How long do little turtles live?

How to determine the death of a red-eared slider?

The red-eared slider may hibernate in winter.
She just hides in her shell and falls asleep. Sometimes owners confuse the onset of this period with the death of the animal - after all, it is almost impossible to see breathing due to the shell. In order not to bury the animal alive, you need to know the main signs of the death of a turtle. If the red-eared turtle does not come out of hibernation with the onset of warm weather, then this becomes the first alarming sign. Of course, a reptile will not wake up in a cold room, so it needs to create conditions - warm up the container and pour warm water. When all measures have been taken, but the animal remains in its shell and shows no signs of life, then you need to try to determine whether it is alive or not by other means.

The next method regarding how to determine the death of a red-eared turtle is to identify reflexes. To do this, you need to take the animal in your arms and touch its face and paws. A living turtle will immediately twitch and try to hide even deeper into the shell.

If there is no reaction, then this is almost one hundred percent - the onset of death. A living turtle will reflexively react to any external stimuli, even to changes in the temperature of the water in the aquarium. At the same time, she may be hibernating.

A turtle can die not only in its shell. Death often occurs on land: the animal stretches out its limbs and head. If you pick him up, his paws and head will hang. In this case, death is not difficult to establish.

But what if the red-eared turtle does not move in the water and does not respond to stimuli? Any remaining doubts can be dispelled by a few more signs. You need to look carefully at the animal’s nose: when breathing, you can catch subtle movements of the nostrils.

Also, the onset of death can be determined by the rigor of the body. The paws become hard and it is almost impossible to remove them from the shell.

And the last sign, which occurs after a few days, is the smell of a corpse. May smell like rotten fish or putrid remains. In any case, a living turtle does not emit any odors. If a rotten “amber” emanates from the aquarium, then the animal must be removed and buried as soon as possible so that the rest of the inhabitants of the terrarium do not get sick.

At the first sign of loss of vital activity, it is recommended to take the turtle to the veterinarian. It is possible that the animal is alive, but dies, and there is a chance to save it.

Red-eared turtles often hibernate during the winter. Thus, they climb into the shell and sleep. Breeders sometimes perceive this phenomenon as the death of a pet, because it is practically impossible to determine whether the reptile is breathing due to the protective shell. In order not to bury your pet alive, you should familiarize yourself with the possible signs of death, as well as the reasons why turtles may die.

Of course, if the pet remains in hibernation when the weather warms up, then breeders should be wary. But if the room is cold enough, then the reptile will not wake up. In this regard, it is necessary to create the correct conditions, warm the terrarium and add warm water. If the animal remains in its shell, and there are no other signs of life, then mortality should be determined by other measures.

How to extend the life of a turtle at home

The lifespan of a turtle can be significantly increased even at home if you properly maintain your pet. Experienced specialists give several useful recommendations on this matter, each of which deserves special attention. These tips will be presented below.

Proper nutrition

This circumstance plays an important role in the issue of life expectancy of a domestic reptile. A turtle's diet should include the following foods:

Greenery. These are various herbs and leaves that make up most of the animal’s diet. Greens should make up approximately 75 percent of your tortoise's total food intake. As a rule, plant foods strengthen the pet’s immunity, increasing its resistance to various infectious diseases.
Fruits vegetables. In some cases, it is allowed to add berries to the turtle’s diet, for example, cranberries and lingonberries. These supplements also supply the animal's body with various vitamins.
Porridge. This is the food that the turtle owner should prepare. Land reptiles can consume both semolina and buckwheat porridge. Moreover, such food will not harm the health of the animal. It should make up at least five percent of the pet’s total diet.
Additives in the form of mixed feed. Such food can be given to waterfowl turtles no more than twice a month. They contain vitamins that, in small quantities, can strengthen the turtle’s immunity. They also make up five percent of all food consumed.

Vegetation on the bottom of an aquarium with a turtle

Additional Information! A pet turtle is accepted no more than three times per knock. In addition, the diet of waterfowl and land pets will be different.

Hygiene

It also affects the life expectancy of the pet. Therefore, if we are talking about a waterfowl turtle, then the water in its aquarium must be changed periodically, at least once every two weeks. Rotten water inhaled by a pet negatively affects its lungs and also prevents the animal from moving around the aquarium.

Advice! When changing water, it is recommended to place the sea turtle in a small bath so that it does not suffocate.

It is also important not only to change the water in your pet's aquarium, but also to periodically wash it to remove dirt from the walls of the aquarium.

