Turtles are becoming popular, the size of which is less than ten centimeters. But before you start them, you need to learn how to properly care for such small turtles.

Keeping small turtles: what should you pay attention to?

For small turtles, a small one is suitable, the water level in which should be up to twenty centimeters. It is necessary to remember one feature of such turtles: they are very fond of being at the bottom of the aquarium and walking on it, but they do not have gills for long stay under water, so it is vital for them to surface from time to time. Turtles do this to get the right dose of oxygen. Based on this, it follows that the water level in the aquarium cannot be very high, otherwise the turtles will not have time to surface for another breath of oxygen and will die.

The area of ​​​​the bottom of the aquarium is important - the more, the better. It is very good if both an island of land and a water part are present in the aquarium, this most optimally displays the necessary conditions life for little turtles.

What do little turtles eat? Their natural diet is plants, fish and shellfish. Mixtures of fish, shrimp and shellfish can also be used. Another option for turtle food is pieces of beef. Sometimes you can pamper your pets with lettuce and other greens, because plant food is also very important to them.

The following types of small turtles are distinguished: red-eared, marsh, long-necked and silt. The most unpretentious in content is silt.

Aquarium little turtles do not require much care, so they are ideal as pets for people who do not have much free time, but who want to have Living being at home.

On the pages of our site, we described the features of keeping land and red-eared turtles (read more about this), and even. However, many of our readers are interested in the question of whether Are there miniature turtle breeds that can be kept at home? Not everyone can afford to install a full-wall aquarium at home. But if the turtle lived in a small aquarium, differed in miniature size, and was quite unpretentious in terms of care, it would be an ideal candidate for the role of a pet.

Such types of small turtles do exist, and they can even be purchased at pet stores. Now we will briefly tell you about them and about the main points of their comfortable content in your home.

Types of small turtles for home keeping

Small turtles are those that, even as adults, do not reach a length of more than 12 centimeters. If the turtle has a body length of more than 15 centimeters, it is already classified as a medium-sized pet, and it needs a special move. All other turtles (up to 15 centimeters) are classified as mini. However, you should be aware that if you buy a turtle in small sizes, then in childhood it may be only a few centimeters long, while over time it will definitely grow a little. This is a natural process and you should be prepared for this - you may need to buy a larger aquarium in a couple of months to comfortably keep your aquatic pet.

Flat or flat-bodied turtles

In nature, these creatures live in Africa, Mexico and America. 4 subspecies of these turtles are known, but more popular enjoy Sonoran and yellow snapping turtles. They reach sizes in adulthood up to 13 centimeters. But striped and silty reddish turtles grow a little less - up to 11 centimeters.

Excellent contenders for the role of a pet. As adults, they rarely grow longer than 15 centimeters. At the same time, 4 of their species are also known. Representatives of each species differ in their color and size. Sternotherus depressus is considered to be the smallest - the size of an adult does not exceed 11 centimeters.

These turtles cannot be classified as fully aquatic creatures, as they do not mind getting out and staying on land for a while. So, they are half water, half land creatures, and for them to live comfortably in your home, you will need to take care of a terrarium aquarium that could provide them with a comfortable habitat for them, providing both a land area and an artificial reservoir. Fortunately the dimensions adult turtle no more than 13 centimeters, so it is not necessary to equip a very large house for them.

On average, the body length of an adult does not exceed 13 centimeters. Attractive appearance, unpretentiousness in terms of maintenance requirements, calm nature - all this makes these creatures the favorites of turtle farmers, and especially those who do not have much experience in keeping turtles.

Benefits of keeping baby turtles

If you dream of having an exotic pet in your home, but the small size of your home does not allow you to have a large animal, mini turtles are what you need. Unusual appearance of the pet, lack of special requirements in terms of care, a calm character - such turtles can be started both for those people who spend a lot of time at work, and for those who like to watch the life of pets behind the glass of an aquarium for a long time. Even a teenager can handle the simple care of a mini turtle, and having one makes them more responsible and obligatory.

Water turtle - favorite pet. She doesn't take up much space. Unlike cats and dogs, does not damage furniture.

At proper care no smell, no allergies. You can get a turtle for those who have children. They may be happy to help you take care of your pet.

HOW TO CARE?

