An inexperienced eye will not be able to determine how this reptile came to you: straight from an exotic location or from a swamp visible from the window of a house. You don’t have to reveal yourself to your family or friends and say that your pet is classified as exotic. In fact, caring for it will cost several times less than caring for its exotic counterpart, and besides, in appearance, river turtles differ little from sea turtles.
River turtles have a good appetite, so after eating they defecate into the water. In this regard, there is a need for daily water replacement. A cleaning system, if you have one, will not be enough because the turtle's feces will remain floating in the water. River turtles do not require filtered water - liquid at a temperature of 30-32 °C is quite suitable. It is also recommended to periodically clean the walls of the aquarium and pool, otherwise it will be difficult to get rid of the resulting deposits.
River or marsh turtles are completely unpretentious in food and care. This is explained by their consistently simple habitat. The turtle will survive in your home under any conditions if you pick it up and keep it. Having grown up on rivers and swamps, these turtles will not recognize any expensive food. Also, you do not need to arrange a home for them with lighting, a bathroom and toys. You have the right to choose the living conditions for your pet, but if you have a river turtle, know that you are lucky.
What do turtles eat in the wild?
Turtles seem harmless only at first glance. In nature, they manifest themselves as predators who easily cut up their prey. In addition to flesh, turtles, while in the water, can feed on algae and other marine plants. However, this is not enough for the healthy development of the turtle, so they find a source of protein every day. On land, these can be some insects - woodlice, millipedes, grasshoppers, caterpillars and locusts. A favorite delicacy is worms and insect larvae. Of the aquatic inhabitants, turtles feed on small fish, tadpoles, crustaceans, and newts.
A turtle caught from a pond for keeping at home is unlikely to agree to other food, and for the owner of the reptile, the main question remains of obtaining food for the turtle. If you can dig up a few worms in the summer, it will be completely impossible in the winter. It is important to know what a river turtle eats so that the pet continues to develop.
Additional information
Scientists identify 13 subspecies of the marsh turtle in nature, but only 5 are found in Russia. In the summer, turtles live near bodies of water and, if an enemy appears, they rush into the water and dive to the bottom, often burying themselves in silt. Swamp turtles hibernate in the fall, in October, thereby waiting out the winter at the bottom of reservoirs.
Adults and larger individuals can be hostile at times and try to bite. It is necessary to take them by the edge of the back of the shell, since the head on the long neck has great physical activity. The bite can be very painful, since, having grabbed the soft part of the hand with its mouth, the turtle convulsively clenches its jaws several times. However, if you treat this animal well, they instantly become tamed, stop hiding their head under their shell, and, on the contrary, pull it towards the owner-breadwinner.
What do river turtles eat at home?
A person who has some experience in caring for turtles will certainly say that their nutrition at home directly depends on their species. While sea turtles happily eat vegetables, berries and fruits, river turtles only accept meat and rarely plants. You should always have the following products in stock for your pet:
- River fish. Buy small, inexpensive fish that your pet can handle on his own. Adults can be given fish with small bones. It should be fresh or defrosted, but in no case boiled or fried.
- Meat (mainly beef, veal, turkey). The meat must be raw, without bones. Turtles living in rivers and swamps are accustomed to a hunting lifestyle. These are carnivores that are able to independently deal with a large piece of meat. You can offer your turtles beef liver once a week.
- Sea cocktail (squid, shrimp). Sea life is very nutritious for the turtle as it provides an essential source of calcium. It is rare to find fresh shrimp and squid, so in order for them to be suitable for the turtle as food, they only need to be thawed.
- Dandelions, cabbage and lettuce leaves. Plants cannot be the tortoise's main food source, so it is recommended that they be given to the tortoise for variety.
Despite the fact that turtles are called river turtles, they prefer to spend most of their time not in water, but on land. It’s easy to notice from the turtle’s behavior when it’s full and wants to leave the water. For this case, it is necessary to provide a ledge above the pool, the so-called “bank” or a separate basin, where the turtle can not only crawl, but also eat. It is important that your pet leaves the water independently to get a snack, so it is necessary to provide a non-slip ledge.
