Do turtles live in the forest? Swamp turtle (Black Sea population)

Type Chordata - Chordata
Class Reptiles - Reptilia
squad Turtles - Testudines
Family Freshwater turtles - Emydidae.
Genus: Swamp turtles
View Swamp turtle (Black Sea population) - Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Status. 3"Rare" -3,RD. An endangered species on the Black Sea coast, listed in. The marsh turtle is included in Appendix 2.

Global Threat Category on the IUCN Red List

“Low risk / Near Threatened” - Lower Risk / Near Threatened, LR/nt ver. 2.3 (1994).

Category according to IUCN Red List criteria

The regional Black Sea population is classified as Near Threatened, NT. B. S. Tuniev

Belonging to the objects of international agreements and conventions ratified by the Russian Federation

Do not belong.

Brief morphological description

Swamp turtle up to 200 mm long. The carapace on top is dark olive to black in color, with or without numerous yellow streaks; below - yellowish or brown. The neck, legs and tail are covered with numerous yellow spots, sometimes merging into stripes. Young animals are often olive-brown in color.

Spreading

The global range covers Europe, Western Asia, western Kazakhstan and southern Turkmenistan. In the Russian Federation, the species is distributed north to the Smolensk, Bryansk, Tula, Orel regions, and the upper reaches of the river. Don. It is found in the Republic of Mari El, Chuvashia, on the middle Volga (Samara region), in Bashkiria and on the left bank of the river. Ural.

The regional range occupies the flat and foothill parts of the region, as well as a narrow strip of the Black Sea coast to the border with Abkhazia. Currently the area marsh turtle torn along the entire Black Sea coast, in many places it has disappeared completely. Turtles can still be found in the Sukhoi Liman tract on the ridge. Navagir, lake Abrau, near the village. Lazarevskoye, Kudepsta, Adler, Baranovka (on the East Dagomys river), village. Kalinovoe Lake, r. Small Khosta.

On the northern slope of the Western Caucasus, the marsh turtle is still common in the plains and partly in the foothills. The taxonomic position of animals living in KK is unclear; the habitat of three subspecies is indicated. The surroundings of Sochi are apparently inhabited by the relict subspecies E. orbicularis colchica Fritz, 1994, while the flat and foothill parts of the region are inhabited by the nominative subspecies. The indication of the presence of another subspecies E. orbicularis hellenica Fritz, 1994, from the Azov region is doubtful. Type area: Southern Europe.

Features of biology and ecology

The marsh turtle lives in stagnant and low-flowing reservoirs, at the bottom of which it overwinters. Rarely rises to mountains above 200 m above sea level. seas. The maximum in the Western Caucasus rises to 800 m above sea level. sea ​​(surroundings of Psebay) on the northern slope and 600 m above sea level. sea ​​(village Kalinovoe Lake) - on the southern macroslope of the GKH.

Activity continues from March to October. During the season it lays 1–3 clutches, 5–10 eggs in each. The length of the eggs is from 29.6 to 35.5 mm, width - from 18.3 to 21.0 mm, weight 8.3–8.88 g. Egg development lasts about 100 days, the size of the carapace at hatching is on average 14, 5 mm. Young ones appear on the surface in autumn, more often next spring. It feeds on various invertebrates and small vertebrates.

Number and its trends

Swamp turtle at the beginning of the 20th century. represented the most common numerous species along the entire northeastern coast of the Black Sea. In the collection of ZM MSU there are specimens from Anapa (No. 26, Belogolovy, 1907). A. A. Silantiev found them in Kudepsta and Adler.

The same author calls the Adler Lowland the real kingdom of these turtles. The number is decreasing everywhere: per 1 km, on average, 3 individuals were counted. In 1977–1978, the marsh turtle was common in the vicinity of the village. Sergei-Pole, in 1980–1981. We didn’t see a single animal. Known population from the village. Mamaika disappeared in the 90s of the twentieth century. In Sukhoi Liman and lake. Abrau population is extremely low.

