Interesting facts about the green turtle. Interesting facts about turtles

And the subtropical waters of the World Ocean. Despite its impressive size, it is completely harmless. Weight sea dweller up to 200 kg, and length from 75 to 150 cm. Real giants are rare among them; body weight reaches 450 kg. Males have longer tails than females, reaching 20 cm. Perhaps this is one of the noticeable differences between them.

The carapace is dark green or dark brown, with stripes and spots yellow color. It is flattened, which distinguishes sea turtles from. In the latter, it is dome-shaped. Her belly is light yellow. The limbs are flippers, and the front ones are larger than the back ones. The head is large, the muzzle is rounded.

There are no teeth; they bite and crush food with the hard edges of the jaw. Big eyes They see everything perfectly, their instincts do not let them down - they will find food and, if possible, save them from the enemy.

She swims and dives excellently, spends her entire life in the water, only getting out onto land by important matter- lay eggs in the sand. When swimming, it reaches speeds of up to 10 km/h. These animals are holding on coastal zone, up to 6 meters deep, where there is an abundance of food. IN open waters The oceans rarely float away.

It feeds mainly on plant foods - sea grass and algae, rarely pampering itself with mollusks and jellyfish. They breathe with their lungs, coming up every five minutes to take a breath of air during active movement. In a state of rest or sleep for a long time (several hours) they may not emerge. They lead a solitary lifestyle. Looking for a partner in mating season. They swim to the shores where they themselves were once born. Females make this migration route once every two to three years, and males every year.

After waiting for darkness, she crawls out and clumsily moves along the sand in complete silence. Having found in my opinion nice place, begins to dig a hole. The green turtle will need only an hour for this difficult task. Then she will lay up to 200 eggs within 20 - 30 minutes, carefully bury them, level the surface as if nothing had happened, and go back to the sea. She will return to her feeding and habitual habitat, having covered several hundred, and maybe thousands of kilometers.

And on a sandy beach, after 45 days, small turtles (5 cm long) will see the light, unless, or people find clutches. They rather run into the water to hide from danger. Having reached your element, it's all the same for a long time vulnerable. The shell is not as strong as that of adults, so many babies are eaten by fish and other sea inhabitants. The turtles themselves feed on mollusks, crustaceans, worms and jellyfish for the first years of their lives.

After five years, having reached a decent size, they gradually switch to plant food. They become fully grown between 10 and 25 years of age. The most important enemy of the individual is man. People exterminate these wonderful animals for the sake of delicious, delicious meat, look for egg laying on the banks, dig them up and eat them. If this outrage is not stopped, green turtles will disappear.

Turtles are creatures considered synonymous with slowness and leisure. They appeared on Earth long before people, and since then they have not changed that much. They live both on land and in water, and if aquatic turtles prefer fresh rivers and lakes, then others prefer salty seas and oceans. Be that as it may, these creatures are truly amazing.

The oldest fossil turtles are more than 220 million years old.
The ancestors of modern turtles had teeth. But they didn’t know how to hide their heads in their shells.
Despite their shell, turtles are by no means invulnerable. The jaguar, for example, loves to hunt them - its long and flexible paws allow it to do this with constant success (see).
The largest of all turtle species is the leatherback. The weight of an adult can reach 700-900 kg.
The long-extinct archelon tortoise weighed over two tons.
The meat of some turtle species is poisonous due to their diet. Yes, leatherback turtles eat poisonous jellyfish, which, in turn, makes their meat poisonous (see).
Soft-bodied turtles do not have a shell.
Some turtles live more than a hundred years.
Turtles can remember and distinguish human faces.
Turtles live on all continents except Antarctica, as well as on many islands (see).
Leatherback turtles can dive to depths of more than a kilometer, despite the monstrous pressure of the water column.
The larger the female turtle, the more eggs she can lay at one time.
From temperature environment The sex of the cubs that emerge from the laid eggs depends. By the way, the same situation is observed in crocodiles (see).
Aquatic species turtles in their native element are by no means as slow as on land - while swimming they can reach speeds of up to 30-35 km/h.
Only one species (out of more than three hundred) of turtles calmly tolerates the cold - the Blanding's turtle, which lives in the north of Canada, in the Great Lakes.
Swamp turtles are record holders for fasting. If necessary, they can go without food for up to 4-5 years.
Large sea turtles understand the language of dolphins, which is confirmed by experiments and observations (see).
In case of danger Mediterranean turtles hiss like snakes.
Having laid their eggs, turtles forget about them forever. Of all the species of these creatures, only one takes care of its offspring, protecting the clutch of eggs.
Sea turtles can navigate in space using the magnetic field of our planet.

1. Turtles are the most ancient of modern reptiles. They are believed to have descended directly from the ancestors of all reptiles, the cotylosaurs, nearly 300 million years ago. A huge number of fossil turtle remains have been found, the largest of which was Myolania, about 5 m long with a huge tail lined with spines and long horns on its head.

2. In the Russian language, the word “turtle” appeared no later than the end of the 17th century. Etymologically, it belongs to the group of words “skull”, “shard”, “tile”. All these words probably had one quality in common - hardness.

3. Currently, there are 230 species of turtles in the world in 12 families: Marine, Cayman, Two-clawed, Three-clawed, Mud, Land, Asian freshwater, freshwater, two families of Snake-necked, Pelomedus and Shield-footed turtles.

4. The black elephant (Galapagos) tortoise is the largest of all modern tortoises: its huge shell reaches 110 cm in length and 60 cm in height. The weight of adult specimens can reach 400 kg.

The smallest is the Cape tortoise, its body length is 11 centimeters and its weight is only 214 grams.

5. The speed of land turtles is low and averages 700-800 meters per hour. Semi-aquatic turtles move faster on land. For example, the red-eared turtle can reach speeds on land of up to 15 km/h.

The highest speed of movement in water belongs to the leatherback turtle and reaches 35 km/h.