Lifestyle and behavioral characteristics of marsh turtles
Forest, steppe and forest-steppe areas with natural fresh water bodies are more suitable for these inhabitants. They love to settle in lakes, ponds, swamps, slow-flowing rivers and large water canals.
The most convenient for reptiles are reservoirs of natural origin located on flat terrain - with gently sloping banks and shallow areas, abundantly overgrown with plants and well heated. But you can also find the European marsh turtle in the mountains, where there are small bodies of water.
With the help of experiments, it was possible to prove that representatives of this species are capable of surviving for 2 days at a water temperature of 18°C and the absence of air. This confirms their high viability. During the mating season, adult turtles, ready to breed, can crawl out of the water and set off on a 300-500-meter journey inland.
Swamp turtles are excellent swimmers and divers, and they are also capable of staying under water for a long time, rising to the surface every 10-15 minutes. These animals are semi-aquatic reptiles and are most active during the daytime. They love to crawl onto land or islands and bask in the sun's rays.
Reptiles spend all the time that is not spent resting in search of food - they can eat all day long. And at night they go to sleep at the bottom of the reservoir.
If the turtle refuses to eat
The river turtle, like humans, has a character that affects its food intake. If you notice that your pet is still healthy and playful, then it is necessary to diversify the diet, at least for a short time, so that the turtle receives new useful substances with other food.
When sick, turtles become lethargic, appear tired, and ignore any offer of food. In this case, the question arises about the pet’s health status. People who do not have special education are not recommended to self-medicate; a herpetologist - a specialist in the study of amphibians - will be happy to examine the turtle and prescribe recommendations for care and nutrition.
A turtle's refusal to eat may be a consequence of a weakened general condition. If you notice that the shell and claws have become soft, this is the first alarm signal indicating a lack of calcium. Of course, the pet will not lose its shell, but it will easily injure it. A turtle caught in the nearest river or swamp, of course, has never eaten cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, beans before and is unlikely to want to try foods unfamiliar to it. But she will taste calcium-rich sardines, shrimp and greens with great pleasure. As a supplement, it is recommended to give vitamins in jars that contain all the other essential vitamins and minerals in addition to calcium.
Basic diet of a reptile
The bog turtle is a predatory animal. In its natural habitat, it eats fish, small frogs, mollusks, woodlice, worms, and insect larvae. She also feasts on coastal and aquatic plants. Dry food is not suitable for her. This reptile needs live or frozen food. The main food for a turtle is fish. It is better to give her small live fish, which can be immediately released into the aquarium.
In captivity, the turtle is fed lean fish, shrimp, earthworms, and squid. Adult reptiles need plant food, so you can add cabbage, lettuce, dandelions, and duckweed to the animal’s diet.
A turtle's weekly diet should consist of 70% fish, 20% meat . The remaining 10% should include shellfish, snails, insects and plant food. With this diet, the turtle will be full and healthy.
Where to find a river turtle?
The river turtle is not classified as exotic, so it is not always possible to buy it at a pet store. Even if it ended up there by luck, its value cannot be high, since a river turtle, without exaggeration, can be taken from the street. They do not accept fast and clean waters, so they prefer to live in stagnant rivers and swamps. Most often they can be found in the lower reaches of the Don, Volga, Dnieper, and Ural. River turtles love to bask in the sun, so they willingly look for a rock on which to climb out after a short stay in the water. Finding a turtle is not always easy as they hide under rocks and old tree branches. Their color, close to the color of the area in which they live, allows them to remain invisible to humans.
Guppy fish are a treat for any turtle
If you own an aquarium with fish, you should not put a turtle in it. She will simply eat all the inhabitants of the aquarium and remain the rightful owner of the vacated territory, unless, of course, this does not affect her life activity. But you can use fish, for example the same guppies, to feed your pet. This will greatly please your beloved turtle. But you shouldn’t get carried away either, otherwise your reptile will suffer from overeating.
