices, small depressions between tree roots, or burrow into the ground. They come out of hibernation in March.

After waking up, the turtles begin mating games that take place in open spaces. The male during the games comes close to the female, hides his head and taps the edge of the shell on the shell of the female.

In June-July, females begin to lay their eggs in specially dug holes. During the summer, turtles lay eggs on average 3 times. Each clutch contains 3-8 white eggs. The tortoise lays eggs and fills it with soil and rams its surface, passing over it several times.

mediterranean tortoise

After 70–80 days, cubs are born. Since young turtles hatch from their eggs in late summer or autumn, most of them do not crawl out to the surface, but burrow into the ground and hibernate until spring.

Mediterranean tortoises, especially young ones, in which the shell is still soft, often become easy prey for predatory animals and birds. In many ways, people contribute to the decrease in the number of Mediterranean tortoises, catching them in large numbers and destroying their natural habitat. Therefore, you should not take home very small turtles, which practically do not survive in such conditions. Preference should be given to adults and sufficiently developed individuals.

coal turtle

The coal turtle is also called the red-footed turtle. It lives mainly in the forests of Venezuela, Brazil, Paraguay, Guiana, Northern Argentina and Bolivia.

In length, an adult reaches 55 cm.

LIFESTYLE

Coal turtles lay their eggs in autumn. In clutch there are from 5 to 15 eggs. The duration of the incubation period is 3.5–6 months at an ambient temperature of 26–30 °C.

coal turtle

The coal turtle is an omnivore. When keeping animals in captivity, they are fed fruits (apples, pears, plums, bananas, oranges), vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage), chicken or lean beef, and even dry cat food.

Particular attention is paid to the temperature in the terrarium, which should not be lower than 27 ° C, and to humidity - a sufficiently high one is required.

turtle leopard

The leopard tortoise is common in the territories adjacent to the Sahara. Some populations live in South Sudan, East Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, South West Africa.

APPEARANCE

The carapace is high, rounded, up to 60 cm long, light brown in color with small dark spots. Animals are easy to distinguish by gender: males are much larger than females. Old individuals can weigh up to 35 kg.

leopard turtle

LIFESTYLE

The leopard tortoise mainly lives in deserts, semi-deserts, plains with thorny bushes, some populations are found in mountainous areas.

The diet of the leopard tortoise is food of plant origin (prickly pear, aloe, euphorbia, thistle).

The terrarium where leopard turtles are kept must be equipped with an artificial pond.

Since this species of turtle does not tolerate the effect of low temperatures, the lamp in their terrarium should be turned on all the time during the cold season.

Yellow-footed turtle, or shabuti

Shabuti turtles are common in South America east of the Andes, on the island of Trinidad, in Venezuela, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Guiana. In recent years, the number of yellow-footed tortoises has declined significantly.

In captivity, shabuti adapt to the most adverse conditions.

APPEARANCE

The carapace reaches a length of 60 cm, in nature there are individuals with a length of 1 m or more. The carapace is convex, oblong, the carapace is fixedly connected to the plastron. On the plastron and carapace there are many thick, large horny scutes.

Shabouti

The head and limbs are dark grey, almost black. In many individuals, the limbs are colored yellow, which is why the turtles got their name. However, there are individuals with orange and red legs, which is why they are often confused with red-footed turtles.

Turtle radiant

Previously, this turtle was called the steppe turtle and was assigned to the genus Testudo, but then it was separated into a separate genus, which includes only one species.

Radiant turtles live in Madagascar. Until the end of the first quarter of the 20th century, these animals lived in prickly pear thickets, but after the Dactylopus coccus beetles, which actively reproduced at that time, destroyed most of the plants, the turtles had to change their habitats.

APPEARANCE

The radiant tortoise is considered one of the most beautiful tortoises in the world. This is a fairly large land animal up to 40 cm long and weighing 15–18 kg, with a very high, domed carapace.

LIFESTYLE

The yellow-footed tortoise lives in tropical forests. The main part of her diet is plant foods: fruits and green parts of plants.

The female arranges a nest in a pile of fallen leaves and buries 4-12 eggs covered with calcareous shells there.

The scutes of the carapace are black or dark brown, on each of them there is a yellowish spot resembling a star shape with rays diverging to the edges. The head and limbs are yellowish, the upper part of the head, muzzle and neck are black, there is a bright yellow spot on the back of the head. Elephant limbs. Male ray turtles have long tails and a notch in the plastron at the base of the tail.

