Far Eastern tortoise Chinese Trionix: keeping at home

Freshwater turtles are quite unusual reptiles that have long been of interest to breeders. Thanks to this, many members of the family successfully migrated from natural reservoirs to artificial ones. One of the most extraordinary freshwater turtles is the Chinese Trionics, which breaks all existing stereotypes. First of all, this reptile is not slow; if the Trionix is ​​scared, it will rush at the speed of a sprinter. And besides, this turtle has a soft shell... In China and Japan, the breeding of these reptiles has been put on stream. There are farms where individuals are raised for food. In our country, Chinese turtles remain exotic pets - original and unusual.

Maintenance and care

Quite large, Chinese Trionics are also one of the most aquatic of all aquatic turtles.
It sounds strange, but the fact is that they spend most of their lives in water and are excellent swimmers. They can linger under water for a very long time (pharyngeal breathing helps them with this), and to inhale they stretch out their long neck with a proboscis, remaining almost invisible.

So you need a spacious aquarium with plenty of space for swimming. The larger the volume, the better, but for an adult at least 200-250 liters.

Softshell turtles are territorial and should be kept alone. One bite from an aggressive neighbor and your turtle suffers internal injuries, so it's not worth it.

The water temperature for maintenance is 24-29°C; in cold weather it is necessary to heat it. You also need a filter, preferably an external one, and mandatory regular water changes with fresh and settled water.

You need a powerful filter, designed for a volume twice as large as the volume of your aquarium. The species is very voracious and the water quickly becomes polluted.

Land or shore are necessary, you can create them yourself or buy a ready-made product. The main thing is that the turtle can get out of the water onto land and dry out. This prevents the development of respiratory and fungal diseases.

A heating lamp and a UV lamp are installed above the shore. A regular lamp is suitable for heating, and UV helps to absorb calcium and vitamins. In nature, this work is done by the sun, but in an aquarium there are few UV rays.

Soft-bodied turtles, in principle, can live without it, the main thing is to feed it with food with vitamin D3 and keep it warm, but it will not be superfluous.

Moreover, while a lamp can cause burns to turtles with a hard carapace, here it is generally fatal. Position the lamp so that it does not burn the animal.

The temperature on land should be up to 32°C

It is important that it is warmer on the shore than in the water, otherwise the turtle will not warm up

Description

Trionics are bred in Asia in large quantities, but for more practical purposes, as food. True, from there they partially end up in the trade in exotic animals.

Soft-shelled turtles are far from the easiest to keep and often do not forgive mistakes that hard-shelled species easily forgive. True, having lost in defense, they have gained significantly in speed and are excellent swimmers.

Pros of content:

• unusual appearance
• Spends almost all of his time in the water and is an excellent swimmer

Cons of the content:

• nervous
• doesn't like being picked up, bites painfully
• cannot be kept with other turtles, fish, etc.
• prone to injury due to softness

Like all turtles, the Far Eastern turtle is clumsy from time to time and if there are sharp corners in the aquarium, it can easily injure itself. And an open wound is a direct path to infections, so there should not be anything in the aquarium with them that can cause harm.

Another problem that softness creates is fearfulness. They are extremely timid and rarely come ashore to bask. And when you take her in your hands, she begins to violently resist, bite and scratch.

This turtle cannot be handled without protective gloves.

Moreover, their neck is almost as long as their body, and when you hold it from the side, it can easily reach out and bite you.

And if the bite of a baby can be unpleasant, then an adult turtle can seriously injure you, even teenagers bite until they bleed. The bony plates in the mouth are very sharp and in nature serve to bite snails, so it is not a problem for it to bite through the skin.

Factory and homemade feeds

You can buy ready-made food for red-eared turtles in pet stores. But, unfortunately, in some of them the dosages of protein, vitamins and minerals do not meet the needs of reptiles. Sometimes reptiles may refuse artificial food due to the pungent odor. But some individuals eat only prepared food. High-quality products are produced, for example, by Tetra.

You can prepare the food yourself. To do this you will need 50 g of cabbage and apples, 70 g of carrots, 100 g of squid, 145 g of lean fish.

Pass everything through a meat grinder. Add 2 eggs and 150 g of milk. Dissolve 30 g gelatin in hot water. You will need 150 g of liquid. Mix everything, cool and add 20 drops of Tetravit. This food can be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 7 days. Before giving it to the turtle, it must be cut into pieces. If the size of the reptile's shell does not exceed 15 cm, then this food will be enough for it 10 times.

When your pet is sick, you can add medicine prescribed by your doctor to this food. To prevent the cubes from melting so quickly in water, you can use agar-agar instead of gelatin.

Red-eared sliders do not produce saliva, so they require water to swallow their food. To ensure that there is a number in the terrarium during feeding, you can place the reptile in a separate container with water.

Small turtles need to be fed daily; if the pet is older than 2 years, the number of feedings is reduced to 2-3 times a week. To determine the size of 1 serving, you need to see how much food the reptile eats in 30 minutes and give this amount each time.

You cannot give food from the human table, food for cats and dogs. Perhaps the turtle will eat the food offered to it, but this will negatively affect its health, in particular the liver, and may even cause death. It is forbidden to feed your pet porridge, dairy products (except cottage cheese), and bread.

To compensate for mineral deficiency, it is recommended to give the animal bone meal. You can give crushed eggshells instead. After consulting with a herpetologist, you can give your turtle a multivitamin.

Both underfeeding and overfeeding are dangerous for reptiles. If she eats too much, this will provoke obesity, diseases of the internal organs, and pyramidal carapace. Lack of food can cause exhaustion and vitamin deficiency. If measures are not taken in time, then everything can end in the death of the pet.

