Asian box turtle. Carolina box turtle

Carolina box turtle - Terrapene carolina- this is a North American species, distributed in the eastern United States from the south of Maine to Florida along east coast, in the west of Michigan, Illinois, in the east of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. T. carolina has gained popularity as a pet and is found outside of its natural habitat.

There are 4 known subspecies of the box turtle that live:

Florida box turtle - Terrapene carolina bauri, on the Florida peninsula,
Gulf Coast box turtle - Terrapene carolina major, from Florida west along the bay to east Texas,
Three-toed box turtle - Terrapene carolina triunguis, in the Mississippi Valley from north Mimmuri south through southern regions Kansas and eastern - Oklahoma to the southern and central regions of Texas; also southeast through the western regions of Tennessee and Georgia to the coastal plains,
Actually box turtle, or Eastern box turtle - Terrapene carolina carolina, on large area from Michigan and Maine in the north, south to the borders of the ranges of other subspecies. This species shares a small part of the territory with other subspecies, with the exception of the Mississippi Valley and the state of Alabama, where the species T. carolina triunguis And T. carolina carolina coexist peacefully.

All subspecies T. carolina have a special design of the plastron (the lower shield of the shell), which allows the turtle to completely hide in the shell. The carapace (upper shield) is convex and round with various marks. It clearly shows concentric grooves, which are almost indistinguishable in old turtles. The upper jaw is crooked. The toes are slightly webbed. Males are somewhat larger than females, their claws are short, thick and curved. Their tails are also thicker and longer. In females, the claws are longer and thinner, they are less curved and almost straight.

There are some differences between the subspecies. So Terrapene carolina bauri has dimensions of 11x8 cm, on a dark brown carapace there are yellow marks in the form of stripes. There are also stripes on the head and plastron. There are three toes on the hind legs. Terrapene carolina carolina somewhat larger, its dimensions are 15x10 cm, color - orange or yellow marks on a brown carapace. There are 4 toes on the hind legs.

Terrapene carolina triunguis the same dimensions as carolina, or somewhat smaller, but the shell of these turtles is much narrower. The color of the carapace is golden brown or olive with dark seams and indeterminate markings. Plastron yellowish. There are orange, red or yellow spots on the head and front legs. Males have completely red heads.

Terrapene carolina major the largest of them, its dimensions are 18x12 cm. The pacir is dark brown without a pattern or a light pattern similar to the bauri. The skin is dark, the same color plastron. There are 4 toes on the hind legs.

T. carolina omnivorous, feeds on snails, insects, berries, fungi, slugs, worms, roots, flowers, fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, birds and their eggs. Supplement to the diet is carrion, turtles feed on dead ducks, amphibians, small mammals and even cows. Their diet varies with the season. Young turtles are carnivorous as long as they are actively growing (the first 5-6 years). Adult turtles are herbivorous, however they do not feed on green leaves. Young turtles hunt in ponds and streams, where it is easier to catch prey, adults feed on the ground. An adult turtle in the conditions of detention received flour worms as food and first of all killed them, and having dealt with everyone, began to eat them. This incident was repeated with other turtles when they were offered more than one worm.

Turtles start mating in spring and finish in October. Males may mate with more than one female, or they may mate with the same female for several years in a row. After mating, the female can lay fertilized eggs for 4 years. Egg laying occurs from May to July. Females begin nesting at dusk and finish at night. She prefers sandy soil and digs with her hind legs, then covers her eggs with soil. The clutch contains 3-8 eggs, usually 4-5, they are covered with a thin elastic shell of an elliptical shape 3 cm long and 2 cm wide. Typically, incubation lasts 3 months, but may vary depending on soil temperature and humidity. Gender of turtles Terrapene carolina determined by the temperature of the soil in which the eggs are located. At a temperature of 22-27 degrees C, males are born, and above 28 degrees - females. Turtles Terrapene carolina well developed at birth and begin to grow rapidly, hatching from the egg: the first five years they increase in length by 1.5 cm, and by this time they reach sexual maturity. After that, growth slows down, but continues up to 20 years. Some individuals T. carolina live over 100 years. Along the boundaries of subspecies, individuals of different subspecies of turtles can mate and give birth to hybrids that cannot be identified or identified as species.

Temperature environment affects the activity of turtles. Optimum temperature 29-38 degrees C. During the hot periods of summer T. carolina It is activated only in the morning hours and after rain. During the heat, the turtle crawls into a shelter under the logs or nestles in a pile of leaves, hides in the holes of other animals or in the mud. Sometimes she crawls into puddles to cool off.