A land turtle can be washed in warm water once a month. However, this requirement is not mandatory and can be ignored. In this case, it is contraindicated to wash the turtle with shampoo or soap to avoid getting the product into the pet’s eyes.

Comfortable conditions

The conditions in which the turtle will live at home must be as close as possible to the conditions of the wild. For example, a waterfowl should not be kept in an empty bathtub. She should be in a full-fledged aquarium, where all the conditions for her life are present.

Red-eared turtle in a home bath

Note! The aquarium should have plants and algae where the pet can always hide. A turtle, being in an aquarium, should think that it is in the ocean.

It is allowed to place small fish in the same aquarium with a waterfowl turtle. This way the animal will be able to eat fish.

For a land turtle, certain living conditions must also be observed if its owner is interested in the animal living as long as possible. You cannot prevent the reptile from moving freely around the house or apartment or limit its space. In this case, the turtle may feel danger and begin to get nervous. This circumstance will negatively affect the pet's health.

A land reptile that has lived for a long time in the wild, once at home, will take a long time to get used to its new habitat. Such an animal will begin to explore the territory, move around the house with special interest for the first few days, get used to people, etc. Therefore, one should not be too surprised by this circumstance.

How many years do turtles live?

The assumption that absolutely all turtles are long-lived is nothing more than another misconception. It has been proven that only one species, the giant Galapagos tortoise, can live more than two hundred years. The average lifespan of other species, as a rule, does not exceed 20-30 years. The Balkan turtle in nature lives no more than a hundred years, and some individuals of the Mediterranean and red-eared turtles can live for four decades.

This is interesting! An elephant tortoise named Garietta lived to be 175 years old, and the Madagascar radiated tortoise Tui-Malila had a lifespan of almost 188 years. Other long-livers among these representatives of reptiles are also known.

The large turtle has a very slow metabolism, so it is rightfully one of the longest-living species on our planet. This animal can survive without water and food for a year or more. The turtle is characterized by the presence of wrinkled skin on the body and a very slow speed of movement, as well as the ability to slow down and stop its heartbeat, so the aging process is almost invisible. A turtle rarely dies a natural death. As a rule, the animal dies from pathogenic microflora or becomes the prey of a predator.

Why do turtles live so long?

This animal can survive for a long time not only without food, but also without water. There are cases where turtles went without eating food for a long time, measured in several years. This amazing fact of their behavior was recorded quite a long time ago. Turtles move very slowly throughout their long lives and have wrinkled skin. For these reasons, age-related changes and aging are very difficult to notice in them. The same applies to internal organs.

Scientists have long been looking for an answer to what determines the lifespan of turtles by studying their genetic characteristics. Natural death of these reptiles occurs very rarely. The cause of death is often illness or death from predators and people.

If these cases were excluded, the life of turtles would last much longer. They have another amazing feature - they control the heartbeat: stop it for a while and then start it again. When the heart stops, the turtle freezes and does not move at all.

How to find out how old a turtle is

Often people get a reptile that has lived in nature for a long time. This animal will not be easy to tame in captivity

It is also important to obtain information about the age of the pet.

There are several ways to cope with this task:

Inspection of the shell. A turtle's shell grows over many years. Moreover, in one year of an animal’s life, its length can increase by two centimeters. All turtles are born with the same size shell. At birth, its length reaches 3 cm. To understand how old a pet is, you can use a simple mathematical formula: (s-p)/e. C is the current size of the shell, n is the initial length (usually 3 cm), and e is the increase in length over the year (2 cm).
Inspection of the rings on the surface of the shell. An equally popular method that allows you to estimate the age of a turtle. During the first two years of life, land turtles develop six rings on their shells. In waterfowl their number is three. Therefore, it is easier to count them and subtract those rings that formed in the first two years after birth. The resulting number will be the approximate age of the reptile.

Rings on a turtle's shell that can be used to determine the animal's age

Using the above manipulations, the pet owner can easily calculate his age.

Note! As a rule, the older the animal, the more difficult it is to calculate its real age, because the rings on the shell wear off or merge with each other over time

Therefore, it is best to determine the age of such turtles by the size of their shell.

How long can a red-eared turtle live on land?

How long do red-eared turtles live at home?

It has been proven that the red-eared pet can live without water for two to three days. Next, an irreversible process will occur in the turtle’s brain, and it will suffocate. So you shouldn’t leave your leisurely pet without water for a long time.

What shortens life expectancy in captivity?

