European marsh turtle with yellow spots on the body. Where do turtles live? Turtle lives

The turtle is one of the ancient animals on the plane from the class of reptiles. Representatives of these reptiles are divided into two large orders: terrestrial and marine. At the same time, terrestrial ones are also divided into freshwater and land ones. Reptiles are tied to their living conditions because the mechanisms in their bodies that maintain a constant temperature do not work as well as those of mammals and birds. Where do turtles live in the conditions wildlife? Their range is practically throughout the entire Earth, on land and under water, in temperate and tropical climate zones.

Turtles and nature

Sea turtles live in warm waters of seas and oceans, very rarely swimming to cold currents.

This suborder includes two families: Dermochelyide (consisting of only one leatherback turtle) and Cheloniidae (including five species). Common sea turtles include:

The olive turtle lives in the waters of the Indian and Pacific Ocean off the coast of Africa, India, Australia, Japan, all the way to Brazil and Venezuela;
The Atlantic Ridley prefers shallow water up to fifty meters with a silty or sandy bottom in the Gulf of Mexico, the English Channel, and on the European Atlantic coast;
The loggerhead is distributed in the warm parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea;
The hawksbill is found in southern Africa, the Great Britain region, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Japan;
The green turtle is found in the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The leatherback turtle's range coincides with the Loggerhead turtle, but in the areas of Sri Lanka and the southern coast of India, this reptile has received almost no scientific study.

Where do land turtles live? Most often this open spaces, but some species also live in tropical forests. The most suitable climate for representatives of this family is Southern Europe, New World, Africa, Asia.

Freshwater turtles are a large family of this class. They are distributed on almost all continents, with the exception of Australia, Antarctica and northern Eurasia. Such reptiles live in various bodies of water, often not frozen for the winter and with weak currents.

Representatives of each species of freshwater reptiles, as a rule, have their own area of residence. For example, roofing turtles prefer Pakistan and India. Batagur occurs on the Indochina Peninsula, as well as in Sumatra. In the Brahmaputra, Indus and Ganges basins you can find the diadem tortoise. There are magnificent turtle sightings from southeastern Mexico to Ecuador. From Southern Canada to Florida, home of the painted Testudines.

Where do they live in nature? This quite common species lives in northeastern Mexico and the eastern states of the United States. The genus Graptemys is distributed in approximately the same area. But Western Europe, Türkiye, North West Africa, Iran and the Caucasus are home to Emys orbicularis.

As can be seen only on individual examples, the answer to the question “where do turtles live in nature” will be “in the waters of the world’s oceans, fresh warm lakes, ponds and creeks, steppes and forests in a tropical climate.”

Testudines in captivity

Where do turtles live at home? The main container is an aquarium, aquaterrarium or terrarium.

It is very important to choose the right ratio of air temperature, humidity, volume of water and amount of land depending on the type of reptile. Otherwise, the slider will wither without liquid, and the Central Asian turtle will freeze without good heating.

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European marsh turtle(lat. Emys orbicularis) - this is a very common species aquatic turtles, which is often kept at home. They live throughout Europe, as well as in the Middle East and even northern Africa.

We will tell you about its habitat in nature, maintenance and care of a marsh turtle at home.

Habitat in nature

As already mentioned, the European marsh turtle lives in a wide range, covering not only Europe, but also Africa and Asia. Accordingly, it is not included in the Red Book.

She lives in various bodies of water: ponds, canals, swamps, streams, rivers, even large puddles. Swamp turtles live in water, but they love to bask and climb onto stones, snags, various rubbish to lie under the sun.

Even in cool and cloudy days they are making attempts to bask in the sun, which breaks through the clouds. Like most aquatic turtles in nature, swamp turtles instantly flop into the water at the sight of a person or animal.

Their powerful paws with long claws allow them to swim through thickets with ease and even burrow into muddy soil or under a layer of leaves. They love aquatic vegetation and hide in it at the slightest opportunity.

Description

The European marsh turtle has an oval or rounded carapace, smooth, usually black or yellow-green in color. It is dotted with many small yellow or white spots, sometimes forming rays or lines.

