Bog turtle - Emys orbicularis. Swamp turtle. Bog turtle lifestyle and habitat What turtles live on kmv

An inexperienced eye will not be able to determine how this reptile came to you: straight from an exotic area or from a swamp that can be seen from the window of the house. You can not declassify in front of relatives or friends and say that your pet belongs to the exotic category. In fact, caring for him will cost several times cheaper than for an exotic counterpart, moreover, according to appearance river turtles differ little from sea turtles.

River turtles have a good appetite, so after eating they are emptied into the water. In this regard, there is a need for daily water changes. A cleansing system, if you have one, will not be enough, as the turtle's feces will remain floating in the water. River turtles do not require filtered water - a liquid temperature of 30-32 ° C is quite suitable. It is also recommended to periodically clean the walls of the aquarium and pool, otherwise it will be difficult to get rid of the plaque formed.

River turtles, or marsh turtles, are completely unpretentious in food and care. This is due to their consistently simple habitat. The turtle will survive in your home under any conditions if you pick it up and keep it. Raised in rivers and swamps, these turtles will not accept any expensive food. Also, you do not need to equip a home for them with lighting, a bathroom and toys. You have the right to choose the conditions of existence for your pet, but if you have got a river turtle, know that you are lucky.

What do turtles eat in nature?

Turtles seem harmless only at first glance. In nature, they manifest themselves as predators who easily butcher their prey. In addition to the flesh of the turtle, while in the water, they can eat algae and other sea ​​plants. However, this is not enough for the healthy development of the turtle, so they find a source of protein daily. On land, it can be some insects - wood lice, centipedes, grasshoppers, caterpillars and locusts. Favorite delicacy - worms and insect larvae. From aquatic life turtles feed on small fish, tadpoles, crustaceans, newts.

A turtle caught from a reservoir for keeping at home is unlikely to agree to other food, and for the owner of the reptile, the main question remains about obtaining food for the turtle. If you can dig up a few worms in the summer, it will be completely impossible in the winter. It is important to know what the river turtle eats so that the pet continues to develop.

What do river turtles eat at home?

A person who has some experience in caring for turtles will certainly say that their nutrition at home directly depends on their species. If sea turtles eat vegetables, berries and fruits with pleasure, river turtles recognize only meat, rarely plants. You should always have the following items in stock for your pet:

1. River fish. Buy small, inexpensive fish that your pet can handle on its own. Adults can be given fish with medium-sized bones. It should be fresh or thawed, but in no case boiled and fried.
2. Meat (mainly beef, veal, turkey). The meat must be raw, boneless. Turtles living in rivers and swamps are accustomed to a hunting lifestyle. These are carnivorous animals that are able to deal with a large piece of meat on their own. Once a week, you can offer beef liver to turtles.
3. Sea cocktail (squid, shrimp). Marine life are very nutritious for the turtle as they are an indispensable source of calcium. It is rare to find fresh shrimp and squid, so in order for them to be suitable for a turtle as food, it is enough to defrost them.
4. Dandelions, cabbage and lettuce leaves. Plants may not be a turtle's main food source, so it is recommended to give them to the turtle for variety.

Despite the fact that turtles are called river turtles, they prefer to spend most of their time not in water, but on land. By the behavior of the turtle, it is easy to notice when it is fully bathed and wants to leave the water. For this case, it is necessary to provide a ledge above the pool, the so-called "berezhok" or a separate basin, where the turtle can not only crawl, but also eat. It is important that the pet leaves the water on its own in order to have a snack, so it is necessary to provide a non-slip ledge.

If the turtle refuses to eat

The river turtle, like a person, has a character that affects food intake. If you noticed that your pet is still healthy and playful, then you need to diversify the diet at least for a while so that the turtle gets new nutrients with other food.

When sick, turtles become lethargic, seem tired, and ignore any offer of food. In this case, the question arises about the state of health of the pet. People who do not have special education, it is not recommended to self-medicate, a herpetologist - a specialist in the study of amphibians - will be happy to examine the turtle and prescribe recommendations for care and nutrition.

Refusal of a turtle from food may be the result of a weakening of the general condition. If you notice that the shell and claws have become soft, this is the first alarm signal indicating a lack of calcium. Of course, the pet will not lose its shell, but will easily cripple it. A turtle caught in the nearest river or swamp, of course, has never eaten cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, beans before, and is unlikely to want to try foods that are not familiar to it. But calcium-rich sardines, shrimp and greens she will taste with great pleasure. As a supplement, it is recommended to give vitamins in jars, which, in addition to calcium, contain all other necessary vitamins and minerals.

Where to find the river turtle?