  • Aquarium. The most optimal would be a glass aquarium with a capacity of 150 - 200 liters;
  • Water. The level for a small turtle should be 10 cm, as the pet grows, it must be increased. In general, water should be poured more than the width of the shell. If the turtle was on its back, it could easily roll over. If there is no filter, then you need to change it at least once a week. It is better to use filtered;
  • Temperature. Water should be from 20 to 27 degrees;
  • Land. Although turtles are called water turtles, they cannot stay in the water all the time. A flat stone is suitable for the island (it should be boiled before use), gravel or decorative pebbles for aquariums can be used. The main thing is to make the ball slope, for the convenience of the turtle. The size of the sushi is a little over size shell;
  • Lighting. The sun at home can replace UV lamp. This is necessary for full development and growth. The distance between the aquarium and such a lamp is 1.5 m. It is enough to turn it on 2 times a week for 5 minutes, then increasing it to 30 minutes. It is not bad to use an ordinary table lamp for warming. To avoid burns, the distance between the island and the lamp should be 30 cm;
  • paddock. You should take your pet out of the aquarium from time to time, and in the summer you should take it outside.

Video: proper care

What needs to be fed?

Before feeding, let the turtle warm up well which improves digestion.

The diet should be varied and balanced. A very small turtle can only be fed with special food, small crustaceans are suitable - gammarus And shrimps. Calcium is needed for shell development.

To do this, you can give eggshells clean and crushed or shell rock. Feeding is carried out twice a day, gradually moving to a one-time meal. Turtles that have reached 2 years of age are enough to feed 2 times per week.

Always accustom new foods gradually. Along with crustaceans, you can later use dried marble cockroaches, crickets or locusts.

You can give turtles fresh meat and fish. But not often and in small portions. It is better that the meat is not fatty or boiled. Once a week it is necessary to give the liver, It contains trace elements necessary for life.

Plant foods are also very important.. In nature, turtles eat big amount grass and algae. If it is not possible to buy algae, at home you can use leaf lettuce, fresh cabbage leaves (dip in boiling water), clover, dandelions, cucumber, carrots and watermelon peels.

From fruits: apples, pears and bananas. It is good to add sprouted wheat and sunflower seeds to the diet. The turtle must gnaw, to avoid deformation of the jaw. Apple or pear branches are perfect.

Never leave food leftovers in the water!

Hibernation

Turtles sleep in nature in winter within 5 months. The activity of the body slows down, and she hardly breathes.

At home, sleep only reaches up to three months. A week before hibernation, the turtle should be stopped feeding, then moved to a container with moist moss and a lower air temperature.

At home great need for hibernation No. The pet will have enough sleep several times a day.

DISEASES

  • Redness and swelling of the eyes- the most common disease. Occurs when malnutrition or from very dirty water. For treatment, foods that contain carotene should be introduced into the diet. Swimming should be reduced to three hours a day. Eyes should be carefully treated with a 3% solution boric acid. Additionally lubricate and antibiotic containing ointments;
  • Shell softening- the shape of the bones is broken, thickenings appear. The turtle becomes lethargic and moves little. It is necessary to give small fish along with the bones. Add ultraviolet;
  • Pneumonia- arises from too cold water or proximity to drafts. A very serious illness that can lead to death.

If for two days the turtle sits sluggishly in one place or cannot emerge from the water, should showveterinarian. In this case, only a specialist can prescribe treatment.

Emergency care - warming up over a solution of pharmacy chamomile.

Video content

To what size does it grow?

Turtles are born with a size of no more than three cm. The first two years are a period of intensive growth, turtles grow up to 7 - 10 cm. Then they grow a little more slowly. Adult turtle in conditions of no will able to grow 25 - 32 cm. Adult males are significantly fewer females. For comparison, in nature, their relatives can grow up to 50 cm.

HOW LONG DOES YOU LIVE?

Common at home is red-eared turtle. In optimally created conditions for life, she can live up to 40 years. And if you have bog turtle , then her life period is less - maximum 25 years.

If, nevertheless, you decide to purchase a turtle, remember that we are responsible for those who have been trained. And let her be for you good friend on long years and not just a pet.

The red-eared turtle (Trachemys scripta) is so named because of its phenotypic feature: two orange-red oblong spots stretch on the sides of the head from the eyes to the neck. Its second name - yellow-bellied - also speaks of feature, and more specifically - about the bright yellow color of the plastron (abdominal shield).

The high popularity of red-eared turtles from the American freshwater family (Emydidae) is quite understandable: these reptiles are unpretentious, beautiful, interesting to watch, and some owners even teach them to handle. But alas, many of the owners make gross mistakes that lead to the death of reptiles of this species.

In our article, we will talk about the features of care, maintenance, feeding, the most common diseases and their treatment, as well as some other nuances that, we hope, will help your turtle live a long and happy life. And some specimens of this species, by the way, live up to 40 years in captivity.