6. Turtles can hibernate in both winter and summer. IN hibernation The Mediterranean, Central Asian, Hermann's and scalloped tortoises flow in. Turtles enter summer hibernation in the event of unbearable heat and burning of vegetation, during a period of drought. It happens that the reservoir of their habitat dries up. Then they have to wait it out unfavourable conditions, burrow into the ground. During summer torpor, turtles “dry out,” that is, they lose a lot of water.

7. Different species of turtles have from several to 200 eggs in their clutch. Newborn turtles can spend up to six months in hibernation, emerging only the following spring after birth. Baby turtles' shells usually don't harden until several months after hatching.

8. Turtles grow throughout their lives. The average lifespan of turtles ranges from 50 to 150 years. The age of a turtle can be determined based on the number of rings on its shell. By the end of the turtle’s second year of life, when the rings on the shell just appear, the number of newly formed rings can reach 6 pieces. In subsequent years, the growth of rings is 1.5 rings per year.

9. In general, turtles can be called omnivores. Although, food preferences vary depending on the species. Some people consume more plant food, while others consume animal food. Turtles do not have teeth, but their jaw edges are very sharp and can easily bite food. Baby turtles need daily nutrition, but adult turtles, having eaten well, can go for months, and possibly years, without food.

May 23 is World Turtle Day. About what is remarkable about these most silent, ancient and mysterious of creatures tamed by man.

Turtles live on Earth longer than mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes and lizards - they appeared more than 200 million years ago. Prehistoric turtles, unlike modern ones, had teeth and could not hide their heads in their shells.

Many species of turtles are long-lived, for which 100 years is far from the limit. So, caught in Indian Ocean A turtle estimated to be 50 years old lived in captivity for another 152 years!

Turtles are found on every continent except Antarctica. Most turtles prefer warm climate, but one species - the Blanding's turtle - can swim under the ice. It lives in the American Great Lakes region.

Among the turtles there are both modest in size (for example, the European marsh turtle - 10 cm) and real giants (the leatherback turtle: body length 2.5 m, the span of the front flippers is 5 m, and the maximum recorded weight is 916 kg).

Turtles are considered a symbol of slowness, which is not entirely fair. On land they really move slowly, but in water they can reach speeds of up to 35 km/h. In addition, aquatic turtles can dive to great depths - the already mentioned leatherback turtle can dive to 1200 m.

A turtle's shell is made up of approximately 60 bones joined together. The bony part is covered with scutes, providing additional strength and protection. By the annual concentric rings on the shell, like the rings of trees, you can determine the age of the turtle.

Turtles have good eyesight, smell, hearing and touch. Their shell contains nerve endings. With prolonged communication with people, turtles begin to recognize them by appearance and smell.

The title of “beauty queen” belongs to the star tortoise, which lives in India. The scutes of its shell look like black pyramids, against which yellow stripes stand out brightly.

In 1969 a large sea turtle saved the life of a man who accidentally fell overboard in the Caribbean Sea. The man waited for rescue for 15 hours, grabbing onto her shell. All this time, the turtle did not dive into the water, keeping strictly to the surface, until the man was lifted aboard another approaching vessel.

On June 29, 2011, dozens of flights were delayed at New York's JFK Airport due to turtles crawling onto one of the runways. More than a hundred animals from Jamaica Bay decided to lay their eggs on the airport grounds. Earlier in 2009, JFK operations were also paralyzed for several hours due to an infestation of turtles, which did nothing during the mating season.

Turtles live in almost any climate that is warm enough to allow them to complete their breeding cycle.

Most turtles do not like the cold, but there is one species, namely the Blanding's turtle, which swims under the ice in the Great Lakes region (USA, Canada).

IN North America There are many varieties of turtles, while in Europe there are only a few.

Most land turtles have high, dome-shaped shells that protect them from the teeth of predators. Aquatic turtles have flatter and sloping shells with good aerodynamic properties. The only exception is the turtle that lives in East Africa, which squeezes between narrow stones at the moment of danger and then inflates itself with air, making its extraction from the stones almost impossible.

Most turtle species have five toes per limb, with the exception of some species that have four or even three toes.

Some aquatic turtles can absorb oxygen through the skin on the neck and other areas, allowing them to remain underwater for long periods of time, such as for the purpose of wintering. - Turtles are one of the oldest and most primitive groups of reptiles, having outlived many other species. Scientists are still interested in the question: did their unique shell play a role in this?

Giant turtles inhabited our planet 70 million years ago.

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”.

Turtle shells are a means of divination. It is believed that if you manage to read the prophecies inscribed on the shell, you will know everything about your future.

When communicating with people, turtles remember their faces.
Stretching its neck and listening attentively is the turtle’s reaction to affectionate speech. The reaction to rude speech is different - the turtle hides in its shell.

The slowness of land turtles depends on the ambient temperature: at low temperatures, the movement of turtles slows down.

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. A clutch can contain up to 100 eggs. Their number depends on the size of the female: the larger the female, the more eggs she will lay. The number of eggs laid affects the temperature in the nest: with a large number, the temperature will be low. This means that the number of eggs also affects the sex of turtles.

Turtles leading water image life, slowness is not typical at all. Thus, a leatherback turtle moves in water at a speed of 35 km/h.

The leatherback turtle is an excellent diver - it can dive to a depth of 1200 m.

Green sea turtle is sensitive to change magnetic field of our planet. The most delicious turtle soup is prepared from the meat of this turtle.

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 pond and open her mouth, sticking out her tongue. The fish themselves swim into the turtle’s mouth, mistaking its pink tongue for a worm.

Scientists conducted an interesting experiment. A feeder filled with food was moved along a rail. Then they lowered the screen. The experiment involved pigeons and voles, rabbits, chickens, ducks, and turtles. The participants in the experiment were given the task of finding disappeared food. Only the turtles completed the task.

A bog turtle can go without food for 5 years.

An amazing turtle lives in Kyiv, which has 6 legs and 2 heads. Scientists suggest that this is a female who is 5 years old. This miracle is Siamese twins with a common shell and fused bodies. This miracle has no name. Characteristic feature turtles is that one head eats better and eats more.