LIFESTYLE Under natural conditions, radiant tortoises live in arid areas with scrub vegetation, most often in wooded areas in southern Madagascar. Recently, the number of these animals in nature has decreased significantly, as they are often used for cooking. Since 1979, radiant turtles have been bred at the Wildlife Recreational Center. So, from 500 eggs laid by turtles, about 300 cubs were bred.

radiant turtle

The mating season for radiant turtles begins in early spring, and offspring appear in September. During mating games, the male walks in circles around the female, trying to pry off her shell with his own, while making sounds reminiscent of clucking. The male shakes his head and sniffs the cloaca and hind legs of the female.

Sometimes he lifts the female with the front of his carapace to restrict her movements. Females choose males with a carapace length of at least 33 cm.

Females lay approximately 4-12 eggs in a pre-dug hole 15–20 cm deep. The incubation period is 145–230 days. The shell length of newly hatched turtles does not exceed 3 cm.

Central Asian turtle

The Central Asian tortoise lives in the countries of Central Asia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. On the territory of Russia, this animal is found on the northeastern coast of the Caspian Sea.

Inhabits mainly desert and semi-desert areas, as well as mountainous areas.

APPEARANCE

The shell of the Central Asian tortoise is round, not too high, yellowish-brown in color, with dark spots. The carapace consists of 13 scutes, the plastron of 16. There are 25 scutes on the sides of the carapace. On each shield of the carapace there are grooves, the number of which corresponds to the exact number of years of the turtle.

The plastron of males is slightly concave. The length of the shell of this species in some cases can reach 28 cm, but most often it is not more than 20 cm. Males of the Central Asian tortoise are usually smaller than females.

Central Asian tortoise

LIFESTYLE

The Central Asian tortoise in its natural habitat usually hibernates twice - in winter and during the summer heat. Before falling asleep, turtles dig holes, the depth of which can sometimes reach 2 m. In captivity, these reptiles rarely hibernate. In March-April, turtles come out of hibernation and start mating. From April to July, females make 2-3 clutches, each of which contains from 2 to 6 eggs. The duration of the incubation period is 80-110 days.

These animals reach puberty in the 10th year of life.

panther turtle

The panther tortoise belongs to the group of terrestrial tortoises and is quite large in size.

Panther tortoises are native to South and East Africa. These animals live in various areas, both in the savannas and in the mountains; moreover, turtles living in highland areas are usually larger than their flatland relatives. These reptiles are distributed mostly in North America.

APPEARANCE

The length of an adult carapace can reach 70 cm, and weight - 45-50 kg, so you should keep a panther tortoise in captivity only if it is possible to provide it with a sufficiently spacious terrarium.

The shape of the carapace in this species, like in most land turtles, is domed. The color of the shell is dull yellow. In young individuals, the scutes are decorated with dark brown patterns, which in some cases look like rectangles connected by a common center. With age, the pattern becomes more faded, and the lines are bent.

The shell shields are uneven, shaped like asymmetrical pyramids. The carapace is brown, uneven, with a keel, its length is 13–23 cm. The plastron is yellow, with black spots on the outer edges of the scutes.

The neck and forelimbs of the turtle are often reddish or orange in color.

LIFESTYLE

The diet of panther tortoises is dominated by animal food. Sometimes turtles eat green parts of plants and ripe fruits.

panther tortoise

The mating season for this species is in autumn. In September and October, males win the females they have chosen, while females also take an active part in mating competitions.

The eggs of these animals are spherical, with a hard shell, with a diameter of 2.5 to 5 cm. Each clutch contains from 6 to 13 eggs. The duration of the incubation period is, depending on the ambient temperature, from 189 to 440 days.

Indian star tortoise

Indian star tortoises live in India and on the island of Sri Lanka. Individuals are found on the small islands of Karaduwa and Ramaswaran.

APPEARANCE

The carapace is black, painted with yellow lines emanating in the form of rays from each shield. The pattern on the shell resembles a large star. The scutes on the shell are relief-convex, protruding in the form of a pyramid.

Indian star tortoise

Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: females are much larger than males. The largest male reaches only 15 cm in length, and the female - 25 cm. The shell of females is wider than that of males. The shell length of newborn babies is only 3 cm, but during the first 6 months of life, turtles grow their shell by about one third.

LIFESTYLE

Under natural habitat, the mating season for Indian star tortoises begins in June and usually lasts until mid-October.

At this time, the males fight each other, trying to turn the opponent upside down. During the year, the female makes three clutches of 4–6 eggs.

The incubation period is 100 days at 28°C.