Content

Features of care and maintenance of Trionics:

• Single content. This species is kept one at a time to avoid conflicts.
• Parameters and water change. Turtles are very sensitive to water levels.
• They create noise.
• Pet aggression.
• A large amount of expensive equipment.
• Not manual. They don't like to be picked up or touched.
• Maintaining a constant temperature on land and in water.
• Nocturnal lifestyle.
• Land and water are quickly becoming polluted.

Terrarium

The Chinese Trionix is ​​a large turtle. And she also needs a rather large aquarium. An aquarium with a volume of 50–60 liters is suitable for a young individual. But as you grow, the aquarium will have to be replaced with a larger one. The dimensions of the aquaterrarium increase by 50–100 liters. The arrangement of the aquaterrarium should include lighting lamps, filters and heating devices. The water in the aquarium is changed 2 times a week, more often as it gets dirty. They are especially sensitive to chlorine in water, so the water needs to be left for several days.

Equipment

To keep a turtle you will need additional equipment for the terrarium:

• Filter. Filtration allows you to maintain cleanliness in the aquarium for a long time. Turtles produce a lot of waste, so buy a powerful filter. An external filter works well.
• Heater. The aquarium must be maintained at a constant temperature. This requires a thermostatic water heater. Buy a heater with protection so that your pet does not break it and get burned.
• Aerating device. You will need a weak compressor, because turtles do not like strong currents. Aeration in the aquarium is desirable, but not necessary: ​​turtles are able to breathe air.
• Heating lamp. The lamp will be needed not so much for lighting as for heating the pets. It is better to purchase an aquarium with a lamp built into the lid.

Temperature

The required water temperature in a terrarium with a turtle is 24–26 degrees. If the temperature fluctuates sharply, the pet will get sick.

Bottom

Choose medium-sized pebbles as soil for the terrarium. Small stones are not recommended; the reptile will swallow them. You will need large stones - turtles love to sit on them. The soil is poured 10–15 cm.

Reproduction and breeding features

Puberty in musk turtles occurs quickly; already one-year-old individuals are ready to reproduce. They mate in water, and after fertilization the female remains fertile for approximately 4 years. The clutch is not numerous, consisting of 3-7 eggs.

From April to July, reptiles can be found in the coastal zone, looking for holes, and less often, digging them themselves. But some turtles turn out to be not very caring mothers and leave their future offspring without an improvised nest, on the ground.

The eggs are protected by a hard shell, but its structure is quite fragile. After 2-3.5 months, the turtles hatch and grow very actively. Representatives of this species begin to reproduce early, often, they are unpretentious and tenacious, so they are not threatened by species decline or extinction.

Reproduction

They become sexually mature between 4 and 6 years . They mate both on the surface and under water, with the male holding the female by the carapace and can bite her on the neck and paws.

The female can store the male's sperm for up to a year after mating.

Lays from 8-30 eggs and can make up to 5 clutches during the year. To do this, she digs a nest up to a meter in diameter in which the eggs are incubated for 60 days.

At the moment, the Far Eastern leatherback turtle is imported mainly from Asia, where it is actively farmed for food.

What do aquatic turtles eat?

Domestic aquatic turtles eat both meat and vegetables. Normally, 70-75% of the diet consists of vegetables and plants, and the rest is protein products

It is important to know that aquatic turtles cannot eat on land because without water they cannot swallow food.

You can also sometimes feed live food, for example, worms, insects, small fish, shrimp, snails. It is better to give vegetable mixtures as plant food so that your pet gets more vitamins and fiber.

There are also special foods for aquatic turtles that can be purchased at pet stores. These foods contain the necessary nutritional elements for the development of your pet, which are no different from live food.

Don't forget to add vitamins containing calcium and vitamin D3 to your pet's diet so that your pet has a strong shell.

Habitat in nature

Widely distributed in Asia: China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and the island of Taiwan. They also live on the territory of Russia, in the southern part of the Far East, in the basin of the Amur and Ussuri rivers. Soft-bodied turtles are excellent swimmers and rarely go ashore.

But, in captivity, it is better for them to have the opportunity to warm up, as this helps maintain health and prevents the development of fungal infections, to which river turtles are prone.

One of the unusual features of the Far Eastern turtle is that they use sand for camouflage. The turtle buries itself in the sandy bottom of a lake or river when in danger. Young turtles do this instantly.

You can add a few centimeters of sand to your aquarium, but avoid abrasives such as pebbles. They also bury themselves for hunting, exposing only their heads and lying in wait for prey.

Trionix Chinese

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When it comes to a turtle, many people usually imagine a reptile clad in a hard shell. But, as you know, there are exceptions to any rule. Trionix chinensis, the only soft-bodied turtle living in Russia, can be considered just such an exception. Its shell does not have hard horny plates, but consists of soft skin. But, despite this, the jaws of Trionix are very strong and equipped with sharp cutting edges. The Chinese Trionix differs from the representatives of the order not only in its body structure. This animal is characterized by an amazing reaction speed that is absent in other turtles. So catching a Chinese Trionix in the wild is not so easy. It moves quickly both in water and on land. And its behavior during hunting resembles that of a snapping turtle. He also hides in the mud, arranging an invisible ambush for passing fish or other small aquatic animals. It is almost impossible to accustom Trionix chinensis to life in captivity, to subordinate it to humans and to tame it. This reptile is extremely aggressive, which, combined with sharp jaws, can pose a danger. But if you raise a soft-bodied turtle in captivity from an early age or even from birth, then it is able to get used to you over time and even take food from your hands. Well, in the wild, Chinese Trionix is ​​a real disaster for fishermen, because it loves to carry fish caught in nets set up. In eastern countries, China and Japan, this turtle is considered a valuable catch for the table, its meat is a special delicacy. Turtle traders place captured Chinese Trionics in special tanks and then sell them at a high price.