The shell is smooth when wet and shines in the sun, and becomes more matte as it dries. The head is large, slightly pointed, without a beak. The skin on the head is dark, often black, with small spots of yellow or white. The paws are dark, also with light spots on them.

Emys orbicularis has several subspecies that differ in color, size or detail, but most often in habitat. For example, the Sicilian marsh turtle (Emys (orbicularis) trinacris) with a striking yellow-green carapace and the same skin color. And Emys orbicularis orbicularis, which lives in Russia and Ukraine, is almost completely black.

Adult marsh turtles reach a carapace size of up to 35 cm and a weight of up to 1.5 kg. Although, when kept at home, they are usually smaller, despite the fact that the subspecies living in Russia is one of the largest.

The European marsh turtle is very similar to the American marsh turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) in appearance and habits. They were even classified for a long time in the genus Emys. However, further study led to the fact that these two species were divided according to differences in the structure of the internal skeleton.

There is no consensus on how long a marsh turtle lives. But everyone agrees that she is a long-liver. According to different opinions, life expectancy ranges from 30 to 100.

Availability

The marsh turtle can be found on sale, or caught in the wild, within warm months. But, with normal maintenance, owners with zero experience in breeding turtles successfully produce offspring. All individuals kept in captivity are unpretentious and easy to care for.

However, it is important to note that to keep a marsh turtle, you need to create fairly precise conditions. And just bringing it and putting it in a basin won’t work. If you catch a turtle in the wild and you only need it for fun, then leave it where you found it. Believe me, this way you will make your life easier and will not kill the animal.

Juvenile marsh turtles should be kept indoors, but older individuals can be released into home ponds for the summer. For 1-2 turtles you need an aquaterrarium with a volume of at least 100 liters, and as they grow, twice as much. A couple of turtles need an aquarium 150 x 60 x 50, plus dry land for heating. Since they spend a lot of time in water, the larger the volume, the better.

However, it is important to keep the water clean and change it regularly, plus use a powerful filter. While eating, turtles litter a lot and there is a lot of waste.

All this instantly spoils the water, and dirty water leads to various diseases in aquatic turtles, from bacterial eye diseases to sepsis. To reduce contamination during feeding, the turtle can be placed in a separate container.

You don’t have to use decor and soil, since the turtle doesn’t really need it, and cleaning it up in the aquarium is much more difficult.

Approximately ⅓ of the aquaterrarium should be dry land, to which the turtle should have access. They regularly come out onto land to warm themselves, and so that they can do this without access to the sun, a heating lamp is placed above the land.

Heating

Natural sunlight is best, and it is advisable to expose small turtles to sunlight in summer months. However, there is not always such a possibility and an analogue sunlight needs to be created artificially.

To do this, in an aquaterrarium, above land, an incandescent lamp and a special lamp with UV rays, an ultraviolet lamp for reptiles (10% UVB), are placed. Moreover, the height must be at least 20 cm so that the animal does not get burned. The temperature on land, under the lamp should be 30-32C, and the length of daylight should be at least 12 hours.

In nature, they spend the winter and hibernate, but in captivity they do not do this and there is no need to force them! Her home conditions allow her to be active throughout the year; it’s not winter when there’s nothing to eat.

Feeding

What to feed a marsh turtle? The main thing is not what, but how. Swamp turtles are very aggressive when feeding!

She eats fish, shrimp, beef heart, liver, chicken heart, frogs, worms, crickets, mice, artificial food, snails. The best food is fish, for example, you can put live fish, guppies, directly into the aquarium. Juveniles are fed every day, and adult turtles every two to three days. They are very greedy for food and easily overeat.

For normal development, turtles need vitamins and calcium. Usually artificial food contains everything a turtle needs, so adding food from a pet store to the diet will not be out of place. And yes, they need sunlight to absorb calcium and produce vitamin B3. So don’t forget about special lamps and heating.

Appeal

Very smart, they quickly understand that their owner is feeding them and will rush to you in the hope of feeding them. However, at this moment they are aggressive and you need to be careful. Like all turtles, they are cunning and can bite, and quite painfully.

