Black turtle with a long tail. Where do turtles live? Types and description of turtles

European marsh turtle(Emys orbiсularis) belongs to the freshwater turtles of the genus Swamp turtles. A reptile of this species has recently become increasingly popular as an original and not too whimsical pet.

Appearance and description

The European marsh turtle has an oval, low and slightly convex carapace with a smooth surface and a movable connection with the lower shell. Juveniles of this species are characterized by a rounded carapace with a weak median keel on the posterior rounded part.

There are long and fairly sharp claws on the limbs, and between the fingers there are small sizes membranes. The tail part is very long. An adult turtle has a tail up to a quarter of a meter long. It is the tail part that plays an important role when swimming, and serves, along with the hind limbs, as a kind of additional steering. The average length of an adult can vary between 12-38 cm with a body weight of one and a half kilograms.

The coloring of the shell of an adult turtle is usually dark olive, brownish-brown or dark brown, almost black with small spots, streaks or dots yellow color. The plastron is dark brown or yellowish in color with blurry dark spots. The area of ​​the head, neck, legs and tail is also in dark colors, with a large number of yellow spots. The eyes have a very characteristic yellow, orange or reddish iris. The specific feature is the smooth edges of the jaws and the complete absence of a “beak”.

Range and habitats

European marsh turtles have become quite widespread throughout the southern, as well as central and eastern parts of Europe, and are found in the Caucasus and most Asian countries. A significant population of this species has been recorded in almost all countries that until recently belonged to the territory of the Soviet Union.

This is interesting! As numerous studies show, in the pre-glacial period on European territory this type had a wider distribution, and in some areas even today you can find relict residual populations.

Lifestyle and behavioral characteristics

Swamp turtles prefer to settle in forest, steppe and forest-steppe zones, but are also quite often found in fresh natural bodies of water, represented by swamps, ponds, lakes, slowly flowing rivers and large water canals.

Optimal for life are flat natural reservoirs with gently sloping banks and very well-warmed shallow areas with a sufficient amount of vegetation. Some individuals are found even in mountain ranges.

This is interesting! It was experimentally proven that the marsh turtle in aquatic environment at a temperature of 18°C ​​it can survive without air for almost two days.

During the period of mass reproduction, adult, mature turtles are able to leave the reservoir and move away from it at a distance of 300-500 m. The reptile can swim and dive excellently, and can also spend a long time under water, emerging to the surface every quarter of an hour. Swamp turtles belong to the category of semi-aquatic animals that are active during the daytime and long time bask in the sun's rays. The turtle can feed throughout the day, and at night goes to sleep at the bottom of a natural reservoir.

Lifespan

IN natural conditions There are several varieties of swamp turtles that differ in behavioral characteristics, diet, etc. The European marsh turtle is the most common species, but the life “resource” of such a reptile can vary significantly depending on habitat conditions and territorial features.

All individuals inhabiting central Europe are capable of living up to fifty years, and turtles that live in Ukraine, as well as Belarus and our country, extremely rarely “step over” the milestone of forty years. In captivity, a marsh turtle, as a rule, lives no more than a quarter of a century.

At home, marsh turtles require proper care at all stages of growth and development. It is very important to choose the right aquarium, as well as provide the reptile with high-quality care and a complete, maximally balanced diet. To decorate the underwater space, driftwood and artificial vegetation are most often used, which allows you to create good underwater shelters that your pet needs for proper rest and night sleep.

Aquarium selection and characteristics

For a pair of adult European turtles, it is advisable to purchase an aquarium, the volume of which should exceed three hundred liters. The third part of such a structure is always allocated to land, on which the indoor reptile can periodically warm up or rest. A pair of turtles will feel quite comfortable in an aquarium with dimensions of 150x60x50 cm.

The most optimal place to keep a marsh turtle would be a small and well-fenced artificial pond in the local area. Such a garden pond should be in direct sunlight most of the day, which will ensure uniform and stable heating of the water. In an outdoor pond, small places must be equipped, as well as a platform for freshwater animals to sunbathe. Coastline, as a rule, is used by turtles to lay eggs, so it must be sandy.

In the southern regions of our country, depending on weather conditions, you can place turtles in a garden pond starting in early spring and leaving them there until late autumn, which will allow the animal’s body to naturally prepare for the wintering period. A turtle must overwinter at a temperature of 4°C, so experts recommend arranging a “wintering” for the turtle inside a regular household refrigerator.

Care and hygiene

One of the most basic requirements when keeping a European marsh turtle at home is the purity of the aquarium water. Such an amphibian pet is not known for its cleanliness, so all waste products and waste from feed quickly become the main problem of water cleanliness.

Pathogenic and pathogenic putrefactive microflora multiply very quickly, therefore, in the absence of quality care, they can cause the development of eye diseases or pathological changes in the skin. It is very important to install a powerful and highly efficient filter that has the highest possible volume and smooth flow.

Important! To facilitate the systematic cleaning of aquarium water and the entire structure, it is desirable to minimize the number of decorations on the bottom and reduce the volume of underwater soil.

What to feed a marsh turtle

Under natural conditions, marsh turtles belong to the category of omnivorous amphibians, but the basis of their diet most often is various small invertebrate animals, represented by mollusks, worms and various crustaceans.

Very often, turtle prey is underwater or terrestrial insects, as well as their larvae.. The larvae of insects such as dragonflies, diving beetles, mosquitoes, wood lice and beetles are eaten in large quantities. There are also cases of swamp turtles eating young snakes or waterfowl chicks, as well as any carrion.