In 2010, the authorities of the state of Minnesota (USA) made an unusual request to car owners: to give way to turtles crawling onto the roadway.

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.

About 70 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, there were giant tortoises. They were larger than modern ones, reaching a length of 3.3 m, and their diameter at the widest point was 3.6 m. But modern turtles also amaze with their size - they are real giants. The largest turtles on the planet are leatherback turtles that live in the depths of the sea. These huge turtles live in all seas and oceans except the northern ones. A man found a leatherback turtle whose weight was 916 kg. Average individuals of the leatherback turtle family - dermochelyscoriacea - weigh 300-500 kg, and their body length is 1.35-2.1 m.

Today, about half of turtle species are on the verge of extinction. This is due to the fact that they are often destroyed to prepare gourmet dishes and for use in folk medicine.

An adult large sea turtle can even cope with a shark.

Turtles can "catch" water during short rains in the desert. Turtles raise the back of their 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.

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 captivity, 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.

Turtles were the first to fly to the moon. Back in 1968, the Soviet spaceship Zond-5 flew with Central Asian steppe tortoises on board.

Some species of turtles can live up to 5 years without food and live up to 10 hours in an oxygen-free environment.

The most famous bachelor in the world was called Lonesome George, a male tortoise, the last representative of the Abingdon elephant tortoises. For several decades, scientists tried to find a genetically similar female from related subspecies for him, but all attempts to continue their lineage were unsuccessful.

About turtles in numbers

2 meters - the diameter of the shell of the largest turtle (leatherback turtle)

250 years - it was the most old turtle Garrett (Galapagos tortoise), which was once brought to Europe by Charles Darwin

35 km/h - speed in water of the fastest turtle (leatherback turtle)

10 hours and 14 minutes - record for holding breath among vertebrates (sea turtles)

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Let's get acquainted - the red-eared turtle

The freshwater animal loves to lie in the sun and “look” at the sun. For many, she will seem lazy and clumsy. In its homeland, and the turtle has many such places, including Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and the USA, the red-eared turtle, in fact, does not need to run fast. Usually she does not need to chase prey; she will always hide from danger behind her shell. The turtle seeks food only when it is hungry, and the rest of the time it is serene. Like many exotic animals, red-eared turtles have attracted interest on all continents. Today, like a frog, she can be called a traveler.

Myths and facts about red-eared turtles

So, what kind of turtle did we know?

Firstly, that she is slow. But, unlike her relatives, she is very agile and fast. If necessary, she can easily compete with the fish and reach the finish line first. And on land, a turtle can bypass an obstacle and quickly escape from danger.

Secondly, it has no teeth. But even with this fact, with its jaws it can easily crush a durable object, for example, a nut. Her jaw muscles are so strong! Therefore, you should not experiment with “finger in mouth”. If it is in danger, the individual will instantly throw its head forward and bite the offender. It will close its jaws so tightly that it will hardly appear, leaving quite serious wounds. Red-eared turtles know how to protect their lives.

Thirdly, she is peaceful. No one argues, but even if you pick her up carelessly, she will use her strong and sharp nails. Therefore, when they try to pull her out of the water, she can push off from the hand with her hind legs, which are especially dangerous.

Stylish, colorful, fashionable

This is what their happy owners say about red-eared turtles. There is something to talk about about her appearance not only on forums. If we compare this type of turtle with other relatives, then our red ear is bright and memorable, with orange, bright yellow and red spots “ears”. In young individuals, the coloring is more intense, richer, and the shell has various shades: from yellow with light green to emerald green. Later, the shell will become olive, less often yellow-brown, and also with patterns that are especially visible in the water. They meet old age in a black “robe,” that is, they become completely black.

Maybe she is 300 years old?

Pond slider– long-lived. In favorable conditions, she lives up to 40 years. She, in comparison with other amphibious reptiles, has the most high level intelligence! The turtle perceives sounds of low frequencies, can feel how the soil vibrates (at the level of 1000-3000 hertz) when an animal or person approaches it, it has acute vision. What's interesting is the turtle's search for food. The individual will not eat just anything, first it will look closely, then it will smell it and, finally, after tasting it, it will eat it. Such a gourmet!

Unpretentiousness “on the paw” of the red-eared turtle

That’s why she easily settles into new territories. So it was noticed in Africa, southeast Asia, and Europe. Red-eared turtles not only settled comfortably on the new lands, but also began to crowd out the local aborigines, which caused concern among zoologists. “Foreigners” don’t even care about the winter in Crimea, where they felt great. We won’t be surprised if the redfish soon appears in our water bodies.

Red-eared slider in our homes

You ask, is this real? Quite. But to keep it in your home you need an aquarium of about 100 liters. The turtle pollutes the water quite quickly, and it will be easier to keep it clean in a large container.

How to make a “house” for a red-eared turtle

For one turtle you need to prepare special equipment.

Aquarium (100-150 l); The container is filled with water to a height of 40 cm.
Glass or lid with gaps. They need to cover the aquarium so that your pet does not go traveling around the house. The glass should not close completely, allowing air to enter.
Heater. To maintain temperature (22-28C) in the aquaterrarium. If the temperature drops from +20C, the turtle will not like it and may get sick.
Internal filter to keep the water in the aquarium clean.
Incandescent lamp (regular). It is installed above the glass covering the aquarium and provides not only a suitable spectrum, but also heating. For the turtle, the lamp will become the sun.
Sloping hill made of small stones. It is necessary so that the turtle can lie down on a piece of land. Such a slide should occupy 1/3 of the bottom area of the aquarium.

What does the red-eared turtle like to eat?

Adult turtles are given food 3 times a week. The young are fed daily. This:

bloodworm;
tubifex;
coretra;
aquarium snails;
tadpoles;
earthworms;
baby frogs;
pieces of fish, liver, squid;
shrimps.

For red-eared turtles, plant feeding is also required:

lettuce leaves;
spinach;
cabbage.

The remaining food must be removed with a net, otherwise everything uneaten will pollute the water. It's better to adjust the portions. It is advisable to give food at the same time.

