Facts about the characteristics of turtles and their unique properties and achievements:
1.
Slowest traveler:
A tortoise named Chester, marked with a white stripe for identification, escaped in 1960 and was found by a neighbor of the owners in 1995, having gone only 686 m from the house.
2. The loneliest creature on the globe:
Elephant tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus abingdoni) named Lonesome George, male, lived for a long time in a single copy on the island. Abingdon, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Unfortunately, Lonesome George died alone.
3. The largest ancient turtle
Archelon is considered ( Mesozoic period). Its length was approximately 3.05 m.
Before turtles reach maturity, their mass increases 2,000 times.
4. The speed of gigantic turtles reaches only 0.37 km/h. Slowness land turtles depends on temperature environment: At low temperatures, the movement of turtles slows down.
5. The most a large number of eggs, laid by turtles amounted to 200 pieces at a time. The sex of turtles also depends on the temperature: at low temperatures, males appear in the nest, at high temperatures, females appear. The laying of eggs by females does not depend on the habitat - all turtles lay their eggs on the ground.
6. Turtles can go hungry for years.
Land turtles are very hardy. If we talk about the frequency of food intake, land animals may not eat food (we are, of course, talking about healthy animals kept in conditions suitable for them) for weeks or months. Cases of turtles starving for years have been described. A case is described when marsh turtle She lived without eating for more than five years. She retains her conditioned reactions even after the main part of the forebrain is removed - due to a decrease in the levels of the nervous system.
7. Turtles can live with major injuries.
With its head broken to rags, a turtle can live and move for tens of days!). Italian scientist Francesco Redi in the 17th century. He performed a cruel experiment: he removed the brain of a turtle. But even without it, the experimental specimen lived for six months!
8. Turtle power.
Some species are amazing in their strength: a green sea turtle can carry 4-5 people on its back - as many as can fit on its shell.
IN late XIX century, in the families of Russian capitalists of the “new wave”, it was a fashionable fad to teach their heirs turtle riding. It was believed that the mentioned sport instills in future shareholders the skills of managing employees, because it clearly shows the impatient young nature that:
1) Any instruction is always executed with a delay;
2) The performer works only with the prospect of reward in the future;
3) Shouting at the performer is pointless. He is slow and impenetrable.
9. Turtles can’t breathe for a long time.
Some species of turtles can: remain in an atmosphere without oxygen for up to 10 hours.
10. Turtles are smart.
During long-term communication, both terrestrial and freshwater turtles can easily distinguish people by sight, and visually, and not chemically, which would be quite understandable. In the pool of the turtle (old Trionics), the attendant left a small red rubber ball, which over time Trionics began to periodically push with his paws and nose into different directions without showing any food, defensive or aggressive reflexes, i.e. without relating the object to any practical goals.
Large sea turtles understand the language of dolphins. Having arrived to lay eggs in the Nicobar Islands, turtles do not come ashore until they wait for a signal from the dolphins, indicating the possibility of moving towards the shore.
11. Turtles have long necks.
The length of the neck can reach two-thirds of the length of the body, and Trionix is capable of throwing its head at lightning speed in the direction of the enemy, inflicting very dangerous bites.
12. Turtles respond to voices.
There are stories of sea turtles emerging from the water to sing for a long time. Turtles respond well to voice intonation: if you talk to a turtle kindly, it will stretch its neck and listen, and vice versa, if you scold it, it will hide in its shell.
13. Sea turtles use the Earth's magnetic fieldas a compass and map.
Experimentally confirmed phenomenal ability green sea turtle(Chelonia mydas) sense the slightest changes in the Earth's magnetic field.
Ridleys, sailing hundreds of kilometers, gathering in flocks along the way, were so numerous in the time of Columbus that they became an obstacle for ships. Nowadays, a ship with the Ceylonese zoologist Deraniyagala on board met a whole caravan of ridleys, stretching out to sea for 108 kilometers! The turtles swam at a distance of 200 meters from each other, but all in the same direction.
14. Turtles are aggressive.
Trionyx Trionyx cartilagineus - terribly biting soft shell turtle. A hungry flock of adult reptiles can bite a large animal to death.