You need to handle them carefully and generally touch them less often. It is better not to give it to children, as they pose a mutual danger to each other.

Post navigation

Turtles are one of the oldest breeds of reptiles, which began to exist approximately 220 million years ago. They live in both sea and land, and they have bony shells that evolved to protect them from predators. There are about 300 different species of turtles different forms and sizes, but some are a little larger. . . unique than others.

spiny turtle

The spiny turtle - Heosemys spinosa - has an amazing shell and lives in southeast Asia. Like many other turtle species, the spiny turtle is hunted for food and as a result, and due to the destruction of its habitat, its numbers have plummeted in lately.

The turtle's shell is tooth-shaped with spikes on the edge. In young individuals the spines are very sharp, but with age they become more rounded. The spines deter predators from attacking young turtles, and they also act as a form of camouflage, disguising the turtle as fallen leaves. The brown color also helps imitate leaves.

Chinese soft-shell turtle

The Chinese soft-shelled turtle excretes urine through its mouth. This is a strange process that has never been observed in any other animal before. This unique ability has helped the turtle survive in salt water, since it does not lose much fluid from its body and does not need to constantly replenish it. If she swallows too much salt water, she will be poisoned. Instead, urine is passed through the mouth, which is then rinsed with water. Only six percent of the urine produced by a turtle is passed through the kidneys.

Like most turtles, the Chinese turtle is a delicacy in many parts of Asia. There are more than 1,500 turtle farms in China, which sell more than 90 million turtles a year. Due to its high culinary demand, this species of turtle is now listed as endangered. These turtles live in China, Japan, Taiwan, Northern Vietnam and eastern Russia. They have also been introduced in other areas such as Malaysia, Hawaii, and even California.

Mary River Turtle

The Mary River turtle is found exclusively in the Mary River in Queensland, Australia. Its color can be red, pink, brown or black. Its head is small and its tail is long compared to the rest of its body, it can grow almost to the length of its shell. There are long projections under the chin called antennae. Female Mary River turtles reach maturity within 25 years, males - 30, which is a very long period for turtles.

The turtle often comes out of the water to breathe, but it can also obtain oxygen in the water. Oxygen enters her body through organs located in her tail. The turtle spends most of its life in the river, allowing algae to grow on its body. She uses algae as camouflage. In the picture, the algae on the turtle's head looks like hair, giving it the nickname "punk rock turtle."

Spiny softshell turtle

The spiny softshell turtle is native to the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico. She has a unique appearance, round head and flat round shell covered with black spots. These spots are pronounced in young turtles, but they disappear with age. The turtle has a long, thin nose and knob-like projections on the front of its shell.

Sexual differences in the offspring of the spiny soft-shelled turtle are determined genetically. In most other turtle species, sex depends on the temperature of the sand in which the eggs were laid.

Eastern long-necked turtle

Found in lakes in Australia, the eastern loggerhead turtle has an extremely long neck compared to other species and can grow as long as its shell. The neck is so long that the turtle has to pull it into its shell rather than stick it out. This species is also known as the "snake-necked turtle" because the head and neck resemble a snake. It also has a similar hunting method, quickly straightening its neck to strike its prey.

If there is any threat, the turtle secretes a foul-smelling liquid from its glands. The radius of action of these secretions is about a meter (three feet), so all animals nearby flee. The turtle spends most of its life on land.

Knobby humpback turtle

Knobby humpback turtle - Graptemys nigrinoda – small water turtle, inhabiting the freshwater rivers of Mississippi and Alabama. The most characteristic feature of this turtle is small quantity spines on the shell, which become less pronounced in adult turtles. The lower part of the shell is covered with beautiful patterns; they are usually light gray or blue color. The turtle's diet consists mainly of insects, which it collects from the surface of the river.

Loggerhead turtle

The loggerhead turtle lives in Southeast Asia. Characteristic feature This species has (you guessed it) a huge head. She has a smooth, sloping shell brown. Unlike other turtle species, it cannot retract its head into its shell, so it has a bony “helmet” to protect its exposed head. The turtle often uses its powerful jaws to protect itself from threats.