You cannot keep a red-eared turtle with aquarium fish. She will destroy them.
There is also no point in placing live aquarium plants; your pet will quickly eat them or tear them out of the ground. It is better to place artificial plants from pet stores.

Red-eared slider and offspring

If in nature a turtle has offspring at 6 or 8 years, then in captivity it reproduces earlier - at 4 years. The female makes a nest and lays eggs in the ground. Mating games take place in the spring. This can be seen by the way the male scratches her chin. Females are very fertile.

Small turtles grow well due to their hardiness. Just when born, the baby is 3 cm in size, and when it grows up it is about 30 cm. Note that pet turtles are smaller than those living in nature. In general, the size of an animal of this species depends on the water area in which it lives. How larger area, the larger the specimen.

The red ear has excellent eyesight. The animal makes peculiar sounds of hissing, snorting and squeaking. Even if her hearing is not very good, she will still hear you tapping invitingly on the aquarium when you want to offer her food.

Make friends with a red-eared slider, and long years Find harmony and peace!

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Red-eared turtle (lat. Trachemys scripta) incredibly popular among reptile lovers. Just a star. Come to any more or less large pet store, where, in addition to food, equipment and other necessities, live pets are sold, and you will probably meet these reptiles there. If you have a child with you or you yourself have a tender passion for animals, then you will not resist and decide to buy a turtle.

Unfortunately, many sellers do not consider it necessary to give the buyer at least brief recommendation about their content. And it often happens that “just like that” the acquired pet gets sick, gets bored and frantically settles into “good hands” or is simply released “into the wild”. To make this happen as rarely as possible, let's try to compose something like encyclopedia of proper keeping of red-eared turtles .

And I'll start with a story about a turtle that lives in a 600-liter aquaterrarium with Reeves' turtle and herbivorous piranhas metinnis. He has been living for about two years now and feels great. Here's a video as proof. By the way: small fish are zebrafish and pink danios, intended for turtles as food, are added in the amount of 15-20 pieces in order to diversify the diet of the reptiles, and within a month the turtles hunt them with great passion. The equipment in the aquarium is equipped with an external filter EX1200, which is cleaned once a month. Every two weeks, 50% water changes and full maintenance of the terrarium are done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwTcUDE8Lkg

Let's start with a description. The carapace size of adults varies depending on the subspecies and sex of red eared turtles(males are smaller than females): from 18 to 30 cm. The shell of young people is bright green, with age it becomes yellow-brown or olive, covered with a pattern of yellow stripes. Complex patterns, individual for each individual, are also found on the neck, head and limbs. Well, the most important species difference: two elongated red (bright yellow, orange) spots on the “cheeks”.

The habitat of red-eared turtles is very extensive: Mexico, Central America completely, northern Venezuela and Colombia, USA (from southern Virginia to northern regions Kansas and Florida, to Oklahoma and New Mexico in the west). In the twentieth century, the species was brought to the states of Arizona and Florida, Guadeloupe, South Africa, Israel, Great Britain, Spain, and Australia. They have taken root well everywhere, but on the Green Continent they are recognized as pests that destroy local endemic species.

Red-eared sliders can live 30 to 40 years. Their level of intelligence surpasses that of most reptiles. They perfectly perceive low-frequency sounds - they can hear, for example, the steps of an animal or a person at a level of approximately 1000-3000 hertz. Red-eared turtle eyes very sharp. For example: when searching for food, they first react to the color of the intended prey, and only then to its smell. If a turtle is peacefully basking in the sun outside the water, then it notices danger at a distance of 30-40 cm, after which it immediately slides into the water and for this it received the nickname “slider”. And here vocal cords red-eared turtles are not developed. When excited, they snort or hiss, and sometimes they can make a short squeak.

And this is just a small list of their features. I wouldn't want to miss anything important from this list. Because the fact is how to properly care for a red-eared slider, no unnecessary details. I invite you to join me and help develop the topic further by asking questions or supplementing my messages with your knowledge and experience.

Buying a red-eared turtle. Adviсe
Determining the sex of the red-eared slider
Behavior of red-eared turtles
Reproduction of red-eared turtles
Keeping small red-eared turtles
Feeding red-eared turtles
Menu for red-eared turtles

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Brief description of this type

The shell of a fairly mature turtle is usually covered with wrinkles. Its length depends on the specific subspecies and, as a rule, reaches 28 centimeters. Pond slider has a small spot near the eyes. The peculiarity is that their colors are diverse and tend to change over the years. Thus, in youth they are green in color, and in old age they are completely black. The ventral shield of the carapace is bright yellow with darkish round spots. A turtle grows as follows: for the first year and a half of its life, its height reaches 7.5 cm, then the pace becomes slower and it increases by only 1.25 cm per year. In two years, growth can be more than 20 cm, that is, it is mistaken to consider it dwarf. And you shouldn’t listen to sellers who convince you otherwise.

The length of the Scripta Scripta species reaches approximately 27 cm. This turtle has a bright yellow postorbital spot. Its plastron is a rich yellow color.

Another subspecies is Elegant, has a length of 28 centimeters. A reddish postorbital stripe is located on the head, and there are narrow stripes on the chin. The ventral shield of the carapace has large spots on all scutes.

The third species of turtle, Scripta Troostii, has the shortest length of all - about 21 centimeters. There is a narrow yellowish postorbital stripe on the head, and wide stripes on the chin. And its plastron consists of unusual drawings in the form of “eyes”, and sometimes from ordinary small black spots.

Habitat

Turtles live in shallow lakes with low, swampy shores. They can be found in the USA in Florida, Virginia, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, as well as in Mexico, throughout Central America, and in northern Colombia.

What to feed the red-eared slider

As for young turtles, they need animal food for active vital growth of the body. In this regard, it should be given once a day, but no more. Also, the aquarium should have various algae and any other plants that are edible for turtles.

Adult turtles are individuals that are much larger than 12 centimeters. They must eat food once every two or three days and half of their diet must be some kind of vegetation. The aquaterrarium should contain any edible plants so that the turtles can eat them between meals.