Other names Testudo rostrata - derived from lat. testudo (genus of land turtles) and lat. rostrata (hooked), a feature possibly indicating a long proboscis located on the snout of Trionyx. Trionyx sinensis - lat. Trionix Chinese. Trionyx stellatus var. japon(ica) – lat. trionics star. Trionyx tuberculatus - lat. trionix tuberculate. Trionyx maackii - Trionyx Maack. Trionyx schlegeli - Schlegel's trionyx. Pelodiscus sinensis - from lat. pelodiscus (genus of Far Eastern turtles). Cuora flavomarginata sinensis - from lat. cuora (genus of articulated turtles), lat. flavomarginata (box turtle). Amyda sinensis – cartilaginous trionics. Chinese Softshell Turtle Chinese Trionix. Far Eastern turtle, soft-shelled turtle, Chinese soft-shelled turtle.

Classification Kingdom: Animals Type: Chordata Subtype: Vertebrates Class: Reptiles Order: Turtles Suborder: Hidden-necked turtles Family: Three-clawed turtles Genus: Far Eastern turtles Species: Chinese trionix

Habitat Perhaps it can be considered a rule that the name of a species reflects its habitat. In this case, Chinese Trionix is ​​no exception. This amazing reptile lives in Asia, in countries such as China, Vietnam, Korea and on the islands of Hainan and Taiwan. But to see the Chinese Trionix, you don’t have to cross the eastern borders of Russia. It can also be found in the south of the Far East, for example, in the Amur River basin, along its entire length to the very west of Primorye, as well as in the Ussuri basin and the largest tributaries of this river. Chinese trionics also inhabits closed bodies of water, for example, Lake Khanka. Conventionally, on the territory of Russia, the habitat of this turtle can be divided into two main regions - the Amur region (this includes the area around Lake Gassi in the Khabarovsk Territory) and the Khanka region (meaning the already mentioned Lake Khanka). These habitats are actually native to the Chinese Trionix. But there are also territories where it was introduced. This is, for example, southern Japan, including the Ryukyu Archipelago and the Ogasawara Islands. As well as the countries of Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia. In the same way, Chinese trionix reached the island of Timor in the southern part of the Malay Archipelago, and to Hawaii, and to the group of Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean in Micronesia. And finally, the soft-bodied turtle was found in the Chui Valley of Kyrgyzstan, where it probably also ended up as an introduced species. Judging by its habitat, the Chinese trionix has no special climatic preferences, since it feels equally good in taiga zones and in subtropical and tropical forests. The main thing is that there is any fresh body of water nearby with warm water, a muddy or sandy bottom and a gentle slope. True, Trionix is ​​unlikely to be found in rivers with strong currents, but it quite likes various quiet lakes, old riverbeds and even rice fields flooded with water. Chinese Trionics does not avoid hills. It even tends to climb mountains up to 1700 m above sea level.

Description Despite some originality, the Chinese trionix still looks like an ordinary turtle. He also has a shell, although it consists of skin, elongated and flattened. Its surface is covered with longitudinal tubercles. By the type of shell, you can determine the approximate age of the Chinese trionix. In young turtles, the tubercles are more noticeable, and as they grow older, they gradually merge into ridges and finally disappear completely. Young Chinese Trionics are distinguished from adults by the shape of their shell – it is more round and relatively tall. With age, the shell gradually flattens and takes on an ovoid shape, expanded downwards. The color of the Chinese trionix is ​​greenish-brown and yellow. It is darker above with small yellow spots, and light yellow below, and, again, as it matures, the skin on the shell turns yellow. The approximate dimensions of the Chinese trionix are 25 - 30 cm. Its weight rarely exceeds 4 kg. It was not by chance that nature created this turtle as a soft-bodied turtle. With the help of the soft edges of her shell, she is able to better bury herself in the mud. The body parts of the Chinese Trionix protruding from under the shell also have a greenish-brown color with small spots. A narrow dark stripe runs from the eyes to the temples. The turtle’s head seems to be an extension of its neck; it is also narrow and elongated, ending in a long soft proboscis with nostrils. This proboscis can extend so far that it easily reaches the tail. It also allows the Chinese trionix to stay in the water for a long time. The turtle removes it from the water and thus becomes saturated with oxygen. However, this is not the only respiratory organ of Chinese Trionics. On the mucous membrane of the pharynx they have bundles of special villi that take on the role of gills. And another rare feature for reptiles that Trionix is ​​endowed with is skin respiration due to the skin being richly supplied with blood vessels. All these qualities allow the turtle to stay under water for up to 15 hours. Each paw of the Chinese Trionix has 5 fingers, and 3 of them end in sharp claws. Trionix's rapid movement in water is ensured by swimming membranes between its toes. But the jaws of the soft-bodied Trionix are surprisingly sharp, although their horny edges seem to be covered with leather ridges resembling lips. The Chinese Trionix prefers to hunt in the water and bask on the shore. The turtle is strongly attached to its body of water; it rarely leaves it even when it becomes shallow or polluted. Trionix spends most of its time buried in the silt, from where it attacks prey, mainly at night. The animal spends the winter there from early autumn until late spring or the first days of summer.

Diet In general, all turtles can be divided into two groups according to the type of nutrition - herbivores, who prefer mostly plant foods, and predators. The Chinese Trionix belongs to the latter category. Moreover, he is quite a dangerous predator. More than one catcher has suffered from its sharp jaws. The Chinese Trionix hunts fish passing by in the water. It also eats various amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, worms and small insects. At night, Trionics can search the bottom of a reservoir in search of prey. The fish caught by the turtle can be quite large. First, the Chinese Trionix bites her head off. This reptile is surprisingly voracious. Scientists observing the life of Trionix in captivity noticed that it can eat three or four small fish at a time. When keeping these turtles in a home terrarium, they should create a combined diet, which, in addition to fish, may include meat, for example, pork or beef, some vegetables such as lettuce or cabbage, as well as amphibian larvae, tadpoles, bloodworms and artificial food from pet stores. Zoologists recommend adding special vitamin and mineral supplements to the food of Chinese Trionix. In this case, the turtle has a chance to live next to you for up to 25 years.

