How can you tell if a turtle is hibernating?

Turtle hibernation (wintering)

In nature, when it gets too hot or too cold, turtles go into summer or winter hibernation.
The turtle digs a hole in the ground, where it crawls and sleeps until the temperature changes. In nature, hibernation lasts approximately 4-6 months, at least from December to March. The turtle begins to prepare for hibernation when the temperature in its habitat remains below 17-18 C for a long time, and when it exceeds these values for a long time, it’s time for the turtle to wake up. At home, it is very difficult to hibernate correctly so that the turtle emerges healthy and at all, so if you are new to terrariums, we recommend that you do not hibernate turtles. Sick animals and those recently brought from elsewhere are definitely not allowed to hibernate.

The advantages of wintering: it helps maintain normal activity of the thyroid gland and thereby increase the life expectancy of the turtle; it synchronizes the sexual activity of males and follicular growth of females; it prevents excess growth and helps maintain normal hormonal status. Both land and freshwater turtles can be hibernated.

Disadvantages of wintering: the turtle may die or wake up sick.

What mistakes happen when organizing wintering

Sick or weakened turtles are put to winter
Humidity too low during hibernation
Temperature too low or too high
Insects that climbed into the wintering container and damaged the turtle
You woke up turtles during hibernation and then put them back to sleep

How to avoid wintering

In mid-autumn, turtles, which in nature become less active during the winter, refuse food. If you do not want the turtle to hibernate and cannot provide it with normal sleeping conditions, then increase the temperature in the terrarium to 32 degrees and bathe the turtle more often. If the turtle won’t eat, then you should go to the veterinarian and get a vitamin injection (Eleovita, for example).

How to put a turtle to sleep

European keepers strongly recommend hibernating turtles for their health. However, in apartment conditions this is not at all easy to do. It is much easier to hibernate reptiles for those who have a private home. If, nevertheless, your goal is to put the turtle to sleep, or the turtle itself wants to go into hibernation (it often sits in the corner, digging soil), then:

Make sure the turtle is a species that overwinters in the wild, so clearly identify its species and subspecies.
You need to be sure that the turtle is healthy. It is better to consult a veterinarian. However, it is not recommended to give vitamins and fertilizers immediately before wintering.
Before hibernation (late autumn, early winter), the turtle must be well fed so that it gains a sufficient amount of fat necessary for nutrition during sleep. In addition, the turtle should drink more.
A land turtle is bathed in warm water, then not fed for several weeks, but given water so that all the food eaten is digested (small ones for 1-2 weeks, large ones for 2-3 weeks). Freshwater turtles have their water levels lowered and are also not fed for a couple of weeks.
Gradually reduce the duration of daylight hours (by moving the timer to shorter periods of turning on the lamps) and temperatures (gradually turn off the lamps or water heating) with increasing humidity to the level required during the cooling period. The temperature must be lowered gradually, since reducing it too sharply will lead to colds.
We prepare a wintering box, which should not be too large, because... During hibernation, turtles are inactive. A plastic container with air holes will do. Wet sand, peat, and sphagnum moss 10-30 cm thick are placed at the bottom. The turtles are placed in this box and covered with dry leaves or hay on top. The humidity of the substrate in which the turtle overwinters should be quite high (but the substrate should not get wet). You can also place turtles in linen bags and pack them in foam boxes, in which sphagnum or sawdust will be loosely scattered.
Leave the container at room temperature for 2 days.
We place the container in a cool place, for example, in a corridor, preferably on a tile, but so that there are no drafts.
IN
depending on the type and the temperatures it requires, we lower the temperature, For example: floor (18 C) for 2 days -> on the windowsill (15 C) for 2 days -> on the balcony (12 C) for 2 days -> in the refrigerator (9 C) for 2 months. The wintering place for the turtle should be dark, well ventilated, and have a temperature of 6-12°C (preferably 8°C). For exotic southern tortoises, lowering the temperature a couple of degrees may be sufficient. Every time you examine the turtle, you need to spray the soil with water. It is better to do this once every 3-5 days. For aquatic turtles, humidity during hibernation should be greater than for land turtles.
It is necessary to bring them out of hibernation in the reverse order. Before overwintering turtles are allowed into a terrarium or outdoor area, they are bathed in warm water. If the turtle appears dehydrated, emaciated, inactive, or in a daze, restorative measures should begin with warm baths.
Normally, the turtle should start feeding within 5-7 days after the temperature reaches normal. If the turtle is unable to recover, you should contact a veterinarian.