Experienced experts identify several common reasons for the reduced life expectancy of turtles at home compared to the wild:

Bad content. A turtle, like other pets, must be carefully looked after, following the rules for keeping a wild animal.
Cramped aquarium. You should not buy a small aquarium for a waterfowl turtle, otherwise it will have to be replaced. The animal will grow throughout its life, so such a house will be too small for it in a few years. The water in the aquarium will also need to be changed at noticeable intervals.
Diseases. At home, a reptile can pick up a serious infection. To avoid such developments, it is recommended that your pet receive a number of mandatory vaccinations.
Poor nutrition. As mentioned above, it is important for a turtle to eat natural food (algae, lettuce, dandelion, fish), and not feed.

Measuring a reptile's shell to determine its real age

Important! A turtle can also die due to a minor illness that was initially ignored by its owner. Therefore, if a person suspects that his pet is sick, he should immediately contact a specialist.

Aquatic domestic and wild

Representatives of the aquatic family, unlike their comrades, are highly dependent on many factors. Like any other reptile of this species, they are quite capable of living from 30 years to one century, but away from their natural habitat their chances of a long life are sharply reduced. And all thanks to the smallest nuances that the human body will not notice, but the immunity of a small decorative reptile will not withstand.

If you look at how many years sea turtles live at home and in the ocean, the difference in numbers will be colossal. The average lifespan of the species is 80 years, but only a few survive to this age, and improper maintenance with the slightest deviation from the norm shortens the life of the average reptile by three times.

The most popular aquarium species of man's armored comrades, the red-eared fish, lives at home for up to 30 years, delighting the owner with its decorative size, as well as a very playful, active character.

But if you compare how long water and marsh turtles live at home, as well as in the wild, the result will be completely sad. Pets of this species rarely live to be half a century old, while their free brothers calmly celebrate their centenary anniversaries, rivaling their land-based counterparts in longevity.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=LSiVq4B0S7I

Features of turtles

Their appearance is so unique that these reptiles cannot be confused with anyone else. They differ from other animals by the presence of a shell, which serves as a kind of shield located on the upper part of the body. The carapace is a bone covered with keratinized plates.

The body of the turtle is fused with the shell, and is a single whole with the entire skeletal system. The shell is equipped with holes through which the animal can easily retract its limbs. Its shape and structural structure can be different and are largely determined by the turtle’s habitat. For example, marine reptiles have a flat shell, while their land counterparts have a thicker and convex shell.

How to reliably determine the age of a red-eared turtle

For non-specialists, there are several ways to determine the age of their pets: by the length of the shell and the nature of the pattern on it, by its shape and color.

First way

Despite the fact that there is a possibility of error when determining the age of a reptile by the length of its shell, you still need to know about this method.

To begin with, you should find out what gender the pet belongs to, which is also not so easy to determine, especially at a young age, and then you can start taking measurements and compare your results with the base ones. It will look like this:

The first year of life of pets is characterized by the same size of the shell, which is equal to 6 cm.
In the second year of life, the female has a shell 9 cm long, and the male 8 cm.
In the third year of life, the female’s shell is about 14cm long, and the male’s is up to 10cm.
By the fourth year of life, the female’s shell grows to 16cm, and the male’s – 12cm.
By the age of five years, the female has a shell 18 cm long, and the male – 14 cm.
At six years of life, the female can boast a carapace length of about 20 cm, and the male – 17 cm.

We can safely say that by the sixth year of life, the turtle has a shell that will have the same dimensions as it grows further.

The size may increase, but not significantly, and then the turtles’ shell will stop growing altogether.

The size of the shell is greatly influenced by the following factors:

Diet variety.
Dimensions of the Aqua terrarium.
Conditions of detention.
Does a turtle hibernate?

Therefore, this method has a serious error and is of little use for pets. In this case, you can use another method, which will strengthen your assumptions based on the first method. Even though it is more complex, it is more reliable. The basis of this method is to determine the age of turtles by the pattern on the shell.

Second way

A turtle's shell is like a person's fingerprint: it is unique, provided the turtle is in good conditions, has a varied diet and has enough space to lead an active lifestyle.

There are concentric rings on her shell, indicating her age. Rings begin to appear after she reaches 1 year of age, and then actively appear in the first 2-3 years. For every six months of life, 2-3 rings are added, after which this process begins to slow down and, each year the turtle lives, is evidenced by one ring. By counting the number of such rings, you can easily determine the age of your pet. To be more precise, the age of the purchased pet, since each owner can subsequently accurately determine the age of the turtle by adding to the age of purchase the years that the turtle lived directly with the owner.

To make more accurate calculations, you should count the number of rings and display the average result. As can be seen from the description of the second method, it also gives some error, so you can make a mistake if you do not know the exact date of birth.