The amount of food given is determined based on the size of the turtle. For kids, the norm is two or three pieces of one cubic centimeter, and for older turtles - two or three pieces several times larger in size.

It is necessary to ensure that the food is suitable room temperature and always have a raw consistency. It is important to remember that young turtles are, first and foremost, predators. Their main food is fish. You can add live fish to the aquarium that they cannot eat. It is necessary to diversify the diet given and not feed only gammarus and dry food. And adult turtles are omnivores. They eat both animal and plant food.

Types of feed

As for fish, it is useful for turtles to eat pollock, gobies, cod, blue whiting and any other fish, but not fatty ones. The liver can be beef, and you can also give liver, chicken heart. From insects and crustaceans: non-dry gammarus, earthworms, daphnia crustaceans, crickets without legs, beetles. You can diversify the food served to them with the help of small snails, mollusks, squids, frogs, small tadpoles, seafood You shouldn’t get carried away, since any turtle itself is a sea turtle. Aquatic plants are not prohibited from plant food: duckweed, hyacinth and others. In addition, it can be dandelion, daisies and any non-poisonous meadow flowers and plants. It is not advisable to give vegetables other than carrots and lettuce.

It is strictly forbidden to give turtles any meat: any minced meat, sausages, beef, sausage, lamb, chicken, pork, etc. Fatty fish, cheese, fruit and bread are prohibited. It is better to avoid dry food.

If the aquarium is well equipped, has ultraviolet lighting, appropriate temperature conditions, then vitamins can not be included in the diet. But, in the case when the conditions are far from ideal, it is necessary to remember about the vitamin and mineral base. Vitamins are already included in the food specifically for this purpose.

Reproduction

Puberty occurs differently in females and males and this is also influenced by their lifestyle. If they are in captivity, then this period begins at 4 years for males and at 5-6 years for females. And in the wild, they reach maturity at about 8 years of age. The mating season begins in the spring: in March - April. Their process is as follows: the male crawls very close to the female, sticks his muzzle into her and tickles her chin with long claws.

The eggs laid do not exceed 4 cm in size. They are laid on land, not in water. But the place for the eggs must be moist, so the female moistens it with water from the anal bladder and then digs out a small hole. Female turtles lay no more than 10 eggs in their nests, which are subsequently buried. The incubation period is up to 150 days. Interesting feature with temperature. If the temperature remained above 30 degrees, then females hatch, and if below 27, males hatch.

What should an aquaterrarium be like for a red-eared turtle?

It should be quite long, but at the same time not wide and low. Volume not less than 120 liters. The water level must match the proportions of your turtle's shell so that it can turn over. A small bank should be installed near the aquarium. Maintain the water temperature within 25 degrees, on land - 31 - 33 degrees. To keep the temperature at the same level, a special heater must be provided.

The water must be changed and cleaned depending on the degree of contamination. But you can also use a special filter. For young turtles, external is preferable, and for adults, only internal. An ultraviolet lamp will not hurt, but it should not be located low, the approximate height is 25 cm, so that the turtle does not get a burn to the eyes. Another option for arranging an aquaterrarium is an incandescent lamp with the same requirements. They both need to switch off at night.

If it's nice outside warm weather, then try to take the turtles out to bask more often. But remember that the first time you do not need to keep it in the sun for more than 5 minutes. And it is important to increase the time spent in the fresh air gradually. They also need a dark place where they can periodically hide from the sun, as they are susceptible to overheating.

So, for the remaining two turtles from January to March the temperature should be 18 degrees, and the duration of illumination should be 8 hours, April - 21/8, where 21 is the temperature, and 8 is the duration of illumination, May - 24/10, June - 27 /13, July – 28/13, August – 28/11, September – 25/10, October – 22/8, November and December – 18/8.

And for Trachemys scripta troostii the requirements are as follows: January - March - 18/8, April - 20/8, May - 21/10, June - 23/13, July - 26/13, August - 25/11, September - 20/ 10, October – December – 18/8.

Hibernation

Some scientists argue that Trachemys scripta hibernates and that they need to do so. But it’s quite difficult to imagine this process at home. It would be more logical not to create difficulties for yourself and not to cause unnecessary harm to the turtle’s health by organizing its hibernation.

Red-eared turtles live up to 45 years, and European marsh turtles can live up to 80.

Many fishermen use their eggs to attract fish.

Be careful, as turtles can bite not only their own kind, but also humans! But if they are accustomed to being handled, then there is nothing to be afraid of.

And don't forget that balanced diet the key to the turtle’s active growth and longevity!

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Turtles have lived on earth for almost 200 million years, they appeared long before birds, crocodiles, mammals and even lizards;

Red-eared turtles have a well-developed sense of smell, vision and touch, and their shell contains a large number of nerve endings. Turtles have lived on earth for almost 200 million years, they appeared long before birds, crocodiles, mammals and even lizards;

In Russia, freshwater turtles with a characteristic red spot on the head are called red-eared, and in Germany - red-cheeked;

Red-eared turtles, like most representatives of this species, are long-lived; in captivity they can live 30 years;
Red-eared turtles have a well-developed sense of smell, vision and touch, and the shell contains a large number of nerve endings. Keeping red-eared turtles with other animals

Small turtles can be kept even with small fish. But when reptiles grow up, they can easily eat your favorite fish, such as guppies. Therefore, for adult animals you need to select neighbors who can fend for themselves: cichlids, large barbs, catfish or koi.

Red-eared turtles cope well with loneliness, however the best company for them will be red-eared turtles or other non-aggressive turtles of the same size. Inappropriate company for turtles are toads, newts, lizards and snakes. Molluscs will not live in the same pond with turtles for long.