The loggerhead turtle often climbs trees and hills, using its large beak, claws and muscular tail to grasp various objects. They have become an endangered species due to overhunting. Turtles are commonly eaten in Asia and are also caught and sold.

"Turtle with Piglet"

The snout tortoise is native to Guinea and Australia. It is the only freshwater turtle that has flippers like sea turtles, but its most notable distinctive feature is a nose reminiscent of a pig's snout. The nose can act as a breathing tube, protruding above the surface of the water. It is also quite sensitive to movement and is used to detect prey in turbid waters.

Unfortunately, the total number of snout turtles has almost halved over the past 50 years due to smuggling: they are caught in large quantities for exotic pet trade. Turtle populations are plummeting on the island New Guinea, where they are also harvested for meat. This turtle species is the last known species two-clawed family. Fortunately, Australia and Indonesia are taking action to conserve this species.

Red-bellied short-necked turtle

The red-bellied short-necked turtle - Emydura subglobosa - lives in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Their shell is orange around the edges and on the bottom of the shell (much brighter in young turtles). The color fades as they get older, but the orange markings can be clearly seen on an adult turtle. These turtles spend most of their lives in the water, only emerging to nest or bask. When she is basking in the sun, she can make angular movements that cause her tears to flow down her face and into her mouth, which she opens and closes (this is very similar to what a dog does when thirsty).

African jellyfish

The African jellyfish is native to the African continent and is widely distributed from Ghana to Cape Town. This turtle is also found in Madagascar and Arabian Peninsula. The turtle produces a strong odor from four glands located on its limbs, which is intolerable to horses and humans. When females lay eggs, they choose a spot and urinate in it to soften the surface of the ground, thereby making it easier for them to dig.

The feeding behavior of African jellyfish is also remarkable. They hunt large prey - pigeons, snakes, other turtles - in groups. This is the only species of turtle that hunts in packs.

Indian bladed turtle

The Indian lobed turtle - Lissemys punctata - has dermal lobes under its shell that hide its limbs when they are retracted. It is not known exactly how the blades protect the turtle from predators. This species is found in rivers, lakes and swamps of southern Asia.

Everyone associates turtles with the eternal slowness characteristic of these reptiles, but not everyone knows that turtles are one of the the most ancient representatives animal world of our planet. These creatures have been living on Earth for more than 220 million years, yes, they are the same age as extinct dinosaurs. The very name of the word “turtle” comes from the ancient Slavic “shovel”, “tile”, and the Latin name for the turtle is similar – “testa” is translated as “tile”, obviously, the turtles were nicknamed this way due to the similarity of their shells with the tiles themselves.

Turtle: description, structure, characteristics. What does a turtle look like?

Perhaps it is the shell of a turtle that is its most characteristic difference, a kind of turtle business card. For a turtle, it is, in fact, a kind of mobile home + a means of protection from enemies. The turtle shell consists of a dorsal (carapace) and abdominal (plastron) part. The carapace, in turn, consists of two parts, one of which is the internal armor, formed from bone plates, and the second is the outer part, consisting of horny scutes. In some species of turtles, the bony plates are covered with skin.

The shell of a turtle is very durable, so it can easily withstand a load exceeding the weight of the turtle itself by 200 times.

How big are turtles?

The size of a turtle and its weight differ greatly from the species, so in the turtle family there are both giant turtles with a weight of more than 900 kg, and a shell size of 2.5 meters or more, and small turtles with a weight of up to 125 grams and a shell size no more than 10 cm.

Head and eyes of a turtle

The turtle's head is streamlined and medium in size. Such dimensions allow turtles, in case of danger, to quickly hide their heads inside an inaccessible shell. Although among them there are also species with large heads, which either fit poorly in the shell or do not fit at all.

In land turtles, the eyes are usually directed towards the ground, while in aquatic turtles they are located closer to the top of the head and point forward and upward. The neck of many turtles is usually short.

The vision of turtles is well developed, even moreover, turtles, like people, have color vision, can distinguish colors, very few animals have this gift. Nature also gave them excellent hearing, allowing them to hear potential enemies from a distance.

Does a turtle have teeth? How many teeth does a turtle have?