Reproduction Unlike many other species of turtles, Chinese Trionics reproduces well in captivity, provided the necessary requirements for its maintenance are met. Since in nature, turtles mate immediately after wintering, simulating the winter climate helps stimulate the reproduction of Chinese Trionix. To do this, the turtle should create a certain water temperature - +15-+18 degrees for 1.5 - 2 months. But you should not immediately place Trionix in conditions that simulate cold weather. It is better to gradually reduce the water temperature and reduce the duration of daylight hours. Sexual maturity in Chinese Trionics occurs at 6-7 years of age. In nature, a fertilized female lays clutches approximately 3 times per season - from May to August. For the nest, she chooses well-warmed places on the shore. The nest of the Chinese trionix is ​​a round hole dug by the female, approximately 20 cm deep. The number of eggs in one clutch is about 20-70. The waiting time for offspring is 1.5-2 months. The small Chinese trionics that are born are distinguished by their bright orange abdomen. In captivity, turtles also mate in water. And if fertilization is successful, then the owners need to provide the female with a place for a nest. A deep container with a soft filler, such as sand mixed with soil or coconut substrate, is suitable for this. However, in captivity, the clutches of Chinese Trionix are not allowed to “mature” on their own, and some time after the eggs are laid, they are placed in an incubator with a suitable temperature of +27-+30 degrees. Under artificial conditions, the female Chinese Trionix lays eggs in the same way as in nature - three times with a break of 5-6 days. How many eggs can be laid depends on the age of the turtle. In adult females, clutches are more numerous. The eggs of Chinese Trionix are quite large, beige or yellowish, with a diameter of approximately 10 cm. In a small clutch, the eggs are always larger. The newborn Trionics that emerge from them usually do not exceed 3 cm in size. In some habitats where the number of soft-bodied turtles is high, they lay mass clutches. And since the eggs of Chinese trionics are also valued as tasty food, collectors find these clutches in small holes left after burying the nest. Near the nest it is often possible to find a nesting path trodden by the female.

Contents The Chinese Trionix as a pet is especially valued by exotic lovers. This turtle is sold for sale from Asia and is always transported in water. And since the reptile is quite active and mobile, the conditions for its maintenance must be carefully prepared. The best home for the Chinese Trionix can be a spacious aquaterrarium with a volume of 250 liters per adult turtle. But, of course, there should be room there for land development, which should occupy about a fifth of its area. A suitable water temperature of +26 degrees should be maintained with a special heater. It is necessary to install a special filter in the terrarium, as well as a device that supplies the water with oxygen so that the Chinese Trionics can receive it in full. To prevent the turtle from getting sick, you should settle the water when filling the aquarium or reduce the chlorine content in it using special preparations. An incandescent lamp and an ultraviolet lamp are also necessary. If the Chinese Trionix was raised in captivity from birth, then there is a chance to tame this aggressive predator.

Sources https://ru.wikipedia.org/ https://www.cherepahi.ru/ https://www.floranimal.ru/ https://www.veterinar-info.ru https://www.sevin. ru/ https://www.zoopodolsk.ru/

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How does reproduction occur?

At about a year old, the common musk turtle reaches sexual maturity. The mating process takes place in water; after fertilization, the female can remain fertile for about four years. The clutch, usually consisting of 2-7 eggs, occurs in the spring-summer period, from April to July. The eggs are covered with a fragile hard shell, the female places them in a small self-dug hole in the ground or in a natural depression; there are often cases when they do not bother themselves with digging nests, leaving the future offspring simply on the surface.

The eggs mature in 2-3.5 months, the optimal ambient temperature should be in the range of 25-29⁰ C. The hatched turtles grow quite quickly.

This subspecies of turtles has a high reproduction rate, so the threat of extinction does not hang over them.

Trionics breeding

They become sexually mature at 6–7 years of age. Turtles mate in March-April and lay eggs in May-August. The behavior of Trionics is especially active from mid-June to mid-July. The turtle digs a bag-shaped hole 15–20 cm deep and 8–10 cm in diameter at the bottom at a distance of 10–35 m from the water, masking it with vegetation. The eggs in the nest are located either in a compact pile or in 2-3 layers separated by sand. Females lay 20–70 eggs 2–3 times per summer. The eggs are covered with a white calcareous shell, have a round shape with a diameter of 18–23 mm and a weight of 5 g. The duration of incubation at a temperature of 28–30°C is 60–89 days, in nature 45–60 days. The length of newborn turtles is about 30 mm.

Feeding

Omnivores, in nature they eat mainly insects, fish, larvae, amphibians, and snails. Chinese Trionics eats food high in protein: bloodworms, fish, snails, worms, fish fillets, artificial food, mussel and shrimp meat.

The basis of feeding can be made of high-quality food for aquatic turtles, especially since they contain a variety of additives and minerals. Very voracious, it is advisable not to overfeed.

Plants in an aquarium will not last long. They don't eat them, but seem to take pleasure in simply destroying them.

Avoid keeping fish together with the Far Eastern turtle. They are able to hunt fish from an early age and often much larger ones than themselves. Having caught a large fish, trionics first tear off the head. If you keep fish with them, then consider it just food.

There was a mouse and there wasn't (be careful!)

What does it eat?

Trionix is ​​a dangerous predator that eats everything that gets in its way

Therefore, before getting a soft-shelled turtle, it is important to think about where to get live food for your pet.

Food in nature

Trionics is a predator that hunts at night. In nature, it feeds on worms, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and can also quickly catch fish. If a large prey is caught, it first of all bites off the head so that the fish stops resisting.