Reviews
German Leonidovich, 34 years old, Kharkov
I work in a clinic and periodically I get so tired of the noise and bustle that I come home to relax. Unfortunately, I am allergic to wool, so I got myself a river turtle as a pet. What can I say: calm, flexible, quite intelligent. I can’t assure that this is a girl (my friends brought her to me), but for some reason I wanted to name her Dusya. Sometimes we are very close and spend time together, watching TV, and I stroke her shell. And, by the way, the river turtle turned out to be not a river turtle at all; it spends most of its time on land. In short, this is the most docile pet, quiet, calm, and does not eat very much. Dusya is the only turtle so far, but not the last, soon I want to finally find out her gender and find her a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Daria Viktorova, 21 years old, Solnechnogorsk
My father brought me a river turtle when he was returning from a business trip in his car. According to dad, she ran through his path. He was afraid of crushing her and braked in time, got out, took her in his arms and decided to give her to me. Then Krosh was very small, but in 7 years he grew up and became quite a large individual. He doesn’t really like water, and if I put him in the bath and try to move away, Krosh tries to get out, he asks to come to me. There was a time when it seemed to me that he was sick. No matter what I gave him to eat, he refused. It even seemed to me that his shell would soon completely fall off, because he was becoming softer and softer. It turns out that he simply did not have enough food fortified with calcium. Since then, I periodically pamper my pet with snails and shrimp.
Danila Arsenievich, 54 years old, Kislovodsk
My wife and I spend most of our time in the city, but on weekends we come to the dacha to visit our turtle Masha. Our grandchildren caught it for us not far from the river. Since then, Masha lives most of the time with a neighbor, and when we arrive at the dacha, we take her to our place. In summer and spring we release it onto the lawn. When we were young, we kept both hamsters and parrots - everything was not the same, they either made noise or smelled. But with our Masha there are no such worries.
Dangerous products
We now know what different types of turtles eat. But still, some owners share food with their pets that may be dangerous for the animals.
The following foods should never be given to any turtles:
- Beef, pork, lamb and their derivatives (sausage, frankfurters, pate, minced meat),
- Cheeses and dairy products,
- Bakery products,
- Potato,
- Corn,
- Citruses,
- Feed intended for other animals.
All of these foods can impair the well-being and health of pet reptiles. Dangerous plants for reptiles include azaleas, dieffenbachias, oleanders, elodeas and euphorbias .
Caring for your turtle
The first thing you should pay attention to when purchasing a pet is its appearance and size. A turtle that is under 5 cm in size at the time of purchase will be very difficult to raise.
At this age, small individuals are susceptible to various infections and diseases. This is how natural selection takes place. Therefore, a turtle 5–7 cm in size will be the best choice when purchasing.
You should also carefully examine the color of the shell. The claws and tail must be intact. The skin looks healthy and the eyes shine. After the pet is in the aquarium, watch how it swims. A healthy turtle should swim smoothly, without leaning in different directions.
Healthy turtle
Features of treatment
After purchasing a pet and moving it into an aquarium, it may go through an adaptation period. Typically it will take 2 to 5 days. At this time, the animal becomes a little inhibited, or, conversely, very active. There is no need to panic and pick up the animal. Give him peace and time to adapt to new conditions. After a while, the turtle will get used to the new environment and become calmer.
When trying to pick up a turtle, do it very carefully and always with both hands. Not all representatives are willing to make contact. Some may flounder, hiss, and defecate in fear. The shell becomes slippery in water; keep this fact in mind when removing your pet from the aquarium.
After you hold the turtle in your hands, be sure to wash them with soap. Despite being kept clean, turtles are often carriers of salmonellosis. To avoid the spread of infection, you must always monitor the condition of the aquarium and the quality of the food.