It is important to know

Hibernation time for turtles is usually 8-10 weeks for small turtles and 12-14 for large turtles. Turtles should be placed in winter quarters in such a way that they “wake up” no earlier than February, when daylight hours noticeably lengthen. Can be from 3-4 weeks to 3-4 months. The condition of the turtles is checked every month, trying not to disturb them. The weight of a turtle normally decreases by 1% for each month of wintering. If the weight decreases faster (more than 10% of the weight) or the general condition worsens, wintering must be stopped. During the winter, it is better not to bathe turtles, as they usually urinate if they feel water getting on their shell. If the turtle begins to be active at a temperature of 11-12°C, wintering should also be stopped. For all hibernating reptiles, the limits of temperature fluctuations are from +1°C to +12°C; In case of long-term cooling below 0°C, death occurs.

(author of some of the information is Snegir, forum myreptile.ru)

Gentle hibernation regime for turtles

If the general condition of the turtle does not allow for a full winter, or if there are no suitable conditions in the apartment, you can arrange “overwintering” in a gentle manner. To do this, soil that better retains moisture (sawdust, moss, peat, dry leaves, etc.) is added to the terrarium in which the turtle was kept. Level - 5 - 10 cm. The soil should not get wet. The light in the terrarium can be turned on for 2 - 3 hours a day. In the middle of overwintering, the lights can be turned off completely for 2 - 3 weeks. The temperature should be maintained at 18 -24°C during the day, and drop to 14 - 16°C at night. After the “peak” of such wintering (when the heating is turned on again for 2 - 3 hours), you can offer the turtle her favorite food once a week. The beginning of independent feeding is a signal of the end of wintering.

(from the book by Vasilyev D.B. “Turtles...”)

Wintering temperature of different types of turtles

K.leucostomum, k.baurii, s.carinatus, s.minor - room temperature (can be placed somewhere on the floor, where it is cooler) K.subrubrum, c.guttata, e.orbicularis (marsh) - about 9 C T.scripta (rudders), R.pulcherrima - do not need to hibernate

Articles on the site

Advice from foreign experts on the proper WINTERING of turtles

In the article, I propose to consider the reasons why turtles can die when kept at home. I will explain how to distinguish a turtle that hibernated from a turtle that died from something; I’ll also give advice on how to cope with the loss of your beloved pet and not fall into depression.

Pet turtles, including red-eared turtles, are unpretentious pets, but, like other animals, they require appropriate housing conditions.

You will need an aquarium or terrarium with high-quality filler, suitable temperature conditions, absence of drafts, hourly feeding in accordance with a specially selected diet for reptiles, regular bathing and examination for the timely detection of ailments and diseases.

Failure to comply with the rules for keeping a turtle is fraught with a deterioration in the well-being of your pet, which in advanced cases leads to the fact that they may die.

Awakening after hibernation

After about 3 to 4 months of hibernation, the turtle should wake up on its own. If this does not happen, then you should remove the animal from the box and place it in a terrarium, having previously raised the temperature in it to 20 - 22C. You can also leave the turtle in the box, but move it to a room at room temperature. Once your turtle is awake and moving around on its own again, the following steps need to be taken. The first step is to bathe the animal in cool water with a temperature of 24 to 26C. At the same time, the turtle must drink a lot, restoring the water balance in the body. After this, place it in the terrarium, turn on the lights and offer fresh food. In the first days after hibernation, the turtle may consume a minimal amount of food, but this is normal.

What can pet turtles die from?

Turtles, even outside the wild, are long-lived.

The causes of death can be divided into two categories: those independent of the pet owner and those dependent.