In warm weather, adult turtles are sure to arrange a corral in the open air in an area with diffused sunlight. In rain or extreme heat, turtles are moved indoors.

In captivity, Indian star tortoises are kept in a fairly spacious enclosure with bedding of dry grass or sawdust. A large cardboard box with a hole cut into it is installed as a shelter.

Turtles require daily bathing, so a large container of water is installed in the aviary, which is changed daily.

The diet of Indian star tortoises is made up of food of plant origin. Occasionally, you can give dry food for dogs and turtles, meat products and eggs.

Turtle Balkan

The Balkan tortoise is a small land animal that lives in southern Europe. In nature, this species is currently rare, but in European countries there are special farms where animals are bred artificially.

There are two subspecies of the Balkan tortoise - western and eastern. The latter differs from the former in large dimensions.

APPEARANCE

A distinctive feature of the Balkan tortoise is a long conical spike on the tail.

The carapace is small in size, most often 14–16 cm. In young individuals, it is colored brownish-yellow, and in adults it is dark in color with a bright yellow border around the edge.

Under natural habitat conditions, the Balkan tortoise prefers to settle in dry steppes and shrubs.

Balkan tortoise

Turtle stellate

The star tortoise is a land animal that lives on the Hindustan Peninsula, in Sri Lanka and nearby islands.

APPEARANCE

The name of this species was due to the pattern on the shell in the shape of a star with rays diverging from the center to the edges.

star turtle

The background of the carapace is black or dark brown, and the color of the star is yellow. The carapace of females is wider than that of males, and the costal and vertebral scutes stand out more clearly. The caudal shield is shorter in females. The length of the carapace of males does not exceed 15 cm, and that of females - 25 cm.

LIFESTYLE

Star turtles are most active in the morning and evening, preferring to rest in shaded areas during the day and sleep at night. When it rains, they go out into open areas.

The breeding season for star tortoises is during the rainy season, from June to October. During this period, females make 2-3 clutches, each of which contains 3-6 eggs.

Eggs develop, depending on weather conditions, 45-147 days. Young turtles do not have a star pattern on their shells; they may have either a yellow or orange carapace with a yellow stripe along the spine. On the carapace of young individuals there are black spots resembling blots, and on the plastron there are five pairs of black spots located at the junction of the scutes.

Egyptian turtle

The Egyptian tortoise is one of the smallest species of these animals. The maximum length of the carapace does not exceed 12.7 cm in females and 11.5 cm in males.

The Egyptian tortoise is found only on a small stretch of the Mediterranean coast between Libya and Israel.

APPEARANCE

Outwardly, the Egyptian tortoise is very similar to the Mediterranean one, however, the spots on the plastron of the first are located only in the region of the abdominal scutes, while in the second they cover the entire plastron. In addition, Egyptian tortoises do not have growths on their feet.

Egyptian tortoise

In the back of the plastron, the female Egyptian tortoise has an elastic ligament that allows you to cover your hind limbs and tail with a shield. In males, this ligament is ossified.

LIFESTYLE

Under natural conditions, Egyptian tortoises hibernate during the hot season, from June to September, and from autumn to spring they lead an active lifestyle.

Animals begin to mate in March. During the mating season, both females and males make peculiar sounds. Females lay 1-3 eggs in small holes up to 5 cm deep. The eggs mature in about 3 months, but there are cases when the incubation period lasted 10 months.

Flat-tailed turtle, or capidolo

The flat-tailed turtle is found only in Madagascar. This small animal is often kept in a home terrarium.

APPEARANCE

The carapace of this animal is elongated, with large yellow scutes, 12 cm long. The scutes have yellowish or light brown spots, around which black stripes crossed by light ones pass.

Capidolo

On the marginal shields, the stripes are vertical, light.

The plastron is light, with dark spots, without an elastic ligament.

The head of the turtles is painted black or dark brown, the limbs are yellow. The tail is flat, with a nail-like outgrowth at the end.

LIFESTYLE

The capidolo hibernates during the hot months, and the period of activity in animals falls on the rainy season.

Female flat-tailed turtles usually lay only one fairly large egg.

Desert tortoise, or Western desert gopher

The desert tortoise, or the western desert gopher as it is sometimes called, lives in the deserts of North America. Also found in southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, Arizona, the Mayave and Sonoran deserts.

Most often it can be found in areas overgrown with shrubs with fairly loose soil. Life expectancy of 100 years or more.

Gopher or desert tortoise

APPEARANCE

The carapace is domed, as in most tortoises, low and rather wide, and can be up to 38 cm long. The color of the carapace is brown, with dark patterns, the plastron is yellow, and the marginal scutes are serrated.