The river turtle is not classified as exotic, so it is not always possible to buy it at a pet store. Even if she happened to be there, her cost cannot be high, since the river turtle, without exaggeration, can be taken from the street. They do not accept fast and clean waters, so they prefer to live in stagnant rivers and swamps. Most often they can be found in the lower reaches of the Don, Volga, Dnieper, Ural. River turtles love to bask in the sun, so they willingly look for a stone, which they crawl out on after a short stay in the water. Finding turtles is not always easy as they hide under rocks and old tree branches. Their color, close to the color of the area in which they live, allows them to remain invisible to humans.

Emys orbicularis

Description. A medium-sized turtle up to 23 cm long. The carapace is smooth, oval, slightly convex and connected to the plastron by a movable ligament. Axillary and inguinal shields are absent. Rear end the plastron is rounded and has no noticeable notch. From above, the shell is colored dark olive or brown-brown, with yellow dots or dashes, from below - dark brown or yellowish. The throat, legs and tail of the turtle are dark, with numerous yellow spots.

Males differ from females in their longer tail and slightly concave plastron; in females, the plastron is flat or slightly convex. In young animals, the carapace is rounded, with a median keel in the posterior part; eyes with red or orange pupils. Within the range, signs of external morphology vary greatly.

Spreading. The bog turtle is common in the South. and Center. Europe, Western Asia, North-West. Africa, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus in the Aral Sea region and in southwestern Turkmenistan (Terentiev and Chernov, 1949).

In Russia, this species is found in the central and southern regions of the European part and in the Caucasus. Small isolated populations of turtles are known in Moscow and the Leningrad region.

Within the species, 13 subspecies are distinguished, of which 5 inhabit the territory former USSR. In the European part of Russia, there is a nominative subspecies that occupies most of the species range. In Dagestan and in the basin of the river. Kura (from the mouth to the west to Gori) lives the Iberian tortoise, E.o. iberica Eichwald, 1831 (= E.o. Kurae Fritz, 1994).

Lifestyle. Inhabits forest, steppe and forest-steppe regions. It lives in swamps, ponds, lakes, floodplains, oxbow lakes, canals, preferring flat water bodies. As a rule, the turtle stays close to water bodies, although it can move away from them by short distance. She swims and dives well, can stay under water for a long time. The number in Transcarpathia is 5-8 individuals per 1 km of the route, in Turkmenistan from 3.2 individuals (rivers west of Kopetdag) to 11.1 individuals per 1 km along the banks of flat water bodies. The maximum number was noted in the Astrakhan region - 58 individuals on a segment of 150 m, in the Stavropol Territory 75 - 125 ind./ha. In Kalmykia, on the left bank of the Volga, in lakes Turepashye and others, there were 60-75 individuals per 1 km of the coastal strip. In Dagestan, in the delta of the Terek River and in the Agrakhan Bay, there are 20-30 individuals per 100 m of the coastal strip. Active during the day and at dusk. During the day it basks in the sun for many hours, at night it sleeps at the bottom of the reservoir. In case of danger and during wintering, it burrows into the silt. Wintering from late October - early November to April - May. In spring it emerges from wintering at an air temperature of 6-14 o C and a water temperature of 5-10 o C. In warm years it can be active in winter. Mating occurs in late April-early May. The female makes 1-3 clutches per season, depending on the area, from 3-13 white eggs with a calcareous shell measuring 28-39 mm x 12-21 mm. The female lays her eggs in a hole 10 - 17 cm deep. The incubation period lasts 60 - 110 days. Newborns with a carapace length of 20-25 mm hatch from eggs in Krasnodar Territory from early August to early October. Most of the young do not surface until the following spring.

The turtle eats a variety of foods, mostly of animal origin. On land, the basis of food is insects (most often orthopterans and beetles), nodule and wood lice. In the water, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, tadpoles, frogs and, less often, fish, mostly snails or fry, are harvested. The turtle's diet also includes algae, higher near-water and aquatic plants.

Turtle clutches are devastated by foxes, raccoon dogs, otters and crows. In the Central Black Earth region of Russia, this species has become rare. The reasons for the decline in numbers are associated with the destruction of clutches and the destruction of habitats suitable for laying eggs.

The bog turtle is listed in the Red Books of Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia, protected in many European countries, included in the International Red List (IUCN).

Literature.