Independent:

The animal initially had weak immunity and/or a congenital disease.
Poor conditions for breeding and keeping at the supplier, poor quality transportation, non-compliance with sanitary standards in the pet store.

Dependent:

Poorly organized place for reptiles. These include: a small aquarium/terrarium, unsuitable soil, too low/high temperature, excessive/insufficient lighting, drafts in the room with the aquarium/terrarium.
Poor diet. Turtles prefer a variety of plant foods. Her well-being can be harmed by foods such as: bread, eggs, seafood, meat, sausage, milk, cottage cheese, cheese. Feeding frequency has an impact. Young individuals are fed once a day, adults should be fed once every 2 to 3 days. The lack of vitamins also has a detrimental effect on the turtle's health.
Lack of water treatments. If you do not bathe the animal once every 1 - 1.5 weeks, it can get sick and die.
Frequent transportation. A turtle, like any other pet, is best kept alone and not subjected to unnecessary transportation. If this cannot be avoided, then this should be done as carefully as possible in a special container.

At home, with proper care, they can live up to 15 years.

Poor diet can kill your pet

Stress

When you just bought a reptile, it is not surprising that it refuses food. It can take her a day to get used to her new place of residence. The animal is stressed, so she refuses to eat. As soon as the pet gets used to the new conditions, it will begin to take food.

At first, you shouldn’t stand near the terrarium for a long time, much less knock on it. Until the animal gets used to it, you should not try to pick it up, so as not to unnerve your pet again.

Moreover, you should not handle baby turtles; babies are very timid and this can become stressful for them; as a result, they stop eating and may even get sick.

How to cope with the death of a pet

No matter how much we want it, nothing on this planet lasts forever.

Birth and death are natural processes and should not be feared. The death of a pet is a big loss, but you have to accept it in order to move on with your life.

Here are some tips for coping with loss:

Give vent to your emotions, cry. Tell your family and friends about your problem. Talk about this as much as necessary, your loved ones will understand you.
Distract yourself from something that makes you happy. Play sports, go to a concert or theater, draw, do renovations, or just spend a couple of days lying on the couch watching your favorite films and TV series.
See a psychologist if necessary. There's nothing to be ashamed of.
Wait. Time cures. Everything passes, it's true.

A new pet can help you overcome the pain of the death of your previous one.

Don't despair if an accident happens to your pet. Try to live through the period of acceptance and subsequent adaptation to the maximum benefit. Create and develop. Don't get discouraged, go out with friends, spend time in pleasant company. Later, if you have the strength and desire, you can think about sheltering an animal in need of a roof over your head at home.

Cremation of turtles

Turtles have been popular since Soviet times and are often kept as pets. These animals have a high life expectancy, but in an unusual habitat they often get sick.

And if a tragedy occurs and the pet dies, the question arises - what to do with the body. Many, breaking the law, bury their pet in the courtyard of their house or in the country. This is not the best solution. In civilized countries, this problem has long been successfully solved through cremation, that is, burning bodies to ash, which does not pose a threat to either flora and fauna or humans.

How can you tell if a turtle is sleeping or dead?

Inexperienced turtle lovers often panic when they watch their turtles hibernate. They can remain in one position for a long time without signs of life, which in itself is alarming. First of all, you need to know that this is typical for cold-blooded creatures, because their body temperature depends on the air temperature, and when it decreases, they hibernate.

To be fair, we note that today in city apartments the temperature usually does not fall below 20 degrees. And turtles in such living conditions tend to become more passive and lethargic. Their appetite may decrease. If a reptile does not show signs of life for a long time, then you can understand that everything is fine with it as follows:

Corneal reflex. Check to see if your reptile has it. Take a cold metal spoon and apply it to her eye. A reflexive retraction into the orbit or its opening will demonstrate that everything is fine with it. If this does not happen, then the reptile has died.
Head position. When she and the reptile’s paws are retracted into the shell, then it is most likely alive. Elongated and hanging limbs that do not respond to touch indicate that there are no signs of life in the body.
Retraction of the lower jaw. Try opening the reptile's mouth by gently lowering the lower jaw. A living ward must close her mouth. Otherwise, the reptile would develop rigor mortis.
Reaction to water. When an aquatic representative of reptiles is moved to warm water (30-31 degrees), it will begin to move its legs and swim.
Smell. Within two days you will hear the characteristic stench from a dead turtle. An unpleasant odor accompanies cadaveric decomposition.