The limbs are large and very powerful. Males have elongated throat shields, which they use in mating competitions.

The head is large, on the paws there are often horny growths that look like spurs. Males are smaller than females, marginal shields on their carapace are pointed.

LIFESTYLE

The gopher tortoise spends most of its life in a hole up to 9-10 m deep. It moves rather slowly. It is most active at night and early in the morning.

The diet consists of leaves of shrubs and grass. Despite the fact that turtles can go without food for a long time, captive turtles are recommended to be fed 2 times a day.

The breeding season lasts from November to March, the female usually lays eggs in March.

The female desert tortoise digs a nest hole in the sandy soil, where she then lays 4 to 12 round white eggs. The incubation period lasts about 4 months.

The shell of newborn cubs is soft, which makes them easy prey for other animals and birds of prey. As the turtles mature, it gradually hardens.

Turtle yellow, or oblong

These turtles are common in Asia, they are found from Nepal to Malaysia: in India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Kampuchea, in southern China. Quite often imported for sale from Vietnam to China.

Currently, the number of these turtles has decreased significantly, in a number of countries this species is under protection.

APPEARANCE

The length of the yellow turtle is about 30 cm, body weight is not more than 3.5 kg. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: the shell in males is convex, while in females it is flat. On the hind limbs, females have long claws adapted for digging the ground.

The color of yellow turtles is light or dark yellow, on each shield there is a black spot. Sometimes there are individuals of black or light color without spots.

The head of animals is yellowish, during the breeding season, both in females and in males, a pinkish color appears around the eyes and nose.

LIFESTYLE

The yellow tortoise lives in humid forests, but can sometimes be found in drier areas.

It shows the greatest activity in the dark: at this time it hunts and eats food. These turtles tolerate low temperatures well, become active at a temperature of 20 ° C, but in the morning they like to bask in the sun. On hot days they become lethargic, try to hide in the shade.

yellow tortoise

Females become sexually mature, having reached a length of 23 cm. A pair of turtles is kept in a fairly large aqua terrarium (5 x 3 m).

During the mating season, the male becomes aggressive, so when keeping turtles in captivity, a couple from which they hope to get offspring are planted. The behavior of reptiles must be monitored: the male can inadvertently injure the female by biting her head, paws and tail.

The female about to lay her eggs becomes active, tries to get out of the enclosure in search of a nest, often stops and sniffs the ground. As a rule, she chooses a wet patch of land, devoid of vegetation, and digs a hole there 15–20 cm deep. During the season, the female makes 3 clutches of 2–4 eggs each.

Laid eggs are carefully transferred to an incubator with an air temperature of at least 28 ° C. The incubation period is 130–190 days at 28°C. Body length of newborns is 50–55 mm, weight is 30–35 g.

Hatched cubs are kept separately, fed with protein-rich food, and only at the age of 9 months are transferred to a large terrarium.

steppe turtle

Contrary to its name, the steppe tortoise does not live in the steppes, but in clay and sandy deserts, and occasionally settles on economic lands.

Distributed in South Kazakhstan and on the plains of Central Asia.

APPEARANCE

The length of the carapace is about 18 cm, in some adults up to 30 cm. The carapace is low, rounded, yellowish-brown, with blurry dark spots.

LIFESTYLE

These turtles are most active during daylight hours.

They hibernate during the hottest time of the year - in July-August. The mating season for steppe turtles begins in February, and in April the females lay their eggs.

In one clutch there are from 2 to 6 eggs. The incubation period lasts 60-65 days. Males reach sexual maturity after 6 years, and females - after 12.

Large pebbles, shell rock are used as soil. Smaller soil turtles often eat. Also, one part of a sawn in half and inverted ceramic pot is installed in the terrarium.

steppe turtle

Adult turtles are sprayed once a day with a spray bottle, preventing the soil from getting wet. It is best to take them out of the terrarium at this time. With the onset of warm days, turtles are transferred to the pen in the open air.

In captivity, adult steppe tortoises are fed no more than 2-3 times a week, young ones - daily. The diet of these reptiles is varied: they can be given grass (plantain, lawn grass, coltsfoot, clover, dandelion), berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries) and almost all kinds of fruits.

Moorish tortoise

The Latin name for the Moorish tortoise is Testudo graeca, or Greek tortoise. Carl Linnaeus described this species in 1758, suggesting that it comes from Greece. In fact, these turtles are most widely distributed in the territory from North Africa to Western Asia, inclusive, so the German name of the species - Mauritanian tortoise - is considered more correct.