Modern turtles, unfortunately, do not have teeth, but ancient turtles had them, those that lived during the era of dinosaurs, but over time they disappeared. Then how does a turtle eat? To bite and grind food, turtles use a strong beak; the surface of this beak is covered with rough protuberances, which practically replace teeth for turtles. The tongue of turtles is short; it serves exclusively for swallowing food, but not for capturing it, and as a result, does not protrude outward.

Limbs and tails of turtles

All turtles, without exception, have four legs. But the very structure of these paws depends on the type and habitat of the turtle. The paws of land turtles have a flattened shape, they are adapted for digging soil and are quite powerful. In the process of millions of years of evolution, sea turtles' paws have turned into real flippers for the convenience of swimming in the depths of the sea.

Also, almost all turtles have a tail. The tail of a turtle, like its head, is also capable of hiding in its shell. Moreover, what is interesting is that some turtles have a real pointed spike at the tip of their tail, which serves as another means of protection from enemies.

An interesting fact: some land turtles can shed as they age, and their old skin peels off and falls off, both from the paws and sometimes from the shell.

How long do turtles live?

Turtles are truly long-lived even by our human standards, because they live many times longer than us humans. So average duration life of turtles in natural conditions can be 180-250 years.

The most old turtle in the world, named Jonathan, lives on the island of St. Helena and remembers (probably) the times of Napoleon, because the former emperor of France lived here in exile for some time.

Where do turtles live?

Turtles live in all tropical areas, as well as in some places with temperate climate. Sea turtles swim in the warm ocean spaces of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. They are only absent near the Arctic and Antarctica, which is natural, because all turtles love warmth.

Land turtles live in the steppes and semi-deserts of Africa, South and North America, Australia, and Asia. In Europe they can be found in the south, in a number of southern countries: Greece, Italy, Albania.

What do turtles eat in the wild?

The diet of turtles directly depends on their species, habitat and lifestyle. Land turtles are practically vegetarians; their main food is tree branches, fruits and grass, mushrooms and vegetables. However, it was not in vain that we wrote practically, since in order to maintain the protein balance in their bodies, turtles can sometimes eat various small animals such as snails, slugs and worms. Land turtles also drink water with pleasure.

But sea and freshwater turtles are already real predators, since their diet includes various small fish, snails, crustaceans (some sea turtles happily eat squid, cuttlefish and other shrimp). But the gastronomic preferences of aquatic turtles are not limited to living creatures; along with them, they also eat plant foods: algae.

Interesting fact, there are species of sea turtles that eat poisonous jellyfish. From such food, the meat of the turtles themselves, in turn, becomes poisonous, which scares potential predators away from them. This is a gastronomic remedy.

Enemies of turtles

Speaking of enemies, in natural conditions the main enemies of a turtle are some birds of prey(eagles,), which grab small turtles, lift them to a great height, from there they throw them onto stones and peck out their entrails from their broken shells.

Interesting fact: the great ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus died an extremely ridiculous death, he was killed by a turtle that fell on his head. The eagle, having lifted the turtle to a height, mistakenly considered the playwright's bald head to be a large stone suitable for breaking the turtle's shell.

Death of Aeschylus by an eagle and a turtle.

As for giant turtles, given their weight and size, they have no enemies in nature. Even people are increasingly treating these majestic, long-lived creatures with due respect.

When does a turtle hibernate?

Yes, turtles, like some other animals, tend to hibernate, during which all life processes in their body slow down for a while. This usually happens in winter period, and hibernation for heat-loving turtles living in temperate latitudes allows them to survive the winter cold without problems.

How to determine the sex of a turtle

The gender difference in turtles is so weakly expressed in appearance that it is sometimes difficult to determine whether this turtle is a “boy” or a “girl.” However, if you approach this issue with due attention, you can identify a number of signs that help determine the sex of a turtle.

1. Shell; in females the shell has a more elongated shape than in males.

2. Plastron, also known as the lower part of the shell. If you turn the turtle over, you can see that in females the lower part of the shell (the one closest to the anus) is flat, while in males it is slightly concave.