Limiting factors

Construction railway Tuapse - Sukhumi, stretching along the Black Sea coast, drainage of the swamps of the Imereti Lowland, rapid development of resort construction along the entire coast from Anapa to Batumi and intensive conversion of land into farmland, and then recreational facilities, direct destruction by humans. Limiting factors include the catching of animals (large quantities go on sale in the markets of large cities of the region and are exported to the cities of the Russian Federation), destruction of biotopes.

Necessary and additional security measures

Organization of a reserve in the Imereti Lowland or inclusion of this area in the SNP, organization of the Novorossiysk Nature Reserve. Implementation of measures to suppress illegal capture and trafficking of animals.

Information sources. 1. Ananyeva et al., 2004; 2. Bannikov et al., 1977; 3. Nikolsky, 1915; 4. Tuniev B.S., 1987b; 5. Tuniev B.S. et al., 1988; 6. Tuniev B.S., Lebedeva, 1986; 7. Shibanov, 1935; 8. IUCN, 2004; 9. Fritz, 1994; 10. Tuniyev, Nilson, 1995; 11. Unpublished data from the compilers. Compiled by B. S. Tuniev, S. B. Tuniev.

Cited literature: classification - https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

A turtle is an animal of the chordate type, class Reptiles, order Tortoise (Testudines). These animals have existed on planet Earth for more than 220 million years.

The tortoise got its Latin name from the word “testa”, meaning “brick”, “tile” or “clay vessel”. The Russian analogue came from the Proto-Slavic word čerpaxa, which in turn came from the modified Old Slavic word “čerpъ”, “shard”.

Turtle - description, characteristics and photographs

turtle shell

A characteristic feature of turtles is the presence of a shell, which is designed to protect the animal from natural enemies. turtle shell consists of a dorsal (carapace) and abdominal (plastron) part. The strength of this protective cover is such that it can easily withstand a load exceeding the weight of the turtle by 200 times. The carapace consists of two parts: internal armor made of bone plates, and external armor made of horny scutes. In some species of turtles, the bony plates are covered with thick skin. The plastron was formed due to the fused and ossified sternum, clavicles and abdominal ribs.

Depending on the species, the size and weight of the turtle vary significantly.

Among these animals there are giants weighing more than 900 kg with a carapace size of 2.5 meters or more, but there are small turtles whose body weight does not exceed 125 grams and whose shell length is only 9.7-10 cm.

Head and eyes of a turtle

Turtle head It has a streamlined shape and medium size, which allows you to quickly hide it inside a safe shelter. However, there are species with large heads that fit poorly or not at all into the shell. In some representatives of the genus, the tip of the muzzle looks like a kind of “proboscis” ending in nostrils.

Due to the peculiarities of the way of life on land, the turtle's eyes look at the ground. In aquatic representatives of the order they are located closer to the top of the head and directed forward and upward.

The neck of most turtles is short, however, individual species it can be comparable to the length of the carapace.

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

To bite and grind food, turtles use a hard and powerful beak, the surface of which is covered with rough bulges that replace teeth. Depending on the type of food, they can be razor-sharp (in predators) or with jagged edges (in herbivores). The ancient turtles that lived 200 million years ago, unlike modern individuals, had real teeth. The tongue of turtles is short and serves only for swallowing, and not for capturing food, so it does not stick out.

Limbs and tail of turtles

A turtle has a total of 4 legs. The structure and functions of the limbs depend on the animal’s lifestyle. Species that live on land have flattened forelimbs adapted for digging and powerful hind legs. For insipid aquatic turtles characterized by the presence of leathery membranes between the toes on all four paws that facilitate swimming. U sea ​​turtles In the process of evolution, the limbs have been transformed into a kind of flippers, and the size of the front ones is much larger than the back ones.

Almost all turtles have a tail, which, like the head, is hidden inside the shell. In some species it ends in a nail-shaped or pointed spine.

Turtles have well-developed color vision, which helps them find food, and excellent hearing, which allows them to hear enemies at a considerable distance.

