Turtles: what they die from, how to understand that she hibernated and did not die

There are several different species of red-eared turtles, which vary in size. They are not difficult to keep at home, but some species require organization of sleep and in this regard, the owners have a number of questions:

• Does a red-eared turtle need hibernation if it is not in natural conditions?
• Why do they hibernate?
• What needs to be done to prevent the turtle from falling asleep?
• What is the function of hibernation for turtles?
• What is the red-eared slider's sleep period?

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.

What confuses me most is the season. Why now, when daylight hours have increased significantly, should we hibernate? Unless, of course, you are writing from Australia.

This is how the death of the turtle was already determined. The pliability of the limbs is just soft skin, it is flexible during life, it stretches strongly, but in death it is less stretchy, simply flexible.

How does a hibernating turtle behave if it is alive?:

The limbs are elongated, but bend - the turtle is dead; a living limb does not stick out constantly, unless the turtle is basking on a pebble under UV rays.

The head can be pushed into the shell - if it is dead, the living one will not allow anything to be pushed into itself even in hibernation, it will pull it in itself, albeit slowly (when in hibernation).

Then the head itself stretches out - dead, a living turtle will not stretch out its head immediately after they tried to push it into the shell.

Shows no signs of life - dead, a living turtle always reacts to any touch, even in hibernation! Taking a sleeping turtle in our hands, we only touch the shell and the turtle reacts to this! Moves its paws, turns its head, retracts its neck and hides its head, rolls its eyes under the eyelids and other signs of movement.

How else can you tell if a turtle is alive or not?:

You can also understand that the turtle is alive if you put it on your palm so that its shell (peritoneum) rests on the convexity of the index finger on the inside of the palm, this is the beginning of the first phalanx. By holding the turtle's belly in the palm of your hand as described, you can feel the pulses of its heartbeat, but not everyone can feel the heartbeat this way. Only those who have sensitive skin and experience holding a turtle in the palm of their hand. Sometimes you can even hear your pet’s heart beating faster than usual, and this happens during periods of frightening and panic. Turtles are afraid of new environments, unknown objects, they get scared of everything when they see it for the first time (even a fallen leaf from a tree will scare it the first time until it studies it).

Duration and causes of hibernation in the wild

Aquatic turtles hibernate (winter) when temperatures are too low, falling below 15° and remaining at this level for a long time. The reptile goes underground and sleeps until the temperature rises in a dug hole.

IMPORTANT! Marine and freshwater turtles usually bury themselves in sand or mud to protect themselves from ice build-up. When living in warmer conditions, there is no need for wintering, but too high a temperature can cause summer hibernation.

Red-eared turtles hibernate when winter arrives and do not emerge from it until early spring. Their sleep lasts from 4 to 6 months and depends on the size of the reptile. The smaller the turtle, the more time it needs to sleep.

Why do turtles die, how to determine the death of a pet

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.

Is it possible to sleep in a refrigerator?

Biologists recommend placing turtles in the refrigerator during hibernation, because it is easy to maintain the same temperature. First, the turtle is placed in a cardboard box, which is not much larger in size than the animal, the voids are filled with torn paper, and placed in a refrigerator with a temperature of +12 degrees. The temperature is reduced every day by 1 degree until it reaches +5.

To overwinter in the refrigerator, the turtle can be buried in a substrate of turf soil, sand and fine gravel. The layer of mixture above the turtle should be within 8-9 cm, but to prevent it from suffocating, the refrigerator door must be opened for 10-15 minutes every 2 days.

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.

Both laughter and sin: what you definitely shouldn’t do with a turtle

Photo: still from the movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”

Under natural conditions, representatives of some species can live more than 150 years. In this regard, turtles are ahead of all vertebrates. The famous Madagascan Tui Malila was included in the Guinness Book of Records for her longevity - at the time of her death she was more than 190 years old. In captivity, medium-sized turtles live up to 30–60 years, but large ones can live up to 150. Experts attribute their longevity to a slow metabolism, like all cold-blooded turtles.

However, acquaintance with humanity is not always favorable for turtles. In the 18th century, turtles served as live canned food for sailors. The author of the work “Animal Life”, German zoologist Alfred Brehm, spoke about the relationship of sailors with turtles as follows:

“Captured turtles are usually turned over on their backs. There is no ceremony with them: they are simply put aside somewhere on the deck, a sail is stretched over them to protect them from the sun and they do not care about anything else, relying on their survivability. They are not given any food or drink.”