Currently, the number of these animals has reached a critical level, so the Mauritanian tortoise is included in the Red Book of Russia.

APPEARANCE

The length of an adult is 20–30 cm; there is a shield on the shell above the tail. The color of the shell is dark yellow with dark spots. Paws are yellow-brown with dark spots.

Mauritanian tortoise

LIFESTYLE

The diet of the Moorish tortoise is food of plant origin.

Animals are most active in the morning and evening hours, and during the day they hide in dense thickets of shrubs or other shady places.

Turtle Chaco

Despite the fact that the Latin name for the Chaco tortoise is the Chilean tortoise, it is not found in Chile.

Distributed in South America: in southwestern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina and western Paraguay. Homeland - Argentina and Paraguay.

APPEARANCE

The Chaco turtle looks like a gopher turtle. The length of the carapace of an adult animal reaches 20 cm. This is the smallest tortoise of the genus Geochelone, which also includes the giant Galopagos tortoise.

LIFESTYLE

Chaco turtles live in dry deserts overgrown with shrubs and grass. They mostly spend their time in burrows. So, in the north of Patagonia, where the temperature in winter sometimes reaches -10 ° C, animals hibernate in deep burrows.

The mating season lasts from November to December. In February, the females lay their eggs in nests they dig in the sand. The incubation period is 125–365 days.

Chaco turtles feed on both plant (grass, fruits, cacti) and animal (insects and their larvae) food.

Kinix Homo

Turtles of the kinix genus live in tropical rainforests and scrublands of Tropical Africa and on the island of Madagascar.

The length of the carapace of an adult is about 25–30 cm. The carapace is convex, with strongly serrated edges. The rear third of the carapace is very mobile, covering the body from behind.

Kiniks Homa is common in Côte d, Ivoire (the old name is Ivory Coast), Congo, Nigeria.

Some species settle along the banks of reservoirs and swamps, others - in arid plains overgrown with grass and shrubs. Usually they lead a hidden lifestyle, they are most active at sunrise and sunset. They like to bask in the sun for a long time after swimming, while simultaneously producing vitamin D in the body.

Under natural habitat conditions, they never hibernate.

APPEARANCE

The head is light, the eyes are large. The carapace has an angular outline with a pronounced angle in the back. The general color is brown.

LIFESTYLE

The diet of the kinix Homa is made up of snails, slugs, various insects, and plants. In captivity, turtles eat fruits, vegetables, flour and earthworms, and occasionally specialized dry food for turtles.

In a terrarium where turtles are kept, there should be high humidity. If the air is dry, the animals hibernate, after which they become lethargic and soon die.

Turtles of this species do not tolerate bright sunlight, so they arrange an open-air aviary only in the shade.

Dry food for dogs should not be given to kinik-sam, and food of animal origin should be added to food no more than 1 time per week. Pregnant females and calves should be given a turtle calcium supplement daily.

Schweiger turtle

Schweiger's tortoises are widely distributed in the evergreen forests of West Africa. They live along the banks of water bodies and in humid tropical jungles.

APPEARANCE Schweiger's tortoise is the largest among other representatives of this genus. The length of the carapace of an adult reaches almost 30 cm.

The color of the carapace is rusty-brown, with light spots on the central plates and a border along the extreme plates.

Males differ from females in their long thick tails.

Schweiger turtles are kept in conditions of high humidity. Unlike other species, these animals are undemanding to lighting.

For animals, a spacious terrarium is equipped with shelter - a cardboard box with a hole or a piece of tree bark bent in half.

Be sure to take care of an artificial reservoir. It may be shallow, but the water in it must be constantly changing.

The Schweiger turtle is undemanding to food: it can be fed with grass, fruits, small invertebrates.

Once a week, animals are given mineral supplements for turtles or, as a substitute, pork or beef bones.

Mating in turtles of this species occurs throughout the year. The mating behavior of the male is very interesting: he walks around the female in circles, suddenly knocking her over on her back. A fertilized female eats a lot, is almost constantly in the water.

After 4 months, the female is given a shelter in a terrarium - a small cardboard box with a closed top, a layer of sand is necessarily poured inside, in which the turtle will lay its eggs.

The eggs are carefully transferred to an incubator at 30°C. The incubation period is 130–157 days.

Hatched cubs are transferred to a special "children's" terrarium with the same shelter from the bark. Young individuals are fed bananas, pears, cucumbers, peaches and finely chopped earthworms.