The first thing we advise you to pay attention to when buying a "red ear" is its size and condition. A turtle that has not grown to at least 4-5 cm will be much more difficult and difficult to grow, because at this age they are very susceptible to various diseases. Alas, nature is harsh and thus regulates the survival of a healthy generation. Therefore, a five-centimeter turtle is the best choice.

When buying, carefully inspect the turtle. She must have all claws intact, tail, carapace (upper shield) and plastron must be smooth, lenticular in shape, without spots, scratches, dents and "humps", solid. Eyes are shining skin clean, also without whitish and pinkish small spots. In the aquarium, the turtle should swim smoothly, without falling on its side.

Red-eared turtles are amphibians. Therefore, they need to spend part of the time on land and part in the water.

They fall into hibernation at home extremely reluctantly, and the process of transferring them to this state is rather difficult. It is necessary to gradually lower the temperature and provide sufficient food, because if the turtle does not gain required amount calories, she may not come out of hibernation. Simply die of hunger.

It is very important to clean the aquarium from green algae. The turtle itself cannot wash its shell, and the algae, settling under the scales of the carapace, gradually destroy it. Moreover, a dirty aquarium is a source of fungal and bacterial infections.

It is advisable to feed the turtle in a separate container. Tearing food into pieces in the water, the "rubber" pollutes it very much. And on land, turtles of this species do not eat.

By the way, pay attention: if your turtle has eaten, then it is advisable to give it a little more time to free the intestines from the remnants of digested food.

Turtles have the same not very aesthetic habit as rabbits - they eat their own excrement. Only, unlike long-eared rodents, this reptile does this only when hungry.

Periodically (once every three to four days) you can wipe the shell with a clean soft cloth, removing algae and other dirt. It is impossible to lubricate the shell with oils and creams, since this, although it makes the turtle “beautiful”, is very harmful to its skin breathing.


It is desirable that the water in the terrarium or aquarium be soft, although tap water may well be suitable. It is only necessary to defend it for at least two days in order to ensure the almost complete evaporation of chlorine. Once a week, you need to add water with the selection of about 1/3 of the "old". A complete replacement is not recommended, as the aquarium creates a microflora that provides a favorable environment for the turtle to live.

As for feeding, here you must follow the principle: the first year the turtle is fed every day, the second - after two days, the third and all subsequent ones - after three or four. You need to give food as much as she can eat in five minutes. A young turtle should eat mainly animal food with the addition of vegetable food, a 3-4 year old turtle should eat vegetable food with the addition of animal food, and old reptiles in general are shown a predominantly vegetable diet.

You can determine how hungry a turtle is by its behavior. She begins to actively rummage in the stones at the bottom in search of food. Feeding time can be any, but preferably no later than 7 pm.

Keeping a red-eared turtle

Before purchasing, you must immediately stock up on all the necessary equipment:

  • an aquarium;
  • islet;
  • ultraviolet lamp;
  • an incandescent lamp that can be installed above the island;
  • filter;
  • water heater;
  • large (!) decorative stones, pebbles.

Do not purchase aquarium plants, either live or artificial. Red-eared turtles are omnivorous and also like to dig in the ground (rocks), so the whole decor will either be eaten or torn to pieces or torn off the bottom. You can decorate the bottom with snags, but they must first be boiled for at least an hour in boiling water. Plastic products it is also possible to install in an aquarium, provided that they are not toxic. The soil, island and all decorative elements should be washed every one and a half to two weeks under running water.

Aquarium

Ideally, 150 liters or more, but a 10-liter is enough for a start. However, prepare for the fact that your pet will grow rapidly, adding 3-4 cm in height every year until it reaches its normal size (20-30 cm depending on sex and subspecies). And they also need to move a lot so as not to get obese. Yes, turtles can also suffer from this disease. Therefore, the minimum dimensions of the aquarium should be such that its width is not less than three lengths of the shell, and its length is not less than six lengths.

You need to pour enough water so that the turtle can stick out its muzzle while standing on its hind legs. If the aquarium is deeper, then a stone or snag can be placed in it for this purpose.

It is strictly forbidden to use small stones as soil! Carried away by getting food, small turtles (and sometimes adults) can accidentally swallow a pebble, which will cause intestinal obstruction and, as a result, the death of the animal. Remember that some aquatic plants (elodea, lagenander, ambulia) are poisonous to reptiles.

Island

Now there are different options for turtle islands on sale, but when buying them, pay attention to what they are made of and how they are attached to the aquarium. Usually, plastic frames with suction cups are used as fasteners.