Today, turtle meat is used to make soup and stew, and the shell is used for decorative items and other trinkets.

Psychologist: where do people become cruel to animals?

Cruelty towards animals speaks of internal aggression. In fact, it has always been there: before in villages, if neighbors were arguing, one of them could calmly go and shoot the dog - however, in essence this is aggression towards the neighbor, and not towards the dog itself. In such cases, people simply project their anger onto animals.

Almost all animals depend on us, many of them get used to us - in this sense, a person acts as a manipulator, and some people enjoy the feeling of power over a weaker creature.

Personally, I am convinced that a person can be dangerous if he kills an animal not for the sake of eating it. Any living creature has a serious barrier to killing just like that. If a person shows unreasonable aggression towards animals, who knows what he might be capable of towards people.

Natalya Panfilova psychologist

Neighborhood with people is sometimes fraught with unintentional killing of turtles: accidentally crushing an animal under a sofa or dropping it from a height of human height is quite a classic outcome for this type of pet. The m24.ru correspondent has heard enough about various horrors and decided to introduce you to the most ridiculous of them.

Top 5 most ridiculous accidental deaths of pet turtles:

• Fifth place: eaten by a dog or cat. Not all pets can live under one roof. Cases of turtles being eaten or torn apart by dogs or cats are quite common. There are owners who manage to teach such diverse pets to live in peace and harmony, but this does not always happen;
• Fourth place: put it in the refrigerator. Maslova was not the only one who accidentally froze the poor animal. Knowledge about the wintering of turtles is widespread among lovers of these reptiles, but not everyone can use it correctly;
• Third place: a land turtle choked in a cup of cola. The owner simply decided to quench his pet's thirst by placing him upside down in a full cup;
• Second place: took it and dried it. One of the respondents told how he put a turtle on a radiator to make it warmer. Good intentions led the poor thing to hell - she turned into a mummy. Some experts associate such consequences with dehydration of the body and possible diseases, others argue that under or on the radiator the turtle simply overheats and dies, and drying out as such occurs after death;
• First place: unintentional soup. One guy really loved his turtle, which often sat on his shoulder. He also loved dumplings. While preparing the next broth, the turtle was just sitting on his shoulder, and suddenly he fell straight into the boiling water. She was boiled. Dinner did not take place.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Response 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.

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.

Swamp turtles prefer ponds with stagnant water, where they have a large supply of food, as well as all the conditions for hibernation. Winter cold could kill a turtle unable to maintain its body temperature, but natural self-preservation mechanisms allow turtles to spend all the cold months underwater.

What do turtles die from and how to tell if they are dead or hibernating

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.

Wintering of turtles or hibernation

Turtles are reptiles that are very sensitive to changes in temperature and weather conditions in general. If it becomes too hot or too cold outside in natural conditions, turtles may enter summer or winter hibernation, respectively.

The turtle digs a hole in which it sleeps in the flesh until the temperature changes. Normal hibernation lasts four to six months, usually occurring from December to March. When a reptile notices a change in temperature, which reaches at least 17-18 degrees, it begins to actively prepare for wintering. However, after the temperature mark exceeds these indicators, the reptile wakes up accordingly. The thermoregulation of the turtle's body is designed in such a way that the reptile itself regulates the time of continuous sleep.

However, it is worth noting that all these norms are characteristic of the natural living conditions of reptiles; as for the conditions of home keeping, it is very difficult to properly provide the conditions that are necessary for wintering. If all the regime indicators are not followed correctly, it can be very difficult to bring the reptile out of hibernation, and sometimes it is simply impossible. Therefore, if you are not a professional in keeping reptiles, then it is better not to put them into hibernation mode; it is also not recommended to hibernate weak and sick animals, as this can be fraught with bad consequences for the health of turtles.

It is worth noting the positive aspects of reptile hibernation. Due to the fact that reptiles hibernate in natural conditions, this has the best effect on the functioning of the reptile’s thyroid gland, which significantly affects the life expectancy of the reptile. For males, this is necessary in order to stabilize the function of the genital organs, as well as the formation of follicles in females. This is also a significant measure necessary in order to maintain the hormonal level of the animal’s body at the proper level, as well as to exclude any malfunctions in the functioning of all vital systems of the body. Both freshwater and land turtles can be hibernated.