Turtles molt, like many reptiles. In land species, molting affects the skin in small amounts; in aquatic turtles, molting occurs unnoticed.

During molting, transparent shields peel off from the shell, and the skin from the paws and neck comes off in rags.

The lifespan of a turtle in natural conditions can reach 180-250 years. When winter cold or summer drought sets in, turtles go into hibernation, the duration of which can exceed six months.

Due to the weakly expressed sexual characteristics of turtles, it is very difficult to determine which of the animals is a “boy” and which is a “girl”. However, if you approach the issue carefully, having studied some of the external and behavioral characteristics of these exotic and interesting reptiles, then finding out their gender will not seem such a difficult matter.

• Carapace

In the female it usually has a more elongated, elongated shape compared to the male.

• Plastron (lower part of the shell)

Turn the turtle over and look at it carefully - the shell on the side of the abdomen closer to the anus in female turtles is flat, in males it is slightly concave (by the way, this nuance facilitates the mating process).

• Tail

Male turtles have a tail that is slightly longer, wider and thicker at the base, most often curved down. The tail of the “young ladies” is short and straight.

• Anal opening (cloaca)

In females it is located somewhat closer to the tip of the tail, shaped like an asterisk or a circle compressed on the sides. In male turtles, the anus has a narrow oblong or slit shape.

• Claws

In almost all species, except the leopard tortoise, the claws of males on the forelimbs are longer than those of females.

• Notch at the tail

Males have a V-shaped notch in the back of their shell, which is necessary for turtles to mate.

• Behavior

Male turtles are often more active, and in mating season They are distinguished by their aggressiveness towards their opponent and towards the “lady of their heart”, they chase her, trying to bite her, and nod their heads funny. At this time, the female can calmly watch the “courtship”, hiding her head in her shell.

• Some species of turtles have specific differences between females and males, such as color, size or head shape.

Types of turtles - photos and descriptions

The tortoise order consists of two suborders, divided by the way the animal retracts its head into its shell:

• Hidden-necked turtles, folding their necks in the shape of the Latin letter “S”;
• Side-necked turtles, hiding their head towards one of their front legs.

According to the habitat of turtles, there is the following classification:

• Sea turtles (live in seas and oceans)
• Terrestrial turtles (live on land or in fresh water)
  • Land turtles
  • Freshwater turtles

In total, there are more than 328 species of turtles, forming 14 families.

Types of land turtles

• Galapagos tortoise (elephant) (Chelonoidis elephantopus)

The length of the shell of these turtles can reach 1.9 meters, and the weight of the turtle can exceed 400 kg. The size of the animal and the shape of its shell depend on the climate. In arid areas, the carapace is saddle-shaped, and the limbs of the reptile are long and thin. The weight of large males rarely exceeds 50 kg. In a humid climate, the shape of the dorsal shell becomes dome-shaped, and the size of the animal increases significantly. The elephant tortoise lives in the Galapagos Islands.

• Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni)

a small representative of land turtles. The size of the carapace of males barely reaches 10 cm, females are slightly larger. The color of the shell of this type of turtle is brown-yellow with a small border along the edges of the horny scutes. The Egyptian tortoise lives in northern Africa and the Middle East.

• Central Asian tortoise (Testudo (Agrionemys) horsfieldii)

a small reptile with a shell size of up to 20 cm. The carapace has a rounded shape and is colored yellowish-brown with darker spots of uncertain shape. These turtles have 4 toes on their forelimbs. The most popular type of turtle for home keeping, lives about 40-50 years. Lives in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, northeastern Iran, northwestern Pakistan and India.

• Leopard tortoise (panther tortoise) (Geochelone pardalis)

The carapace length of this turtle exceeds 0.7 m, and the weight can reach 50 kg. The shell of this type of turtle is high and dome-shaped. Its color has sandy-yellow tones, on which in young individuals a spotted pattern of black or dark brown is clearly visible, disappearing as they grow older. This species of turtle lives in African countries.