At home, despite its omnivorous and unpretentious nature, the issue of feeding a marsh turtle must be approached very carefully. The basic diet must include:

• meat of lean fish, including haddock, cod, perch and pollock;
• liver components, including chicken or beef liver and heart;
• crustaceans and arthropods, including daphnia crustaceans, worms and beetles;
• all kinds of marine life;
• small mammals and amphibians.

A prerequisite for good nutrition is supplementing the diet with dry and plant foods, which can be represented by vegetables and fruits, herbs, aquatic vegetation, as well as special complementary foods for aquatic turtles.

This is interesting! Young growing specimens and pregnant females are given food once a day, while the diet of adult individuals involves giving food only three times a week.

Health, disease and prevention

Fresh aquatic species turtles rarely get sick under proper conditions and have good innate immunity.

However, the owner of such a pet may face the following problems:

If the aquarium is not properly set up, injuries and various damage to the animal’s skin cannot be ruled out.

This is interesting! Most often, inexperienced or novice owners of a marsh turtle make various significant errors in care, which cause deformation of the shell. As a rule, this phenomenon is the result of an acute deficiency vitamin complexes and calcium during the adult or active growth stage of the turtle.

Reproduction of the European marsh turtle

Males, unlike females, have a longer and thicker tail, as well as a slightly concave plastron. Eggs are laid in holes on the sandy shore, in close proximity to the reservoir.

The laid elliptical eggs are buried by the female. Newborn turtles are almost black in color and have a very slightly pronounced yellow pattern. Nutrition of young animals throughout winter period carried out due to a fairly large yolk sac located on the abdomen.

All turtles are characterized by temperature determination of the sex of all offspring, therefore, at an incubation temperature of 30 ° C or more, only females hatch from eggs, and at low temperatures, only males.

Intermediate temperatures cause the birth of cubs of both sexes.

Hibernation

The average duration of the main active period directly depends on many factors, the main of which are climatic conditions. In our country, marsh turtles emerge from hibernation around April or the first ten days of May, after the air temperature reaches 6-14°C and the water temperature is 5-10°C. The wintering period begins in the last ten days of October or early November. Hibernation occurs in conditions of the muddy bottom of the reservoir. When kept at home, the reptile remains fully active in winter.

Buy a marsh turtle, price

European marsh turtles, thanks to the original appearance, quite widespread and relatively unpretentious in home maintenance, in last years They are increasingly becoming a decoration for the aquariums of lovers of such exotic pets. Among other things, amphibian connoisseurs are captivated by the very affordable cost of such a pet. The average price of one young individual, regardless of gender, is approximately one and a half thousand rubles.

Turtles are one of the most unusual vertebrates. First, they have an exoskeleton. Secondly, they break all records for longevity and can live up to 100 (or maybe more) years. Where do turtles live? What else are interesting about these animals?

Description and types

Turtles are reptiles. It belongs to the same class as crocodiles, snakes, lizards and tuataria. They appeared 220 million years ago and now number approximately 328 species. All of them are divided into sea and land. The latter, in turn, are divided into freshwater and land turtles.

Their main difference is their powerful keratin shell. It consists of an upper (carapace) and lower (plastron) parts, reliably protecting its owner from enemy attacks. The shell is capable of supporting a mass 200 times greater than the turtle itself. This is not a separate formation that the animal can always get rid of. On the inside, the shell is completely fused with the spine and ribs.

Lifestyle and nutrition depend on the area. Land dwellers are usually herbivores, aquatic species are predominantly predators. Turtles are common on all continents except Antarctica. They are absent in New Zealand and on the Pacific coast of South America. Turtles do not like places that are too cold or dry, so they do not live in polar regions and some deserts.

Freshwater

Its size also depends on where the turtle lives. Thus, animals living in fresh water bodies are usually smaller than their sea and land counterparts. As a rule, they do not exceed 40 cm in length, but soft-bodied turtles can be more than a meter. They live in river estuaries, lakes and swamps, preferring bodies of water with weak currents. Turtles can stay under water for a long time, hibernate and sleep without surfacing. They breathe through the skin of the palate or anal sacs, which open into anus. Some species periodically come onto land, while others are completely aquatic animals.

Their shell is usually low and oval in shape. There are swimming membranes on the paws. Most of them are predators, but as turtles age, their diet often changes towards plant foods. Freshwater species can be completely inconspicuous, but many have bright colors. So, on the head of the red-eared turtle there are small red spots and yellow-black stripes along the neck. U painted turtle There are red and yellow stripes on the body and shell.

Land

Land turtles differ in appearance from aquatic ones. They usually have a high convex shell with tubercles, vertical legs with fused toes. There are horny scales on the head and limbs. They are slow and cannot run away from enemies. In case of danger, animals hide in their shell, covering their head with their paws. They can hiss and bite for defense.

They live in hot, dry areas and are found in tropical forests. Typical areas where turtles live are savannas, steppes and deserts of Africa, America, Australia and Asia. They are also present in Southern Europe and some islands of Oceania. It is among land turtles that long-livers exist. For example, elephant or Galapagos animals are able to live up to 150-170 years, and this is only what scientists have observed.

The sizes of turtles vary from 10-15 cm (Egyptian, spider) to 120-200 cm (Galapagos, Seychelles). They eat fruits and vegetables and may periodically eat animal food. Land species cope well with the lack of water and food, but readily drink if there is a source of water nearby.