It guards its prey by burying itself in the mud, leaving only its head outside. During a hunt, a turtle may remain motionless for a long time, but when prey swims past, it grabs it with a sharp movement with its strong jaws.

Diet at home

Trionics is a voracious turtle; it can eat several small fish at a time. The main diet of a reptile:

• any meat in large pieces;
• live frogs;
• earthworms, bloodworms;
• dried or live cockroaches and grasshoppers;
• small aquarium and sea fish, snails;
• vegetables fruits.

Note! Adults are capable of eating small chickens and mice. Young turtles are fed small meals daily

Adults are given food 3 times a week in large quantities

But it is important to remember that the species is susceptible to obesity, so the pet should not be overfed. Young turtles are fed small meals daily

Adults are given food 3 times a week in large quantities. But it is important to remember that the species is susceptible to obesity, so the pet should not be overfed

Young turtles are fed small meals daily. Adults are given food 3 times a week in large quantities

But it is important to remember that the species is susceptible to obesity, so the pet should not be overfed

Types of Trionics

Sometimes other representatives of the genus Trionyx, which has 14 species, are also found on sale. Examples include the ocellated (T.hurum), beautiful (T.formosus), Haitian (Tgangeticus) trionyx from South Asia, North American spiny (T.spiniferus), evil (T.ferox), smooth (T.mutieus) trionyx . These species are quite suitable for keeping in a home terrarium; their biology is not very different from that of the Chinese Trionix. You just have to keep in mind that these are mostly larger species - the maximum length of the shell is 40-70 cm, and also that their price on the market is significantly higher. However, the largest trionix (T.lriungulus) lives in Africa (except for the north and south of the continent). The length of its shell reaches 90 cm. Knowing the difficult nature of Trionics, it is easy to assume that interaction with such a turtle poses a serious danger.

In Yasyukevich, Moscow

Aquarium Magazine 2002 No. 6

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Appearance

The Chinese Trionix, like other soft-bodied reptiles, does not have a hard shell consisting of horny plates, which is clearly visible in the photo. The carapace (dorsal shield) is represented by a leathery formation with an oval shape. Trionix has a long neck, on which is located a head with powerful jaws.

The age of an animal can be determined by the tubercles covering the carapace. In young turtles they are convex, with age they gradually decrease in size and merge with the skin.

The Far Eastern tortoise weighs 4-5 kilograms. The diameter of its shell reaches 25-30, sometimes 40, centimeters.

There is information about the capture of a reptile weighing 11 kilograms.

Human use

In Asian countries, eggs and meat of Chinese trionix are used for food. For example, for cooking the famous turtle soup. This famous dish is made from reptile meat and is considered a delicacy.

Far Eastern turtles are caught:

• networks;
• on a fishing rod;
• with the use of prison.

Special farms are created for breeding in Asian countries. They include canals, ponds, etc. Production reaches impressive sizes, for example:

• according to statistics provided by the People's Republic of China, in 2008 about 204 thousand tons of such a product were produced;
• In Thailand, about 6 million Chinese Trionix are raised on farms every year.

Temperate climates are not suitable for breeding. In such conditions, intensive nutrition occurs within a short period of time. Further, when water temperatures reach 10–15 °C, Far Eastern turtles hibernate.

Commercial weight is about 450 g. Under natural conditions, it takes about 3 years to set. However, on farms, thanks to the use of heaters and other means, this mass is obtained within 1 year.

The soft-shelled turtle is used for scientific purposes. For example, scientists use it to find out the peculiarities of the development of an organism.

Keeping Trionix in captivity

In Chinese and Japanese cuisine, the meat of these reptiles is considered a delicacy and is believed to have many healing properties. Popular national dishes are prepared from it - turtle soup and various sauces. Trionics eggs are also used for food – they have excellent taste.

This led to the mass breeding of these turtles on farms in Japan, China and other Asian countries. Reptiles have adapted to life in the ponds and canals created for them, and produce abundant offspring. According to 2002 data, 91,000 tons of Trionics are sold annually.

In Russia, these unusual reptiles have not taken root as a delicacy and are more often pets or inhabitants of artificial tanks. In order for the turtle to feel good, it should be placed in an equipped terrarium with a volume of more than 50 liters, and provided with suitable conditions:

• the tank should consist of 2 parts - an aquarium with high sides and a small piece of land;
• only settled water is poured, its temperature varies from 20° to 26°C;
• air temperature – 26°-30°С;
• it is necessary to install a powerful UV lamp - trionics need intense sunlight;
• the bottom of the aquarium is covered with silt, sand or gravel - the layer thickness should not be less than 10-12 cm;
• aeration of the terrarium is necessary - these turtles obtain oxygen not only from the air environment, but also from the water environment.

Trionics have a very tough temperament, so fights can often break out between several individuals. You should not add fish to them - these reptiles actively eat many of them. Sometimes they coexist well with macropods.

Three groups of turtles

Based on their feeding type, turtles are divided into three groups: carnivores, omnivores and herbivores.

. Each of them corresponds to a certain ratio of animal and plant foods. Feeding inappropriate food for each group of turtles is fraught with diseases of the internal organs, digestive complications, and metabolic problems. You also need to include calcium and vitamins in your diet weekly. What food should be given to each group?

Predatory

The food of predatory turtles should consist of 80% animal food and 20% plant food. This group includes almost all aquatic species and all young aquatic ones, such as young red-eared, caiman, trionics, swamp, musky, etc.

The main food for them is:

• lean fish, live or thawed, with entrails and small bones. For young turtles, the fish should be finely chopped (spine, excluding ribs) with bones, for adults - whole or large pieces. Large bones can be ground or finely chopped.
• beef or chicken liver is given once a week;
• seafood such as green (not pink) shrimp, sea cocktail;
• mammals (small): naked mice, rat pups, runners.