Experts emphasize that these reptiles never die immediately and suddenly. As a rule, they get sick, and if the owner does not react in time to the decrease in the reptile’s activity and does not take it to a veterinarian, then it may die. Statistics show that 2% of reptiles die from old age, and 48% from improper transportation and storage in a store.

In the comfort of home, decorative reptiles live quite a long time compared to other popular pets; with decent maintenance and feeding, the lifespan of land and aquatic turtles is about 20-30 years. But most often, turtles do not even survive to maturity and may die due to a banal violation of living conditions, infectious diseases or a lack of vitamins and minerals.

In any case, a living turtle does not emit any odors.

After 2-3 days, the dead turtle will smell of corpse decomposition. In general, a turtle’s poor condition usually does not begin immediately; it does not die suddenly, but gradually becomes ill with something. Therefore, the owner’s task is to correctly and promptly recognize this deterioration of the condition and take the turtle to the veterinarian in time to begin treatment. 40% (those turtles that survive to be sold often find themselves in such conditions that “it would be better if they died as children” than to suffer in dirty aquariums or on the floor under a radiator).4.

Moreover, by the time of death, turtles often have a whole complex of diseases - from vitamin deficiency and rickets to gout in landlubbers. 1. Buy a turtle only in the warm season, when it is more than 20 C outside. And only in pet stores, and not from hand or in the market. It is better, of course, to take abandoned turtles.2. 5. If you have just bought or adopted a turtle, it is also better to see a veterinarian-herpetologist.

She just hides in her shell and falls asleep. In order not to bury the animal alive, you need to know the main signs of the death of a turtle. If the red-eared turtle does not come out of hibernation with the onset of warm weather, then this becomes the first alarming sign. To do this, you need to take the animal in your arms and touch its face and paws. A living turtle will immediately twitch and try to hide even deeper into the shell.

Causes

Unfortunately, only 2% of turtles die from old age when kept at home. In older reptiles, the body gradually ages, as a result of which the pet turtle dies from chronic systemic diseases. Much more often, the causes of death of exotic animals at home are:

improper maintenance of the reptile;
unbalanced diet;
lack of vitamins and mineral elements;
violation of the conditions of transportation or keeping in a pet store;
congenital pathologies;
overfeeding;
infectious and non-communicable diseases;
decreased immunity.

Congenital developmental disorders or decreased immunity are criteria for natural selection; animals with such developmental defects most often die in the first month of life. 40% of the causes of turtle deaths are due to violation of feeding and keeping conditions at home, 48% due to negligent treatment of animals during transportation and storage in pet stores. Very often, people purchase an already sick, exhausted reptile that has no chance of survival.

No one can determine the age and sex of a turtle until it is the size of 5 rubles.

However, my site is not only a blog. The site also contains a variety of information about both red-eared turtles and other species of turtles, both land and aquatic. Lots of advice on keeping, feeding, and caring for turtles. The owner and I are also planning to create a bulletin board where various advertisements for the sale or purchase of turtles themselves and any equipment necessary for their breeding will be posted.

How to tell if a turtle is dead

You can understand that a red-eared or Central Asian turtle is dying by a change in the behavior of the reptile. Signs of deadly diseases in unusual pets are the following symptoms:

lack of appetite;
lethargy;
immobility;
lack of response to stimuli;
reluctance of an aquatic reptile to be in water;
shortness of breath, wheezing, whistling;
cough, sneezing;
swollen closed eyes;
swelling of the limbs;
bleeding;
delamination and deformation of the shell scutes;
hind limb failure;
ulcers and weeping wounds on the skin and shell.