Marine

The inhabitants of the seas and oceans have a flat oval shell, and their limbs are turned into flippers. The legs and head of these turtles do not retract under the shell. As a rule, animals are omnivores and feed on algae, small fish, mollusks, jellyfish, sponges and crustaceans. There are not too many marine species. The most famous marine species: leatherback, Australian, soup turtle, ridley, hawksbill, carriage. The largest of them, and of all turtles in general, are leatherbacks. They can grow up to 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to a ton.

Internal navigation works great. After birth, they swim hundreds and thousands of kilometers from their native island, and after a few years they return to it to produce offspring. Animals navigate by magnetic field our planet, so even storms and strong ocean currents do not throw them off their trail.

The low carapace (carapace) is almost oval; if you look at it from above, you can see that the width in the back is slightly wider than in the front. The length of the shell is 20 cm or more in adult large turtles. Since water has always been the key habitat for turtles, the carapace scutes naturally fit perfectly together. In terms of their structure, the carapace and plastron are completely streamlined and have no protrusions. There are large claws on the legs, small membranes are located between the toes. The claws of a swamp turtle can easily tear prey apart and can significantly scratch your hand. The tail of this turtle is relatively long, can reach 3/4 of the length of the carapace (about 12 cm) and during swimming it takes part as an auxiliary rudder during any turns (the main steering is carried out by the legs) and as a counterweight that holds the turtle in the required position during maneuvers. The carapace usually has a dark olive, dark green, sometimes almost black color, the plastron is light, yellowish. The shell, neck, head, legs are covered with small light spots. Often females have yellow eyes, while males are slightly reddish. Females have slightly shorter tails than males.

Territory of Russia: from the Smolensk region at the border with Belarus and Ukraine in the south, in the Caspian lowland, on the middle Volga, in the upper and lower reaches of the Don, in the Caucasus. Belarus, the left bank of the Ural River, Lithuania, North-West Africa, Southern and Central Europe, Northern Iran, Turkey, the Urals, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia. They live in swampy places, ponds, lakes, and in addition they can often be found in quiet river backwaters with a gentle bank and muddy bottom, however, under a number of conditions: there must be open places on the shore where they can bask in the sun for a long time.

Young people every day, adults 2-3 times a week. The amount of food must be selected personally depending on how much food the turtle eats. As a rule, the volume of food is 2-3 pieces of 1 cm3 for babies, 2-3 pieces of 2-3 cm3 for older individuals. The food must be moist and at room temperature. The main food for turtles is fish. It is preferable to feed only live small fish, which can be instantly introduced into the aquarium.

Types of feed

Fish (not very fatty and of all kinds - thalassa, cod, hake, gobies, etc.), meat (in particular internal organs: chicken heart, beef liver, beef heart, but not chicken), crustaceans and insects in the form of an infrequent delicacy (bloodworms, daphnia crustaceans, gammarus, earthworms, beetles, woodlice, legless locusts), others (small freshwater snails, squid, tadpoles, shrimp, frogs).

Turtles are required to receive vitamins and mineral supplements in their food. For these purposes, the food is supplemented with calcium-containing subcortex and vitamins (Wardley and other companies), or a varied and complete food is given (fish with internal organs and bones). With a precise diet, auxiliary calcination will not be required. In addition, it is preferable to place a mineral neutralizer block in the aquarium.

Since swamp turtles are predators, their thinking abilities are much greater than those of land turtles, and they learn easily and simply. You are allowed to try to teach a turtle to take food from tweezers: they willingly do this by stretching their head out of the water and on the shore. It is also interesting that, having grabbed food outside the water, the turtle goes to swallow it into the reservoir, but still, with this feeding, the water most often remains clean. Soon, when the owner appears, a conditioned reflex will be provoked: the turtles will harmoniously stick their heads out of the water. In addition, they are tamed at certain feeding times and will be able to recognize the owner.

Reproduction

In the spring comes marriage time. During this period, turtles (age 6–8 years and shell 9–12 cm) are far from water bodies. Turtles can also mate in water. The sperm of turtles can be stored in the female’s tract for up to 1 year or more; as a result, a female caught in the wild can “personally” lay completely full-fledged eggs after 5-6 months. Between May and July, females lay eggs three times in holes dug in the ground. During the season, the female produces 1–3 clutches. The depth of the pits is approximately 10 cm. The eggs that fall into them are beautiful: their shells are snow-white, they themselves have an oblong, regular shape, size 30 x 20 millimeters, weight approximately 8 g. In any clutch there are about 5–10 eggs, and they The female buries it most carefully. After approximately 2-3 months, these eggs produce tiny turtles about 24–25 millimeters long, weighing 5 g, with a large yolk sac on the belly. The shell of young turtles is usually dark brown with yellow lines. They dig small tunnels near the nest, where they spend the winter in most cases. In the spring, turtles crawl out of their shelters onto the surface of the earth and begin an independent life. The incubation temperature is about 25–30°C and the duration is 54–90 days. Incubation humidity 90%. The water depth for newly born turtles is approximately 5 cm. Young individuals feed on daphnia and insect larvae.