In spring and autumn, turtles feed throughout the day and sometimes crawl out to bask in the sun. Usually Terrapene carolina is active during the day and spends the night in hiding.
In the northern regions T. carolina already in October-November it settles in a hole for a long hibernation. They dig a hole in loose earth, on the clay banks of streams or rivers a meter deep, they can use the holes of other animals. Turtles often return to their wintering grounds year after year, and several turtles may sleep in the same burrow. When warm winter they can crawl out of winter holes and rush in search of other places to continue wintering. Turtles wake up in April. In the south, the turtle is active all year round.

There are some differences in the mating ritual between different subspecies. Thus, marriage courtship T. carolina Carolina is divided into three phases: the male circling around the female, while he bites her; a preliminary stage before mating, when the male tries to mount the female; mating itself. Terrapene carolina major courtship and mating occur at the same time, with turtles preferring to do so in shallow water. Terrapene carolina triunguis And bauri have different rituals. Male subspecies T. carolina triunguis And T. carolina bauri they stretch their necks in front of the females and shake them. The male Terrapene carolina triunguis displays this posture in front of the female, while the male T. carolina bauri climbs onto the female's carapace with all four paws and starts shaking there. Mating takes place similarly: The male stands up almost vertically, attaching himself to the back of the female's carapace, and begins to balance during fertilization. Once the process is complete, the males will sometimes topple over, and if they do not find the strength to get up, they may die of exhaustion.

Terrapene carolina lives in wooded area and swampy plains, often found near streams and ponds. She lives in an area with a diameter of 200 m or less, sometimes she makes forays outside her possessions, the reason for these trips is unknown. The holdings of several tortoises of different sexes may overlap, with the tortoises not being aggressive towards each other and often found together.

In case of danger, the turtle pulls its head, neck, limbs and tail into the shell and seals itself. In this state, the turtle remains until the threat has passed. If young turtles have a lot natural enemies, then few predators can cause adult turtle, which can hide in its shell.

Turtles disperse the seeds, which they eat along with the berries. Because they themselves Terrapene carolina eat poisonous mushrooms that do not harm them, their meat can cause poisoning in humans. Turtles can do damage agriculture eating tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, melons and strawberries on plantations. Sometimes they destroy the eggs of birds nesting on the ground. Turtles can be carriers of encephalitis.

Box turtles are known for their shells, which can cover the head, neck, legs and tail, making the turtle inaccessible to the enemy. This shell recovers well. It is known that one turtle T. carolina with a broken shell, she fully recovered and her shell was restored.

Based on materials from the site http://www.tortoise.org/.

• Order: Testudines Fitz., 1836 = Turtles
• Family: Emydidae = Freshwater turtles

Species: Carolina box turtle = Terrarene carolina

The most common species is the Carolina box turtle (Terrapepe Carolina), common in southeastern Canada and the eastern United States up to Texas. Its color is quite bright - bright yellow spots stand out sharply against a dark gray background. on and stripes. The iris of the eyes is especially beautiful, which in males has a bright red color, and in females it is reddish-brown.

The Carolina tortoise lives in forests, usually near ponds or streams, but is sometimes found in open areas - in meadows, swamps or in dry hilly areas. She spends all the time on land, only in very rare cases she enters the water. She also hibernates on land, burrowing into soft soil or leaf litter, while digging her front legs (and when laying eggs, her hind legs) will be folded. Turtles feed on worms, molluscs, insects, and vegetable feed: greens, mushrooms, berries. Turtles also eat poisonous mushrooms without any visible harm to their health. It is possible that this is why there have been cases of poisoning people with the meat of Caroline tortoises.

In the spring, mating takes place, and in June-July, females lay from 2 to 7 eggs. In autumn, young turtles hatch from them and, not appearing on the surface, remain to winter in the nest until the next spring.

Caroline carob turtle (Terrapene carolina)

Distributed in southeastern Canada and the eastern United States. At home, this is one of the most common species of turtles. Among the freshwater turtles that are kept in our terrariums, it is one of the most “land-dwelling” ones. It is able to winter on land. Small in size (carapace length 14 - 16 cm to 18 cm), very bright. Bright yellow spots and stripes stand out sharply against a dark gray background. The iris of the eyes is especially beautiful, which is bright red in males, and reddish brown in females.

They feed the Carolina carob turtle in the same way as the red-eared or red-cheeked turtle. Moreover, the Carolina ones are even more omnivorous: they eat raw mushrooms, berries, slugs. They are kept at the usual temperature for freshwater turtles of 20 - 30 degrees C, s relative humidity 70 - 90%. Sand or peat is laid out at the bottom of the terrarium with a layer of 5 - 10 cm. A small pool is placed in the terrarium, in which turtles like to take a bath for a long time. Mating takes place throughout the year, eggs are laid in May - June. (Material provided by Sergey Konovalenko) http://www.mtu-net.ru/reptile/

Pennsylvania tortoise

At home, these animals proper care can live long enough.