As for the disadvantages of wintering, it is worth noting that the most severe consequences of improper hibernation can be both illness of the animal and death.

What can pet turtles die from?

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

• 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.

• 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.

How long does the red ear live and where does it live?

This type of turtle can rightfully be considered a long-liver. In favorable conditions, life expectancy is 40 years. An interesting fact is that the red-eared turtle has a high level of intelligence, not typical of other reptiles. These animals are very sensitive to vibrations and their behavior can warn of an impending earthquake or storm. When choosing food, the red-eared turtle first focuses on the color, and only then on the smell and taste of the object.

These reptiles are widespread in nature. They can be found in their natural environment in Central and South America, Israel, South Africa, Spain and even Great Britain. But in Australia, this species is officially recognized as a pest, since it destroys local endemics. The red ear lives in shallow ponds and lakes, and in other bodies of water with swampy shores.

Keeping this exotic animal turns out to be much more difficult than initially thought. These turtles spend most of their time in the water, although they need land. For one adult, an aquaterrarium with a volume of 120-150 liters will be comfortable, while land should occupy no more than 25% of the total area. On the improvised bank, special soil or crushed stone should be poured, making a gentle rise. The turtle's shell must fit completely in the water so that the animal can easily roll over onto its back and back.

For this type of amphibian, the optimal temperature is 25-30 degrees Celsius. When the temperature drops to 20 degrees, hibernation may occur in red-eared turtles. The water in the aquarium is changed as needed, at least once a month. In order for the turtle to be healthy, it also needs to be provided with portioned irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp.

How to determine if your pet is hibernating

It is quite difficult to distinguish hibernation from death if you do not know certain signs of a living reptile in suspended animation and a dead turtle.

What signs indicate the death of a pet:

• Open mouth.
• Lack of response to light and pain. Shine a light into the reptile's eyes and try to prick its paw with a toothpick.
• Sunken eyes (does not always indicate death).
• Unnatural color of mucous membrane. In living individuals it has a pinkish tint, in dead ones it is gray with a bluish tint.
• Lack of response to heat. Place the reptile in warm water or near a light heat source.
• Rotten corpse smell. The smell appears a couple of days after death. You will most likely notice obvious external signs of decomposition.

Pleasant awakening

Coming out of hibernation is an important moment in the life of a turtle, and it needs help to cope with this task. How to bring a turtle out of hibernation? All autumn reserves are used up, the turtle wakes up weak, exhausted and vulnerable to infections. At this moment, she needs care and quality nutrition more than ever.

After the turtle comes out of hibernation, it is warmed with a lamp or fan heater, then a “bath day” is arranged - in a small container with warm water. The turtle should bathe for about 10 minutes, this will restore the water balance in its body.

After hibernation, water procedures must be repeated every day for a week. They can be stopped when the reptile urinates for the first time. At first, her urine will be thick and dark yellow, but gradually the toxins will come out and it will become light in color again.

Now you can “sit down at the table,” of course, if its appetite has awakened along with the turtle. At first, the reptile may refuse food, this is normal, gradually everything will recover.

What signs can be used to determine that a turtle has safely emerged from hibernation? A healthy reptile's tongue will be pink or orange, without a coating. If it is bright red, the animal may be infected with something. The eyes should be clear and clean, also without plaque or discharge.

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.

Keeping red-eared turtles at home

Red-eared turtles beautiful photo
Red-eared turtles are unpretentious creatures, however, like all living things, they need good maintenance and care. Despite the fact that turtles spend most of their lives in water, their aquarium house cannot exist without land. Therefore, you need to select an aquaterrarium divided into two zones: land above and water below.

For an adult red-eared turtle, an aquarium of 100 - 150 liters will be sufficient, for a young one 50 liters will be enough. Land must make up at least 25% of the total area. On land, you can pour earth or gravel, provided that the soil does not come into contact with the aquatic environment. The exit to land should be a shore with a gentle, non-slip slope. The erected artificial island must be 20 - 30 cm below the top edge of the aquarium, otherwise the animal can get out and run away.