Third way

The third method is based on the fact that during the process of growth the color intensity of the turtle's shell changes. The younger the turtle, the lighter and more delicate its coloring. When a turtle reaches four years of age, its shell begins to darken. Before this period, the age rings have the same color, and as the shell darkens, the rings also darken. An older turtle has an almost black color, and the rings have the same color.

As they grow, the shell of turtles begins to acquire a regular oval shape and becomes very smooth, which cannot be said about the shell of a young turtle.

The fact that the turtle is quite old can be evidenced by its lifestyle. At a young age, the turtle is more active and curious, which indicates the presence of a large supply of energy. The closer to old age, the less and less energy there is, the turtle begins to lead a sedentary lifestyle: it moves less and rests more. These signs are not limited to turtles.

In conclusion, we can add that it is not so important to know the age of a turtle if it is purchased when it is very small. The main thing is that the turtle feels comfortable, that the conditions of its detention are close to natural, and that the diet contains foods rich in all the necessary nutrients

Plus, this means attention and care, constant monitoring of cleanliness, which boils down to regular water changes, otherwise the turtle is unlikely to live long, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to determine its age by its shell

How to find out the age of turtles?

Radiocarbon dating of the shell makes it possible to most accurately determine the number of years. It was this method that made it possible to confirm the age of the oldest turtles in the world. Of course, such research cannot be carried out during life, but there is a more humane method.

Methods for determining age:

Along the length of the shell. It tends to change evenly. Every year he gains 2 centimeters. It is not so difficult to take measurements and calculate if you know the initial length. The size of newborns is only 3 cm. Calculating the age is not difficult. For example, the length of the shell is 30 cm. If you subtract the initial size from the final size, 30 - 3 = 27, you get the number by which the turtle has grown in its entire life. Dividing it by 2 (the number of centimeters per year), the age is 13.5 years.
Counting rings. This method is less accurate because it requires careful observations. The method should not be confused with determining the age of a tree; there is no need to cut anyone. You need to count the rings by the scales on the shell. More accurate results can be obtained on young animals. This is because in older individuals they are smoothed out. The turtle is 1 - 2 years old, if there are less than 6 scales. In one year, 2-3 rings are added.

Whatever method is chosen, none gives 100% accuracy of calculations. This is due to the fact that the growth and formation of the shell depends on the health of the animal, its diet and living conditions.

How many years do land turtles live?

Turtles have long become a symbol of slow, sometimes even too slow, movement. But this same delay in actions relates to their lifespan - it is much longer than that of other representatives of the fauna. The existence of individuals who died at the 153rd year of life has been documented, although scientists suggest that in the natural environment the turtle can live up to 300 years.

In particular, giant tortoises from Galapagos have a high life expectancy: they die after reaching the third century. Individuals from the Seychelles live a little less: from 150 to 250 years. The period is approximately the same for Balkan and box-shaped ones - 90-100 years. Scientists note that the life expectancy of land turtles depends on their size: larger species live longer than smaller ones

The next factor is the living conditions, which must be focused on if we are not talking about the natural environment

In most cases, the question of the life expectancy of a turtle in a city apartment is of interest, and here the numbers are very different from those that are possible in nature.

Most often, European tortoises are purchased as pets; they are able to live in an enclosure without water. Among them, the most popular is the Central European tortoise, which is quite large in size. The weight of an adult individual can reach 2 kg, and the shell extends up to 25 cm in length. In an apartment, such a turtle, if the right conditions are created for it, will live up to 40 years, and it is unlikely that it will need to be shown to a veterinarian: it is almost not prone to getting sick.

It is worth noting that for home conditions, such a life expectancy for a turtle (both land and waterfowl) is quite long. In some species the lifespan drops to 20 years (leatherback, big-headed), but there are also individuals that live up to 80 years. There is even documentary evidence that in the monasteries of Jerusalem, tortoises died when their age exceeded the limit of 100 years, as confirmed by the story of the Marion tortoise, which reached 152 years. But these cases are the exception rather than the rule. However, in general, land turtles are characterized by a long life span in a city apartment, which cannot be said about waterfowl species.

Lifespan of turtles depending on species

Land or Central Asian

More than 10 species are considered terrestrial. Their habitat is wide: they are found in Asia, America, Africa and even in southern Europe. Most often they live in open spaces: deserts, steppes and forest-steppes. They can also live in forests, both tropical and humid.