The kinix toothed tortoise lives in Africa, in the territory from Uganda to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

APPEARANCE

The carapace is flattened, brown in color, with a black pattern, its length can reach 33 cm. The marginal shields in some individuals may form jagged edges. The plastron is yellow, with an interthroat shield. The color of the head is yellowish, with a brown pattern on the skin. There are 3 to 5 scales on the forelimbs. The tail of the male is longer than that of the female and is equipped with a spike.

LIFESTYLE

This type of freshwater turtle is found in the western part of the North American continent. Most often, turtles inhabit tropical rainforests, swampy shores of reservoirs and shallows. They feed on both plant and animal foods. They are well tolerated at home.

The snake-necked turtle lives in Australia, inhabiting mainly the banks of small flowing ponds and shallow lakes overgrown with dense vegetation in the eastern part of the mainland.

The family of snake-necked turtles is represented by 9 genera distributed in Australia, South America and Guinea.

APPEARANCE

The main feature of the snake-necked turtle is the flexible Long neck, which the animal can extend far from under the shell. The head of the reptile is pointed, the eyes are golden in color. The carapace is oval, brownish in color, its length can reach 30 cm. The forelimbs have sharp claws.

Females differ from males more short tail and smaller body sizes. Individuals are considered sexually mature, the length of the carapace of which is 20–25 cm.

Snake-necked turtles breed in the same way as others freshwater species laying eggs in nests on land.

LIFESTYLE

The snake-necked turtle eats exclusively animal food, hunting mainly for small fish, which it swallows whole. big booty the animal tears with its claws.

Muscovy turtle lives in North America. This unpretentious animal is easy to care for. Reptiles kept at home provide ready-made food for water turtles, plant foods - cabbage, carrots. Also, animal feed (hard-boiled egg, snails, slugs, etc.) should be introduced into their diet.

APPEARANCE

The carapace of this species is high, domed, brown or dark gray, from 7.5 to 14 cm long. In adults, the carapace is smooth and most often monochromatic, in young individuals it has 3 keels and irregular dark spots or stripes. The plastron consists of 11 shields held together by a bundle.

Males differ from females in the presence of a blunt ridge on the tail and scaly calluses on the inner surface of the hind limbs. The crest on the tail of females is pointed.

A feature of musk turtles is the presence of two pairs of musk glands under the carapace.

If the animals are frightened or angry, a yellowish liquid with an unpleasant odor is released from the glands.

LIFESTYLE

The mating of turtles begins at the end of winter - the beginning of summer, depending on the region of residence. Animals mate only in water. After that, females lay 1 to 9 eggs in small nests, which mature over 9-12 weeks.

Musk turtles live mainly in still water bodies or small ponds.

IN warm weather they often come ashore to bask in the sun. These reptiles swim quite well, but most often they walk along the bottom of the reservoir in search of food.

Like other members of the species land turtles, at home, the musk turtle is fed fruits and vegetables, occasionally adding animal feed to the diet.

The water in the artificial reservoir is changed every 2 days, preventing the bottom from silting. The height of the water in the reservoir should not exceed 14 cm. The artificial sandy shore can be decorated with pebble stones, twigs and small wooden toys. It is best to change the water in the aquaterrarium using a drain pipe or a special hose. At the same time, the silt accumulated at the bottom and particles of litter must be removed along with dirty water.

The musk turtle is a heat-loving animal, so the temperature in the aquaterrarium should not be lower than 25 °C. In order to avoid contamination of the reservoir with food residues, it is recommended to accustom the animal to take food from tweezers.

Asian box turtles are small semi-aquatic animals native to Southeast Asia.

APPEARANCE

The carapace of the box turtle is domed, low or high depending on the subspecies. The length of the carapace is 14–20 cm.

The plastron consists of two movably fixed parts, with the help of which the turtle can completely close the shell.

LIFESTYLE

Asian box turtles live on the shores of ponds with stagnant water and spend part of their time on land. Reptiles feed on both plant and animal food.

Turtles start laying eggs in July. Most often, they make 2 clutches per season, each of which contains no more than 2 eggs. The incubation period lasts 60-65 days. Cubs immediately after birth move into the water.

Chinese three-keeled turtles are dexterous and rather mobile animals. They swim, dive, move well on land and are considered a symbol of longevity in Japan and China.

Locals call the Chinese three-keeled tortoise green-haired because of the long algae that grows on the shell of an adult.

APPEARANCE

An adult Chinese three-keel tortoise reaches a length of 17 cm. There are three low longitudinal keels on the shell, light yellow stripes are located on the head and neck.

LIFESTYLE

Lives in fresh and brackish waters. Winters at the bottom of a reservoir, buried in silt. In spring, females nest in the coastal sand. There are no more than 6 eggs in a clutch.

Three-keeled Chinese tortoise

Temple turtles inhabit the ponds of the Turtle Temple in Bangkok, which is why these reptiles got such a strange name. Also, animals are found in swamps and rivers of the Indochina peninsula.