The turtle can eat all seafood, as well as fish, only raw; heat-treated food should not be given;

Additional food

, which should be given once a week, serves:

• Dry food for freshwater turtles, for example, in the form of sticks, tablets, flakes, granules, capsules, Sulfur, etc.
• Insects: moth, food cockroaches, grasshoppers, bloodworms, crickets, earthworms, gammarus and so on;
• Mollusks, amphibians, invertebrates: slugs, frogs, small snails with shells, tadpoles and similar swamps.

It is prohibited to give to predatory turtles:

meat (beef, chicken, pork, lamb, sausages, sausage, any type of minced meat, etc.), as well as fatty fish, milk, cheese, bread, fruit, dog or cat food, etc.

The diet of this group of turtles should consist of 50 percent animal food

and 50 – vegetable. Omnivorous turtles include semi-aquatic and adult aquatic turtles, some types of land turtles: spiny turtles, coora turtles, adult red-eared turtles, Spengler's turtles, red-footed turtles (coal turtles), etc.

Their menu consists of half animal food, see the list above, and half plant food, the list is below. Aquatic turtles are pampered with fish

and seafood (as animal food), and mice are given to land animals.

• Plant food for aquatic species are plants growing in water conditions,
• Land animals are given plants that live on the ground, and fruits and vegetables are added to them.

Herbivores

The menu of this group of turtles is based on plant foods, which make up 95% of the total diet, animal food consists of 5%.

Herbivores include: all land turtles, including radiated, flat, Central Asian, Greek, spider and others.

The main food of this group is:

• greens, it makes up 80% of the entire menu (semi-dry or fresh salads, edible leaves, flowers, succulents, herbs.
• vegetables - 15% of the diet (pumpkin, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots...)
• fruits that are not very sweet (apples, pears, etc.) are represented in 5% of the menu.

Additional food

once a week, it includes:

• non-poisonous mushrooms, such as russula, boletus, champignons, etc.
• dry balanced food for land turtles of the brands “Sera”, “Tetra”, “Zumed”.
• other: soybean meal, dry yeast, raw young sunflower seeds, bran, dried seaweed...

It is prohibited to give meat; this category includes: any minced meat, sausages, sausage, chicken, beef, pork, etc.). Also fish, milk, cheese, cat or dog food, bread...

Classification

Previously, the Chinese trionix was classified in the genus Trionyx

and within the species two subspecies were distinguished:

• Trionyx sinensis sinensis
  - nominative, distributed over most of the range;
• Trionyx sinensis tuberculatus
  - restricted to Central China and the South China Sea.

Currently, no subspecies are identified. Certain populations of turtles from China are identified by some researchers as independent species:

• Pelodiscus parviformis
  ;
• Pelodiscus axenaria
  .

The taxonomic status of these forms is unclear, in particular Pelodiscus axenaria

may only be a young specimen of
Pelodiscus sinensis
.
Turtles from Russia, northeastern China and Korea are sometimes considered to be a distinct form of Pelodiscus maackii
. Determining the taxonomic status is difficult due to numerous cases of importation of turtles from different parts of the range and their hybridization.

Within the family Trionychidae

the genus
Pelodiscus
, together with the closely related genera
Dogania
and
Palea,
form the tribe
Pelodiscini
.

Distribution in the wild

Trionics live in many Asian countries, Hawaii and Russia, in the southern regions of the Far East.

Reptiles live in fresh waters: in lakes, rivers, and rice fields. They prefer warm bodies of water with slow currents and a sandy bottom. They rarely go ashore and do not move further than 2 meters from the reservoir.

In China, trionics are bred on specialized farms for food purposes, since dishes made from them are considered a delicacy. Turtle soup is especially prized. Reptile meat tastes similar to frog legs. Turtle eggs are also used for food.

Asians are sure that turtle soup can increase male strength.

Food

Young Trionics are fed every day, adults 2-3 times a week. You must choose the amount of food yourself, depending on how much the turtle eats. The approximate serving size for children is 2-3 pieces of 1 cm3, for older adults - 2-3 pieces of 2-3 cm3. The food should be raw and at room temperature. The main food is FISH! It is best to occasionally give live small fish, which can be immediately introduced into the aquarium. Types of food: FISH (lean and different types - hake, cod, gobies, thalassa, etc.), MEAT (specifically internal organs: beef liver, chicken heart, beef heart, but not chicken!), INSECTS and CRUSTACEANS in the form of a rare delicacy (daphnia crustaceans, gammarus, bloodworms, earthworms, legless crickets, woodlice, legless locusts, beetles), OTHER (small freshwater snails, shrimp, tadpoles, frogs). All food should be given with bones, shell (snails) and internal organs so that Trionics can receive calcium and vitamins from food.

How and what to feed Chinese Trionics

The Far Eastern trionix is ​​a predatory animal. When keeping a turtle at home, dry food (preferably from Tetra and Sera, they have a line of food for turtles): granules, dried crustaceans, gammarus, makes up no more than 60% of the turtle’s diet. The remaining 40% comes from animal feed: boiled or scalded raw lean meat, fish, shrimp, squid, boiled egg whites, live bloodworms, small fish.

You cannot feed your turtle food that is not purchased from the street, since in most cases insects and small animals from the street are carriers of parasites. Trionix needs to be fed every day for the first 2-3 years, after 3-4 years once every 1-2 days.

You can tell by the turtle's behavior when it will ask for food. A hungry turtle usually swims along the walls of the aquarium, pokes its nose into the ground, watches the owner and stands on its hind legs, resting its front legs on the wall of the aquarium. A hungry turtle will greedily eat all the food given to it and ask for more.

In the first days, you will understand what portions of food your turtle needs. Remains of uneaten food must be removed from the aquarium, because of them the water quickly becomes cloudy and begins to smell bad.