Land turtles can be small, not exceeding 10 cm in size, or very large. Their main characteristics are a round-shaped shell, thick legs, the toes of which are fused. They are classified as herbivores. Life expectancy varies, 50-100 years. It directly depends on the type of reptile and external conditions. They are very popular as pets in houses and apartments. Most often people choose European individuals. They can live at home for up to 40 years or more.

Of the land animals, the Central Asian ones are distinguished separately. They are distinguished by a spotted shell, which is divided into many sectors. Its color can be either brownish or yellow. They live in Central Asia, in places where there are reservoirs and deserts. Individuals are considered small. The length of the shell does not exceed 20 cm. Life expectancy depends on living conditions. In the natural environment they can live up to 50 years, and at home - 30.

Marine and water

The habitat of sea turtles is warm seas and oceans. They are very different in appearance from their land counterparts. Their limbs resemble flippers, and their shell has an elongated shape. They do not know how to retract their paws and heads. The length of the animal can be 70-150 centimeters. It’s difficult to say how long they can live at home; this species is usually not kept in apartments and houses. In captivity, they can be seen in huge oceanariums and aquariums. Life expectancy usually does not exceed 80 years.

Aquatic turtles are classified as Asian freshwater turtles. Their habitat is the Middle East, Japan, South Africa, Vietnam and China. They are small in size, with a maximum length of 30 centimeters. Distinctive features: smooth shell. Its color can be either colorful or monochromatic. Aquatic turtles are popular pets. They are kept in an equipped aquarium with heating lamps, a water filter and the ability to get out onto land. The animal's diet should consist of fish without bones. Meat should only be raw. Their lifespan can reach 50 years. They live as long in nature as at home.

How many years do red-eared turtles live?

Another species of freshwater turtle is the red-eared turtle. Its name indicates the peculiarities of its color. In size, the maximum length of the male's shell is 20 cm, and that of the female - 30. When small, they have a bright green color. With age, the individual becomes darker. The shade can range from brown to olive. Red or yellow spots form on the body. The shell has an oval shape and a uniform color. Animals can make sounds. They hiss, squeal and squeak.

At first, the red-eared species lived in America, but man spread it throughout the globe, in particular in Russia. They can be found on ponds and lakes. They love gently sloping shores because they can bask in the sun there.

Red-eared turtles live as long as is typical for almost all small species. Regardless of the habitat, the lifespan does not exceed 50 years. They are not fussy about care; the only thing that is important is the presence of a warm section of the shore.

How long does a marsh turtle live?

Proper care will allow a turtle to live in captivity for up to 30-50 years, and, according to some scientists, a turtle can outlive a person.

Reptile breeding

In the spring, the breeding season begins in the natural environment. Males and females over 6 years old, whose shell reaches more than 9 cm, are able to move far from a river or swamp, but the act of mating, one way or another, occurs near water. What’s surprising is this: the inseminating liquid is stored in the reptile’s body for a whole year or more, which often leads to “unexpected” laying of eggs after several months of the petiole being at home with the new owner.

Egg laying usually occurs from late spring to mid-summer. Three times, turtles lay eggs in holes dug in the ground, at a depth of up to 10 cm. The eggs look like this: the shell is white, oblong, weight up to 8 g. From 8-19 eggs, small turtles will hatch in 2-3 months.

If you are breeding pets at home and want to influence the sex of a marsh turtle, carefully monitor the temperature throughout the incubation period. When the thermometer is below 27 degrees, male turtles are born; at 30 degrees or more, female turtles are born. In intermediate indicators, it is possible to obtain cubs of both sexes.

So, you have learned how to care for a swamp turtle if you become its owner, what to feed it and how often to do it, how to create a comfortable environment and breed reptiles, what ways to protect yourself from aggression and how to take care of your pet’s health. The better you take care of your girlfriend, the longer and better her life will be. If you are not sure that you are able to strictly follow all the advice, simply do not get such an unusual and capricious pet. And if you have already decided, then be responsible.

A little about sea turtles

It is believed that on average sea turtles live 80 years, and centenarians live 300! However, pollution and poaching have taken their toll, and so nowadays seeing even a 100-year-old turtle is almost a miracle.

Sea turtles often get entangled in trawl nets, eat plastic bags, mistaking them for jellyfish, and die from this.
Many of the quiet coastlines where they previously laid eggs have been “taken away” from them and turned into noisy beaches.
They are destroyed by predators immediately after hatching, etc.

And in conclusion, it remains to be said that natural death in turtles is very rare. Most often they die from disease, are destroyed by predators or people, and when kept at home they die from poor care. That’s why if you have a turtle, please take good care of it and give it a long life!

And finally, useful video tips on how to find out the age of a turtle:

aquariumguide.ru

How long do turtles live in nature and in captivity?