Old reptiles can die in their sleep without previous clinical symptoms of disease; in this case, it is impossible to know in advance the possible date of death of a pet. It often happens that a recently active turtle suddenly stops showing signs of life. Wild reptiles hibernate in autumn and summer to survive unfavorable periods. This natural instinct is also preserved in pets, therefore, in order not to bury the animal alive, it is necessary to check whether the turtle is alive.

You can determine that a turtle is dead and not hibernating using the following methods:

Corneal reflex test. A living reptile, in response to the touch of a metal object on the cornea of the eye, reflexively draws the organ of vision into the orbit or opens the eye. If there is no response, the death of the animal can be assumed.
Definition of breathing. If you carefully observe the nostrils of a sleeping reptile, you will notice their slight fluttering. You can place a mirror near the reptile’s beak; the moist exhaled air will definitely fog it up. Lack of breathing indicates the death of the animal.
Position of limbs and head. Turtles sleep with their paws and head retracted into their shell; muscle tone can only exist in a living creature. If the limbs and neck hang down, the reptile is most likely dead.
Retraction of the lower jaw. You can gently pull back the lower jaw, which in a healthy animal should reflexively close when releasing the hand. An open jaw indicates rigor mortis of the animal.
Reaction to water in aquatic turtle species. When a freshwater or marine reptile is placed in water with a temperature of 30-31C, the animal begins to move its limbs. The absence of such a reaction most often indicates the death of a pet.
Determination of the color of the oral mucosa. When opening the jaw, it is recommended to examine the pet’s oral cavity. In a living animal, the color of the mucous membrane is pink, in a corpse it is light gray.
The appearance of a corpse odor. If after 2-3 days the smell of corpse decomposition emanates from a motionless animal, there is no longer any doubt about the death of the reptile.

Before getting an exotic pet, it is recommended to carefully study the physiology, feeding and care of an unusual animal. Due to the physiological characteristics of reptiles, it can be difficult to determine the signs of death of a pet; a sleeping pet looks like a dead turtle. To avoid irreparable consequences, if there is any doubt that the turtle has died, you should contact a herpetologist.

What do turtles die from, how to determine the death of a pet Please

Red-eared turtles often hibernate during the winter. Thus, they climb into the shell and sleep. Breeders sometimes perceive this phenomenon as the death of a pet, because it is practically impossible to determine whether the reptile is breathing due to the protective shell. In order not to bury your pet alive, you should familiarize yourself with the possible signs of death, as well as the reasons why turtles may die.

Of course, if the pet remains in hibernation when the weather warms up, then breeders should be wary. But if the room is cold enough, then the reptile will not wake up. In this regard, it is necessary to create the correct conditions, warm the terrarium and add warm water. If the animal remains in its shell, and there are no other signs of life, then mortality should be determined by other measures.

Solution

The longer a red-eared turtle goes without eating, the more dangerous its condition becomes. Contact a specialist. If this is not possible, for example, there are no veterinarians in the city who specialize in reptiles, start by checking compliance with the conditions of detention.

A complete diet. Turtles refuse food they don't like. Replace it, but remember to balance your diet.
Check if the turtle has enough space in the terrarium.
Clean all surfaces of the turtle house.
Remove small rocks and decorations that the turtle might swallow.
Adjust the temperature.
Aquatic breeds need a place to rest outside of the water. Check if there is enough space for all the inhabitants of the terrarium.
Remember, the red-eared turtle at home is very demanding on the quality and purity of water. Install high-quality filters and change the water at least once a week.
Limit the animal's walks outside the terrarium.
Make sure that no food remains submerged in the water. It will pollute the water.
Do not self-treat your pet. Without experience, identifying and treating the disease is not easy.

Don’t skimp on purchasing the necessary equipment; treating a turtle can become much more expensive and troublesome. Most of the turtles in our homes are Central Asian (land) and red-eared (aquatic), less common are European swamp turtles (aquatic) and Far Eastern Chinese trionics (aquatic). Having decided on the species, take a close look at the turtle.