Asian turtle

Asian tortoises are widespread in the mountainous regions of Northern Vietnam (from the Vietnamese language, its name can be translated as "three-tailed tortoise"). Also found in Malaysia, Thailand.

The plastron of these animals is used in Chinese traditional medicine. Currently, the number of these turtles has declined significantly.

APPEARANCE

The color of the carapace is grayish-brown, sometimes orange, with a dark border on the plates. The limbs are dark, the head is light. Individuals living in Malaysia are brown in color. The plastron is light yellow, with a dark spot on each plate.

LIFESTYLE

Asian turtles live in forests and highlands. They feed on bamboo shoots and other plants.

The mating season begins in the rainy season.

The greatest activity of the young Schweiger tortoises is shown in the morning hours, during the day they rest in the shelter, in the evening they crawl out again to eat.

In captivity, Asian tortoises are often sick, poorly fed, and usually die within a few weeks of being caught.

Many lovers who have achieved certain results in keeping reptiles are advised to give animals juicy fruits (mango, guava, black grapes, bananas) as food.

Asian turtle

Turtle Hermann

Hermann's tortoises are widespread in Southeast Europe, Southern California, Southern Italy, Albania, Greece, and the Balkans. The second population lives in the north of Spain, the south of France and some islands of the Western Mediterranean.

About 10-15 years ago, these turtles were often exported to the UK and many other countries, where they could not acclimatize. Currently, the number of these turtles has recovered.

APPEARANCE

Young animals have a bright yellow pattern on the carapace, darkening with age. The inhabitants of Italy, France and the Mediterranean islands are colored brighter than the representatives of the second variety. They have red spots and specks on the plastron.

LIFESTYLE

Under natural conditions, the female arranges a nest on the slopes, in which she lays from 2 to 12 eggs.

The incubation period, depending on the temperature, is 90-120 days. Newborn cubs are just as brightly colored as adults. Already on the third day after birth, they begin to forage.

In captivity, Hermann's tortoises eat plant food, as well as snails and slugs. Particular preference is given to strawberries, figs and snails.

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

Name origin

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

Indeed, many turtles resemble the stone for which the people who gave this name took them. Despite this etymology of the name, there is also an indication of the unique shape and coloring of hard shells.

What do turtles look like?

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

The main distinguishing feature of the detachment is the shell, which absolutely all representatives have. It consists of a carapace (dorsal) and a plastron (abdominal), interconnected. This durable device serves, first of all, to protect the animal from enemies. By necessity, the tortoise is fully capable of hiding its body and head into it, lowering its upper part and remaining protected from any attack on it.

The shells are covered with hard horny scutes, which vary in color and shape depending on the species. There are holes in which the paws, head, tail go out and are drawn in as needed.

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

Reptiles periodically molt: old skin comes off their shell with scales, while the color becomes brighter.

How much does a turtle weigh? Turtle sizes

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

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

Paws

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

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

Tail

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

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

Head and neck

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

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

The eyes are also located differently: in reptiles living on the ground, they are directed downwards, while in swimming they are much higher. Animals have excellent eyesight and see this world in color.

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

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

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

But they don't have teeth. The chewing movements that reptiles produce are needed to move food down the throat. The language also helps them in this.

Despite the lack of teeth, the jaws of turtles are powerful, able to cope with almost any food.

Sexual characteristics of the turtle

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

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

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

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

Lifespan

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

Turtle species

The long stay of representatives of this detachment on the planet made it possible to divide into 328 species that differ in external features, size, habitat, diet and lifestyle.

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

Another classification is based on the habitat of these reptiles:

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

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

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

The reptiles got their name not for the external color, but for the color of the meat that was eaten.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Far Eastern tortoise is green-brown or green-gray in color with pale yellowish spots. Its usual size is about 30 cm, but there were individuals up to 40 cm with a weight of more than 4 kilograms. They have fleshy lips covering strong jaws.

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

The Chinese turtle is able to hunt both in water and on land, where it gets out to bask in the sun. These reptiles hibernate by burrowing into the mud.

The food of these predatory reptiles consists of fish, mollusks, amphibians and insects. The Far Eastern tortoise can guard its prey for a long time, burrowing into the silt.

At the age of 6-7 years, the Far Eastern tortoise becomes sexually mature. Usually in July they lay their eggs a short distance from the water. During the season, the female makes several clutches, from which about 70 turtles appear. After 1.5 - 2 months, babies appear, whose size is not more than 3 cm. They quickly run to the water and lurk in coastal vegetation and between stones for a long time.