The duration of the life cycle of these reptiles cannot be compared even with humans. On average, they live from 50 years to one and a half centuries. This indicator largely depends on what species the reptile belongs to:

Galapagos (aka elephant) tortoises in their natural environment live up to 180 years of age;
in marine reptiles, life expectancy is 60-70 years, 75-80 year old individuals are often found;
red-eared and swamp turtles are inferior to the above representatives - they live only up to 50 years;
Among Balkan reptiles, 100-year-old anniversaries are often found.

As for the record holders, there are many of them among these ancient reptiles. For example, the 150-kilogram “baby” Harriet, a member of the Galapagos tortoise species, was recognized as the oldest animal in the world. The approximate date of her birth is 1830, it was then that she was born on the Galapagos Islands, and died 176-117 years later on the territory of the Australian Zoo. It is believed that the person who took her from the islands to Great Britain was Charles Darwin himself. Then the reptile was the size of a small plate, it was mistaken for a male and named Harry.

Another famous long-lived turtle, named Advaita, lived with the British general Robert Clive. Being a representative of the breed, the gigantic tortoise originally from the Seychelles lived, according to various sources, from 1.5 to 2.5 centuries! It's a pity, but more accurate data was not saved.

Also a celebrity in the turtle world is a reptile with the exotic name Tui Malila. She belongs to the endemic Madagascar breed of radiant tortoise and, according to widespread legend, acted as a gift from Captain Cook to the native chief of Tonga. Her lifespan was two hundred years!

As for domesticated turtles, which are found in zooterrariums and aquariums of private owners, their life expectancy is noticeably inferior. Most often they live up to 30 years, although 40-50-year-old pets are not very uncommon.

How long an armored pet will live largely depends on the owner. If he provides the pet with suitable conditions, cares for it and takes into account breed characteristics, then the cycle may be longer

Of course, the type of reptile is also important

The red-eared turtle is an ideal option for those who have not previously domesticated reptiles

This pet is quite hardy and can adapt to different habitats. Still, the owner needs money and time to keep such a friend in good health. In general, the red-eared turtle tolerates cohabitation with humans well, even despite its timidity in the wild. As for food, domesticated reptiles prefer special food. The life cycle of this exotic animal ranges from 50 to 70 years.

If you are seriously looking for a pet with whom you want to live a long and happy life side by side, buying a turtle will undoubtedly be the right choice.

Main characteristics of the species

These are medium sized turtles. In the shell, their length varies from 18 to 30 cm. Sexual dimorphism is manifested mainly in size - males are much smaller than females.

Juveniles are bright green, allowing them to hide among plants. As turtles mature, they acquire olive or yellow-brown hues with characteristic patterns of yellow stripes. These stripes give the reptile an elegant look, which attracts many who like to fill their home with unusual animals.

On the head, neck and limbs the patterns are especially pronounced. In an adult turtle, they are a combination of white and green wavy stripes and spots.

Turtles do not have ears.

Why then did this turtle get the name red-eared? Those who name species have their own logic and flight of fancy

Apparently, the zoologist who named this species noticed the elongated bright red spots on both sides of the head

They extend along the head from the outer edge of each eye. These red (or maybe orange or even yellow) spots are located where ears would be if they had ears. So we got a bright name for an unusual turtle.

This species has a wide range. Initially, its representatives lived only in Central America and northwestern South America.

However, humans contributed to its spread to other regions. Now these turtles live in southern Florida, Arizona, Guadeloupe, Israel, South Africa, Spain, Great Britain and even Australia.

This turtle is considered aquatic, but it is able to go onto land, bask in the sun and move from body of water to body of water. She prefers to live in small fresh lakes, ponds and other bodies of water with low, swampy shores. It feeds equally on animal and plant foods. However, she has not been shown to have a predilection for carrion. She needs fresh game (crustaceans, fry, tadpoles, etc.) or fresh grass, including coastal grass.

Under favorable conditions, these turtles lead an active lifestyle.

They swim well and are quite capable of catching up with a small fish at a short distance.

Home content

Small species of land and freshwater turtles have enjoyed great success in recent years as unpretentious and very original pets. When kept in captivity, the animal must be placed in a terrarium, aqua-terrarium or aquarium. The choice of maintenance method depends on the lifestyle characteristics of each species. Improper feeding and care conditions often become the main cause of death of an animal at home.