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She got her name for the bright red stripes or spots on her head, and her ears themselves are not red.
The red-eared turtle, like many other freshwater amphibians, spends most of its time on land in the warm season, taking its favorite sunbathing.
Red-eared turtles have become very popular in many countries after the release of the animated series about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Melanism is quite often observed in red-eared turtles - the appearance large quantity dark pigment in the skin. This is manifested in the fact that numerous dark spots and stripes that almost completely color the shell black.
In order for a red-eared turtle to stay afloat, about fourteen percent of its body volume must be air.
The red-eared turtle in captivity lives up to 30-40 years. But there are cases when, with good care, life expectancy ranged from 50 to 70 years!
Reptiles often change their color. Red-eared turtles are no exception. Studies have shown that depending on the environment in which they live, their color changes. The process occurs more slowly than, for example, in the same chameleons. But a fact is a fact! Our turtle adapts to changing living conditions.
The popular belief that turtles are super slow is not true. Yes, they move measuredly and sedately, but only under certain conditions. They become more agile not only in water, but also on land they can develop sufficient speed. And even overcome obstacles with ease.
A turtle is not always a cute, funny pet creature. Often they are not so harmless. Moreover, they are the first to show aggression. Having no teeth, they can grab a finger quite strongly when feeding and even injure it! Nature has endowed the turtle with well-developed jaw muscles.
Red-eared turtles love to bask in the sun and warm stones. Plop down from these stones into a bathtub or some small pond.

174zoo.ru

John Rowe and his colleagues at Alma College discovered an interesting fact about turtles during a multi-day experiment and confirmed the long-held idea that turtles (particularly the red-eared slider) change the color of their shells to adapt to environmental conditions.

Biologists have long known that many freshwater turtles have a skin and shell color similar to the color of the soil on which they live (be it a dark swamp or a pond with a sandy bottom). Probably, this kind of mimicry allows turtles to avoid becoming victims of predators.

To test how well turtles can adapt, Rowe and his colleagues captured two pregnant female painted turtles (Chrysemys picta marginata) and red-eared turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans). The animals were then injected with the hormone oxytocin to begin laying eggs under laboratory conditions.

The offspring of the turtles were divided into two groups. The turtles of the first group were placed in plastic containers with a black or white bottom, the turtles of the second group were first kept in a light tank for 80 days, and then moved to a dark one (where they spent the next 80 days).

The researchers measured the color intensity of the turtles' shells and heads using a spectrometer at intervals of several days. After 80 days, all reptiles became lighter or darker, depending on which container they were in.

Subsequently, the control group of turtles (the first 160-day group) continued to darken or lighten, while the turtles from the “inverted” group changed tactics and began to adapt to new living conditions.

It turns out that red-eared turtles, like painted turtles, can control their color, although they change it extremely slowly (compared to chameleons and octopuses), the study authors conclude in their article in the Journal of Herpetology.

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Origin

These reptiles are the oldest inhabitants of planet Earth and have lived on it for approximately 200 million years. At the same time, over such a long time, their external appearance and internal structure have remained virtually unchanged.

Let's learn some interesting facts about turtles, namely about their origin:

The direct ancestors of modern animals are discosaurixes, extinct amphibians.
IN Cretaceous period There were a great many turtles, about 26 families, but only 12 have survived to this day.
Turtles are not direct relatives of other modern reptiles, since their development followed a separate evolutionary branch.
The ancestor of the sea turtle, Archelon, weighed more than 3 tons and was 4 m long.

Miolania is a fossil giant turtle, reaching a length of 5 meters and having a tail with spikes at the end. About 2 thousand years ago, this animal that inhabited Australia completely became extinct.

External structure

Interesting facts about turtles also concern the appearance of these representatives of the fauna. The structure of a reptile includes:

Head.
Tail.
Limbs.
Shell.

Many people are interested in whether a turtle can live without a shell. The answer to this question is clearly negative, the shell is connected to the skeleton of the animal and, having lost it, it will die painfully. At the same time, the shell is very durable and consists of two layers:

Bone internal. Formed by plates connected to the ribs and vertebrae.
Keratin external.

The outside of the shell is covered with horny scutes or thick skin, while in newborn animals this cover is very thin and soft, but hardens with age.

The shape of the shell depends on the animal’s lifestyle:

Land turtles have a dome-shaped, high shell.
Marine - teardrop-shaped.
Freshwater - dense, smooth and low.

In some species, the shell can reach very impressive sizes: more than 900 kg in weight and approximately 2 meters in diameter.

This animal has no teeth, but a powerful beak covered with convexities successfully replaces them. Scientists have been able to establish that the ancient ancestors of modern turtles had real teeth.

The animal is unusual in that it has the ability to hide its head and tail under its shell.

Lifespan

Let's get acquainted with some more interesting facts about land turtles. Their lifespan is approximately 40 years, but the record holder for longevity is a reptile at the age of 152 years. The larger the individual, the longer it can live. The lifespan of reptiles depends on the species:

The Galapagos tortoise, also known as the elephant tortoise, can live up to 180 years in the wild.
Marine - up to 80 years.
Red-eared, swamp - on average 30 years, maximum - 50 years.
Balkan - about 100 years.

There is a known record - the Galapagos tortoise Henrietta lived up to 175 years.

Human use

Let's continue our acquaintance with the most interesting facts about turtles by considering how these amazing animals are used by humans:

Cooking. Our ancestors ate reptiles as food, which is why many species greatly decreased in number and even found themselves on the verge of complete extinction. Now turtle meat is considered a delicacy. Popular dishes offered by expensive fine restaurants are turtle eggs and soup.
Medicine. Turtles are used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is believed that such remedies can prolong healthy longevity. Animal blood is used for medical purposes; the drug is called tortezin and is prescribed to people exposed to radiation. Turtles are known to be long-lived, and drug developers are trying to exploit this property.
Decor. Beautiful objects for interior decoration are made from the shells of reptiles: boxes, figurines, fans.
Decorations. Beautiful, durable and unusual are tortoiseshell combs, eyeglass frames, hairpins, brooches, and buttons.

Another interesting fact about turtles: sailors going on long voyages took live animals on board the ship because they long time could do without food. If necessary, the reptile was killed and feasted on its meat. In ancient times, turtles were used as food by ichthyosaurs.

Diet

Let's learn some interesting facts about sea turtles, first of all, what they eat. There are several types of marine reptiles, each of which has its own taste preferences:

Leatherbacks eat jellyfish, mollusks, fish fry and crustaceans.
Green - algae and other aquatic plants.
Predatory species capable of catching invertebrates, crabs and shellfish.