The terrarium must be sufficiently free (120–150 liters, 120 liters is a minimum for 1 individual), which consists of two halves - water and land, with a ladder between them. It is preferable to have a pond up to 10 cm deep for small specimens, 15–20 cm for large ones. An ultraviolet lamp and an incandescent heating lamp for reptiles (10% UVB) are placed above the dry part of the territory at a height of at least 20 cm. A water filter and heater must be present water (a heater, however, is not required if the water temperature does not drop below 24-26 degrees, in fact, this is what it should be). On land, the air temperature in front of the lamp is 30-33 C. In the cold season of the year, in natural conditions, the turtle falls into hibernation, but at home at a temperature of 22–25°C this fact does not happen.

To prevent the water from becoming polluted, the turtle is transplanted into a basin or bathtub and fed there, and then put back into the aquarium.

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.

Major diseases

Fungal skin infections, pneumonia, septicemia.

Swamp turtles began to be delivered to central Europe back in the Middle Ages, then they were eaten during the period of fasting, traders brought them from Italy.

Characteristics of this species

The European marsh turtle is characterized by a brown-brown or dark olive oval shell (carapace) with diverging lines or bright yellow dots, paws with sharp claws (4 claws on the hind legs and 5 on the front) and moderately developed swimming membranes, a long tail . The head and paws are decorated with yellow spots. The plastron is lighter, ranging in color from yellow to dark brown with black. The color of the shell can change as it grows and forms. Newborn turtles are almost entirely black with a yellow rim along the edges of the plastron and carapace. Turtles lighten with age and become covered with a bright yellow pattern, the plastron also turns yellow, and the carapace changes from brown to dark olive. Depending on the subspecies, the length of the shell reaches 18–25 cm, and males are usually smaller than females. In nature they live up to 120 years.

Habitat

The European marsh turtle is common in temperate climates. Lives in Central and Southern Europe, Western Asia, America, Western Europe (Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania), North-West Africa. In Russia, it is distributed in the warm temperate climate zone of the European part. The habitat ranges from the Smolensk region at the border with Belarus, Ukraine to the south (Caucasus, Caspian Lowland, Transcaucasia), in the middle Volga, in the upper and lower reaches of the Don and the left bank of the Ural River. The turtle lives on slowly flowing rivers, ponds, and lakes with flat banks and muddy bottoms.

Protection measures

This species is listed in the Red Book International Union Nature Protection (RL/nt), in provision II of the Berne Convention, in the Red Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The population of this turtle species is in danger of extinction. Recent studies show that it is being replaced by a related species such as the American marsh turtle.

The main reasons for the decline in the number of the species are fishermen, land reclamation, and urbanization. A person finds marsh turtles near bodies of water or far from them. Most often these are females looking for a good place for the purpose of laying eggs at the mouths of rivers, and moving away from their usual habitat by a certain number of kilometers. People don't realize the damage they cause to nature when they take a turtle into their home. Even the best conditions in captivity can never replace natural conditions. And very often turtles are kept in basins or, by and large, behind a closet, under a radiator, etc. When treated this way, the animal slowly dies over many years. Irreversible pathological processes occur in the turtle's body. For example: dehydration (the turtle dries out, the skull bones stand out on the head, the epidermis begins to adhere to the bones), loss of swimming membranes, overgrowth of the choanae, which can cause respiratory pathology, respiratory diseases, lack of heat leads to serious gastrointestinal diseases, various kidney pathologies, drying out and loss of the tip of the tail.

Conditions at home

Equipped terrarium with access to the bank. Water temperature 24–26°С (acceptable 25°С). The temperature on the shore must be at least 28–30°С, if not, then there should be an incandescent light bulb above the shore to maintain desired temperature. A ReptiGlo 10.0 UV lamp must be installed in the aquaterrarium. (Hagen) (10–12 hours a day) at a distance of 20–25 cm from the shore. The depth of the water is determined by the age and size of the turtles. For turtles under one year of age - no more than 5 cm. After a year, the depth must be such that the turtle, having risen to hind legs vertically, had the opportunity to breathe freely. For adult healthy turtles, the water depth can be 30–40 cm with an aquarium size of no less than 100 liters, as this helps strengthen muscles when swimming and brings them closer to natural living conditions. It is allowed to use medium and large stones as soil, but only such that the animal could never swallow them. It is prohibited to use sand as soil. It must be remembered that even the best home conditions can never replace life in natural conditions for turtles. The turtle population is steadily decreasing. Before you make the commitment to own a turtle, you need to think about the fact that you are depriving the animal of a full life. Turtles found or captured in their habitat must be released near a reservoir. Only sick or injured individuals need temporary care; they must be released after treatment.

Features of behavior

The marsh turtle sleeps at the bottom of the reservoir at night, and remains active during the daytime. Whiles away several hours in the sun on land. It can be several kilometers away from bodies of water. The marsh turtle swims very quickly, buries itself in the mud even if there is a slight threat, and moves quite quickly on the ground. In captivity, turtles instantly adapt to new circumstances: they swim or sit on the bottom, emerging from time to time (every 15-20 minutes) for a breath of air. However, they will be able to stay without air for up to 2 hours without harming their well-being. During minimal activity, their anaerobic respiration mechanism turns on. For marsh turtles in an aquaterrarium, it would be good to create conditions so that there is a dark place (under the shore, behind the grotto) where they have the opportunity to hide or take a nap. Turtles love to bask or sunbathe on the shore with their hind legs extended.