The water level should be greater than the width of the turtle's shell so that the turtle can easily roll over if for any reason it ends up on its back. Due to the fact that turtles feed exclusively in water, good filtration and regular mandatory water changes 1-2 times a week are necessary. Tap water is not dangerous, but it is better to defend it. It is unacceptable to keep reptiles in dirty water, as this can lead to various diseases.

Red-eared turtle aquarium volume photo

The water temperature is maintained within 20 - 25C, the air temperature on the shore is about 31 - 33C. Above the island it is necessary to install an incandescent lamp of 40 - 50 W, since turtles like to bask on land, and an ultraviolet lamp for reptiles - 10% UVB for babies and 5% for adult healthy turtles; regular dosed ultraviolet irradiation is especially necessary for small turtles. Turtles love to bask on land, receiving enough ultraviolet radiation necessary for activity, good metabolism (digestion of food and stomach function) and prevention of rickets.

Lamps are hung at a height of at least 20–25 cm to prevent burns to the turtles’ eyes. Both lamps should be on for 10 - 12 hours a day; they are turned off at night.

Red-eared slider photo

German herpetologists recommend using the following water temperatures and lighting durations when keeping red-eared turtles throughout the year.

Red-eared slider photo

To keep your turtle's aquarium clean, we recommend using Prodibo Aqua'Turtle - a kit for effectively combating unpleasant odors in aquaterrariums where aquatic turtles live.

It combines two different products: - Aqua'Turtle Odor - eliminates unpleasant odors in the aquarium. - Aqua'Turtle Bacter - a biological preparation that consists of various specific strains of bacteria that are characteristic of reservoirs with reptiles. They provide clean water in the aquarium, suppressing the development of pathological microflora.

Compatibility of red-eared turtles. Newborn red-eared turtles can be kept with small fish. However, as turtles grow older, they are able to eat fish, so we select neighbors with character, for example, cichlids.

Features of red-eared turtles

By the way, red-eared turtles are also called yellow-bellied turtles - they are the ones most often offered by pet store sellers to their customers. However, popularity also has a downside. Every year, thousands of these creatures die only because their owners did not know how to properly care for them.

To prevent this from happening to your pet, we will describe in detail all the important nuances of their contents, which you should definitely pay attention to.

• Red-eared sliders equally require both aquatic and dry habitats. At the same time, their aquarium must have an island where it will be warm and sunny (the sun will be replaced by ultraviolet lamps). But the water environment for them must be warm, clean, and it must be changed regularly. If you do not follow these points, you risk exposing the turtle to diseases, its calcium metabolism processes will be disrupted, its shell may be damaged, and ultimately the animal will die.
• If you are going to place a red-eared turtle with another species of turtle, or want to get several of them at once, you should take into account that sometimes these pets behave quickly, strongly and aggressively, therefore, they can attack, maim or kill their neighbor without much remorse his. By the way, in the wild, red-eared turtles are considered an invasive species and are even subject to extermination.
• Red-eared turtles are hypoallergenic creatures, so you definitely won’t be allergic to them.
• The life expectancy of pets with good care ranges from 20 to 40 years. Are you ready for the fact that you will have to take care of your turtle throughout this period?

Red-eared turtles in Nature

The structure of the red-eared turtle

In order for you to understand who you have in your home, and why there are such special nuances in keeping these pets, we suggest getting to know these creatures in Nature. So, red-eared turtles come from North America, they are accustomed to a warm climate, and today they can be found in the south of America and in other warm places. True, now the population of these creatures has increased so much that researchers are talking about the need to exterminate colonies of red-eared turtles, as they harm the local fauna.

In order for the yellow-bellied turtle to feel comfortable in Nature, it needs fresh water, an island to bask, and dense vegetation. So, it is not surprising that these creatures settle in swamps, creeks and ponds. However, they do not like to move far from the shore, since females need hard ground for laying eggs. These creatures feed on fish, insects, snails and plants, which indicates their omnivorous nature.

What does a red-eared turtle look like?

Fortunately, the appearance of red-eared turtles is difficult to confuse with the appearance of other species. An orange or red stripe starts from the eye area and continues along the neck of the turtle, the upper part of its shell is oval, rounded and smooth, has an olive green color with yellow and black lines, but the lower part of the shell is smooth with dark spots on a yellow background.

