Large soft shell turtle. Soft-shelled turtle Rafetus swinhoei

Description and conservation status

Softshell turtle Pile ( Rafetus pighoei ) the largest freshwater turtle - its length reaches 110 cm, width 160-200 cm, weight up to 200 kg. These reptiles are characterized by sexual dimorphism: females are larger than males, in addition, males longer tails. The soft-bodied turtle's head is quite large and wide, its muzzle resembles a pig's snout, and its eyes are raised high up. The carapace and plastron are very wide and flat, the limbs are quite massive and powerful. The head, neck and chin are dark olive or olive in color with many large yellow spots. Carapace olive green with numerous yellow spots and many small yellow dots between them, gray plastron; top part the limbs are dark olive, but the underparts are yellow. The species name of this turtle is given in honor of the British naturalist Robert Swaino, who sent a specimen of the giant turtle to the British Museum in 1873. The soft-bodied turtle Svaino is one of the rare reptiles in the world and is listed as a critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List.

Distribution and lifestyle

The soft-bodied turtle is widespread in China (provinces of Yunnan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang), as well as in Northern Vietnam. Inhabits freshwater bodies of water: rivers, swamps, lakes. Active during the day and at dusk. Feeds on fish, snails, crabs, insects, green frogs, water hyacinth seeds, rice leaves.

Reproduction

The female lays from 60 to 130 eggs with a diameter of 20 mm at night or in the morning. Life expectancy is 80-100 years, and maybe longer.

Came in 2013 amazing information that the female is the largest in the world freshwater turtle laid eggs in June. In June, researchers collected the eggs of Earth's last female Yangtze giant three-clawed tortoise, hoping that at least one would hatch into a hatchling.

Attempts at breeding in captivity

Hundred-kilogram freshwater giants that spend most their lives, buried in the mud, were once common in China's Yangtze River, Lake Taihu and lakes in Yunnan Province, as well as freshwater bodies of Vietnam. But by the end of the 1990s, human destruction of their habitat and poaching (the shell of this turtle is very valuable in Chinese folk medicine) quickly reduced the species' numbers. And today there are only four Yangtze giant tortoises left in the world: two wild males in Vietnam, and a female and a male at the Suzhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province. This is the sixth year that giant three-clawed tortoises have been mating at the zoo, but so far none of their eggs have produced offspring. Researchers don't know exactly the cause of infertility, but they speculate that one factor is the male's low sperm quality due to his age (he is approximately one hundred years old).

As with many endangered species, by the time scientists realized the species' numbers were declining, there were almost no turtles left in the wild. In 2006, American non-profit organization Turtle Survival Alliance has started a breeding program soft-bodied turtles Svaino in China: they asked experts to determine the sex of three turtles of this species that were then living in captivity. When an expert visited the Shanghai Zoo in 2007 and Buddhist temple in the urban district of Suzhou, where two individuals of this species were supposed to live, it turned out that they had already died there. The soft-bodied turtle Svaino (male) remains only in the Suzhou Zoo. That's what the experts initially thought. However, it later turned out that another individual lives in the Changsha Zoo - and also a female. Of course, moving a male or female from one zoo to another was risky (it stresses the animal), but the researchers had no choice. After all, in wildlife There are no more individuals of this species left, except for two males in Vietnam. But their capture and transportation would also cause great stress for the animals, which could lead to death. And it was decided to transport the youngest individual living in captivity - a female, who at that time was about 80 years old.

In May 2008, the female finally arrived at the Suzhou Zoo to join the male. And a month later, surprisingly for the researchers, the first clutch of 45 eggs appeared. However, she did not bear offspring, like all the subsequent ones. Today, researchers do not know how long this pair of turtles will live and lay eggs (although there is an assumption that the Yangtze giant turtles able to live much more than a hundred years), but they hope that the last clutch will bear offspring, and they will be able to save this unique look from extinction.