15. Turtles, albeit unwittingly, saved people.
In 1969, a passenger on a ship in the Caribbean fell overboard. For more than 15 hours, until he was picked up by another ship, he swam holding on to the shell of a large sea turtle.
16. Turtles flew into space.
On September 21, 1968, a turtle from Kazakhstan orbited the Moon for the first time in history.
Zond-5 09/15/1968 Tests of the lunar spacecraft Soyuz-7K-L1. The first return of a spacecraft to Earth after orbiting the Moon. On September 18 the ship passed over reverse side The moon is 1,950 km away. There were living creatures on board: turtles, fruit flies, worms, plants, seeds, bacteria. Before entering the atmosphere, due to an error by the ground operator, the orientation system failed, and the ship descended along ballistic trajectory with overloads up to 20g. The ship splashed down in Indian Ocean On September 21, he was picked up by Soviet warships and delivered to the USSR via Bombay. During the flight, the turtles reportedly lost up to 10% of their body weight, but remained active and had a good appetite.
17. Turtles are not afraid of the cold.
Snapping turtles are not afraid of the cold and can crawl on ice. And some types of turtles spend the winter frozen in the ice. And in the spring they calmly thaw and continue to live.
Northern populations painted turtles(Chrysemys picta marginata and C.p. belli) in Canada can freeze into ice and withstand temperatures down to -2.5°C.
Another species of turtle, the Blanding's turtle, also tolerates the cold. This turtle thrives under the ice of the Great Lakes.
18. Turtles are mysterious.
One of the mysteries is how they got to Galapagos Islands- still no answer. There were suggestions that they swam, since the Galapagos elephant is a good swimmer. But from the salty sea water the turtle dies. There are also guesses that they were brought by people, but this is only a hypothesis.
19. Turtles store water.
Turtles can "catch" water during short rains in the desert. Turtles rise back shell above the ground and water accumulates in the two front pits of the shell, formed by curved marginal scutes. Then the turtle raises the front part of the body and the water rolls down the neck plate onto the head and into the mouth.
20. Turtles know how to preserve their species.
It is observed in turtles interesting property- the ability of active sperm to be stored for several years in the female genital tract. This was determined by completely isolating the females. After a year of isolation, they laid 124 eggs, and only one of them turned out to be a “babbler”; after three years of imprisonment, they laid 130 eggs - this time 39 eggs turned out to be viable; and four years later, out of the same number of eggs, only 4 turtles hatched.
21. Turtles are the most ancient creatures.
The age of turtles is 200 million years. Modern turtles are similar to their ancestors. However, there is still a difference - the absence of teeth and the ability to hide his head.
Giant turtles inhabited our planet 70 million years ago. Among modern turtles there are also giants. These are leatherback turtles whose habitats are seas and oceans. The weight of leatherback turtles ranges from 300 kg to half a ton.
Turtles are long-lived: they can live more than 100 years. The age of turtles can be determined by the rings that appear annually on the scutes that make up the shell.
22. Do turtles glow?(somewhat controversial)
Turtles have phosphorus in their shells. If the shell lies in the sun during the day, then at night it will phosphorescent. Such a glow was noticed in Uzbekistan. The golden eagle, hunting turtles, brought them to the rock and threw them, trying to break the shell in order to feed the chicks. The rock with turtle shells was called “luminous”.
23. Turtles are popular
Turtles can be found on all continents except Antarctica.
24. Turtles are excellent hunters.
The snapping turtle does not need to make any effort to obtain food. All she needs is to lie down at the bottom of the reservoir and open her mouth, sticking out her tongue. The fish themselves swim into the turtle’s mouth, mistaking its pink tongue for a worm.
25. Turtles are beautiful.
The title of “beauty queen” went to the star tortoise, which lives in India and Sri Lanka. The scutes of her shell look like pyramids. The yellow stripes stand out brightly against the black background of these pyramids.
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Reproduction of turtles
Turtles lay eggs, which hatch into babies after a certain period of time. Newborn turtles do not need parental care and are able to take care of themselves.