3. Tail, males have a tail that is longer and wider at the base, while “turtle ladies” have a straight and short tail.

4. Claws, in males they are usually longer on the forelimbs than in females.

Types of turtles, photos and names

The turtle family is divided into two suborders, divided by the way turtles retract their heads into their shells:

Hidden-necked turtles fold their heads into shells in the shape of the letter S.
Side-necked turtles hide their heads in one of their front paws.

Also, according to their habitat, all turtles are divided into land and sea turtles, which in turn are divided into freshwater turtles, living in rivers and lakes, and marine turtles, living in the seas and oceans.

Below we take a closer look at some of the most interesting views turtles.

She's a turtle. These are real giant tortoises, the weight of a Galapagos tortoise can exceed 400 kg, the length of the shell reaches up to 1.9 m. These tortoises live on the Galapagos Islands, which gave them their name.

This is already a small representative of land turtles, the length of the Egyptian tortoise shell is no more than 10 cm. They have a yellow-brown color of the shell. This turtle lives in northern Africa and the Middle East.

This is not big turtle, living respectively in Asia, has a rounded shell and is colored yellow-brown with dark spots. The average size of the shell of this turtle is 10 cm. It is also one of the most popular types of turtles for home keeping.

She's a turtle. It is of medium size, the length of the shell is 0.7 m, with a weight of up to 50 kg. The shell of this turtle is high and dome-shaped. The pattern of the shell shows a spotted pattern, similar to the color of a leopard. The leopard tortoise lives in Africa.

It is notable for being the smallest turtle in the world. The length of its shell is no more than 10 cm, with a weight of up to 165 grams. Lives in South Africa.

Types of freshwater turtles

This small turtle lives in waters of the USA and Canada. It has an interesting olive-green or black shell color and leathery membranes between the toes.

This small turtle lives in the waters of Europe and a number of Asian countries; the length of its shell is 35 cm and its weight is 1.5 kg. It has a brown or olive color of the shell, and also a very long tail, like for a turtle.

So named due to the presence of a bright red spot on the head. The length of the shell of this turtle is 30 cm. They live red-eared turtles in both Americas, in the USA, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and a number of other countries.

Its characteristic feature is the presence of a cross-shaped plastron and a long tail covered with small spines. It is of medium size, the weight of this turtle reaches up to 30 kg. It lives in the USA and southern Canada; it survives the winter cold in hibernation.

Types of sea turtles

She's a real carriage. The shell of this turtle is painted in brown tones with a pattern of multi-colored spots. The front flippers of this turtle are equipped with two claws. This turtle lives in almost all oceans, with the exception of cold waters near the poles.

Notable for being the largest turtle in the world. Only the span of its front flipper-like paws reaches 2.5 meters. Its weight is more than 900 kg, and its shell length exceeds 2.6 meters. The surface of this turtle's shell is covered with a dense layer of skin (hence the name). It lives in tropical regions of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

It is also a rather large turtle, its weight reaches up to 450 kg with a shell length of 1.5 m. It has an olive or green shell color, which, however, may have white stripes and dark spots. Its shell is small in height and oval in shape, and its surface is covered with large horny scutes. This turtle's head has a lot of large sizes than other relatives, and therefore does not hide inside the shell. It lives in tropical areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Turtle Reproduction

The mating season for turtles begins at different times depending on the type. However, in all turtles it occurs in a similar way: the males stage real battles for the right to mate with the female. How do turtles fight? It’s very simple, the land ones try to turn the enemy over with a blow from their shell, and the water ones hit and bite each other with their beaks. Only after driving away a potential rival does the male turtle begin courting his “lady,” forcing her to take a position convenient for mating itself.

Some time after mating, the female turtle lays spherical or ellipsoidal eggs, from which small turtles will be born. Turtles dig special holes for their eggs, and sometimes even use the nests of crocodiles.

From 1 to 200 eggs can be laid at a time (depending on the species). Also the duration incubation period can last from 2 months to six months or more.

After hatching, small turtles begin to struggle for survival; not all of them will survive to adulthood; young turtles are an excellent target for various predators, especially birds of prey.