APPEARANCE

Adults reach almost 50 cm in length. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: males are much smaller than females.

LIFESTYLE

The diet of the temple turtle is only vegetable food. In spring, adults who have reached 10–11 years of age begin to mate. Around the beginning of June, the female lays a clutch of 7–9 eggs.

temple turtle

The Malay box turtle lives in tropical forests and therefore is active throughout the year, that is, unlike most of its relatives, it does not hibernate.

Distributed in Southeast Asia.

Decorated (painted) box turtle- land view. When the turtle is in danger, it burrows into the ground. Of all the North American tortoise species, this species is the most difficult to keep in captivity and is not recommended for beginners.

Habitat: North America.
Life span: 30-40 years.

In nature painted turtle lives in different environments. It is found throughout the United States, but in general, this species prefers more high temperatures and dry areas. There are two subspecies of this turtle: Terrapene ornata ornata And Terrapene ornata luteola.

An adult decorated box turtle reaches a length of 10-15 cm. Its jaws are sharp. Males are distinguished from females by a slightly concave plastron and red eyes (in females, the eyes are brown).

The aquarium is not suitable for keeping in captivity. It is best to keep a box turtle in a corral (if possible) or in a spacious terrarium. As a substrate, peat-based humus or a mixture of humus with sphagnum moss is used. The thickness of the substrate should be at least 7.5-11 cm. Turtles should always have access to fresh water. The temperature in the terrarium is maintained between 26.6-29.4 "C (in the heating area) and 21.1" C - in the cooler part of the terrarium. The decorated turtle is an omnivore that eats a variety of fruits and vegetables (grapes, cantaloupe, bananas, tomatoes). Some individuals eat scindapsus (pothos) and cacti. From live food, they can be fed crickets (with the addition of calcium), wax moth larvae, mealworms, earthworms and newborn mice. The breeding season for box turtles is in late summer. Puberty occurs in 1-2 years. In June, the female begins to dig nest holes, usually in sandy soil, in which she lays 2-8 eggs. After laying, the female buries the nest. The incubation period lasts 55-70 days.

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Note: The way of life of red-eared turtles, live in small lakes, ponds and other bodies of water with low, swampy shores. Leads a relatively sedentary lifestyle. Extremely curious. If the turtle is full, it climbs ashore and basks in the sun. When hungry, it slowly swims in search of food.
When the water temperature is below +18 °C, the turtle becomes lethargic and loses its appetite. The turtle is able to notice the danger at a distance of 30-40 m, after which it slides into the water with lightning speed (for which it received the name "Slider"). In nature, turtles become sexually mature at 6-8 years old, and in captivity at 4 (males) and 5-6 (females). Mating in nature occurs from late February to May. The male, having met with the female, is located directly in front of her head, and very close. The female swims forward, and the male back, tickling the female's chin with long claws.
To lay eggs, the female leaves the reservoir and goes to land. Finding a suitable place, she heavily wets the ground with water from her anal bladders. After that, he begins to dig a hole with his hind legs - a nest. Nest red-eared turtle it looks like a ball with a diameter of 7 to 25 cm. In the nests, the females lay from 5 to 22 (usually 6-10) eggs with a diameter of no more than 4 cm, which are then buried.
Turtles lack the instinct to take care of their offspring; after laying eggs, they leave the nest and never return to it. The incubation period lasts 103-150 days at a temperature of 21 to 30 °C. At incubation temperatures below 27 °C, males hatch, while at temperatures above 30 °C, only females hatch.

Carolina box turtle(lat. Terrapnen carolina) is one of two species of box turtles living in the United States. This turtle can easily be called a land turtle, since it very rarely descends into the water. If a box turtle ends up in a river with outside help, it will be extremely indignant at this.

Attract carolinian box turtle only tasty prey can enter wet or swampy areas. These terrestrial creatures are not averse to digging in the ground in search of food - digging halfway into the ground or moss, the box turtle eats insect larvae or worms with pleasure.

Timid by nature, these turtles they love the dark and at every opportunity they try to hide in a quiet place, only at night showing some activity. In the light of the moon, they feel much more confident than in the light of the sun. Sensing danger, the Carolina box turtle takes up a deaf defense - pulling in its head and tightly closing the valves, it becomes inaccessible even to the most hungry predator.

In confrontation with equal rivals, the box turtle does not hide his irritation, showing with his whole appearance that he can bite. She has quite strong jaws and high stamina. If she turns out to be stubborn enough, she can hang from morning to evening, holding a branch or twig between her jaws.

The Carolina box turtle has very tasty meat, but it is almost not hunted - in the state of North Carolina, where it lives, it is not customary to eat frogs, snails and turtles. Average duration her life is 25-30 years.