According to other sources, seven living specimens of this species are known. Five of these turtles live in Chinese zoos (one in Beijing Zoo, one in Shanghai Zoo, one in Suzhou Zoo, and two in the Temple of the Western Gardens in Suzhou). Scientists found the sixth in 2007, after several years of searching. During a survey of forested areas west of Hanoi, at the foot of Ba Vi Mountain, the sixth turtle was discovered in the small lake Đồng Mo. This is the only turtle of this species living in natural environment. Before this incredible discovery, soft-bodied turtle Svaino was considered an extinct species in nature!

The seventh turtle was apparently caught in Hoan Kiem Lake in central Hanoi in 2013. This was a real event for all residents of the Vietnamese capital. After all, for centuries in Hanoi there has been a legend about a mysterious turtle goddess who lives in the waters of Hoan Kiem Lake. All Vietnamese know this legend, since the turtle of Hoan Kiem Lake is a symbol of Vietnam’s struggle for independence. The people of Hanoi worship her like a deity and believe in her supernatural powers. Chinese zoo officials want to mate turtles in the hope that they will produce offspring that can be reproduced.

In most species of turtles, all soft parts of the body, with the exception of the head, legs and tail, are permanently hidden in the shell. Frightened or disturbed, the turtle will immediately hide its head, legs and tail under the edges of the shell and, protected by it like armor, becomes inaccessible for many animals. The shell, flat at the bottom and convex on the dorsal side, consists of bone formations - scutes, fused together, with ribs and vertebrae of the animal. It is so strong that it is difficult for a predator to bite through it, otherwise you will not get to the soft parts of the turtle.

But there are turtles whose shell is not as strong as other turtles. The bones of the shell do not fuse together, and the entire top is covered with soft dark skin. This turtle is called a soft-bodied turtle.

Most of the time she sits at the bottom of the reservoir. It buries itself in silt or sand, only sticking out the tip of its nose and watching with its bulging eyes to see if a fish swims by. The front part of the muzzle of these turtles is elongated into a long movable proboscis, at the end of which the nostrils open. This proboscis plays the role of a diver’s snorkel, allowing the turtle lying on the bottom of shallow water to breathe without surfacing.

In the turtle's throat, on the mucous membrane there are special outgrowths - villi, abundantly supplied with blood vessels. They act as gills, and thanks to them, a turtle can sit in the water for up to fifteen hours without appearing on the surface. An amazing feature of soft-bodied turtles is the ability for cutaneous respiration, which is ensured by the skin richly supplied with capillaries.

The soft-bodied turtle is an edible animal. The meat and eggs of many three-clawed turtles are readily consumed by the local population or exported to other countries. Chinese Trionix is ​​specially bred in ponds in Asia for these purposes and introduced to Hawaii and some other oceanic islands.
Some species of three-clawed soft-shelled turtles play a certain role in culture local residents and are considered sacred animals (for example, dark trionix). Chinese trionics were depicted on katan hilts ( samurai swords), perhaps due to the defensive nature of these aggressive turtles. In some Japanese temples, trionics are kept in ponds as sacred animals.

Currently, for obtaining meat and eggs in Japan, China and Indochina and many other Asian countries Chinese Trionix bred on special farms in ponds and canals. In western Japan, approximately 300 tons of turtles are produced every year. According to a survey of owners of 684 Chinese turtle farms, conducted in 2002, the number of Chinese Trionics on their farms exceeds 300 million, and they annually sell almost 125 million turtles of this species. Thai turtle farmers (as of the late 1990s) raised about 6 million of this turtle species annually; there it is also the main breeding species.

Most species are predators, feeding on aquatic invertebrates and fish. Large individuals can attack chicks of waterfowl crossing a pond small mammals. Some species are omnivores.

Most species have a carapace (dorsal shield) length of 20-60 cm, but, for example, in the large soft-bodied Cantora it can reach two meters.