Examine the turtle's eyes - they should not be constantly closed, swollen, watery, or sunken. A healthy turtle does not drag itself with difficulty along the surface, but steps on all four paws, stretches its neck, exploring the surroundings. The turtle should not make squeaks, wheezes, whistles, or clicks (do not confuse all this with hissing when they are trying to scare you!). The shell of a healthy turtle is quite smooth, without bumps, humps or depressions, evenly convex on top (this is the carapace) and smooth below (this is the plastron).

If the turtle is dead, then it will not move them. She didn't eat for 2 days and they brought her to the veterinarian. Like any other animal, a turtle can get sick. My name is Zina. I am a red-eared turtle. It is advisable to check how turtles sleep sometimes and weigh them. Watching them, you understand that they are not so emotionless and stupid.

Rules of detention and causes of mortality

No matter how strange it may sound, the main cause of death of red-eared turtles is the breeders themselves. Today, many people have such pets. But unfortunately, novice breeders make a lot of mistakes that lead to death. This is all due to improper maintenance and care of pets. At home, many owners have turtles that are not able to live even 5 years.

Initially, you need to clearly know that turtles are cold-blooded. This means that their existence directly depends on the temperature and microclimate in their terrarium. Animals cannot independently regulate their body temperature, such as dogs or cats. The optimal temperature range for red-eared turtles is from 26 to 35 degrees. This is precisely the value found in natural conditions in ponds and other reptile habitats.

All this means that the temperature regime cannot be left to chance by breeders. The room in which the aquarium with the reptile is located should not be the main indicator for keeping it. After all, if the room is approximately 25 degrees, then the water temperature will be several degrees lower, and this is below the required norm.

When buying red-eared turtles, which live mostly in water, you should carefully approach the issue of maintenance and think through the conditions for this in advance. The reptile's home is a large aquarium with an island of land or a terrarium. For one individual, it will be enough to buy or make an aquarium of 200-250 liters, with 100 liters of volume in water. If there is a pair of reptiles, then the parameters will need to be multiplied in half.

The island itself with land must be located on approximately 3 parts of the entire bottom area. It is made from glass, stone or wood. It all depends on preferences or materials that are available to create with your own hands, in addition, the entrance to the island should be smooth, and all surfaces should be rough. To prevent the turtle from dying prematurely, it is created from natural materials or from those that are not toxic. You also need to additionally equip a ladder for entry.

It is also not allowed to use soil in an aquarium. And if it is used, then it should be twice as large as the reptile’s head. Turtles simply love to taste everything, as a result they can swallow any decorative element or small stones. The result may be suffocation or disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, which ultimately leads to death.

You should be no less careful when handling large elements of decoration. Although turtles are not always large, they are very strong and can break an aquarium with a stone or figurine.

Each island with land must be equipped with special ultraviolet lamps, at a height of approximately 30 cm. They are necessary to maintain the health of the turtle, as well as for the warming up and normal development of the pet. You will definitely need to install a heater in the aquarium. This is because the water must be within a certain temperature range.

All turtles are quite sloppy and create a lot of dirt around themselves. However, they love clean water. Therefore, breeders should buy an additional cleaning filter, which will have double the supply. In other words, if there is 100 liters of water in the aquarium, then the filter should be 200 liters and so on. When changing the water in the terrarium, you should only use settled water. It is prohibited to use water that has been passed through a household filter. Typically, this purification adds silver to the water to remove infections and bacteria. All this slowly poisons the turtles and, as a result, intoxication and failure of the animal’s internal organs begins. After this comes death.

Wintering in the refrigerator

Another alternative to a suitable cool room for successful wintering is the use of a refrigerator. In this case, the following factors must be taken into account. First, the refrigerator must be large enough for the drawer to remain freely in it for a long time. And secondly, it should not be used for storing food. However, you should keep in mind that the back wall of the refrigerator is usually colder than the front, so the box with the turtle should not be placed close to the walls. In addition, once a day, you need to open the refrigerator for a while, thus maintaining natural air circulation. The temperature should be kept constantly at +4 – +7C. IMPORTANT!

1. After waking up, the turtle must be bathed in water, the temperature of which should be approximately 24 - 26 C. In this case, the turtle must drink a lot. After this, you should move the animal into a terrarium or a special box and turn on the lighting.