Trionics must be fed pieces of calcium-containing preparations a couple of times a week; it would be better to buy special vitamins for turtles. Just because a turtle has a soft shell doesn't mean it doesn't need calcium and vitamins. On the contrary, if there is a lack of vitamins and minerals, turtles quickly get sick. Treatment of a turtle is a long and complicated matter, and not always successful, so it is better to immediately prevent the disease.

Necessary equipment for keeping Chinese Trionics

So, you have assessed your capabilities and decided to purchase a Far Eastern soft-shelled turtle. Below is a list of the necessary equipment and approximate prices for it.

Aquarium for Trionix

For a small turtle, a 50-liter one is suitable, but over time, Trionix will grow and require a 150-liter aquarium. A 100 liter aquarium with lighting will cost the owner about 5-7 thousand rubles. It is better to buy an aquarium with a lamp built into the lid.

Filter for Trionix

The power depends on the volume of the aquarium. The more powerful the filter, the cleaner the water in the aquarium and the less often you will have to change it. Trionics produce a lot of waste, so it is better to immediately purchase a filter of sufficient power. The cost of a filter for a steel-liter aquarium is 1000-1200 rubles.

Heater for Trionix

The presence of a heater is mandatory; it must have a thermostat and be placed in a protective capsule so that the turtle does not break the device. For a 100-liter aquarium – 1000-1200 rubles.

Primer for Trionix

The soil needs to be poured in a layer of 10-20 cm so that the turtle can burrow into it. You need to choose natural pebbles with medium and large stones so that the turtle does not swallow the stones. The cost of soil for a 100-liter aquarium is about 700 rubles.

Large stones for Chinese trionix

The turtle will climb out onto large stones as if onto islands. The cost of 2-3 large stones or large driftwood is about 500 rubles.

Food for Trionix

It is advisable to choose food from Tetra and Sera. Russian-made food usually causes stomach problems for turtles. The cost of a supply of food from a foreign manufacturer for a young turtle for a month is about 200 rubles.

Judging by the above list. To get a Trionix, the owner will have to spend about 10 thousand rubles, or even more.

Description

A medium-sized turtle, with a carapace length up to 25 cm, although some can be up to 40 cm. The leathery carapace is relatively smooth and oval in shape.

The color is usually gray-brown, but can also be yellowish. And the plastron is usually yellowish or pinkish.

The head is medium in size with a long elongated proboscis, the end of which resembles a snout.

The head and paws are brown or olive. The skin is quite thin and the bone structure is weak. However, it has thick lips and powerful jaws with horny edges.

What are the features of care?

Keeping Trionics for a novice aquarist will be quite problematic. He practically does not get used to his owner, unless he is placed with him when he is very young.

If, after all, the choice fell on him, you need to decide: how many individuals should be placed in the terrarium? Here such a characteristic as anger comes to the fore. Three-clawed turtles cannot tolerate competitors similar to themselves. The fight between them can be so aggressive that it leads to death. If he lives alone, there are fewer problems in care.

You also need to make sure that the trionics “does not go on a long journey.” Very professionally and quickly, he is able to get out of his house and run far away from it. He does this in the following way: standing at the bottom with the parietal part of his head (literally what is called upside down), he stretches his neck, lifting the light armor vertically upward. As it reaches the surface of the water, the shell is thrown over the wall and the turtle is entirely outside

This is why having a lid is so important.

Feeding a turtle is not difficult, but it is not cheap either: it eats a lot and requires a varied diet. It should contain:

• Meat;
• Worms;
• Insects;
• Fish or minced fish;
• Plant component.

For a healthy life, it is necessary to introduce special feed for reptiles containing nutrients and vitamins.

Conditions of detention

Chinese Trionics are very large creatures. In an aquaterrarium they can grow up to 40 cm in length, so the house for them must be of appropriate size - from 250 liters. The ratio of land to water is 1:5.

Filtration and aeration

The turtle receives oxygen from both water and air, so care should be taken to aerate and filter the liquid. You need a powerful filter, designed for a volume twice the volume of your aquarium, since Trionics love to eat.

Temperature

Animals need a special temperature regime for better metabolism, so in cold weather the aquaterrarium needs to be heated.

When frozen, the pet becomes lethargic and sleepy, and the food in the stomach stops being digested and begins to rot.

For heating, it is recommended to install a lamp that maintains the temperature on land at 30-32°C. The lamp must be used such that it will not explode due to splashes on it. It should be positioned so as not to cause a fatal burn to the turtle.

You can also install an ultraviolet lamp, which will promote better absorption of calcium and vitamins. Installing a lamp is not a necessary condition, since the turtle can live without it. In this case, vitamin D3 must be present in the animal’s diet.

Bottom

As a soil, you can choose sand or fine gravel, imitating a river bank, on which the turtle loves to soak up the sun or in which it can burrow in case of danger. The soil should be distributed in a layer 10-15 cm thick. It is not prohibited to plant plants, but non-poisonous or artificial ones, since the animal can nibble them at their leisure.

Description of Trionix's appearance

A representative of this species is called differently - the Far Eastern or Chinese trionics, the Chinese soft-bodied turtle. The peculiarity of the reptile is its shell , which consists not of traditional hard horny scutes, but of skin. This carapace has soft edges. Trionics are not small individuals, on average the length of the animals is 20-25 cm, but there are also 35-40 cm large ones weight exceeds 4 kg.

In young reptiles, the carapace is rounded, on it there are longitudinal rows of tubercles, which become ridges as they grow older, and then disappear completely. The shell of an adult turtle takes on an oval shape and becomes flattened. The carapace of Trionix is ​​greenish-brown in color, with sparse yellow spots. The plastron may be white-pink or yellowish.