According to eyewitnesses, these turtles attack faster than any other animal, including cobras.

Distributed in Africa, Asia and North America. In the north, their range reaches the south of the Palaearctic: from the west - southeast Turkey, from the east - south Far East Russia. Found in fresh and slightly salty waters.

Nubian lobed turtle

Senegal lobed turtle

Indian bladed turtle

Red-backed turtle

Gray-backed (Zambezian) lobed turtle

Ceylon lobed turtle

Burmese bladed turtle

Asian softshell turtle

Evil (Florida) Trionix

Smooth Trionix

Spiny Trionix

Indian narrow-headed turtle

Asian narrow-headed turtle

Burmese narrow-headed turtle

Doganiya (Malay)

Beautiful (Burmese) trionics

Gangetic Trionix

Ocellated (peacock) trionyx

Dark trionic

Nagpur soft-shelled turtle or Trionyx Leith

Fringed softshell turtle

New Guinea large soft shell turtle

Cantor's large soft-shelled turtle

Northern New Guinea large softshell turtle

Chinese (Far Eastern) soft-shelled turtle

Lesser's soft-shelled turtle

North China softshell turtle

African or Nile trionics

Euphrates Trionix

Giant Trionix Yangtze

Two-clawed pig-nosed turtle

The world is amazing kingdom millions of living creatures. For those who have ever descended into depths of the sea, extremely lucky, because there they were able to see with their own eyes the beauty, charm underwater world. Everything's there: unusual fish, beautiful algae, creatures that cannot be distinguished from plants, and much more. In this article we will tell you about the turtle from the soft-bodied family, its purpose and methods of keeping it at home.

In this article we will provide a description of the Chinese trionix (from the Latin Pelodiscus sinensis). The second name is the Far Eastern family of three-clawed animals. It is the most famous softshell turtle in the world. It is unpretentious, but still not recommended for novice naturalists. She lacks a strong carapace, so these creatures are more delicate, prone to injury, and are often afraid when picked up. The reaction is not long in coming; the Far Eastern tortoise scratches and bites. It is noteworthy that sexually mature individuals grow to very impressive sizes.

Description of this unique species

Chinese Trionics are bred in Asia in huge quantities, but more as a source of power. In addition, they are sold as exotic look animals. Soft-shelled turtles require careful maintenance and care and, as a rule, they do not forgive mistreatment and insults, unlike hard-shelled turtles. Despite the fact that these individuals lack strong protection, they compensate for this with speed - they are excellent swimmers.

What are the pros and cons of keeping Chinese Trionix?

• Their appearance is very unusual.
• They are in the water almost all the time and swim excellently.

• Too nervous.
• They do not tolerate being picked up, biting and scratching.
• Incompatible with other turtles and fish.
• Due to their softness, they are prone to injury and injury.

Like all individuals of this species, the Far Eastern turtle is sometimes clumsy, and if there are sharp corners in the aquarium, it can easily injure itself. And in an open wound they will get an infection, so there should be nothing in the aquariums that could harm them. So, another noticeable feature of these turtles is that they are very shy. In addition, they are characterized by excessive timidity, which is why they can be seen extremely rarely on the shore. And when a person picks up Trionix, he violently resists, bites and scratches. In fact, they cannot be held in your hands without special protective gloves. Another feature is their long neck, so when you hold the turtle from the side, it can easily reach out and nip at you.

A baby Trionix bites easily, and the sensation remains simply unpleasant, while an adult turtle can seriously injure you by biting until you bleed. They have sharp bone plates in their mouths, which are designed to bite snails into natural conditions. Therefore, bite through human skin for them it is not something difficult.