• Cape speckled tortoise ( Homopus Signatus)

the world's smallest turtle. The length of its carapace does not exceed 10 cm, and its weight reaches 95-165 grams. Lives in South Africa and southern Namibia.

Types of freshwater turtles

• Painted turtle (decorated turtle) (Chrysemys picta)

A rather small species of turtles with individual sizes ranging from 10 to 25 cm. The upper part of the oval dorsal shell has a smooth surface, and its color can be either olive green or black. The skin has the same color, but with different stripes of red or yellow tone. They have leathery membranes between their toes. Lives in Canada and the USA.

• European marsh turtle (Emys orbicularis)

The size of individuals can reach up to 35 cm and weight 1.5 kg. The smooth, oval carapace is movably connected to the plastron and has a slightly convex shape. Representatives of this species have very a long tail(up to 20 cm). The color of the upper shell is brown or olive. The skin color is dark with yellow spots. The turtle lives in European countries, the Caucasus, and Asian countries.

• Red-eared turtle (yellow-bellied turtle) (Trachemys scripta)

The shell of these turtles can be up to 30 cm long. Its coloring is bright green in young individuals, over time it turns into yellow-brown or olive. Next to the eyes on the head there are two spots of yellow, orange or red. This feature gave the species its name. lives in the USA, Canada, the northwest South America(in the north of Venezuela and Colombia).

• Snapping turtle (biting) (Chelydra serpentina)

A characteristic feature of a turtle is a cross-shaped plastron and a long tail, which is covered with scales with small spines, as well as the skin of the head and neck. The shell dimensions of these turtles can reach 35 cm, and the weight of an adult animal can be 30 kg. Unfavourable conditions The snapping turtle waits in hibernation. This turtle lives in the USA and southeastern Canada.

Types of sea turtles

• Hawksbill turtle (true carriage) (Eretmochelys imbricata)

The carapace of these turtles is heart-shaped and up to 0.9 m in size. The upper layer of the shell is painted in brown tones with a pattern of multi-colored spots. In young individuals, the horny plates overlap each other like tiles, but as it grows, the overlap disappears. The front flippers of the animal are equipped with two claws. Hawksbill lives in both latitudes northern hemisphere, and in southern countries.

• Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

this is the largest turtle in the world. The span of its front flipper-like limbs reaches 2.5 meters, the mass of reptiles is more than 900 kg, and the dimensions of the shell exceed 2.6 m. The surface of the upper shell is covered not with keratinized plates, but with dense skin, for which the species received its name. The turtle lives in tropical areas of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

• Green turtle (soup turtle) (Chelonia mydas)

The weight of the turtle ranges from 70 to 450 kg, and the carapace size is from 80 to 150 cm. The color of the skin and carapace can be either olive with a green tint or dark brown with various spots and stripes of white or yellow color. The turtle's shell is short and oval in shape, and its surface is covered with large horny scutes. Because of big size These reptiles’ heads do not hide it inside. Lives green turtle in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

O. GERASIMOVA, M. PESTOV (ecological center "Dront", Nizhny Novgorod). Photo by N. Anufrieva and M. Pestov.

It’s hardly worth describing what a turtle looks like. Its only defense - a strong shell - turned out to be so effective that it allowed animals to survive many millions of years of evolution almost unchanged. However, these reptiles turned out to be absolutely defenseless in front of humans. They are hunted mercilessly, and not only for meat and eggs. When tortoiseshell combs, combs, cufflinks and other crafts became fashionable, this same shell, covered with a beautiful pattern, threatened the existence of many species. What can be done to protect animals?

Science and life // Illustrations

Swamp turtles can stay underwater for a long time, but to breathe they need atmospheric air. Once caught in fishing nets, they suffocate and die.

The female bog turtle is a cute, curious, and full of life creature. In captivity, in city apartments, these animals quickly lose their bright individuality and interest in life.

Male marsh turtle. Unlike yellow-eyed females, males have brown eyes.