Bog turtles often defend their area. So, for example, if 2-3 turtles are sitting on the shore under a lamp, they will definitely divide the territory among themselves. If there is an attempt to encroach on its place, then the turtle begins to defend its territory. It manifests itself in this way: the turtle opens its mouth and stretches its head towards the offender, demonstrating own behavior“The place is mine! Do you want to protest?" As a rule, conflicts never arise between females; they get along together absolutely calmly. But two males can be quite hostile in their relationship to each other. To do this, it is necessary to take into account that the actions of any individual depend on personal characteristics. There are absolutely serene turtles that show affection for their neighbor turtles and people. In the future, these turtles become virtually tamed, do not hide in their shells at all, are not afraid of people, raise their heads when the owner-breadwinner approaches, and respond to given name. However, there are also quite hostile individuals whose actions are difficult to predict.

Age determination

The age of swamp turtles, like other species, is determined by the number of growth rings on the carapace. It should be taken into account that in the first or second year of life, 1 ring appears within 3-6 months. After two years, one ring is equivalent to one year of existence.

In nature, growth occurs noticeably faster than with household maintenance. As a result, by the thickness of the last (outer) rings it is easy and simple to determine how many years the turtle spent in captivity.

Sexual behavior

Turtles become sexually mature at approximately 6-8 years old, with a shell length of 10-12 cm. Males dynamically flirt with females, sniff their tail, paws, and stretch their nose to their muzzle. Males are often quite aggressive; they chase females on land, then they sit on top of the females’ shell, tightly grasping the edges of the shell with their paws and begin to hit the female’s head with their nose. Such turtle fun often ends in mating. In females, egg laying occurs in approximately 1-2 months. During pregnancy, females need increased nutrition, which should be enriched with vitamins, protein and calcium. Please pay special attention that calcium is needed 2-3 times more than with normal nutrition. The female stops eating 2-3 months before laying ( main feature upcoming clutch), up to this time the female needs daily food and more heat(2-3 degrees more) water and air for the absorption and digestion of necessary substances. Particular attention must be paid to the ultraviolet lighting regime, without which it is simply impossible to absorb calcium and synthesize vitamin D3. During pregnancy, it is preferable for the female to be kept separately from the male.

Reproduction

Under natural conditions, female turtles lay about 5-12 eggs between May and July. During this time, the female lays 1-3 clutches (usually in May, June and July). The eggs of swamp turtles are oval, covered with a hard shell, about 28-33 millimeters long and about 18-20 millimeters wide, weighing about 8 g. Females lay eggs at night in initially dug holes about 10-12 cm deep. Small turtles are about 15 long millimeters hatch after 2-3 months between August and October. They spend the first winter in the ground, feeding on the yolk sac located in the abdominal scutes of the plastron. They appear from the ground, as a rule, only by next spring, if the air temperature reaches 15-20C.

European marsh turtles kept in captivity have every chance of breeding. A couple of days before laying, the females become restless, try to get out of the aquarium, and often sit on the shore and dig the soil. During this period, you need to worry about creating ideal conditions for masonry. On the shore, it is allowed to place a ditch with wet sphagnum, sand or vermiculite (you can use a mixture of vermiculite and sand), where the turtle could lay eggs. If the coast is small, you can transplant the female into a separate box overnight with a 12-15 centimeter layer of soil. After the eggs have been laid, they must be carefully placed in the incubator without turning them over. Incubation temperature is 28-30C with an optimal moisture level of 80%. The duration of incubation depends on the temperature and is approximately 2-3 months.

Nutrition

IN natural nature The main sources of food are small frogs, fish, woodlice, insect larvae, worms, mollusks, coastal and aquatic plants.

In captivity, the main types of food are squid, shrimp, earthworms, and lean fish. Recommended plant foods include lettuce, dandelions, cabbage, and duckweed. Only adult turtles eat plant foods.

The source of calcium in the natural diet can be snails or fish with small bones.

Supplements that contain calcium and vitamins that are designed only for reptiles are used as supplements. Of the dry foods, only Reptomin (Tetra) or Nutrafin (Hagen) can be given for aquatic turtles, which are represented by more balanced feeds, enriched with substances necessary for growth and formation. Constant feeding of dry food is not recommended.

The marsh turtle can only eat in water. When feeding, it is recommended to transplant the turtles into a separate bowl of water (the water temperature should be slightly higher than 32-34 C for better digestion of food). When feeding in an aquarium, the water instantly becomes polluted and spoils.

European marsh turtle - Video

The turtle is rightfully considered one of the most interesting orders of reptiles. Scientists who studied ancient remains in order to find out how many years she had been living on the planet found that their existence on Earth lasted more than 220 million years. These are rare animals that can live on land and in water. The turtle is a reptile that has 328 species, grouped into 14 families.

Origin of the name

If we consider the Slavic and Latin origins of the name of the reptile, it is easy to see the commonality. Both languages ​​demonstrate a response to appearance in the word: translated from Latin “tile”, “clay vessel”, “brick”; from Slavic - “shard”.

Indeed, many turtles resemble the stone for which the people who gave them this name mistook them. Despite this etymology of the name, it also contains an indication of the unique shape and color of the hard shells.

What do turtles look like?

In the diversity of turtle species, there are common characteristics for all that unite them into one order.

Main hallmark detachment is the shell, which absolutely all representatives have. It consists of a carapace (dorsal) and plastron (abdominal), connected to each other. This durable device serves, first of all, to protect the animal from enemies. When necessary, the turtle is fully capable of hiding its body and head in it, lowering its upper part and remaining protected from any attack on it.