Features of living in nature

Trionix is ​​widespread in Asia - Vietnam, China, Korea, Japan, and the island of Taiwan. It can also be found in Russia, in the south of the Far East, in the Amur and Ussuri river basins. Soft-bodied turtles are good swimmers and come ashore very rarely. The advantage of keeping Chinese Trionix in captivity is that they have the opportunity to stay on land and warm up. You can also add a little sand to the aquarium, but make sure there are no pebbles there. This has a good effect on their health and prevents the development of fungal diseases; Chinese Trionix is ​​very prone to them. One interesting feature The reason for these individuals is that they skillfully use sand for camouflage. The turtle burrows into the sandy bottom of a lake or river when danger approaches. Young turtles manage to do this in a matter of seconds. In addition, animals use sand for hunting, burying themselves completely, only leaving their heads outside and waiting for the prey.

Characteristics of the soft-bodied turtle

The turtle is medium in size, its carapace reaches 25 centimeters, but sometimes up to 40. The shell itself is smooth and oval in shape. Color - gray-brown or light pink. The head is medium in size with an elongated trunk, the end looks like a snout. The head and paws are olive or brown. The skin is thin and the bone structure is weak. Trionix has thick lips and strong jaws with horny edges.

What to feed your Chinese Trionix

Young turtles are fed daily, adults - 2-3 times a week. The volume for babies is 2-4 pieces of 1 square meter. cm. For adults 2-3 pieces of 3 square meters. see. Individuals are omnivores, in nature they feed mainly on insects, fish, larvae, amphibians, and snails. At home, Chinese Trionix eats foods high in protein: bloodworms, fish, snails, worms, fish fillets, artificial feed, mussels and shrimp. This creature is voracious, and it is better, of course, not to overfeed it. As for the plants in the aquarium, they will not get along with this turtle. Turtles do not feed on them, but they take incredible pleasure in destroying them. And you should also avoid cohabitation of fish with the Far Eastern turtle. They can hunt them already from small age and very often they catch those who are larger than them. When they catch big fish, first they tear off their heads. If you decide to keep fish together with this type of turtle, then remember that they are just food, nothing more.

How to properly keep and care for a turtle

Chinese Trionics are one of the most aquatic turtles. This may seem strange, but the fact is that they spend almost all their time in the water and are excellent swimmers. Pharyngeal breathing helps them stay under water for a long time. And to breathe, they stretch out their long neck with a trunk, while remaining almost invisible.

For proper maintenance, you need a large aquarium with plenty of space for swimming. The larger the volume, the better. U adult the aquarium should be from 200-250 liters. It is worth remembering that softshell turtles are territorial, so it is better if they are alone. One bite from an angry neighbor can damage the turtle's internal organs, so it is better to abandon this idea.

The temperature of the water for maintenance should be 25-29 degrees; in cold times it needs to be warmed up a little. In addition, an external filter is required and permanent shift fresh water and without chlorine. The filter should be strong and twice the volume of your aquarium. Since Trionix eats a lot, the water becomes dirty very quickly.

The soft-bodied turtle needs land, so it can be created artificially at home. The main thing is that it is, because the animal needs to dry out in order to prevent fungal and respiratory diseases. Above the bank you need to install a heating lamp and a UV lamp.

Compatibility with other animals

It doesn’t exist; on the one hand, they themselves are very aggressive, but on the other hand, they can suffer from a small injury. Therefore, the maintenance of the Chinese Trionix is ​​carried out alone.

How does reproduction work?

Individuals become sexually mature between 5 and 6 years. The mating process can take place both in water and on land; the male holds the female by the carapace and can bite her on the neck and paws. It is noteworthy that the female retains the male’s sperm for a whole year after mating. Lays eggs from 8 to 30 and can lay up to 5 clutches per year. To carry out this process, the female digs a nest about a meter in diameter, then lays eggs there and incubates for 60 days.

Animal habits

The Chinese Trionix is ​​incredibly agile, runs fast, swims, dives and burrows well in the sand. The turtle sticks his long trunk between stones in order to find food or hunt. To find fish, these animals often scour fishing nets, which naturally irritates fishermen. The hunting time for these individuals, as a rule, is at night, when other animals are not lying in ambush and most of them are peacefully dozing somewhere behind a stone. Turtles winter in Primorye in mid-September - October, and in the Amur region in August and September. Wintering takes place in the sand, at the bottom large rivers or in deep holes in large lakes.