In one of the private pet stores in Gelendzhik, with an unwavering hand, they wrote out a sales receipt for a Mediterranean tortoise, listed in the Red Book of Russia. Catching and selling these turtles is strictly prohibited.

Before releasing a Mediterranean tortoise into the wild, we assign it an individual number so that we can find out about its future fate.

Oddly enough, the turtles living in our country suffer mainly from the “good” attitude towards them, namely from the fashion that arose not so long ago to keep turtles at home as living toys.

There is a misconception that there is nothing easier than keeping such an undemanding creature: you don’t have to take it for a walk every day in any weather three times a day, wash its paws after a walk, clean the sofa and armchairs of hair. But this is a misconception. Like any other animal, reptiles require attention and special care.

The fate of turtles caught in captivity is most often sad. After suffering for several years in unsuitable conditions in city apartments, they die without leaving offspring. Meanwhile, more and more batches are going on sale. As a result, populations are seriously damaged, and some species are now on the verge of extinction.

We often hear that turtle owners are sincerely attached to their pets. But what does this do for their pets? With really thoughtful, good care (you can read more about this in the articles published in the magazine, see “Science and Life” No. 9, 1998; No.), some reptiles can live for more than half a century. Is it possible to guarantee that not only the current owners, but also their children, and perhaps grandchildren, will have the patience to care for the animal?

Most often, as practice shows, a feeling of attachment to a turtle is often combined with blatant ignorance regarding its biology and the necessary conditions of detention. For example, some owners are confident that it is enough to feed their pets dandelions once every six months and that they can live for 300 years without food. Sometimes turtles are allowed to “winter” on a hot radiator, although they require a shaded, cool, damp place. And we had to listen to stories about how a turtle that had fallen into hibernation was thrown out, considered dead, dozens of times.

We are members of two divisions of the Dront environmental center, organized in 1989 with the status " public institution". Currently, the eco-center has about 30 structural divisions, each of which conducts a separate area of ​​​​work, has its own leader and is self-financing. The Youth Ecological and Biological Union "Chilim" was created in 2002 to introduce children and teenagers to nature conservation And scientific research. The Nizhny Novgorod Society for the Protection of Amphibians and Reptiles at the Dront ecocenter seeks to unite the efforts of herpetologists - specialists and amateurs - to study and protect endangered species.

For four years now we have been implementing the “Attention, Turtle!” project, the goal of which is to organize cooperation and information exchange with herpetologists from other regions and countries in order to develop and implement measures to protect rare species of these reptiles. By disseminating information about the project through means mass media, we collect animals almost all year round in order to return turtles to their natural environment in late spring and early summer. We transport them to their habitats in different ways - depending on possibilities - by train or by car.

It seems that the main problem is that the current owners do not know how captured turtles are delivered to them. In order to clarify the picture, we present only one excerpt from the publication of the Russian representative office of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW):

“On April 25, 2003, the capital’s environmental police confiscated 1,660 Central Asian turtles from a citizen of Uzbekistan. The small turtles were tightly packed in huge bags, each animal was wrapped in tape to limit mobility and facilitate smuggling. 5 animals died during transportation, another 19 during the next months. About a hundred turtles had severe shell deformations."

Of the four species of turtles currently living in our country, two most often end up as living souvenirs: the marsh turtle ( Emys orbicularis), common in the lower reaches of the Volga and in other southern regions of the European part of Russia, and Mediterranean ( Testudo graeca), living on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and in Dagestan. Both species are listed in the Red Book International Union nature protection, and the Mediterranean - also in the Red Book of the Russian Federation in category "1" (a species with a steadily declining number, some populations of which are on the verge of extinction) and in the annex to the Convention on international trade endangered species of wild fauna and flora.

Swamp turtles of the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions die in the hundreds in fishermen's nets, under the wheels of cars, in trenches dug during the laying of communications, when draining reservoirs and during reed fires. Tourists also make a significant “contribution” to the extermination of the species: every year they export a large number of animals outside the Lower Volga region.