2. Next, you need to offer the turtle a fairly large amount of fresh food. It is quite normal if the animal eats practically nothing in the first week.

Proper nutrition is the key to longevity

If the turtle died, but the aquarium, temperature conditions and other rules were observed, then perhaps the owner used the wrong diet, which killed the pet. One of the causes of death may be the use of only special reptile food. Such food should not be used as the main diet. It is recommended to use any dry food for fish or turtles as a treat for your pet and give it in dosed form no more than once a week.

An equally common cause of death is frequent consumption of moths. They can cause your pet to become infected with many diseases. If the moth is stored incorrectly or bred in the wrong conditions, then it is not only harmful, but also brings fatal diseases. It is better to completely exclude such a product from the diet if you are not sure about it.

It is recommended to feed your pet raw fish. In this case, you can use both sea and freshwater, preferably low-fat varieties. It is prohibited to feed trout, salmon, capelin and other types of fatty fish. Also, the basis of a proper diet includes poultry and beef by-products; you can give seafood, such as squid or shrimp. When giving your pets fish, you do not need to clean it or remove bones. They contain many useful vitamins and elements.

By using a healthy diet, you can achieve positive results for your turtle's health. It is imperative to remember that it is strictly forbidden to feed lard, skin or meat with greasy streaks. Reptiles are designed in such a way that they will not be able to digest such a product, nor do they have the ability to regurgitate it. As a result, they may become ill, digestion may be impaired, and even death may occur.

From plant foods, you can feed your pet lettuce, carrots, cabbage and dandelions. It is also possible that they may be fed duckweed or various types of algae. During the summer, you can feed some beetles, worms or insects. Such products can be easily stored in a refrigerator in a glass container. For long-term preservation, you should put tea leaves inside. In this case, every day the worms will need to be washed under running cold water and can be used to feed them constantly.

Alternatively, the worms can be frozen. Before serving them to your pet, you will need to rinse them under highly salted water or wash them in a light solution of manganese. Pets get significant amounts of calcium, carbohydrates and proteins from insects and worms. It can also improve and strengthen your pet’s overall health.

For proper and balanced nutrition, it is recommended to make your own food based on gelatin. To do this, you will need to mince carrots (70 g), cabbage and apple (50 g each), any permitted fish (140 g), squid fillet (100 g), and egg (2 pcs.). Then add milk and water (150 g each) to the resulting slurry. You first need to dissolve gelatin (30 g) in them and add Tetravit (20 drops). After this, add a couple of eggs and mix. Then the food is sent to a refrigerator to harden. Before serving, the food should be cut into pieces and allowed to warm up a little. This food is enough for 10 meals for an adult.

As for the feeding schedule, pets under 2 years of age should be given food every day, and the dose should be such that the turtle can eat in a maximum of 30 minutes. For reptiles over 2 years old, food is given 3 times a week, in the same amount. The main thing is to avoid overeating so that your pet does not become obese.

It is better to feed your pet from a separate container so that the water does not become clogged. All products that enter the water turn into a variety of bacteria, fungi and can cause infectious diseases and even death.

Using all the rules described, you can exclude causes of death. And since the pet is not land-dwelling, you should definitely monitor the purity of the water.

Death of turtles, signs and ascertainment of death

Like any other creature on the planet, a turtle can die. This happens due to illness, improper maintenance, old age. Death from old age is extremely rare, especially when maintaining a home. Typically, by the time a turtle reaches adulthood, a number of diseases accumulate and make themselves felt. To prevent premature death, you need to carefully monitor the condition of your pet, create all the necessary conditions for keeping and feeding it that are close to natural. And in case of malaise, apathy, lack of appetite or other alarming signs, contact a veterinarian-herpetologist. At the initial stage of the disease, the percentage of successful treatment is higher.

But often in an animal like a turtle it is difficult to determine whether it is really dead or in a state of hibernation or coma. In doubtful cases, it is better to leave the turtle for a day and then identify it again (usually after this period the picture becomes clearer).