Anan'eva et al., 1998; Ataev, 1985; Bannikov, 1951; Bannikov et al., 1977; Guskov et al., 1983; Kireev, 1983; Lukina, 1971; Nikolsky, 1905, 1915; Severtsov, 1855 (quoted from: Severtsov, 1950); Terentiev and Chernov, 1936; 1949; Tertyshnikov, 2002; Tertyshnikov and Vysotin, 1987; Shammakov, 1981; Shcherbak, 1966; Shcherbak, Shcherban, 1980; Bozhansky and Orlova, 1998; Boulenger, 1889; Eichwald, 1831; Fritz, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2003 (detailed bibliography here); Guldenstadt, 1783; Kuzmin, 2002; Mazanaeva and Orlova, 2002; Schneider, 1783.

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

A feature of these animals is a small streamlined head, which the turtle can hide inside the shell in case of danger. Hiding there and short tail. Turtles breed by laying eggs and burying them in the sand. These animals prefer a solitary lifestyle. Only in mating season they are looking for 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, children are drawn to them. But before you get this pet in the house, you need to find out the details of the conditions for its maintenance.

Everyone knows the expression "slow as a turtle." This applies to large land turtles, which are quickly hindered by their heavy carapace. But the same cannot be said about marine and freshwater animals.

For example, the fastest turtle in the world is a leatherback. It lives in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. If necessary, it can develop a speed of movement under water up to 35 km / h, this is the most big indicator speed among reptiles, she is also able to dive 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 dimensions (body length 2.5 m) and weight (the largest individual measured had a weight of 916 kg). There is an opinion that it is water that is the natural environment for turtles. However, only marine species swim well, freshwater and only a few land species. Other land and semi-aquatic types can even drown in water.

Turtles are considered to be the centenarians of the animal world, however, only huge land species, for example, elephants, live up 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 for them 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 rings that appear annually on the scutes that make up the shell can tell about the age of turtles.

Interestingly, there are turtles whose shell is quite soft. And oddly enough, this feature helps them defend themselves from predators. Such turtles hide from enemies in the crevices of stones. So, the soft shell has trionics chinensis. This is a somewhat non-standard turtle - it has a soft shell, as it lacks horny shields, and is covered with skin. This is the only representative of soft-bodied turtles living in Russia.

The marsh turtle lives in the Stavropol Territory. The maximum size of its shell reaches 23 cm. These animals are active during the day and at dusk. Turtles are fast swimmers, good divers and can stay underwater for long periods of time. They often come ashore and can lie motionless for hours, basking in the sun. In case of danger, they immediately rush into the water and burrow at the bottom. The diet includes insects, algae and water plants.

There is an opinion that, communicating with people, turtles remember their faces. To an affectionate speech, they stretch their neck, and to a rude reaction it is different - the turtle hides in its shell.

One of the most interesting squads The tortoise is considered to be a reptile. Scientists who studied the ancient remains in order to find out how many years she lives on the planet, found that their existence on Earth lasts 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.

Name origin

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

Indeed, many turtles resemble the stone for which the people who gave this name took them. Despite this etymology of the name, there is also an indication of the unique shape and coloring of hard shells.

What do turtles look like?

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

chief hallmark the detachment is the shell, which absolutely all representatives have. It consists of a carapace (dorsal) and a plastron (abdominal), interconnected. This durable device serves, first of all, to protect the animal from enemies. By necessity, the tortoise is fully capable of hiding its body and head into it, lowering its upper part and remaining protected from any attack on it.

The shells are covered with hard horny scutes, which vary in color and shape depending on the species. There are holes in which the paws, head, tail go out and are drawn in as needed.

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

Reptiles periodically molt: old skin comes off their shell with scales, while the color becomes brighter.

How much does a turtle weigh? Turtle sizes

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

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

Paws

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

The structure depends on the lifestyle, species. Terrestrial are distinguished by thickened front legs, suitable for digging soil, and powerful hind legs, which help to move on the surface. The river turtle, which lives in fresh water, has membranes between its fingers. The sea turtle, evolving, acquired fins instead of legs, 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 performs the function of a kind of rudder that helps to maneuver in the water, and is more developed than that of 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 that have a fairly large head size and cannot retract it.

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

The eyes are also located differently: in reptiles living on the ground, they are directed downwards, while in swimming they are much higher. Animals have excellent eyesight and see this world in color.

Some turtles have enough 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 produce are needed to move food down the throat. The language also helps them in this.

Despite the lack of teeth, the jaws of turtles are powerful, able to cope with almost any food.

Sexual characteristics of the turtle

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

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

In some species, gender, in addition to the indicated signs, 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 wild nature 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.

Turtle species

The long stay of representatives of this detachment on the planet made it possible to divide into 328 species that differ outward signs, size, habitat, diet and lifestyle.