Turtles breed in captivity quite rarely. Breeding turtles is a painstaking and responsible work that only experienced specialists can do. However, the first to achieve good results, was an amateur who devoted many years to his work, so you should not despair if you do not immediately get offspring.
One of the keys to success in reptile breeding will be patience.
In order for turtles kept at home to begin to reproduce, they need to be provided with the proper conditions: proper nutrition, hibernation, suitable habitat and relative freedom of movement.
For successful reproduction, in addition to observing all conditions of detention, it is advisable to place several individuals of the same species in one pen or terrarium. When forming a group, the correct ratio of the number of females and males is important, which contributes to the manifestation of elements of mating behavior in these animals. In freshwater turtles this ratio is approximately 2:1, and in land turtles in most cases it is 3:1.
In addition, when choosing animals, you need to take into account their age - you should select sexually mature, but not old individuals, which must first be checked by a veterinarian. Sick or weakened animals will most likely not produce offspring.
The red-eared slider can mate throughout the year. In a terrarium mating season usually occurs at the beginning of spring; the female lays eggs from July to September.
A group of selected turtles must be carefully observed for some time to determine how ready they are for mating and reproduction. If relationships have been established between individuals of different sexes, the remaining turtles need to be moved to another place.
It is interesting to watch the mating games of turtles as in natural conditions, and at home. Both aquatic and land turtles often show themselves in a completely different way during the breeding season than in ordinary life.
Males of land species often fight among themselves, seeking the favor of the female they have chosen. They push each other, trying to pry each other up with their shells to turn them over onto their backs. Female turtles do not always prefer those males who won the fight. They can choose either a defeated male or a male who did not participate in the battle.
Turtles, like other reptiles, after building a nest and laying eggs, do not care at all about their offspring, and small turtles emerge completely ready for independent life.
In nature, water turtles lay their eggs in coastal sand, burying them near a body of water. Land turtles bury their clutches in a hole dug in the ground. Under natural conditions, mating in most species of turtles occurs in April-May, and the offspring are born the following spring.
In preparation for reproduction, it is necessary to add foods containing vitamin E to the turtles' food. In nature, in most species of turtles, the breeding period begins immediately after the end of hibernation, so it is recommended to hibernate the animals for several months.
Small turtles that have just hatched from eggs already see well and navigate mainly through vision. Under natural conditions, baby aquatic turtles reach the water on their own a few minutes after birth, most likely guided by the level of illumination of the water, which is higher than the illumination of land, even at night.
During the breeding season, turtles need to create comfortable conditions: do not disturb them, exclude all extraneous noise and vibration, try to touch the animals as little as possible. At home, if you decide to breed offspring, you need to take care in advance of the place where the eggs will be located.
For freshwater turtles to begin mating, the water temperature in the terrarium or aquarium must be 22–26 °C. On land, you should prepare a place where the female will lay eggs. You can dig a small hole in the sand or soil and place a container with sphagnum moss there so that it is flush with the land. After the female lays her eggs, the container should be removed and placed in an incubator. The incubator temperature should be maintained at 28–30 °C.
After 2-3 months, depending on the type of turtle, small turtles will emerge from the eggs. They should be immediately placed in an aquaterrarium or aquarium. They eat almost the same as adult turtles, with the exception of plant foods.
Birth of Balkan tortoise calf
Newborn baby turtles, like other reptiles, have remnants of the yolk sac, which disappear a few days after birth, as well as a special egg tooth, which they use to cut the shell. In addition, in the first days after hatching from the eggs, turtles can see a transverse fold on the plastron - a consequence of the bent position of the baby inside the egg.
Land turtle eggs should be placed in a container with sand and kept in an incubator at a temperature of 28–32 °C. If you don't have an incubator, you can use a regular glass jar or an aquarium filled with sand, which should be moistened regularly. This incubator can be heated using a regular incandescent lamp. You can place the incubator next to the central heating radiator.
Turtle eggs have a calcareous, sometimes leathery shell and an oval shape. Their sizes vary depending on the type of animal. The number of eggs in a clutch can be from 2 to 8 pieces for a Mediterranean turtle and up to 70 eggs for a Far Eastern turtle.