The shells are covered with hard horny scutes, different in color and shape depending on the species. There are holes into which the paws, head, and tail extend and retract as needed.

The strength of the shell, as studies have shown, is so great that it can withstand a weight exceeding the weight of the animal by 200 times.

Reptiles molt periodically: the old skin peels off from their shell in scales, and the color becomes brighter.

How much does a turtle weigh? Turtle sizes

The turtle is a unique reptile. Some species can reach gigantic size– up to 2 meters, and weigh up to a ton. But there are also tiny representatives whose weight does not exceed 120 grams and size - 10 cm.

Each type of turtle has its own parameters, which we will talk about, characterizing them separately.

Paws

All species have four paws, which can be hidden in the shell if necessary.

The structure depends on the lifestyle and species. Terrestrial animals are distinguished by thickened front paws, suitable for digging soil, and powerful hind paws, which help to move along the surface. The river turtle, which lives in fresh water, has membranes between its toes. The sea turtle, evolving, acquired fins instead of paws, and the front ones are much larger than the back ones.

Tail

Almost everyone has a tail, the length of which depends on the species and lifestyle. If necessary, the tail can be retracted into the shell.

For swimming reptiles, it serves as a kind of rudder that helps maneuver in the water, and is more developed than that of its land-based counterparts.

Head and neck

All turtles have a medium-sized head with a streamlined shape. When danger arises, many representatives of this class hide their heads in their shells. But there are turtles who have enough big size heads and cannot pull it in.

Depending on the species, the front of the head can be elongated or flat, but it always ends with the nostrils.

The eyes are also positioned differently: in reptiles living on land, they are directed downward, while in swimming reptiles they are directed much higher. Animals have excellent vision and see this world in color.

Some turtles have quite long necks. In other representatives they are of medium size and are perfectly retracted into the shell if necessary.

Sometimes these animals, sticking their heads out of the water, are mistaken for huge snakes.

In many representatives of the species, the oral part begins with a hard beak-shaped process, with which they easily bite off even the hardest food and are able to catch prey. The edges of these processes can be either sharp or jagged.

But they don't have teeth. The chewing movements that reptiles make are necessary in order to move food into the pharynx. Language also helps them with this.

Despite the lack of teeth, turtles have powerful jaws that can handle almost any food.

Sexual characteristics of a turtle

The sex of turtles is determined by appearance and behavior, since these animals do not have clear genital differences, and it is almost impossible to figure out the sex at first glance. However, males differ from females:

• according to the shape of the shell (in females it is more elongated);
• the lower part of the shell is slightly concave in males, flat in females;
• the tail of males is longer, wider and thicker, it is more curved down;
• according to the shape of the anus;
• in males, the claws of the front paws are slightly longer;
• a small notch in the shell in the tail area is present only in males;
• The behavior of males is characterized by activity.

In some species, gender, in addition to the indicated characteristics, is expressed by the color or shape of the head.

In nature, these reptiles are completely herbivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous. Most eat both plant and animal foods.

Lifespan

On average in wildlife turtles live about 20-30 years. But it depends on the type of reptile. There are centenarians who can reach 200 years of age. As a rule, turtles live longer in captivity, but this also depends on the species and conditions of detention.

Types of turtles

The long stay of representatives of this order on the planet allowed them to divide into 328 species, differing external signs, size, habitat, nutrition and lifestyle.

The classification involves the division of reptiles, depending on how they hide their heads in the shell, into cryptonecks and side-necks. The first group presses its head into the shell due to contraction neck muscles. The second is folded to the side, under one of the front paws.

Another classification is based on the habitat of these reptiles:

• sea ​​turtle - lives in the salty waters of the seas and oceans;
• terrestrial - capable of living both on the surface of the earth and in fresh waters; this variety, in turn, is divided into freshwater and land.

This sea turtle chose the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and even Indian oceans for its life.

There are two subspecies of these reptiles: Atlantic and eastern Pacific. Its elongated shell can be not only green, but also dark brown with yellow and white stripes or spots.

Reptiles got their name not from their external coloring, but from the color of the meat they ate.

The green turtle is one of the largest species. The length of its shell can reach up to 2 m, and its weight can reach 400 kg.

Young individuals live exclusively in water, where they feed on small fish, mollusks, and jellyfish. Adult reptiles come ashore, where they begin to feed on plant foods, which over time become their main diet.

The tasty meat of these animals was traditionally used for food (they are even called soup animals), which led to a decline in the population. Hunting them is currently prohibited in many countries.

The onset of puberty occurs after 10 years, sometimes much later. Reptiles mate in water, but lay their clutches on the shore, in the same places where their predecessors laid eggs. They dig very large holes in which they place up to 200 eggs. Small turtles, hatching, run towards the water. If they managed to get there, they will spend many years in the ocean, until the moment comes when they themselves have to go ashore to give birth.

If your pet is a sea turtle, keep in mind that caring for it at home is much more difficult than for land-based ones, since you need to have spacious aquariums with water adapted for the reptile.

Another name for this species is Chinese trionix, or Chinese tortoise. The Far Eastern turtle prefers to live on the silt-covered bottom of large lakes and rivers with gently sloping overgrown banks. Their habitat is Primorye, South part Amur in Russia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The Far Eastern turtle is green-brown or green-gray in color with pale yellowish spots. Its usual size is about 30 cm, but there have been specimens up to 40 cm and weighing more than 4 kilograms. They have fleshy lips covering strong jaws.