However, in the southern part of the Lower Volga region this species still remains quite numerous; special protection measures are not yet required. It is enough to carry out the usual fight against fish poaching and environmental education population.

There is great concern current state Mediterranean turtle. The number of animals is steadily declining, which is noted not only by experts. According to local residents, earlier in wildlife they could be seen almost every day, and recently such meetings occur no more than once a year. One of the reasons for the disaster is the uncontrolled fishing of turtles by traders and tourists. The greatest demand is for young, immature individuals under the age of 10 years. Thus, animals end up in captivity without having time to leave offspring and, as a result, find themselves completely lost to the species.

While traveling around Black Sea coast In the Krasnodar Territory, in Gelendzhik and Novorossiysk, members of our expedition saw Mediterranean turtles openly sold in private pet stores. They are also available for free sale in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Naturally, catching and selling these animals is absolutely illegal and, theoretically, should entail fairly serious penalties. In practice, the trade in rare species of turtles is thriving, bringing considerable income to its organizers, since the fine that they are supposed to pay under the article of the criminal code looks simply ridiculous.

Several years ago, specialists working on the Red Book of the Nizhny Novgorod Region proposed adding the marsh turtle to the list, since zoologists had repeatedly discovered it in various areas. It was included in the regional Red Book, but later scientists came to the conclusion: the marsh turtle is not found in the Nizhny Novgorod region, and the individuals they encountered were thrown away by the owners who were tired of the “toy”. Along the way, it turned out that every year tourists who visited the lower reaches of the Volga bring many dozens of reptiles to the region, dooming them to slow death. It was then that the idea arose to organize a collection of swamp turtles.

All sorts of turtles were brought to us during the work on this project: emaciated, with softened and deformed shells, immobilized, dried out, like mummies, so much so that many of them could not dive into the water and floated on the surface like a fallen leaf. The story is simple and typical. Having received an animal as a gift from someone, the owners let it crawl on the floor in the apartment and tried to feed it traditional dandelions. And the turtle, firstly, is a predator, and secondly, an aquatic animal, can only eat in water. For a year, she refused the plant food offered to her, and the owners had no idea that she needed to be put into the water. During all this time, the animal did not have the opportunity not only to swim, but even to drink enough.

“Our turtles are very kind,” the owners of two other swamp turtles told us, “they have never bitten us!” The “good” turtles lay motionless in a cardboard box. During the three hour ride in the car they never moved. Meanwhile, healthy animals would tear such a box to pieces. After a month of rehabilitation at the center, they rapidly climbed to hind legs at the glass partition, when in the neighboring pool they began to feed other animals, and actively defended their territory, making sharp lunges with an open mouth, as soon as you passed your hand next to them.

Over the years of working on the project, we have become convinced that owners bring in Mediterranean turtles much less often than marsh turtles, and some individuals cannot be saved. Obviously, they tolerate captivity worse and die before they have time to tire of their owners.

In addition to the swamp and Mediterranean species that live in Russia, there are also Central Asian tortoise (Argionemys horsfieldii). These inhabitants of semi-deserts and deserts are most often kept in apartments. So far we have not been able to find a solution to a difficult question: what to do with large quantities of confiscated turtles? It is extremely difficult to officially return animals to their homeland. Moreover, it turned out, for example, that all the animals from the batch confiscated in 2003 were sick with salmonellosis (one of the arguments not to keep these animals in apartments).

The situation with red-eared turtles looks even more hopeless ( Trachemys scripta elegans). Their homeland is North America, they reproduce well in captivity, and this species is not yet in danger of extinction. Many people willingly buy small bright green turtles with red stripes on their heads for aquariums. Problems begin when the animal grows, loses its brightness and no longer fits in the aquarium. So what should owners do? They begin to offer turtles to friends, school groups, and zoos. Sometimes they are simply thrown away or released into the nearest body of water, and this is an illegal introduction of an alien species, fraught with very serious environmental consequences.