The classification involves the division of reptiles, depending on how they hide their heads in the shell, into crypto-cervical and side-necked. The first group presses the head into the shell by contracting the 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 - able to live both on the surface of the earth and in fresh waters; this variety, in turn, is divided into freshwater and land.

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

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

The reptiles got their name not for the external color, but for the color of the meat that was eaten.

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

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

The tasty meat of these animals was traditionally used for food (they are even called soup), which led to a reduction 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 the water, but they make their clutches on the shore, in the same places where their predecessors laid their eggs. They dig very large holes in which up to 200 eggs are placed. Baby turtles, hatching, run towards the water. If they manage 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 has become a sea turtle, keep in mind that caring for it at home is much more difficult than for terrestrial ones, since you need to have spacious aquariums with water adapted for the reptile.

Another name for this species is Chinese trionyx, or Chinese tortoise. The Far Eastern tortoise prefers to live on a mud-covered bottom large lakes and rivers with gentle overgrown banks. Their habitat is Primorye, South part Cupid in Russia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The Far Eastern tortoise is green-brown or green-gray in color with pale yellowish spots. Its usual size is about 30 cm, but there were individuals up to 40 cm with a weight of 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. hallmark young individuals is a bright orange abdomen, the color of which becomes pale over time.

The Chinese turtle is able to hunt both in water and on land, where it gets out to bask in the sun. These reptiles hibernate by burrowing into the mud.

The food of these predatory reptiles consists of fish, mollusks, amphibians and insects. The Far Eastern tortoise can guard its prey for a long time, burrowing into the silt.

At the age of 6-7 years, the Far Eastern tortoise becomes sexually mature. Usually in July they lay their eggs a short distance from the water. During the season, the female makes several clutches, from which about 70 turtles appear. After 1.5 - 2 months, babies appear, the size of which is not more than 3 cm. They quickly run to the water and for a long time lurk in coastal vegetation and between rocks.

The Far Eastern tortoise has a rather aggressive character and can strongly bite the attacker on it.

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

Living in the southeast of Eurasia, this steppe loves humid terrain in river valleys, foothills, agricultural land, 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, she will hardly overcome the 15-year milestone, when in the wild she can live for 30 years. Not in natural environment Central Asian tortoise, even if care and nutrition are as close as possible to natural ones, lives much less.

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

This steppe tortoise hibernates quite early: at the beginning of summer, right after it lays its eggs. This is due to the fact that it is this time in their habitat that is the most arid. The lack of food in sufficient quantities causes them to wait out in a state of sleep.

The Central Asian tortoise has a very beautiful shell - reddish-olive with dark spots of a rounded shape.

Reptiles of this species are dark brown, dark olive, almost black in color with small yellow strokes or spots. Distinctive feature is a very long tail and lack of a beak.

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

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

Say what it is aquatic turtle, it is forbidden. She prefers to get out on land quite often and moves relatively quickly on it.

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

Depending on the region, they become sexually mature at the age of 5-9 years. Egg laying is carried out near water bodies. The sex of the offspring depends on the temperature. At high, females are born, low - contribute to the appearance of males.

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

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

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

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

Currently, only 150,000 individuals remain 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, there will be only 5-6 eggs in their clutches.

It is the largest member of its 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 rather muscular paws, on which there are sharp claws (5 on the front and 4 on the back). In case of danger, they retract their head and limbs into the shell.

At the end of the 20th century, the population of these animals was reduced 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 regions), size, color and shape of the shell.

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

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

This reptile is also called or yellow-bellied. their original names water turtle received solely for bright accents in color: a red spot flaunts on her head, and her 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 sex - from 18 to 30 cm, while males are somewhat smaller than females.

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

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

The water turtle lays eggs on land, where it pulls 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, completely immersing her head in water. If a water turtle lives in your home, care and feeding should be in accordance with its natural needs.

It has long been found out how many years a turtle lives at home. If the maintenance and care correspond to natural, it may well live for half a century. In nature, this age is somewhat less.

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

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

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

Small in size (the maximum length of the shell is not 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 the head.

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

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

If you have a musk turtle in your house, keeping it alone is undesirable. It is better to have several individuals at once. This will affect how many years the turtle lives at home.

In home aquariums, the Musk Turtle is quite common, 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 exception is Antarctica and desert regions, the climate of which is completely unsuitable for these animals. Any coast - whether it be oceans or small rivers and lakes, can boast of its own view, or even more than one.

Almost everywhere they find their food: it can be insects, worms, small fish, crustaceans and vegetation. Unpretentiousness in food makes the reptile able to survive in almost any place.

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

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

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

Which turtle is best for home?