The neck is mobile, elongated. The head is of a very modest size, ending in an expressive muzzle. Trionix cannot be called cute, but due to its long, flexible proboscis with widened nostrils, it looks very funny. A representative of this species is 100% a predator with strong jaws, the edges of which are sharpened like razor blades. Trionix is ​​considered aggressive, as he is actually capable of biting and seriously damaging the flesh of his opponent.

These turtles prefer to be in the aquatic environment; they appear on land very rarely. But they periodically rise to the surface and stick their elongated nose out of the water to take a breath of fresh air. In addition, they are able to obtain oxygen from water, having the ability to breathe through their pharynx.

The respiratory organs of Trionix are tufts - villous processes that cover the surface of the pharynx. They perform the functions of gills and give the turtle the opportunity to stay in the aquatic environment for up to 15 hours. The skin of reptiles is penetrated by a large number of blood vessels, which ensure respiration through the skin - in water and on land. Not all reptiles have such abilities. limbs end in five webbed fingers, 3 of which have pointed claws.

Temperament

Many aquarists, seduced by the unusual appearance of the turtle, bought it, but soon regretted the thoughtless purchase. And the point here is not in the difficulties of maintaining or picky eating of a new pet, but in its bad character.

Trionics are very shy and, therefore, aggressive creatures. They compensated for the lack of a hard shell with activity and speed of reaction.

Indeed, they are much more energetic and mobile than their counterparts. You cannot communicate with them or handle them without special gloves.

This type of turtle has a long flexible neck; when twisted, it can easily bite its owner until it bleeds.

Precautionary measures

Trionics are not slow or inhibited. When he suddenly tries to grab himself, he bites sharply with his powerful jaws, leaving painful bites. For calm contact with your pet, follow these precautions:

• Try not to touch the animal. A turtle is not a pet.
• Handle him calmly, do not make sudden movements.
• Handle your pet slowly so that you are within his line of sight.
• Do not handle with bare hands; use gloves or mittens.
• You should accustom your reptile to handling from a young age.
• Show your hands in front of the muzzle so that the pet does not get scared from the suddenness.

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Features of keeping at home

Soft-bodied turtles are excellent swimmers and can remain underwater for quite a long time. Therefore, to keep the Chinese Trionix, you should buy a larger aquaterrarium.

In the wild, Far Eastern turtles come ashore only in rare cases. But in captivity they should be given the opportunity to bask on the shore, which will prevent the development of infections and preserve their health.

Filtration and aeration

You need to install a powerful filter in the aquaterrarium, preferably an external one. The water should be regularly replaced with fresh water (it must be settled; bleach can kill the animal). Due to the excessive gluttony of Trionix, water becomes polluted very quickly, which increases the risk of developing infectious diseases.

Trionics use not only atmospheric air for breathing, but also that which is dissolved in water.

Temperature

The Chinese Trionix turtle is thermophilic. The water temperature for it must be maintained at 24-29 degrees. Therefore, in winter the water should be heated.

On land, the air temperature should reach 30-32 degrees. In the cold, the animal's metabolism slows down, causing it to become lethargic, and food entering the stomach begins to rot.

The air temperature should be higher than the water. Otherwise, the reptile will not be able to warm up.

Above the resting place you need to install an ordinary heating lamp and an ultraviolet lamp (it replaces sunlight) to improve the absorption of calcium and vitamins. If you give your pet specialized food containing vitamin D3, you can do without ultraviolet radiation.

The lamp should be placed at a distance at which it will heat, but not burn. If the lamp is hung too low, it can pose a mortal danger (hard-shelled turtles will only get burned in this case).

Bottom

Soft-bodied turtles like to burrow in the sand. This behavior allows them to hide from both enemies and prey.

To create conditions for your pets that are as close to natural as possible, it is recommended to cover the bottom of the aquarium with a layer of sand 10-15 centimeters thick. But you need to make sure that there are no pebbles in it that could injure the delicate body of the animal.

What to feed?

Trionics are omnivores. In nature, they feed on insects, larvae, snails, fish, and amphibians, which they swallow whole.

• bloodworm;
• earthworms and mealworms;
• crickets and cockroaches;
• freshwater fish;
• snails;
• squid;
• shrimp;
• special artificial mineralized feed.

You should not plant plants in the aquarium with Trionics. These turtles, although they do not eat algae, destroy them.

Chinese Trionics are very voracious. Therefore, their diet should be limited to prevent obesity. Adult turtles are fed 2-3 times a week, and babies - daily.

Features of behavior

It would be hard to call the Chinese Trionix slow or sedentary. This is a very active turtle that does everything quickly - swims, dives, burrows into the ground. Moreover, the turtle develops great speed and sharpness not only in water, but also on land.

It’s funny to watch how the funny widened nostrils of a reptile appear above the surface of the water as it sticks out to breathe. If a trionics that gets out onto land gets hot, it can bury itself in a layer of wet sand to avoid overheating. To increase the area of ​​evaporation, the turtle can stretch its already long neck and open its mouth.

These reptiles are predatory hunters, cunning and patient, they burrow into silt or sand and wait for prey. As soon as any fish finds itself dangerously close to the “hunter”, the turtle makes a swift dash of its head, grabs the prey and almost immediately eats it.

These animals are most active at night. But they don’t waste it sitting in ambush, but begin to explore the bottom. The insolent behavior of turtles outrages fishermen - the reptiles do not shy away from nets and fishing rods, carefully examine them and feast on the catch.

When living in a cool climate, trionics go to winter: in coastal reservoirs they begin to winter in early October, in Amur reservoirs - in late summer - early autumn, when the temperature of the aquatic environment drops to 5°-8°C.

For wintering, turtles choose ice-free holes at the bottom of a reservoir or the bottom of a large river, where they bury themselves in a muddy layer. In Primorye they leave the “winter hut” in April, in the Amur region - in late spring - early summer. To do this, the water must warm up to 15°-17°C.