Land-dwelling individuals prefer plant food: grass, vegetables and fruits. Freshwater animals love to eat small fish, insects and tadpoles. Swamp turtles feed on forest berries.

Green sea turtles also have a second name - soup turtles; their weight can exceed 350-400 kg. Among the sea, there are also real babies - Atlantic ridleys, the length of the shell of adult individuals is just over 70 cm.

Lifestyle

Most turtles are loners, gathering in groups exclusively during the mating season or during wintering. Some freshwater species are very aggressive towards their relatives. During the mating season, mature males engage in real fights for the female, and the method of injuring each other depends on their lifestyle:

Aquatic ones bite.
Land creatures strike with their shells and bite less often.

During the mating period, some male turtles are able to sing - make several fairly simple sounds that vaguely resemble singing.

Having laid eggs, most species lose interest in them and do not take care of the offspring. But there is an exception - the brown turtle guards the nest until the cubs are born.

Mind

Studies have proven that, despite the insufficient development of the brain, these reptiles have good mental abilities: they find a way out of the maze and look for hidden food. Desert tortoises skillfully build “pools” in which the moisture they need is retained for up to 6 hours. North American freshwater fish use very tricky way preserving their eggs - they lay them in alligator nests, thus saving the clutch from destruction by predators.

Peculiarities

Let's get acquainted with interesting facts about the red-eared slider:

This reptile is capable of changing color, adapting to its surroundings; the process, however, is much slower than that of chameleons and therefore often remains unnoticed.
The animal got its name because it has bright red spots on its head. But her ears are not red.
The developed muscles of the jaws make these harmless-looking creatures quite dangerous: they can seriously injure the finger of a careless owner.
Not everyone knows that such turtles are unfairly considered symbols of slowness. In fact, on land and especially in water, they are capable of developing good speed if necessary.
The color of the shell changes depending on the age of the animal: in young individuals it is bright, light green or greenish. However, with age it becomes brown and olive. Old reptiles are completely black.

Let's get acquainted with some interesting facts about the marsh turtle. This is a real unique one among its relatives:

Webbed toes and streamlined shape small body help these animals swim well. They can change direction while swimming thanks to the flexible long tail.
IN natural conditions prefer to settle near lakes and other freshwater bodies of water, preferably with a muddy bottom. It is at their bottom that the animal spends the winter.
The diet of the marsh turtle is varied: it includes snails, worms, amphibians, and insects. Sharp claws help reptiles tear apart prey.
Sometimes such a turtle manages to catch a fish, but most often these are old or sick aquatic inhabitants who are not very fast.

Turtles - amazing creatures natures that have such a characteristic appearance that you cannot confuse them with other animals. We got acquainted with interesting facts about turtles, learned a lot about these ancient reptiles, which are amazingly diverse.

1. Turtles are among the reptiles - animals that are the oldest inhabitants of planet Earth and live on it for approximately 220 million years.

At the same time, over such a long time, their external appearance and internal structure have remained virtually unchanged. Turtles are amazing creatures of nature that have such a distinctive appearance that you cannot confuse them with other animals.

2. The direct ancestors of modern turtles are discosaurixes, extinct amphibians. In the Cretaceous period, there were a great many turtles, about 26 families, but only 12 have survived to this day. Turtles are not direct relatives of other modern reptiles, since their development followed a separate evolutionary branch.

3. Among the descriptions of ancient turtle species, the most common are those that inhabited the Earth 220 million years ago. There are also known extinct species that lived on the planet for more than late period. Their distinctive feature is that the turtle's shell was only in the lower part of the body. Prehistoric animals had teeth modern species they are missing. But they didn’t know how to hide their heads in their shells.

4. Turtles inhabit all continents of the Earth. Turtles are not found only in Antarctica.

5. The world of turtles is incredibly diverse. There are currently more than 300 species in the order of turtles. There are both land and aquatic turtles, since they live both on land and in water, and while some aquatic turtles prefer fresh rivers and lakes, others prefer salty seas and oceans.

Leatherback turtle

6.Most known species turtles: red-eared, marsh, Balkan, leatherback, green, desert, Galapagos or elephant, sea, caiman and others.

7.Today, among all representatives of the class, the largest turtle is the leatherback. The diameter of its shell can reach two or more meters and 900 kilograms of weight. This giant animal lives in the seas.

8. Turtles, as animals, are unusual in that they have the ability to hide their head and tail under their shell. One cannot help but pay attention to such a feature of the body structure of turtles as the shell. This armor is reliable protection in many adverse situations, since the shell is able to withstand a weight exceeding the mass of the reptile itself by 200 times.

9. It is known that the shell of a turtle is riddled with nerve endings, thanks to which the animal can respond to changes in the environment. In moments of danger, the turtle retracts its head and limbs, as a result of which they are covered with a shell. It is rare that a predator manages to reach an animal hidden in a shelter.

10. The size of the ancient reptiles was impressive. Scientists have found that the largest turtle that ever existed on Earth supposedly measured about 4 meters in diameter and weighed more than 3 tons. Data established by scientists thanks to the found skeleton ancient turtle. It was the ancestor of the sea turtle, Archelon.

Elephant turtles

11. Among land turtles largest dimensions has an elephant turtle. Its size can be one meter in diameter, and its weight can reach 600 kilograms or more.

12.The Galapagos tortoise, also known as the elephant tortoise, can live up to 180 years in the wild.

Central Asian tortoise

13. Some types of turtles (for example, Galapagos tortoises) can survive without food and water for a year or even more. Therefore, sailors used to take such turtles with them on long voyages (just in case) as live canned food.

14. On the scutes that make up the turtle’s shell, annual concentric rings grow, thanks to which the age of the turtle can be determined.