How to care for a turtle at home

Keeping turtles at home has recently become very popular, both land and aquatic turtles are kept. And why not, because caring for them is extremely simple, and turtles themselves are unpretentious creatures. True, all of the above is true for small turtles, since keeping large turtles in the house will not be entirely appropriate.

So, what are the rules for caring for turtles? First, in the turtle's habitat, you need to keep a thermometer to monitor the air temperature and a thermometer to monitor the water temperature (if it is an aquatic turtle in an aquarium).

The water in an aquarium for turtles must either be purified using filters, or if there are none, then changed every day. Maintaining hygiene for aquatic turtles involves removing algae from their shells. But land turtles need to be bathed daily in warm water, washing away dirt and food debris from them. Also, in winter, it is advisable to irradiate turtles a little with the rays of a quartz lamp, thus creating a kind of sunbathing.

What to feed a turtle at home

Turtles need to be provided balanced diet. Land turtles can be fed with cabbage, dandelion leaves, apple pulp, cucumbers, and tomatoes. To satisfy the need for protein food, they can be given boiled chicken eggs and vitamin supplements.

Feeding aquatic turtles will be a little more difficult, because they need small animals; you can feed them with dried daphnia, bloodworms, earthworms, boiled chicken or beef. They will not mind eating various insects, cockroaches, and small aquarium fish.

Adult turtles need to be fed once a day, young turtles twice a day and a so-called fasting day once a week.

It was the turtles that were the first to fly around our moon satellite on board the experimental research probe launched Soviet Union back in 1968.
Turtle meat is an expensive and delicious product in some cuisines around the world.
Turtles are also present in heraldry, in the depiction of the coats of arms of some cities.
Despite the fact that turtles do not pose a danger to humans, there are exceptions, for example, male leatherback turtles can confuse a swimmer with a female, grab them with their paws and drag them to the bottom.
The sex of turtles in eggs is determined by temperature environment. At lower temperatures, males are born, at higher temperatures, females are born.

Turtle, video

And in conclusion, an interesting documentary about turtles.

Many animals live in glass containers: turtles, fish, lizards and crustaceans. Home terrariums usually contain a terrestrial species of turtles, from which freshwater and land animals emerge.

Reptiles with webbed swimming limbs. Majority aquatic species turtles inhabit bodies of water with weak water movement. Mobile carnivorous reptiles, but herbivorous species are also found.

red-eared

Brown-green turtle. Also called . It lives in shallow ponds in Mexico, South and Central America and Africa. It got its name because of the red spots in the ear area; there are species with bright yellow spots. There are rich green stripes on the head and paws. Young individuals are less intensely colored than mature ones. Carapace ( upper part shell) females up to 30 cm, males up to 15 cm, have claws. The diet of young individuals is dominated by animal food. Sedentary and non-conflict pets.

Trionix Chinese or Far Eastern

Turtles up to 20 cm in size with a soft leathery shell. The nose is oblong in the form of a trunk. These three-toed inhabitants of Asian reservoirs are very active and aggressive. They can injure a person with sharp plates located on their jaws. To keep these predators at home, a newborn individual is purchased. included in the Red Book and prohibited for sale. It is caught by smugglers and supplied to stores.

Caspian

Omnivorous turtles with a flat oval shell up to 30 cm in length. The color consists of alternating yellow and green stripes. Individuals love salty or fresh water with a temperature of 18–22 degrees and a large amount of vegetation near the reservoir. Found in Southern Europe And Central Asia. In nature, they climb high into the mountains. They live for 30 years. This species freshwater turtle Sexual differences are clearly visible: the tail of males is more powerful and long, the carapace is concave.

Silt loggerhead

Aquarium turtles with a small shell up to 18 cm and disproportionate big body. Having harmless appearance, reptiles are capable of injuring with false teeth. Come from Northern and South America. They live in shallow streams and swamps with abundant vegetation. A container of 60–100 liters is suitable for keeping at home. They feed on animal food and dry food.

European marsh

Dark green turtles up to 35 cm. The body is covered with light spots. Big and long tail, webbed feet and sharp claws. Reptiles live near lakes and ponds. listed in the Red Book. Kept at an air temperature of about 30 degrees.