To do this, we will describe some criteria by which you can make a conclusion about the condition of the turtle.

If the turtle was kept on a cold floor, terrarium, or was in a state of hibernation, transported in a container without heating, then first such an animal must be warmed by placing it in warm water (but so that the turtle does not drown or choke), and then under a heating lamp . If no activity occurs after this, then evaluate the following points.
Determine the presence of reflexes. Particularly indicative are the corneal reflex and the pain reflex. To determine the pain reflex, you can prick the turtle's paw with a needle; if there is pain, the turtle withdraws its paw and moves it. The corneal reflex is expressed in the closing of the eyelid in response to irritation of the cornea. That is, it is necessary to touch the cornea and determine whether the turtle reacts to this by closing the lower eyelid.
The next thing you can do is open the turtle's mouth and evaluate the color of the oral mucosa. In a living turtle it is pink (can be pale or bright pink depending on the condition), in a dead turtle it is bluish-gray (cyanotic).
When checking the color of the mucous membranes in the mouth, the presence of respiratory movements can be assessed by the opening and closing of the laryngeal slit at the base of the tongue. The laryngeal fissure opens during inhalation and exhalation, the rest of the time it is closed. If there is no movement of the laryngeal slit, or it is constantly open, then most likely the turtle is no longer breathing.
If after you open your mouth, it remains in this open state, this already indicates that the turtle has rigor mortis.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine the heartbeat at home without special medical equipment.
Sunken eyes can be an indirect sign of death. But, of course, you shouldn’t use it as the only sign.
At the stage of cadaveric decomposition, a characteristic unpleasant odor appears from the animal.

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Herpetologist Anastasia Agafonova

How to understand that a pet has died

If it happens that the reptile shows no signs of life, then you need to know how to detect death. There are several ways to do this, but it should be noted that all of them will be stressful for a living creature and can provoke diseases.

Below are all the possible signs of how to tell if your pet is alive or dead:

If the reptile is kept in a cold environment in its home, hibernation has begun, the pet was transported in a container without additional heating, then the animal should initially be heated. To do this, just heat or add warm water. It is important that the reptile does not choke or drown. After this, it can be placed next to a heating source, in other words, under a lamp. If, after the operations performed, there are no signs of life and activity, then the pet may be dead. But it is better to use additional verification measures.
You should check your pet's reflexes. The cornea of the eye and pain thresholds manifest themselves perfectly. To test reflexes using pain, you need to take a needle and prick the reptile’s paw a little. If there are reflexes, then she will simply pull her paw and begin to move it. To test reflexes, stimuli should be generated on the cornea. Then the centuries will begin to open and close. To do this, you need to carefully touch the cornea with a blunt metal object. If the eye shows no signs, then this means that the turtle has died.
You can also check using an oral examination. To do this, you should open it and look at the shade of the mucous membrane. In a living reptile it should be pink, perhaps pale or bright, it all depends on the condition of the reptile. A dead individual will have a blue color with gray tones. You can also look at your breathing movements by examining your mouth. This can be seen in the larynx, which must open and close. If the larynx is closed and does not move or is constantly open, then most likely this is a sign of death.
Once a turtle has died, its mouth will remain open, even if the owner no longer examines it.
You can determine whether a turtle is alive using its heartbeat. True, such an inspection cannot be performed at home. To do this, you need to call or go to the veterinarian.
Sometimes sunken eyes are also a sign of death. But it is better not to use this method for a single check, because it is not accurate.
And the last thing is the appearance of a foul odor from the pet. It appears when the flesh has already begun to decompose.

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How can you tell if a turtle is dead or hibernating?

A couple of days ago I found our pet, the red-eared turtle Professor, floating in a daze.
Took it out of the water. Limbs bend. But suspiciously elongated. The head can be pushed into the shell with your finger. She then pulls herself out. The professor shows no signs of life. How to determine: he died or hibernated? You don’t have to retell answers from the Internet. I know them all.

In a couple of days the dead creature will begin to decompose, I believe. I also know that red-eared turtles do not need to hibernate.