Eggs laid by turtles are not always fertilized. In order not to keep empty eggs in the incubator for several months, they need to be checked. To do this, you can build a primitive ovoscope: place a small electric light bulb, for example from flashlight, and cover the box with a lid in which a hole is cut in the shape of an egg, but slightly smaller. To check the egg, you need to place it, without turning it over, on the hole and turn on the light bulb. In the middle of a fertilized egg there will be a noticeable darkening, and an empty one will transmit light evenly. When checking, you should remember that the longer the eggs mature, the more accurate the result will be.
The eggs of land and aquatic turtles, unlike bird eggs, should never be turned over, so they should be transferred to the incubator very carefully.
After the female lays her eggs, she should be kept separate from other animals for some time. The female's nutrition for several weeks should be enhanced, since during this period the turtles' immunity is weakened and they are more susceptible to various diseases.
If turtles appear, you need to try to save them all. Under no circumstances should they be placed in the same pen or terrarium with adult turtles, since these reptiles do not have maternal instinct and they can harm the young.
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The red-eared (aka yellow-bellied) turtle is one of the most popular pets. Many owners of these wonderful reptiles are thinking about breeding them. The reasons for this are very different: someone wants to increase the number of pets without buying them, but by raising them themselves from birth to adulthood.
Some are thinking about starting to sell grown turtles, others plan to give them to friends and acquaintances. The motives can be very different, but people often make the same mistakes. To avoid them, you need to know a few key things (this is the bare minimum):
- What conditions should be created for the breeding of turtles?
- How to determine their gender
- How do turtles mate in captivity?
- What to do with eggs. Egg incubator.
- How to care for newborn turtles and what to feed them.
If man decided to breed turtles, we can assume that he already knows the basic things: how to arrange an aquaterrarium, what to feed the pets, how often to change the water, etc. If anyone still has doubts about how properly organized the “living space” is for their favorite reptiles, and reread great amount If you don’t want material, it’s easy to find short but informative videos on the Internet about how everything should be arranged.
It is important to understand that the conditions necessary for turtles to survive and grow may not be sufficient for them to reproduce. What do you need to consider to make everything work?
Necessary nuances
Males reach puberty earlier approximately in the fifth year of life, while in females in the sixth year. Many people either don’t know this difference or forget about it. Naturally, in this case nothing happens.
If there are several turtles, it is better when for several females there is one male. This will help avoid conflicts between “boys” and possible injuries. You can understand what sex a reptile is no earlier than it is one year old. Males are smaller in size, but have larger claws and tails. The lower part of the shell also helps to understand the gender - in boys it has a very noticeable “dent”.
For mating It is recommended to place the female and male in a separate aquarium. It must be filled with clean, settled water. Temperature is extremely important - it should be warmer than the water in the “main” aquaterrarium. The fact is that a change in water and an increase in its temperature are an important additional incentive for red-eared turtles to mate.
In order for turtles to mate, they need water., but at the same time the male can get carried away and not allow the female to surface. Therefore, the depth in this “special” aquarium should be small, about 10–12 centimeters.
Before mating interesting “marriage games” take place: The male swims close to the female, periodically tickling her face with his claws and hitting her shell with the front edge of his shell. On YOUTUBE you can find a video of exactly how the “flirting” of red-eared turtles occurs.
The duration of sexual intercourse is on average 7–15 minutes. If, after “relocating” to a separate aquarium, the reptiles do not pay attention to each other, then they need to be resettled for a couple of days.
It is better to separate a pregnant female from the male, as he may involuntarily injure her.
Care of masonry and newborns
Red-eared turtles lay eggs in sand or soil. It is better not to leave the clutch unattended: leaving everything as is, it is more difficult to control development and increases the risk of losing all the eggs. They may be accidentally damaged by the turtles themselves, or mold may develop on the eggs.
It is best to transfer the eggs to an incubator.. This must be done extremely carefully, trying not only not to damage, but not even to turn them. Some experts advise marking the top surface of the eggs with a marker, which makes it easier to control their position.