The shell of these animals in young individuals has a rounded shape. It becomes flatter with age. Distinctive feature young individuals have a bright orange abdomen, the color of which becomes pale over time.

The Chinese turtle is capable of hunting both in water and on land, where it goes out to bask in the sun. These reptiles hibernate by burying themselves in the mud.

The diet of these predatory reptiles consists of fish, shellfish, amphibians and insects. The Far Eastern turtle can guard its prey for a long time by burying itself in the mud.

At the age of 6-7 years, the Far Eastern tortoise becomes sexually mature. Usually in July they lay eggs at a short distance from the water. During the season, the female makes several clutches, from which about 70 turtles emerge. After 1.5 - 2 months, babies appear, the size of which is no more than 3 cm. They quickly run to the water and hide for a long time in coastal vegetation and between stones.

The Far Eastern tortoise has a fairly aggressive character and can strongly bite its attacker.

If this turtle lives in a house from an early age, it easily gets used to a person and can even feed from his hands.

Living in the southeast of Eurasia, this steppe loves wet areas in river valleys, foothills, agricultural lands, sandy and clay semi-deserts. Animals dig holes or occupy empty ones.

Observations shed light on how many years this turtle lives. It turns out that life expectancy depends on its activity. At home in a closed terrarium, it is unlikely to overcome the 15-year mark, when in the wild it can live for 30 years. Not in the natural environment Central Asian tortoise, even if care and nutrition are as close to natural as possible, they live much less.

The Central Asian tortoise does not grow more than 20 cm, while males are slightly smaller in size than females.

This steppe turtle hibernates quite early: at the beginning of summer, immediately after laying eggs. This is due to the fact that this particular time in their habitat is the driest. Lack of food in sufficient quantities forces them to wait out in a state of sleep.

The Central Asian turtle has a very beautiful shell - reddish-olive with dark round spots.

Reptiles of this species are dark brown, dark olive, almost black in color with small yellow streaks or spots. Distinctive feature is a very long tail and no beak.

The habitat of these animals is unusually wide: they can be found in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Bashkiria, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and even in northwest Africa. They prefer forest, forest-steppe and steppe areas, the banks of slow-flowing rivers, and wetlands.

These reptiles are found in mountainous areas at altitudes of up to 1500 meters above sea level.

It is impossible to say that this is an aquatic turtle. She prefers to get out onto land quite often and moves relatively quickly along it.

The diet of representatives of this species is unusually wide: it eats worms, mollusks, small reptiles, fish, and chicks of waterfowl. She does not disdain carrion.

Depending on the region, they become sexually mature at the age of 5-9 years. Eggs are laid near water bodies. The sex of the offspring depends on temperature. When the levels are high, females are born, while when they are low, males are born.

Unfortunately, the clutches are attacked by predators (foxes, raccoons, otters, crows), who are happy to feast on both the eggs themselves and the small turtles.

Another name for these reptiles is directly related to their habitat - the Seychelles giant tortoise. This terrestrial animal is endemic to Aldabra Island.

The size of the shell of this large animal reaches a meter. It flaunts clearly defined shell segments, has fairly large legs that help it move on land, and a relatively small head.

Given its size, the reptile is a herbivore. Everything a turtle eats grows around it. She happily eats all low-growing bushes and grass.

There are currently only 150,000 left in the wild, so the reptile is protected. On the island where they live, not only hunting is prohibited, but also any economic activity.

Reptiles lay eggs from May to September, and they are able to regulate the population size: if there was not enough food, their clutches will contain only 5-6 eggs.

Is the most major representative your squad. These reptiles live only on the Galapagos Islands and are not found anywhere else. Their weight sometimes exceeds 400 kg, and the length of the shell reaches 2 m. They have fairly muscular paws, which have sharp claws (5 on the front and 4 on the hind). In case of danger, they pull their head and limbs into the shell.

At the end of the 20th century, the population of these animals decreased to 3,000 individuals, which became critical, so a decision was made to protect the reptiles.

Currently, there are two varieties of these reptiles, differing in habitat (relatively small individuals live in arid areas), size, color and shape of the shell.

Scientists actively researching the life of Galapagos endemics have identified Interesting Facts about turtles of this species: for example, what they can eat poisonous plants, which no animal eats. In some cases, they are able to live for several months without food or fresh water.

Mating and laying of eggs of these giants occurs at any time of the year, but peaks of activity occur in certain seasons.

This reptile is also called the yellow-bellied reptile. The water turtle received its original names solely for the bright accents in its color: there is a red spot on its head, and its abdomen is yellow.

There are 15 subspecies of these reptiles belonging to the American freshwater family.

The size of the animal depends on the subspecies and gender - from 18 to 30 cm, with males slightly smaller than females.

Its main habitat is America, but its presence is also noted in Europe (Spain and England), northern Africa, and Australia. For their life, they choose swampy areas with low banks, since this river turtle loves to get ashore and bask in the sun.

In Australia, the water turtle is considered a pest and its numbers are controlled.

The water turtle lays its eggs on land, where it digs out a spherical nest and places up to 20 eggs there. Reptiles of this species do not care about their offspring.

The water turtle feeds on insects, small fish, and worms. She chews her food with her head completely immersed in the water. If you have a water turtle living in your home, care and feeding should be consistent with its natural needs.

We have long found out how many years a turtle lives at home. If the maintenance and care are natural, it can easily live for half a century. In nature, this age is somewhat less.