15. Despite their appearance, turtles have well-developed senses such as touch, smell, vision and hearing.

Large sea turtle

16. Large sea turtles understand the language of dolphins, which is confirmed by experiments and observations.

17. Our ancestors ate reptiles as food, which is why many species greatly decreased in number and even found themselves on the verge of complete extinction. Now turtle meat is considered a delicacy. Popular dishes offered by expensive fine restaurants are turtle eggs and soup.

18. When threatened, Mediterranean turtles hiss like snakes.

19. Sea turtles can navigate in space using the magnetic field of our planet. Sea turtles live up to 80 years.

20. Turtles can rightfully be considered one of the planet’s longest-livers. There are cases when the life expectancy of individual individuals was 250 years. Most turtles in the wild live a little over a hundred years - their age is also quite impressive.

Pond slider

21. Red-eared turtles are able to change color, adapting to the environment; the process, however, is much slower than that of chameleons and therefore often remains unnoticed. The animal got its name because it has bright red spots on its head. But her ears are not red. The developed muscles of the jaws make these harmless-looking creatures quite dangerous: they can seriously injure the finger of a careless owner. The red-eared slider lives on average 30 years, with a maximum of 50 years.

22. The structure of a reptile’s body includes: head, neck, tail, limbs, and shell. The color of the shell changes depending on the age of the animal: in young individuals it is bright, light green or greenish. However, with age it becomes brown and olive. Old reptiles are completely black.

Indian tortoise

23. Many people are interested in whether a turtle can live without a shell. The answer to this question is clearly negative, the shell is connected to the skeleton of the animal and, having lost it, it will die painfully.

24. The shell is very durable and consists of two layers: the bone inner layer, which is formed by plates connected to the ribs and vertebrae, and the keratin layer, the outer one. The outside of the shell is covered with horny scutes or thick skin, while in newborn animals this cover is very thin and soft, but hardens with age.

25. The shape of the shell depends on the animal’s lifestyle: land turtles have a dome-shaped, high shell. Marine - teardrop-shaped. Freshwater – dense, smooth and low.

desert tortoise

26. Desert tortoises skillfully build “pools” in which the moisture they need is retained for up to 6 hours. The sex of the cubs that emerge from the laid eggs of turtles depends on the ambient temperature. The larger the female turtle, the more eggs she can lay at one time.

27. Some species of turtles that live in water bodies are able to hold their breath for ten hours. This is a record for a group of vertebrates.

land turtle

28. The lifespan of land turtles is approximately 40 years, but the record holder for longevity is a reptile at the age of 152 years. The larger the individual, the longer it can live.

29. There are species that can go without food for a long time. For example, an elephant turtle can fast for eighteen months.

30. The meat of some species of turtles is poisonous due to the characteristics of their diet. So, leatherback turtles eat poisonous jellyfish, which, in turn, makes their meat poisonous.

Swamp turtle

31. The marsh turtle is a real unique one among its relatives: the membranes between the fingers and the streamlined shape of the small body help these animals swim well. They can change direction while swimming thanks to their flexible long tail. In natural conditions, they prefer to settle near lakes and other freshwater bodies of water, preferably with a muddy bottom. It is at their bottom that the animal spends the winter. The diet of the marsh turtle is varied: it includes snails, worms, amphibians, and insects. Sharp claws help reptiles tear apart prey. Sometimes such a turtle manages to catch a fish, but most often these are old or sick aquatic inhabitants who are not very fast.

\32. The marsh turtle is the smallest in size, reaching only ten centimeters. The smallest turtles (captured or Namaqualand).

33. Swamp turtles live an average of 30 years, sometimes living up to 50 years. Swamp turtles are record holders for fasting. If necessary, they can go without food for up to 4-5 years.

34. Turtles prefer to live in warm climates.

35. Only one species (out of more than 300) of turtles calmly tolerates the cold - the Blanding's turtle, which lives in the north of Canada, in the Great Lakes.

Balkan tortoise

36. The Balkan tortoise lives about 100 years.

37. Turtles are well tamed and live next to humans. It became known that such animals can clearly distinguish the faces of the people who care for them. In this case, the appearance of a person is perceived visually, and not at the chemical level.

38. In addition, turtles distinguish intonation human voice. When it sounds calm and gentle, the turtle stretches its head and listens to the sounds. When shouting or hearing a sharp or loud voice, turtles pull their heads under their shell.

39. There are soft-bodied turtles, they do not have a shell.

40. Leatherback turtles can dive to a depth of more than a kilometer, despite the monstrous pressure of the water column.

Sea greenturtle

41. Green sea turtles also have a second name - soup turtles; their weight can exceed 350-400 kilograms. Among the sea, there are also real babies - Atlantic ridleys, the length of the shell of adult individuals is just over 70 centimeters. Green turtles feed on algae and other aquatic plants. Predatory species are capable of catching invertebrates, crabs and shellfish.

42. All types of turtles require a warm environment to reproduce. During this period, they are able to travel great distances. Young reptiles behave in a similar way.

43. Having laid their eggs, turtles forget about them forever. But there is an exception - the brown turtle guards the nest until the cubs are born.

44. In 2011, several flights were delayed at one of the New York airports due to the fault of turtles. At that moment, more than 150 turtles crawled onto the runway and decided to start laying eggs here. Flights resumed only after airport staff moved all the turtles to another safe location.

45. Despite their shell, turtles are by no means invulnerable. The jaguar, for example, loves to hunt them - its long and flexible legs allow it to do this with constant success.

snapping turtle

46. Snapping turtles can watch for waterfowl and snakes. There are known cases of them attacking humans.

47. Despite all the good nature of turtles, there are species that can attack a large animal or even a person. For example, snapping turtles have been known to bite off the toes of divers while they were in the water.

water turtle

48. Only land turtles are considered slow. Sea turtles move quite quickly in the aquatic environment (up to 35 km/h), although on land their speed is halved.

49. There is a well-known case: in 1960, a turtle named Chester escaped from its owners. At that time, no one found her, but 35 years later (in 1995), this turtle was found by the neighbors of the owners on their property, which was located only 700 meters from its previous home. In 35 years, the turtle traveled less than a kilometer. How did they find out that it was Chester? It had a white stripe on its shell.