The temperature in the incubator is set between 21–30 degrees. Changes are unacceptable, so I did not want to place the incubator in a place that would not allow:
- exposure to direct sunlight
- drafts
Development of the embryo lasts from two months to six months. After the babies hatch, they must be “separated” from the adult turtles. If it is not possible to place them in a separate aquaterrarium, you need to at least fence them separate territory inside the main one. In order for the “young animals” to grow and develop normally, it is necessary to periodically allow them to “warm up” under the rays of UV lamps.
The ideal food for newborn red-eared turtles is raw, lean fish. To ensure that the food is balanced, it is worth periodically feeding the babies with special food for newborn turtles.
Summary
Without following these rules it will be impossible to get offspring from these wonderful reptiles. It is important to understand that, like any other animals, red-eared turtles reproduce worse in captivity than in wildlife. To succeed, you will have to put in a lot of effort and create the most comfortable conditions for the turtles.
Red-eared turtles are unpretentious animals that quickly adapt to home conditions. But in captivity they rarely produce offspring: this requires special conditions of detention.
In general, breeding red-eared turtles should not pose any problems for the owner. Females lay eggs on their own; you just need to provide proper care: a suitable habitat, proper nutrition, freedom of movement and peace.
Choosing a partner
The best time for turtles to breed is from February to May. For successful reproduction, it is advisable to place several individuals of the same species in one terrarium. The ratio of females to males 2:1 promotes mating behavior in animals. If several pairs live in the aquarium and there are established a good relationship, you need to put other turtles away for a while. There is a high probability that “this is love” and mating will occur soon.
When choosing suitable turtles for mating, you need to consider the age of the animals. Turtles must be mature, but not old. Ideal age- 5 years.
Choosing a mating site
Sometimes males and females are kept separately, moving into a common enclosure only during the mating period. In this case, it is advisable to move the female turtle into the territory of the male. You can use a separate terrarium for mating warm water, the depth of which does not exceed 10 cm.
Mating of turtles occurs in water and on land, and one fertilization is enough for several (4-5) clutches. Sperm can remain in the female genitals for a long time - up to two years.
Choosing a location for masonry
If mating does not occur, the animals can be stimulated by increasing the water temperature and increasing the duration daylight hours in the enclosure. If there is no “land” in the aquarium where the turtles live, you need to build an artificial beach. In order for the female to lay eggs, she will need a flat bank with a layer of sand of 3-5 cm. It happens that a turtle lays eggs directly into the water, then the eggs must be removed immediately.
Turtles often lay unfertilized eggs, like many other reptiles. If a female living alone has laid a clutch, there is no point in caring for the eggs. Only when several turtles of both sexes permanently live in an aquarium is there a chance of mating.
Egg care
The most difficult stage in reproduction is caring for the eggs. The masonry must be very carefully placed in an incubator, which can be used as an ordinary glass jar with sand. The jar should be heated with an incandescent lamp or placed near a radiator, and the sand should be regularly moistened. Optimal temperature in the incubator – 28–30°C.
Eggs must be protected from mold and ventilated. Breeding turtles is a big responsibility and difficult work for breeders. But all the troubles will be rewarded when, after 2-3 months, little turtles are born.
Turtles mature late, for example, female Central Asian turtles are over ten years old, males - at five to six years. Other species become sexually mature at approximately the same or more late age. The information available in the literature on this issue is very scarce. Males of all species have a more or less noticeable “dent” on the plastron, which helps them perform their mating duties, and in many species they also have femoral spurs. Males of many species have a longer tail than females, and the anus is located almost at the very end.
During the breeding season (in nature it usually occurs in the spring), turtles become more active. Males make yapping sounds (in a number of species, females also have the “right” to vote) and engage in fights with rivals, sometimes ending in injury and death of weak animals. The mating period usually lasts from one to three weeks. Two to three months after it, females lay from one or two (Egyptian tortoise) to 30 (panther and spurred tortoise) eggs. Before this, the turtle digs a hole in the ground, having previously generously irrigated the egg-laying site with liquid accumulated in bladder and two anal bladders. After some time, the female can lay eggs again. Then the female buries the hole and compacts the soil, rising to legs outstretched and lowering himself with force.