• The macropod is able to wean Trionix from hunting other fish in the aquarium.
• Adults that are captured in captivity often remain vicious and wild. But if you take young turtles, they easily learn to eat food from your hands, despite their evil disposition.
• In China and Japan, these animals have been caught and eaten for a long time, and the meat is not cheap.
• Softshell turtle eggs are also edible.
• Some Japanese temples keep trionics in ponds as sacred animals.
• This unique species was discovered in 1835.

One species of turtle that is often kept as a pet is the Chinese Trionix. Its habitat in nature is very extensive: Japan, Korea, Northern part Vietnam, southern China, Taiwan. Here the meat of this animal is valued as a delicacy. Also, the Trionics turtle can be found in Hawaii and the Mariana Islands, in Russia - in the Far East in the Ussuri and Amur rivers, on the island. Hanko.

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 turtles 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

• 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 freshwater turtle is clumsy from time to time and can easily injure itself if there are sharp corners in the aquarium. 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 gives rise to is the timidity of Trionics. 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. In fact, it is impossible to hold Trionix in your hands 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.

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 be given the opportunity to warm up, as this helps maintain health and prevents the development of fungal infections, which can lead to river turtles inclined.

One of unusual features 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.

Appearance, behavior

"Trionix" means "three-fingered." The turtle received this name because all its paws have five fingers, and three of them are crowned with sharp claws and connected by swimming membranes. IN aquatic environment the animal feels free. Turtle trionix quickly and swims maneuverably. To rest, she buries her entire body in the mud.

Special respiratory system allows Trionics stay in the water for a long time. Its nose, shaped like a proboscis with nostrils at the tip, gives the animal the opportunity to breathe without leaving the pond. Inner surface The mouth of the Chinese Trionix turtle is covered with villi that retain oxygen, which gives it additional opportunity breathe. The animal carries out skin respiration through blood vessels, densely penetrating the tissues of his body.

Trionix does not experience any particular difficulties in moving on land. However, it is difficult to conquer high obstacles.

The Trionics turtle lives only in fresh water. Her digestive system is designed in such a way that it successfully processes prey, which the animal swallows whole without chewing.

Trionix's character aggressive, and it is impossible to tame an adult wild animal. But individuals raised in captivity get used to the owner, allowing themselves to be fed by hand.

The size of the reptile is 25-30 cm. Weight is 2-4 kg.

Chinese Trionix turtle soft-bodied. That is, its shell consists of skin, and not of horny plates. But the animal can defend itself perfectly sharp teeth , the bite of which is very painful for humans, and can be fatal for underwater game.

Tortoise shell covered with Trionics tubercles, by which one can determine her age. In young individuals they are more convex, and with age they merge with the surface and completely cease to be noticeable.

The color of the Trionics shell is dark green with small yellow spots.

Caution doesn't hurt

Among other things, you need to take into account that soft-bodied turtles are more dangerous than their thin-shelled counterparts. Clumsy behavior, characteristic of all turtles, can play a cruel joke on her.

If an animal gets injured on a hard corner or sharp protrusion in an aquarium, for example, on a protruding stone,
t cause infection in the wound.

Therefore, the owner should make sure that there is nothing sharp or protruding in the pet’s house that could pose a potential danger.

The aggressive disposition and soft-bodied nature of Far Eastern turtles also serves as an obstacle to living together. It is not recommended to keep Trionics with other non-food animals and fish. An injury resulting from a fight is again a direct path to infection and illness. The exception is the breeding season.

Before getting a Trionix, you should carefully weigh all the pros and cons of keeping this animal and decide whether you are ready to put up with its harmful character for the sake of exotic beauty.