In a number European countries In order to protect local water bodies, nurseries have been created where overgrown turtles are accepted from the population. There is a similar nursery in the Baltic states. It doesn't exist in Russia. That is why visitors to the Moscow Zoo probably paid attention to the numerous red-eared turtles living in the same pool as the caimans. They feel good there, they even warm themselves by sitting on the caimans’ backs, despite the fact that they eat them for breakfast from time to time. You cannot blame the zoo employees for cruelty; you can only sympathize with them. Imagine how many individuals are brought to the zoo every year from all over Moscow!

Now, according to our observations, the market is also flooded with Far Eastern soft-bodied turtles - three-clawed Trionics ( Trionyx sinensis) - rare view For Russia. But neighboring China has relatively recently mastered its cultivation on farms. In pet stores, Trionics are often called "Chinese leatherback turtle." Before you buy a cute, nimble, nosed baby, think about the fact that, firstly, it is a predator and very active; in the conditions of an ordinary city apartment it is difficult to create normal conditions for him, and without the necessary warm-up and with poor nutrition humpbacked dwarf freaks grow up. Secondly, the weight of an adult Trionix can reach 15 kg. Predators of this size at home are a dangerous toy!

Collecting turtles caught in Russia and returning them to their natural habitats is not the main content of the project. Its basis is educational work aimed at reducing consumer demand for reptiles.

In the first years of its work, the project was supported by the Committee for Nature Protection and Environmental Management of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. The third year supports us International Fund Animal Welfare (IFAW). This year, the organization received additional targeted support under the small grants program from the Rufford Foundation (Great Britain) for the study and protection of the most rare and vulnerable species of turtles in the Russian fauna - the Mediterranean tortoise. We are trying to track the entire chain of illegal activities - from the capture of these animals in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions to the sale of live goods in large cities - and take appropriate measures in alliance with local environmental structures. We hope that people, having become more familiar with "turtle problems", will think seriously before catching or buying an animal for pet keeping. In any case, in last years The number of turtles that residents bring to us has decreased significantly.

Perhaps someone reading this article will think: there are many much more serious problems in our society. But it is no coincidence that the ancient Indians placed the turtle as the basis of the grandiose cosmogonic pyramid - a symbol of wisdom, endurance and longevity. (And in many other religions they did not ignore it, making it an object of veneration.) And let us remember the words of the wonderful American poet T. Eliot: “Do not touch a flower, lest you shake a star and bring down the universe.” The disappearance of one species will certainly affect the entire ecological chain. And the universe may indeed collapse.

Snake "population" North Caucasus quite varied. The region is home to both poisonous and harmless water and land snakes. You can meet them anywhere - from city lawns and ponds to mountain slopes. Major representatives Scaly orders, of course, avoid living in populated areas, but they may well live in fields along highways. The character of local snakes, as serpentologists note, is quite phlegmatic - they will not rush at a person out of instinct or sudden aggression. But of course there is always a risk.

The most common snakes that live in the North Caucasus are in our selection.

Viperaceae

The viper family is the most numerous in the snake class of the North Caucasus. These snakes are poisonous, and even newborns have poison. The viper looks unremarkable: gray or brown color, pattern on the head, body length - up to 75 centimeters. Among vipers, serpentologists distinguish several main species.

The viper is real. The venom of this snake is considered the most toxic. When bitten by a viper, a person immediately feels a sharp pain, which intensifies when swelling appears at the site of the bite. After a couple of hours, inflammation of the blood vessels begins, and after a couple of days hemorrhagic blisters appear. If you do not contact a doctor, you can die from a real viper bite.

Discover poisonous snake possible in rotten stumps, animal burrows and even bushes. Any flick, scientists believe, can be regarded by the snake as a provocation. Therefore, when meeting a viper, do not panic and do not make sudden movements.

Common viper. It can be recognized by its flat head, which differs in size from the thickness of the body. Most individuals have a zigzag pattern along the ridge. The bite of a common viper is rarely fatal, however, it is dangerous to humans. Medicine knows of cases where those bitten did not feel any symptoms at all, but more often snake “victims” experienced nausea, vomiting and dizziness, convulsions and even loss of consciousness.