The Far Eastern tortoise has a rather aggressive character and can strongly bite the attacker on it.

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

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

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

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

This steppe tortoise hibernates quite early: at the beginning of summer, right after it lays its eggs. This is due to the fact that it is this time in their habitat that is the most arid. The lack of food in sufficient quantities causes them to wait out in a state of sleep.

The Central Asian tortoise has a very beautiful shell - reddish-olive with dark spots of a rounded shape.

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

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

These reptiles are found in mountainous regions up to 1500 meters above sea level.

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

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

Depending on the region, they become sexually mature at the age of 5-9 years. Egg laying is carried out near water bodies. The sex of the offspring depends on the temperature. At high, females are born, low - contribute to the appearance of males.

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

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

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

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

Currently, only 150,000 individuals remain in the wild, so the reptile is protected. On the island where they live, not only hunting is prohibited, but also any economic activity.

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

It is the largest member of its squad. These reptiles live only on the Galapagos Islands and are not found anywhere else. Their weight sometimes exceeds 400 kg, and the length of the shell reaches 2 m. They have rather muscular paws, on which there are sharp claws (5 on the front and 4 on the back). In case of danger, they retract their head and limbs into the shell.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The size of the animal depends on the subspecies and sex - from 18 to 30 cm, while males are somewhat smaller than females.

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

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

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

The water turtle feeds on insects, small fish, and worms. She chews her food, completely immersing her head in water. If a water turtle lives in your home, care and feeding should be in accordance with its natural needs.

It has long been found out how many years a turtle lives at home. If the maintenance and care correspond to natural, it may well live for half a century. In nature, this age is somewhat less.

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

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

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

Small in size (the maximum length of the shell is not more than 13.5 cm), the reptile has chosen the American continents.

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

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

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

If you have a musk turtle in your house, keeping it alone is undesirable. It is better to have several individuals at once. This will affect how many years the turtle lives at home.

In home aquariums, the Musk Turtle is quite common, keeping, feeding and caring for it does not require much effort.

Where do turtles live? Habitat

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

Almost everywhere they find their food: it can be insects, worms, small fish, crustaceans and vegetation. Unpretentiousness in food makes the reptile able to survive in almost any place.

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

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

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

Which turtle is best for home?

Usually river reptiles become pets. The river turtle, once at home, quickly adapts. It does not require a very spacious aquarium to keep it, but it is very important to properly equip it, creating a swimming area and land in it, on which your pet will get out if necessary.

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

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

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

What does a turtle prefer to eat at home?

If you have a pet turtle, feeding, keeping and caring for it should resemble its natural way of life. Before you take a pet, study what it eats in nature, during what periods it is active.

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

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

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

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

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

Evgeny Sedov

When hands grow from the right place, life is more fun :)

Content

Exotic pets are a popular trend. The land tortoise, when kept at home, will not bring any special worries to the owners if they initially create the proper conditions, and then follow the diet and carry out animal care procedures. There is practically no noise and smell from these reptiles, and with proper care they live for several decades.

Who is a land tortoise

The animal got its name for its strong shell, it comes from the Latin Testudinidae - brick, tile. A hard shell covers the back (carapace) and belly (plastron). It serves as a shell for protection, withstands a load that is 200 times the weight of a turtle. The size of an individual depends on the species. There are both very small representatives up to 10 cm long, and giants up to 900 kg. The limbs are shaped to hide compactly inside the shell. Almost all species have a tail, and at its end there is a spur. Reptiles have well-developed hearing and color vision, which helps them to get food.

The main types of land turtles:

1. Leopard - reaches 50 kg in weight, high shell has a spotted color.
2. The Central Asian tortoise is a small reptile, reaching a length of up to 20 cm. Its shell has a rounded shape of yellow-brown tones. The most common option for home maintenance due to the unpretentiousness of care. It is also called the steppe tortoise.
3. Asian - has two subspecies: depressed and brown turtle.
4. Mediterranean - common in Europe, up to 35 cm long.
5. Radiant - got its name for the characteristic geometrically regular yellow lines on the coal shell, a rare species from the Madagascar Islands.

Where does he live

Land species prefer steppe, desert and semi-desert terrain. They can be found in the following geographical areas:

• savannah and desert Africa;
• in North and South America;
• Asian and European countries: India, Greece, Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan and others;
• in Australia and nearby islands.

How many lives

The lifespan of a reptile depends on the living conditions and species. Answering the question of how long land turtles live, it is worth mentioning that under natural conditions, some individuals have reached the age of over 100 years. At home, everything depends on the conditions of detention. The more varied the diet and the more competent care, the longer the pet will live. Age can reach more than 30 years.