Usually river reptiles become pets. The river turtle, once at home, quickly adapts. It does not require a very spacious aquarium to keep it, but it is very important to properly equip it, creating a swimming area and land in it, on which your pet will get out if necessary.

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

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

Before you buy a pet, get to know useful information about him. Temperature regime, nutrition and care, activity and the ability to live alone or in pairs are very important for a reptile.

What does a turtle prefer to eat at home?

If you live domestic turtle, feeding, keeping and caring for her should resemble her natural way of life. Before you take a pet, study what it eats in nature, during what periods it is active.

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

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

Do not overfeed the animal! If you see that food remains 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 food leftovers: stale foods can lead to intestinal upset, which will affect how many years the turtle lives at home.

• Representatives of this order of amphibians can boast that they left their mark on the history of astronautics. Two individuals of the Central Asian tortoise species were the first among animals to circle 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, leatherback and hawksbill turtles.
• Reptiles of this order are able to swim well and move on land. But the European tortoise can also be called a jumper. She can jump into the water from three-meter mountain ledges.
• Turtles have their long-livers. So in 2006, the most old turtle Advaita, whose age, according to experts, was more than 150 years.
• Many are interested in how long a turtle can live without food. In the natural environment, it is quite difficult to determine this time. But for pets - this is a maximum of 3 weeks, given that the animal is in hibernation. 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 lingering sounds similar to howling.

Type Chordates - Chordata
Class Reptiles - Reptilia
detachment Turtles - Testudines
Family freshwater turtles- Emydidae.
Genus: bog turtles
View Marsh turtle (Black Sea population) - Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758)

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

Global population endangered 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 - Near Threatened, NT. B. S. Tuniev

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

Do not belong.

Brief morphological description

Marsh turtle up to 200 mm long. The carapace is dark olive to black above, with or without numerous yellow streaks; below - yellowish or brown. Neck, legs and tail with numerous yellow spots, sometimes merging into stripes. Young animals are often olive-brown.

Spreading

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

The regional range occupies the plain and foothill parts of the region, as well as a narrow strip of the Black Sea coast to the border with Abkhazia. Currently area marsh turtle torn all over Black Sea coast, in many places it has disappeared altogether. Turtles can still be found in the Dry Liman tract on the ridge. Navagir, oz. Abrau, near the village. Lazarevskoye, Kudepsta, Adler, Baranovka (on the river Vostochny Dagomys), pos. Kalinovoe Lake, r. Small host.

On the northern slope of the Western Caucasus, the marsh turtle is still common in flat and partly foothill areas. The taxonomic position of animals living in KK is unclear, the habitat of three subspecies is indicated. The environs of Sochi are apparently inhabited by the relict subspecies E. orbicularis colchica Fritz, 1994, while the plain and foothill parts of the region are inhabited by the nominative subspecies. An 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 slow-flowing water bodies, at the bottom of which it hibernates. Rarely rises to the mountains above 200 m above sea level. seas. Maximum in the Western Caucasus rise up to 800 m above sea level. sea ​​(near Psebay) on the northern slope and 600 m above sea level. seas (village Kalinovoye Ozero) - on the southern macroslope of the GKH.

Activity lasts from March to October. Lays 1–3 clutches per season, 5–10 eggs each. The length of the eggs is from 29.6 to 35.5 mm, the width is from 18.3 to 21.0 mm, the weight is 8.3–8.88 g. 5 mm. Young emerge on the surface in autumn, more often in the following spring. It feeds on various invertebrates and small vertebrates.

Numbers and trends

Bog turtle at the beginning of the 20th century. represented the most common numerous species throughout northeast coast Black Sea. The collection of ZM Moscow State University has 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 declining everywhere: on 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 didn't see a single animal. Known population from the village. Mamaika disappeared in the 90s of the twentieth century. In the Dry Liman and the lake. Abrau numbers are extremely low.

Limiting factors

Construction railway Tuapse - Sukhumi, stretching along the Black Sea coast, draining the swamps of the Imeretinskaya lowland, the rapid development of resort construction along the entire coast from Anapa to Batumi and the intensive transformation of land for farmland, and then recreational facilities, direct extermination by humans. The limiting factors include the capture of animals (large lots go on sale in the markets of large cities of the region and are exported to the cities of the Russian Federation), the destruction of biotopes.

Necessary and additional security measures

Organization of a reserve on the Imeretinskaya lowland or the inclusion of this site in the SNP, the organization of the Novorossiysk reserve. Implementation of measures to prevent illegal capture and trafficking of animals.

Information sources. 1. Anan'eva 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 and Nilson, 1995; 11. Unpublished data of compilers. Compiled by B. S. Tuniev, S. B. Tuniev.

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