This issue is especially acute if the turtle is purchased at the request of a child, because the child can easily be bitten by his timid reptile when he inadvertently grabs it.

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 for keeping you need a spacious aquarium with big amount swimming places. 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 is injured internal organs, 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. Trionix 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 the turtle 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 be warmer on the shore than in the water, otherwise the turtle will not warm up.

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

The recommended water temperature is 22-26°C, and its main condition is cleanliness. IN dirty water the risk of fungal and bacterial diseases, to which reptiles are prone, increases. The water must be changed regularly to clean and settled water.

Animals need 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 ultraviolet lamp, which will promote better absorption of calcium and vitamins. Lamp installation 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.

FEEDING

Omnivores, in nature they eat mainly insects, fish, larvae, amphibians, and snails. At home, Chinese Trionix eats food high in protein: bloodworms, fish, snails, worms, fish fillets, artificial food, mussel and shrimp meat. The basis for feeding Trionics 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 with Chinese Trionics 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 with early age and often on much larger ones than themselves. Having caught big fish, the Trionics rip off the head first. If you keep fish with them, then consider it just food.

COMPATIBILITY

It is not there, on the one hand they are aggressive, on the other hand they themselves can suffer from the slightest injury. The Chinese Trionix needs to be kept alone.

Reproduction

The reproduction process occurs at 6-7 years of the reptile’s life and proceeds well in captivity. In nature, mating occurs immediately after wintering, therefore, in order to encourage domestic and pampered turtles to breed, winter conditions should be simulated in the aquaterrarium. But you shouldn’t have a harsh winter either.

Animals should be prepared gradually for cold weather. Over the course of two months, the water temperature slowly drops to 15-18°C, and daylight hours decrease to 6-7 hours. A week before wintering, turtles stop feeding.

Mating occurs in water within 5-10 minutes, and pregnancy lasts 1.5-2 months. During this time, you should prepare the soil where the female will lay her eggs. A soft substrate - a mixture of earth and sand - is best suited for this role.

Afterwards, the eggs are placed in an incubator and kept at a temperature of 27-29°C. Incubation period lasts 40-60 days, but can be shortened to a month if you raise the temperature to 30°C. One clutch can contain from 15-20 eggs.

The hatched turtles have a bright orange abdomen and at first feed on the remaining shell of the egg.

The Chinese Trionix will be an excellent pet for a true reptile lover who is not afraid of difficulties!

Characteristic signs

The main characteristics of soft-bodied turtles are associated with adaptation to a completely or almost completely aquatic lifestyle. They are characterized primarily by the absence of horny cover on their bony carapace; it's covered soft skin, which can be smooth, wrinkled or, less commonly, dotted with sparse horny spines. Only in young two-clawed turtles ( Carettochelys insculpta) the contours of rudimentary horny scutes are visible.

Along with the complete disappearance of the horny scutes, the majority of soft-bodied turtles experienced a strong reduction in the bony carapace. The dorsal shield (carapace) has ossified central elements, which are surrounded by a wide cartilaginous border. Only in some species is this cartilage reinforced at the edges by small marginal bones. The abdominal shield also does not ossify entirely and in most cases has a wide median cartilaginous field. All these secondary changes in the shell are caused by the aquatic lifestyle of soft-bodied turtles. In three-clawed turtles, the carapace and plastron are movably connected using a ligament. The carapace is strongly flattened.

The front part of the muzzle of these turtles is elongated into a long movable proboscis, at the end of which the nostrils open. This proboscis plays the role of a diver’s snorkel, allowing the turtle lying on the bottom of shallow water to breathe without surfacing. Besides, amazing feature Soft-bodied turtles are capable of cutaneous respiration, which is ensured by the skin richly supplied with capillaries. The main respiratory organs under water are the pharynx, in which there are bundles of villous outgrowths of the mucous membrane (functionally, this formation resembles gills). All this allows turtles to remain underwater for several hours. The beak rhamphothecae of three-clawed turtles are covered from above with soft, fleshy “lips.” The neck is often very long, thanks to which the turtle can reach the rear edge of the carapace with its head. The paws have highly developed membranes, the number of claws is reduced to 2-3. The horny scales on the body are lost, with the exception of several large scutes on the paws.