Photo of a land turtle

Land turtle at home

For apartment keeping of a reptile, it is important to create a comfortable environment by organizing a terrarium. It is worth considering the features of the life of turtles:

• animals molt, exfoliation of the old cover occurs in small quantities on the skin;
• may go into hibernation. Under natural conditions, this is due to a change in temperature and a lack of food;
• they do not like drafts, they can easily catch a cold.

What to feed

In the wild, the steppe tortoise feeds on plant foods, supplementing the diet with protein elements: snails, worms, slugs. Feeding in an unnatural environment should be as close as possible to the usual menu. Considering how to feed a land tortoise at home, make up a diet so that it includes not only grass, vegetables and fruits, but also feeding protein food - small insects and meat.

The summer menu may include fresh seasonal products: clover, mushrooms, zucchini, dandelions, cucumbers, radishes, berries, sorrel, pumpkin. For the winter period, the basis of nutrition is steamed straw, available vegetables: cabbage, carrots, beets. Pets also need to be given fruits so that the body receives a sufficient amount of vitamins. The menu should contain special foods with calcium. It can be bone meal or ground eggshells. Land pets satisfy the need for water from juicy food. Feeding is carried out 1 time per day.

How to care

It won't take much effort. Caring for a tortoise at home is simple. For a comfortable habitat, it is necessary to equip the terrarium, where it will be most of the time. Periodically release the pet for a walk around the apartment. Turtles are famous for their slow terrestrial movement, so it will be easy for you to follow her movements.

When considering how to care for a land tortoise, keep in mind that the reptile sheds. For the period of changing the cover, it is necessary to bathe the animal with a weak soda solution. It is necessary to cut the claws using a special nail cutter for this. In winter, turtles may not have enough ultraviolet light, for this they are irradiated with quartz lamps, avoiding the rays from getting into their eyes.

Turtle terrarium

It is not allowed to permanently keep the reptile on the usual floor covering. You can organize an aviary for walking by fencing the area. A turtle terrarium is an aquarium with a special substrate. The ratio of the length and width of the base must be chosen based on the size of the largest individual. Dimensions should be 2-3 times larger than the reptile. The minimum length of an adult steppe tortoise is 20 cm, so the dimensions start from 100x50x30 cm.

The pallet is filled with gravel, sawdust or sand, which will have to be changed as it gets dirty. On the territory of the terrarium, it is important to arrange a bathing area so that the pet can take a bath. Observe an acceptable temperature regime of 25-35 degrees and sufficient lighting with a fluorescent lamp. With a lack of heat, the reptile can go into hibernation. The humidity in the aquarium should be low, and the turtles themselves should be sprayed once a day with a spray bottle.

turtle house

It is worth organizing a shelter for a pet in a terrarium. It is intended for overnight stays. For this you can:

• cut a hole in a plastic non-toxic box;
• build a house from boards;
• use half of the flower pot.

Diseases of land turtles

Mostly pets get sick due to improper care or maintenance errors. The most common diseases, manifestations and how to treat them:

4. Conjunctivitis is manifested by tearfulness and redness of the eyes. Avoid drafts, and use drops in case of illness.

reproduction

The continuation of the genus in turtles requires special conditions. Mating is carried out in the spring, when the reptile has completed wintering. Successful breeding involves keeping one male and several females. They are kept separately, for reproduction it is necessary to move individuals of two sexes to each other so that they get used to a companion. Reptiles lay eggs from which offspring are produced. The incubation period is from 2 to 6 months, depending on the species.

Price

You can find out how much a land tortoise costs by deciding on the species. The cheapest way to buy a Central Asian reptile. Exotic species of turtles will cost more. The price of such a pet ranges from 500 to 2000 rubles. The sale is offered by both specialized stores and private individuals who are engaged in breeding.

How to choose a land tortoise

For home breeding, Central Asian (steppe) individuals are chosen. They are small in size - up to 20 cm long. The color of the shell of a young individual is in yellow tones with round brown spots. Pay attention to activity. The turtle is awake in the morning and evening, and rests in the shelter day and night. The animal must look healthy, have no defects in the skin.

How to determine gender

Main gender differences:

1. The shell shape is more elongated in the male.
2. Plastron (lower part of the shell) - in the male, near the tail, it has a concave shape, which ensures mating. In females, the plastron is straight, so necessary for carrying eggs.
3. Male turtles have a V-shaped notch on the top of the shell near the tail.

Video

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