One of the subspecies is the yellow-eared turtle. As the name suggests, its main decoration is the bright color of the shell and the yellow spot in the area of ​​the auricle.

The yellow-eared turtle differs from its red-eared counterparts only in color. Their habitat, diet and reproduction are identical.

The yellow-eared turtle thrives at home. Maintenance and care do not require much time and do not cause much trouble for the owners.

Small in size ( maximum length shell no more than 13.5 cm), the reptile has chosen the American continents.

Its dirty-brown shell has three longitudinal ridges, and light stripes are visible on its head.

It lives in small rivers with silted banks, where this river turtle hunts and lays eggs.

When the water temperature drops below 10 degrees, the reptile begins to dig a hole for hibernation. Unlike many species, muskies can sleep in groups. The period of sleep itself depends not on the season, but on the temperature: in the southern regions, where there are no low temperatures, this reptile is active throughout the year and does not hibernate.

If you have a musk turtle in your home, keeping it alone is not advisable. It is better to have several individuals at once. This will affect how many years the turtle lives at home.

The musk turtle is quite common in home aquariums; keeping, feeding and caring for it does not require much effort.

Where do turtles live? Habitat

Reptiles of this order live on almost all continents of the world. The only exceptions are Antarctica and desert areas, the climate of which is completely unsuitable for these animals. Any coast - be it the oceans or small rivers and lakes - can boast of its own view, or even more than one.

They find food almost everywhere: it can be insects, worms, small fish, crustaceans and vegetation. Its unpretentiousness in food makes the reptile able to survive in almost any place.

Even in reservoirs located in large cities, you can find these animals. They go ashore to bask in the sun. During the breeding season, you can come across clutches of their eggs on deserted beaches.

A turtle is a reptile that has long settled in homes, becoming a favorite pet. Home care for this reptile is insignificant, so many people choose them for their home.

How many years a turtle lives at home, first of all, depends on the species, age of the animal that comes to you, and the conditions in which it will live. Comfortable existence and feeding as close as possible to natural habitat conditions will allow your pet to live long enough. If the turtle feels good in the house, and the maintenance and care are appropriate, then it can live up to 50 years.

Which turtle is best for a home?

Usually river reptiles become pets. A river turtle, once at home, adapts quite quickly. Its maintenance does not require an overly spacious aquarium, but it is very important to equip it correctly, creating a swimming area and dry land for your pet to go to when necessary.

• water (red-eared and yellow-eared);
• European (swamp);
• Central Asian (steppe);
• Far Eastern;
• musk turtle.

Keeping sea turtles in home aquariums is very problematic. Even young individuals require special water, reminiscent of ocean water. And for older ones, very spacious tanks are needed, since in limited spaces the animal will not be able to be active enough, and this also determines how many years a turtle lives at home.

Before purchasing an animal, get to know useful information about him. Temperature, nutrition and care, activity and the ability to live alone or in pairs are very important for the reptile.

What does a turtle prefer to eat at home?

If you live pet turtle, nutrition, maintenance and care of her should resemble her natural look life. Before adopting a pet, study what it eats in nature and during what periods it is active.

Young individuals, as a rule, consume 70 percent of live food (food worms, insects, small crustaceans). Growing up, they switch almost entirely to plant foods. Suitable for feeding:

• vegetables and their tops (tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, carrots, and occasionally cucumbers);
• berries (strawberries, wild strawberries, watermelon);
• fruits (plums, peaches, apples, bananas).

Do not overfeed the animal! If you see that there is food left after feeding, be sure to remove it and subsequently reduce the portions.

If you have a turtle at home, caring for it must necessarily include cleaning the aquarium. Be especially attentive to leftover food: stale food can lead to intestinal upset, which will affect how many years a turtle lives at home.

• Representatives of this order of amphibians can boast that they have left their mark on the history of astronautics. Two individuals of the Central Asian tortoise species were the first among animals to fly around the Moon and return alive to Earth.
• The meat of these animals is a delicacy. But some species are not recommended for consumption. This happens because this turtle sometimes eats poisonous mushrooms or jellyfish. They do not eat the meat of box turtles, leatherback turtles and hawksbill turtles.
• Reptiles of this order can swim well and move on land. But the European tortoise can also be called a jumping tortoise. She can jump into the water from three-meter mountain ledges.
• Turtles have their own long-lived lives. So in 2006 the most died old turtle Advaita, whose age, according to experts, was more than 150 years.
• Many people wonder how long a turtle can live without food. In the natural environment, determining this time is quite difficult. But for pets, this is a maximum of 3 weeks, taking into account the fact that the animal is hibernating. In nature, the sleep period can last several months. It is believed that at this time the reptile does not eat at all.
• sea ​​turtles During the period of courtship and mating, they stick their heads out of the water and make drawn-out sounds similar to howls.

The European marsh turtle (Emys orbicularis) is a very common species of aquatic turtle that 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 out onto stones, snags, and various debris to lie in the sun.

Even on cool and cloudy days, they make attempts to bask in the sun that 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 bog turtle can be found commercially or caught in the wild during the warmer 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 baby turtles to direct sunlight during the summer months. However, this is not always possible and an analogue of sunlight must be created artificially.

To do this, in an aquaterrarium, above land, an incandescent lamp and a special lamp with UV rays are placed UV lamp for reptiles (10% UVB). 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!

It feeds on fish, shrimp, beef heart, liver, chicken heart, frogs, worms, crickets, mice, artificial food, and 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 once 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.