Spreading

Lifestyle

All species of this suborder lead an aquatic lifestyle. Found in fresh and slightly salty waters. These turtles are good swimmers, but lead a bottom-dwelling lifestyle and prefer places with sandy or muddy soil, into which they completely burrow, like flounders. The turtle exposes only its eyes and proboscis to the surface, and in this position it waits for prey.

Nutrition

Most species are predators, feeding on aquatic invertebrates and fish. Large individuals can attack chicks of waterfowl and small mammals swimming across a body of water. Some species are omnivores.

Classification

Traditionally, the group includes the following modern families and genera:

• Soft-bodied turtles (Trionychoidea)
  • Family Two-clawed turtles ( Carettochelydae)
    • Subfamily Two-clawed turtles ( Carettochelyinae)
      • Genus Two-clawed turtles ( Carettochelys)
  • Family Three-clawed turtles ( Trionychidae)
    • Subfamily Lobed turtles ( Cyclanorbinae)
      • Genus Central African lobed turtles ( Cyclanorbis)
      • Genus West African lobed turtles ( Cycloderma)
      • Genus Indian lobed turtles ( Lissemys)
    • Subfamily Three-clawed turtles ( Trionychinae)
      • Genus Narrow-headed turtles ( Chitra)
      • Genus Large soft-bodied turtles ( Pelochelys)
      • Clan Doganiya ( Dogania)
      • Rod Trionicsa ( Trionyx)

WITH Trionychoidea bring together the American group of turtles (suborder Kinosternoidea), including two families: mud turtles, or snapping turtles ( Kinosternidae) and Mexican turtles ( Dermatemydidae). The first includes about 25 species of small turtles, common in North, Central and South America. Second - one close-up view from Mexico and Central America. Like soft-bodied turtles, they lead a predominantly aquatic lifestyle. These turtles lack apomorphies Trionychoidea and retain a normally developed bony and horny shell, but are now considered primitive relatives of soft-shelled turtles.

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Notes

Literature

• Darevsky I. S. Orlov N. L. Rare and endangered animals. Amphibians and reptiles - M.: graduate School, 1988. pp. 166-172. ISBN 5-06-001429-0
• Life of animals in 7 volumes / Ch. editor V. E. Sokolov. T. 5. Amphibians and reptiles. / A. G. Bannikov, I. S. Darevsky, M. N. Denisova, etc.; edited by A. G. Bannikova - 2nd ed., revised. - M.: Education, 1985. - P. 149