Types of small

According to scientific classification, small turtles are considered freshwater species, the average size of which does not exceed 13 cm. A terrarium with a capacity of 100 liters is suitable for pets.

Three-keel

Small reptiles up to 13 cm. Color from reddish-brown to black, carapace with three keels. Easy to care for, an aquarium up to 100 liters is suitable. They inhabit the countries of South Asia and lead a completely land-based lifestyle in forests. They are omnivores, eat fruits and vegetables, and are not averse to eating fish. In some countries they are prohibited for home keeping.

musky

Turtles get their name from the musk glands under their shells. The length of the oval carapace is 7–13 cm. There are light inclusions on the dark head and carapace. Young turtles are distinguished by three longitudinal ridges on the carapace, which disappear over the years. They feed on mollusks, insects, and small fish. Range: Canada to South America. In the natural environment, they are the orderlies of the reservoir. Turtles swim well; the terrarium should have an island and a pond.

Spotted

Amphibious pets up to 12 cm in length. The carapace is black, without projections. Light yellow spots are evenly distributed on the carapace, head and limbs. There are also color variations with orange and reddish splashes. They live with room temperature. For convenience, place shelters in a glass container and aquatic plants in a pond. The turtle is diurnal. Diet type: insectivores. Juveniles feed exclusively on animal food. Plants are rarely eaten. In nature, they live in marshy and damp areas.

Pond Reeves

A turtle with a shell length of 13 cm. The carapace is colored brown. There are olive, gray-green and black body colors, with yellow stripes. Females are lighter than males and have a shorter tail. Temperatures not lower than 22 degrees are allowed. It is known that turtles can survive freezing temperatures.

Closing

Domestic turtles are endowed with a peculiarity: in case of danger, the gap between the plastron and the carapace closes. The genus of closures consists of species:

reddish mud turtle;
mud red-cheeked;
mud walleye;
musk common;
musky keel.

Flat

The carapace of these 9-centimeter turtles is slightly extended forward and has a slight convexity. Color ranges from olive to brown depending on the breed. The forelimbs have scales and 4 or 5 toes. The muzzle is oblong. Females are larger than males. Carnivorous, eats fish, mice and shrimp.

Types of land

Central Asian

Popular home view pets At home, they grow up to 10–18 cm. Turtles have a light shell with dark scutes and four-fingered limbs. Once a week you can have a swim. They do not like to be disturbed; they prefer peace and regularity. Provide animals with air at 30 degrees and sandy soil in which they can dig.

Star or Indian

Beautiful pets with unusual shape shell. The scutes are convex, slightly pointed, with a striking star pattern. Dark carapace, pattern yellow. Turtles are medium in size, females reach 25 cm, males - 15 cm. The varieties living in Sri Lanka and South India have 5-7 rays in color. Individuals from northern India have 7–9 thin “star” rays. They eat plant foods.

Mediterranean

Color and maintenance preferences differ among subspecies. The color can be plain or dark with yellow splashes. The front legs of domestic turtles have 5 toes, and the hind legs have spurs. There is a bump of horny tissue on the back of the thigh. Sizes up to 35 cm.

Egyptian

The shell size reaches 12 cm, females are smaller than males. The shell is sand-colored with black spots. They are whimsical in their contents and susceptible to diseases. Herbivores, in nature they feed on plants of the genus Artemisia. Calcium and D3 are added to the diet. The opportunity to determine sex in this species is available at 15 years of age. They are kept in groups of their own species in a spacious tank.

Balkan

The shell size is up to 20 cm. In external features it resembles a Mediterranean turtle. The shell is light brown with a dark pattern. Over the years, the color fades to yellowish-gray. The tail has a horny tip. They feed on peas, beans, clover and fruits. Supplement the diet with slugs and snails. Mobile pets are especially active in the warm season.

Conclusion

Some species of domestic turtles are small in size and also relatively unpretentious. Even for such animals you will need a spacious and long aquaterrarium, an ultraviolet lamp and a water filter. Take a responsible approach to keeping your pet turtle, and then it will delight you with the opportunity to observe it for a long time.