Depending on the size of the turtle's body (it is measured from edge to edge of the shell with a ruler, without taking into account curvature and convexity), the age of these creatures can be determined. Thus, newborn turtles are 2.5 centimeters long, and per year they grow to 5-7 centimeters. It is generally accepted that

On average, the size of a red-eared turtle can reach 30 centimeters, but this will depend on the conditions of detention and the species. By the way, males of red-eared turtles are always smaller in size than females.

How to determine the sex of a red-eared turtle

Sexual differences in turtles

Turtles of this species reach sexual maturity by the age of one year, and it is then that their gender can be accurately determined. Trying to guess this earlier is possible, but you are not immune to mistakes. When determining the sex, you should rely not only on the size of the turtles, but also on such main differences as the fact that females have a shorter tail than males, and their cloaca is located closer to the base of the tail. But males have claws on their paws that are more curved and longer than those of females, and their plastron is slightly concave in the middle, which helps the animals during mating.

Feeding red-eared turtles

The basis of good care is, of course, high-quality nutrition for the turtle. The activity of the pet, the condition of the shell, skin and overall health depend on it. Turtles need a varied diet, so at home, feeding with special mixtures is considered the best option. They contain all the nutrients, trace elements and vitamins that reptiles need.

In the wild, turtles are omnivores, so at home their diet should include the following foods:

fish - you can give both small and large carcasses. Do not remove bones and entrails from them. For small turtles, you should only chop the fish a little; crustaceans - regular shrimp are best for this

It is important that they are fresh and raw. That is, you can’t buy boiled red shrimp; only green ones are suitable for food.

It is not worth peeling crustaceans from their shells, because it contains a large amount of calcium, which is necessary for the life of turtles; snails, mussels and other shellfish should also not undergo pre-heat treatment; small frogs, tadpoles; insects and larvae, for example, bloodworms, earthworms, crickets; seasonal vegetables (peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, white cabbage, carrots), fruits (apples, pears), berries (raspberries, strawberries); chicken by-products, such as liver; greens – poisonous grass should not be allowed to enter the turtle’s diet. Safe are plantain, dandelion, lettuce, carrot tops, parsley; hay; algae, for example, hornwort, duckweed.

Unfortunately, some products negatively affect the functioning of the turtle’s internal organs and can also provoke certain diseases.

The following should be added to the diet with caution:

• nuts, seeds;
• potato;
• onions, garlic, basil and other aromatic herbs;
• legumes;
• mustard.

In addition, there are products that are completely contraindicated for turtles, including:

• citrus fruits and especially their peel;
• any types of bakery products;
• porridge;
• dairy products;
• fatty meat of pork, lamb.

During the period of active growth (up to 1-2 years), reptiles are fed once a day. As turtles age, it is enough to receive food 2 or 3 times a week. Feed should be given at the same time of day, because the regime has a beneficial effect on digestive processes. Food is placed on land, in a place where it is convenient for the turtle to get to. These reptiles do not have salivary glands, so they eat food submerged in water, thereby facilitating chewing.

Despite what red-eared turtles eat at home, mineral supplements are necessary for their normal functioning. To meet calcium needs, it is recommended to give well-crushed eggshells or bone meal. There are also special vitamin complexes containing those components that are suitable specifically for reptiles. For example, these include vitamins C and E.

The first wintering of a marsh turtle

Surprisingly, little turtles go into their first winter hibernation immediately after birth, without ever leaving their nest. The thing is that the habitat of swamp turtles is often not pleasant in the long summer, so warm days are only enough for small turtles buried deep in the sand to form in their shells. Reptile eggs are completely dependent on the sun, so warm days are only enough for the turtles to hatch, since the incubation period ranges from 54 to 90 days, depending on the ambient temperature.

Turtles hatch in mid-autumn, when it is already starting to get colder and there is not enough food for them, so they do not leave their underground nest, hibernating where they emerged from the shell. Turtles do not have stored fat, but they have large sacs of yolk on their abdomens, which help them survive the winter cold while hibernating. Newborn turtles are literally frozen in their nests, but when spring arrives, they wait again and emerge into sunlight for the first time.