An excerpt characterizing soft-bodied turtles

It was an autumn, warm, rainy day. The sky and horizon were the same color muddy water. It seemed like fog fell, then suddenly it began to rain heavily.
Denisov rode on a thoroughbred, thin horse with toned sides, wearing a cloak and a hat with water flowing from it. He, like his horse, who was squinting his head and pinching his ears, was wincing from the slanting rain and looking ahead anxiously. His face, emaciated and overgrown with a thick, short, black beard, seemed angry.
Next to Denisov, also in a burka and papakha, on a well-fed, large bottom, rode a Cossack esaul - an employee of Denisov.
Esaul Lovaisky - the third, also in a burka and a hat, was long, flat, like a board, white-faced, blond man, with narrow light eyes and a calmly smug expression both in his face and in his stance. Although it was impossible to say what was special about the horse and the rider, at the first glance at the esaul and Denisov it was clear that Denisov was both wet and awkward - that Denisov was the man who sat on the horse; whereas, looking at the esaul, it was clear that he was as comfortable and calm as always, and that he was not a man who sat on a horse, but man and horse together were one creature, increased by double strength.
A little ahead of them walked a thoroughly wet little peasant conductor, in a gray caftan and a white cap.
A little behind, on a thin, thin Kyrgyz horse with a huge tail and mane and with bloody lips, rode a young officer in a blue French overcoat.
A hussar rode next to him, carrying behind him on the back of his horse a boy in a tattered French uniform and a blue cap. The boy held the hussar with his hands, red from the cold, moved his bare feet, trying to warm them, and, raising his eyebrows, looked around him in surprise. It was the French drummer taken in the morning.
Behind, in threes and fours, along a narrow, muddy and worn-out forest road, came the hussars, then the Cossacks, some in a burka, some in a French overcoat, some with a blanket thrown over their heads. The horses, both red and bay, all seemed black from the rain flowing from them. The horses' necks seemed strangely thin from their wet manes. Steam rose from the horses. And the clothes, and the saddles, and the reins - everything was wet, slimy and soggy, just like the earth and the fallen leaves with which the road was laid. People sat hunched over, trying not to move in order to warm up the water that had spilled onto their bodies, and not to let in the new cold water that was leaking under the seats, knees and behind the necks. In the middle of the stretched out Cossacks, two wagons on French horses and harnessed to Cossack saddles rumbled over stumps and branches and rumbled along the water-filled ruts of the road.
Denisov's horse, avoiding a puddle that was on the road, reached to the side and pushed his knee against a tree.
“Eh, why!” Denisov cried out angrily and, baring his teeth, hit the horse three times with a whip, splashing himself and his comrades with mud. Denisov was out of sorts: both from the rain and from hunger (no one had eaten anything since the morning), and the main thing is that there has still been no news from Dolokhov and the person sent to take the tongue has not returned.
“There will hardly be another case like today where transport will be attacked. It’s too risky to attack on your own, but if you put it off until another day, one of the big partisans will snatch the booty from under your nose,” thought Denisov, constantly looking ahead, thinking of seeing the expected messenger from Dolokhov.
Having arrived at a clearing along which one could see far to the right, Denisov stopped.
“Someone is coming,” he said.
Esaul looked in the direction indicated by Denisov.
- Two people are coming - an officer and a Cossack. “It’s just not supposed to be the lieutenant colonel himself,” said the esaul, who loved to use words unknown to the Cossacks.
Those driving, going down the mountain, disappeared from view and a few minutes later appeared again. Ahead, at a tired gallop, driving his whip, rode an officer - disheveled, thoroughly wet and with his trousers billowed above his knees. Behind him, standing in stirrups, a Cossack was trotting. This officer, a very young boy, with a wide, ruddy face and quick, cheerful eyes, galloped up to Denisov and handed him a wet envelope.
“From the general,” said the officer, “sorry for not being completely dry...
Denisov, frowning, took the envelope and began to open it.
“They said everything that was dangerous, dangerous,” said the officer, turning to the esaul, while Denisov read the envelope handed to him. “However, Komarov and I,” he pointed to the Cossack, “were prepared.” We have two pistos... What is this? - he asked, seeing the French drummer, - a prisoner? Have you been to battle before? Can I talk to him?
- Rostov! Peter! - Denisov shouted at this time, running through the envelope handed to him. - Why didn’t you say who you are? - And Denisov turned around with a smile and extended his hand to the officer.
This officer was Petya Rostov.
The whole way Petya was preparing for how he would behave with Denisov, as a big man and an officer should, without hinting at a previous acquaintance. But as soon as Denisov smiled at him, Petya immediately beamed, blushed with joy and, forgetting the prepared formality, began to talk about how he drove past the French, and how glad he was that he had been given such an assignment, and that he was already in battle near Vyazma, and that one hussar distinguished himself there.
“Well, I’m glad to see you,” Denisov interrupted him, and his face again took on a preoccupied expression.