Keeping waterfowl species

At home, the most commonly kept turtles are red-eared, musky, Caspian, mud or loggerhead turtles, swamp turtles, as well as Chinese trionix. For these types it is necessary to ensure the availability of:

spacious aquarium;
an ultraviolet lamp that heats an island of land, occupying a third of the total area of the aquarium;
filter system;
high-quality special food.

As natural food, you can use fish, finely chopped raw meat, worms, mice, small frogs, snails, as well as plant foods such as vegetables, apples, bananas and algae. You can use special balanced food with a sufficient content of microelements and vitamins to feed your pets. A young turtle needs to be fed daily . Adult and well-formed individuals should receive food once every three days.

This is interesting! All types of turtles have very poorly developed vocal cords, but some varieties of these exotics are capable of hissing quite loudly, which allows them to scare off enemies and express their displeasure.

The temperature of the aquatic environment should be maintained at 26-28°C, and the resting island should be heated to a temperature of 30-32°C. It is necessary to strictly control the purity of water, carrying out its timely replacement.

Maintenance of land species

These species are kept in terrariums. For a medium-sized turtle, it will be enough to allocate a terrarium with a volume of 80-100 liters . You need to add washed and dried river gravel to the bottom in a layer of 5 cm. It is imperative to provide the land turtle with a small bath-pool filled with warm and clean water. The standard power of a heating lamp should be approximately watts per liter of terrarium volume. The optimal temperature should be 18-30°C.

Land species are herbivorous turtles, and therefore the basis of their diet consists of 90% plant foods. About 10% of the diet is animal food with the addition of mineral and vitamin complexes. You need to feed your turtle a finely chopped mixture of herbs, vegetables and fruits, supplemented with bran, soybean meal, cottage cheese, dry yeast, seaweed, minced meat and a boiled egg.

When kept at home, turtles rarely hibernate. If the animal does not seem completely healthy, and also refuses to eat or loses motor activity, then you need to urgently consult a veterinarian.

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Mr. Tail Explains: Common Mistakes

All problems with these unpretentious pets arise due to the owners’ ignorance of basic maintenance rules. Most often, turtle owners make the following mistakes:

They do not provide any terrarium for their placement. The pet is forced to look for a secluded corner in the house on its own. He collects dust under cabinets and sofas, and can get hurt and catch a cold from drafts.
They forget to install an ultraviolet lamp in the turtle's housing. The absence of this radiation spectrum can cause many diseases in your pet.
Scales are forcibly removed from the skin and scutes from the shells during molting. This is absolutely forbidden to do so as not to injure your pet. When washing, use only a soft cloth.
They keep several aggressive males together. This can lead to injury and even death to the turtles.
Wash terrariums using homemade disinfectants. This can easily poison your pets. To clean their territory, you must have your own equipment and special means.

Reproduction and lifespan

Sea turtles reach sexual maturity at 25 years of age. Having spent their entire lives away from the coast before this period, at the time of nesting they rush to land, namely to the place where they themselves were born. Mating takes place near the shore, after which sea turtles prepare a nest in the sand, into which they lay up to 200 eggs. After that, they go to sea, not interested in what will happen to the clutch in the future.

After 2 months, baby turtles are born. Their sex depends to a large extent on the ambient temperature - at low temperatures males are born, and at high temperatures - females. Small turtles are hunted by all and sundry, so very few individuals survive to adulthood.

In the wild, red-eared turtles live in optimal natural conditions, and therefore may well live to the maximum possible age. For the natural environment this period is 30 years. But not all individuals survive to this time, since many die due to diseases, parasites or predators.

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However, a balanced diet, unlimited space and interaction with other turtles are no better at prolonging the life of these reptiles than parasite-proof home terrariums.

In the wild, only 10% of turtles survive from laying to adulthood, and less than 1% survive to old age. In a home terrarium, many of the causes of such high mortality can be avoided.

On average, turtles live about 20-30 years in the wild. 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.

Young sea turtles reach sexual maturity at 25-30 years of age. All the time before the start of the breeding season, turtles swim in the salty sea. But in the nesting year, sea turtles that have reached adulthood rush to the piece of land where they once hatched from the egg.

Having reached small islands scattered in the ocean, turtles mate close to the shore. Then the females begin to prepare the nests. They crawl ashore and rake up the sand with their hind paws. Nest holes emerge, approximately 40-50 cm deep. The female lays eggs there.

Sea turtles are long-lived.

The number of eggs in one clutch can be up to 200 pieces. Having laid the eggs, the female buries the nest and carefully compacts it so that the hole looks as inconspicuous as possible. During the year of nesting, the female makes 5-7 clutches of eggs. The next breeding season will occur only after 3-4 years.