Turtle owners often wonder: is it possible to breed land turtles at home? Female turtles often lay eggs in captivity. But often (as in birds) the eggs are unfertilized (fatty). And if your pet, living alone with you, laid eggs, then there is no point in incubating them. You will have nothing but disappointment
If you have several turtles, and you are sure that there are both males and females in the “herd”, and even more so, mating is noted, then it makes sense to start incubating the laid eggs. In captivity, turtles can mate and lay eggs all year round. To stimulate mating, many species require the presence of several males: without fighting, they do not show interest in females. During the period of “pregnancy”, females need to increase the amount of vitamins D and E given, as well as feed and supplements with high content calcium. We must not forget about irradiating animals with ultraviolet radiation. Stimulates sexual activity and enhances lighting.
Turtles can even lay eggs on the floor, but it is advisable to make a special nest box for this purpose. It must be of sufficient size so that the animal can choose a place in it to dig a hole. For large species(red-footed and other turtles) it should have dimensions of 1.2 1.2 - 0.6 m. In order for the animal to get into it, a gentle gangway with slats stuffed on it is attached to one of the sides of the box or it is installed in a special hole in the floor terrarium. For smaller or larger animals, the dimensions of the nest box must be changed. The necessary substrate is placed in the nest box almost to the top: for desert species - sand, for forest species - a mixture of sphagnum, peat and sand. The substrate must be kept moist.
Layed eggs should be transferred to the incubator as quickly as possible. Unlike bird eggs, turtle eggs, like all reptiles, cannot be turned over. To avoid confusing the orientation of the eggs, carefully draw a dash, cross, or write a number on the top side of the egg using a soft pencil or felt-tip pen.
In the simplest case, you can use an aquarium as an incubator or adapt a foam box. The incubator is equipped with a lid with ventilation holes (in the foam version - a transparent plexiglass door). Ventilation is a must - stale, humid air can lead to mold. But it is important not to overdry the eggs; to do this, place containers with periodically topped up water in the incubator. You cannot spray eggs with a spray bottle! Condensation formed on the incubator lid should also not fall on the incubated eggs.
Regardless of the design of the incubator, it must have a heater (in as a last resort- a regular incandescent light bulb) and a thermostat. The heater power should be in the range of 15-40 W. It depends on the temperature in the room where the incubator is installed and on its size. The incubation temperature for most species should be between 28-30˚C. With more high temperature Newborn turtles may experience various deformities. In a number of species, the sex of the born animal depends on the incubation temperature. So, at high temperatures, only females hatch, and at lower temperatures, males hatch. The air humidity in the incubator should be 80-100%. The incubator must be ventilated at least once a week.
Rice. The structure of a simple incubator: 1 - a container with water to humidify the air; 2 - ventilation holes; 3 - incubator body; 4 - thermometer; 5 - incandescent lamp; 6 - thermostat; 7 - eggs; 8 - cuvette with substrate
The development time of the embryo depends on temperature and lasts from two to fourteen months (in Central Asian turtle- about two months). If the incubator contains eggs from different clutches or various types animals, it is better to place them in separate plastic containers with lid. To prevent air from stagnating in them, a large number of holes must be made in the walls of the containers, and when ventilating the incubator, remove the lids from the containers for a short time.
Before hatching, the turtle makes a hole in the shell. It stays in the egg for about a day (sometimes longer), feeding on the contents of the yolk sac. Under no circumstances should you take the baby out of there! Let him leave his cradle himself. To prevent babies from accidentally damaging the remains of the yolk sac after leaving the shell, some American breeders recommend carefully washing the sac with a solution of betadine (a pharmaceutical drug) and carefully bandaging it with a soft cloth to the turtle’s shell. Remove the napkin after the bag has completely dissolved. Newborn turtles are kept at the same temperature as adult animals. To the bottom small aquarium or terrarium, you need to fill it with a damp mixture of peat and sand. Can also be used slightly damp paper towels. kids forest species They don't tolerate dry air well!
In nature, newborn turtles of some species usually remain in the nest until the following spring, but in captivity they are usually not overwintered. Feed babies a variety plant foods. It is important that it is soft and nutritious enough.
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