The common viper loves cool temperatures and mountainous terrain, so the chance of finding it in populated areas of the Stavropol Territory is small.

Steppe viper. The snake is brown in color with a dark pattern on its head. This type of viper is known for its slowness - on land they do not move as fast as their brothers in the family. But in reservoirs steppe vipers They show themselves to be excellent swimmers, and can also climb onto the branches of bushes and trees. The steppe viper is especially common in Kalmykia.

Dinnik's viper. The species of viper, named after the Russian zoologist, is traditionally more elegantly colored than its relatives in the family: a lemon-black pattern dissects the gray-green back. But the bite of this viper differs little from those practiced by relatives - the danger is the same. A person will urgently need a doctor, but it is unlikely that a pet can be saved after such an attack.
Dinnik's viper is common in the Stavropol and neighboring Krasnodar regions. The landscape that is attractive to the adder is subalpine meadows or forests. This viper does not like heat, so the risk of encountering it in the open sun is minimized.

Turtles are reptiles; this order is more than 220 million years old, and they are rightfully considered the oldest animals in the world. There are a large number of species of turtles, and each of them lives in its own environment - steppes and forests, ponds and lakes, rivers, seas and mountains.

A special feature of these animals is their small, streamlined head, which the turtle can hide inside its shell in case of danger. The short tail also hides there. Turtles reproduce by laying eggs and burying them in the sand. These animals prefer a solitary lifestyle. Only during the mating season do they seek a community of their own kind. But there are some species that gather in groups during the winter.

Despite the fact that the turtle's brain is poorly developed, the animal has color vision and good results in the field of intelligence. Turtles are one of the most beloved pets and children are drawn to them. But before you bring this pet into your home, you need to find out the details of the conditions for keeping it.

Everyone knows the expression “slow as a turtle.” This applies to large land turtles, which are hampered by their heavy shells from moving quickly. But the same cannot be said about marine and freshwater animals.

For example, the fastest turtle in the world is the leatherback turtle. She lives in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. If necessary, it can reach a speed of movement under water of up to 35 km/h, this is the highest speed among reptiles, and it is also capable of diving to a depth of 1200 meters. But on land, its speed indicators are much more modest. In addition, among all turtles, the leatherback turtle has the largest size (body length 2.5 m) and weight (the largest measured individual weighed 916 kg). There is an opinion that water is the natural environment for turtles. However, only marine species, freshwater ones, and only a few land ones swim well. Other land and semi-aquatic types can even drown in water.

Turtles are considered to be the longest-livers of the animal world, but only huge land species, such as elephants, survive to 100 years or more. If we talk about pets about 30 cm long, then they can only live up to 50 years, and then only with good care and proper nutrition. Turtles 50 - 60 cm long can live up to 70 years. This makes it possible to conclude that the age of a turtle directly depends on the maximum size of its species. The age of turtles can be determined by the rings that appear annually on the scutes that make up the shell.

Interestingly, there are turtles whose shells are quite soft. And oddly enough, this feature helps them protect themselves from predators. Such turtles hide from enemies in rock crevices. So, the soft shell has Chinese trionix. This is a somewhat unusual turtle - it has a soft shell, as it lacks horny scutes, and is covered with skin. This is the only representative of soft-bodied turtles living in Russia.

The marsh turtle lives in the Stavropol region. Maximum size its shell reaches 23 cm. These animals are active during the day and at dusk. Turtles swim quickly, dive well and can stay underwater for a long time. They often come ashore and can lie motionless for hours, basking in the sun's rays. When in danger, they immediately rush into the water and bury themselves at the bottom. The diet includes insects, algae and semi-aquatic plants.

There is an opinion that when communicating with people, turtles remember their faces. In response to gentle speech, they crane their necks, but in response to rude speech, they react differently - the turtle hides in its shell.