After the female sea turtle lays her eggs, she leaves to surf the sea and does not care about her offspring at all. She is not interested in what will happen to the masonry. The period of development of turtle cubs in eggs occurs within 2 months. Moreover, the sex of hatched turtles depends on the ambient temperature.

If the temperature was quite low, males are born. At higher air temperatures, the eggs will hatch into females. But if the temperature change is too sharp, the masonry may die completely.

The turtle egg shell is pierced with the so-called egg tooth. The newly born sea turtle cubs rake up the sand and climb out of the nest hole. This is where the most dangerous period of life begins. They are hunted both on land and in water, and from the air. As a result, a very small number of reptiles of this species survive to adulthood. But if the little turtle cub still managed to survive, his life expectancy could be 80 years.

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Famous long-lived turtles

The world-famous long-living tortoise belongs to Charles Darwin. Her name was Hariette. She was brought as a baby from the Galapagos Islands. In those days she was considered a male. They called her Harry. Its size at that time did not exceed the diameter of the saucer. She spent the last years of her life in Australia. Its weight exceeded 1.5 centners. At the time of her death, she was 177. The animal outlived its owner by 105 years.

Garietta is not the only turtle considered a legend. Another, named Advaita, according to various sources, lived 150-250 years. She belonged to the species of Giant Turtles. The British general, Robert Clywood, brought it from the Seychelles.

A radiant tortoise named Tui Malila has broken all records. She lived to be almost 200 years old. There are legends that it was once given to the leader of the natives.

Before you get a small turtle at home, you should understand whether it will be possible to create all the conditions for a long and comfortable life.

You need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to pay attention to your pet. It is also recommended to study the features of the content and consult with specialists before purchasing.

Centenarians

The life expectancy of a land turtle is long. The following long-lived people are known:

elephant named Harietta (175 years old);
Galapagos giant male Jonathan (180 years old);
Madagascar radiata Tui Malila, (192 years);
Seychelles Advaita (150-250 years).

There is information from zoos that notes that some individuals of the box-shaped species have reached their centenary. Spurred ones can live up to 115 years, Balkan ones - up to 90-120 years, representatives of elephants celebrated their 150th anniversary in captivity.

Caymans in the wild also live on average to at least one and a half centuries, and Seychelles up to two and a half hundred years.

The registered maximum age of large land turtles is 250 years, and not 300, as Ranevskaya sings to us in the image of Tortilla in the film about Pinocchio. And the larger the reptile, the longer it can live, provided that nothing happens that disrupts its usual way of life.

Aquatic turtle

These representatives of the turtle world are unique creatures - at home their lifespan usually does not exceed 25-35 years, while in the natural environment they can live up to three hundred years! As already noted, wild females begin to give birth only after reaching 30 years of age.

In order to bring the reptile’s living conditions as close as possible to natural ones and thereby increase the duration of the pet’s life cycle, the owner should take care of the following:

varied diet - aquatic reptiles are predators, and 80% of their diet should consist of animal food;
vitamin supplements - they are given to individuals expecting offspring, actively growing young animals, sick reptiles and in other cases;
spacious dwelling - the volume of the aquaterrarium should be calculated based on the fact that one individual requires at least 150 liters;
ultraviolet source - it should not be direct sunlight, but a UV lamp installed according to all the rules;
dryer - aquatic turtles do not spend all their time in the water, they need an island on which they can rest and bask, it takes up on average 1/3 of the total volume of the container;
purity of water - it is necessary to change the water weekly by 40-50%, it can be ordinary, from the tap, but it must be settled.

Origin of the turtle

The question of the origin of the turtle is still occupied by the minds of many scientists. The conditional ancestor is considered to be Permian cotylosaurs or eunotosaurs. This small and very lizard-like ancient animal had short and fairly wide ribs, which together formed a kind of shield-shell in the back area.

Some scientists suggest that turtles owe their origin to a special group of parareptiles that were descendants of the amphibian discosauriscus. The first, most ancient specimen that fell into the hands of scientists was Odontochelys semitestacea, very well known in scientific circles. This turtle was characterized by the presence of the lower half of the shell, as well as teeth, which modern species are completely devoid of. The second oldest turtle is Proganochelys quenstedti. This animal had a full and well-formed shell and also had teeth.

The largest land turtles from the genus Meiolania had shells that often exceeded two meters in length. In addition to the huge shell, the animal had a very long and incredibly powerful tail, which was decorated with flattened bone spikes arranged in two rows. The species is characterized by the presence of a triangular skull, on which there are elongated, blunt-type spines directed backwards and sideways.