But when your turtle grows up and weighs about a kilogram, the suction cups will constantly come off. Ideally, it is desirable to use a flat area as an island, on which your pet (pet) will get out of the water.

That is, a ladder is needed for the island, which does not prevent the animal from swimming in the aquarium, but, at the same time, sinks to a sufficient depth so that the turtle can sit on it when it gets hot under the lamp. We do not recommend buying islands made of painted polyurethane foam. The sharp claws of an adult turtle crush it with ease.


Lamps

An ultraviolet lamp is necessary in order for the turtle to produce vitamin D3, which is involved in the absorption of calcium. In nature solar lighting contains enough ultraviolet radiation, but at home you need special lamps. Household UV sources are not suitable for these purposes, because it is difficult to provide the necessary wavelength with their help. The most common terrarium (aquarium) lighting options are Repti Glo 5 and 8 lamps. Place these lamps at a distance of no closer than 40 cm, as they can cause burns.

An ordinary incandescent lamp (from 40 to 60 W), the light spectrum of which includes infrared rays, is needed for turtles to digest food. A variety of metabolic processes in cold-blooded animals, which include reptiles, occur only at a certain temperature. environment, which is provided by the lamps. A decrease in temperature entails a slowdown in metabolism and hibernation.

Terrarium lighting for red-eared sliders

Heater and filter

Choose these devices based on the volume of water in the aquarium. There are many filter options, some of them allow you to change the water once a month. External filters require less maintenance, and there is no chance that your reptile will remove it from the wall, swallow the suction cup or cut through the electrical wire. As for the heater, one is needed that could automatically regulate the water temperature within the specified range. A comfortable temperature for a turtle is 20-27 ° C.

What to feed red-eared turtles

Young turtles should receive "live" protein. Many of the owners make a serious mistake by feeding their pets only with special mixtures. These mixtures should be in the diet no more than a third. The other two are plant and animal foods. Of the plants, it is best to use the leaves of young cabbage, spinach, duckweed (only beforehand it must be washed very well under running warm water).

Providing turtles with animal food requires a serious approach. Of course, she can be given lean beef and chicken once a week. chicken liver. But such nutrition is not natural. Small turtles can be remarkably fed with bloodworms, gradually replacing it with fish. Be sure to give your pet shrimp, insects, earthworms or Canadian worms (they, like bloodworms, can be bought at fishing stores), aquarium and grape snails. We do not recommend adding slugs to the diet, since they secrete a lot of mucus in the water.

By the way, you can throw into the aquarium and river snails, and even empty shells. The turtle, which needs calcium on a regular basis, eats them remarkably, grinding them with its powerful jaw plates that replace its teeth. You can give a boiled egg.

You can not feed turtles with flour products and potatoes, berries, legumes (peas, beans, lentils, soybeans), citrus fruits.

However, sometimes it is allowed to give them carrots. Cereals and raw cereals are also contraindicated for these reptiles, but dandelion leaves for them are a rich source of vitamin PP ( folic acid) and some other valuable substances. Everything that you "extract" in nature (snails, worms, dandelions) must be washed from dirt.

When accustoming a turtle to a new type of food, in case it refuses to eat it, do not give up. Keep her hungry for a couple of days, and then throw a small piece directly into the aquarium (after turning off the filter so as not to clog it).

If you do not give the turtle a liver, then once a week you need to add special vitamin complexes (for example, ReptoSol) to its diet. In general, it is advisable to pour them directly into her mouth with a pipette.

To fill in the vitamins, you need to take the turtle in your hand (by the side) and hold it tightly, as it will try to escape. Then bring the pipette to your mouth and tap on it. The turtle will hide its head in its shell, but you have to be persistent. When she gets tired of hiding, she will start to hiss and try to scare you. At this point, you need to have time to inject vitamins.

Such torment has to be endured only when the turtle is small. As an adult, she aggressively defends her territory and rushes at any unfamiliar object, which can be a pipette with medicine in your hand.

Reproduction of red-eared turtles

Males of this species of turtles begin to breed at the age of 4, and females at five. If the owner wants the turtles to give birth, he must prepare the aquarium accordingly. Firstly, the thickness of the water layer should not be more than 10 cm, since during the mating process the male can hold the female under water for a long time, as a result of which she suffocates. Secondly, you immediately need to prepare a container on land where the female will lay her eggs.

By the way, sometimes females have the ability to lay eggs without males, but, in this case, they will be unfertilized. Therefore, turtles do not hatch from them.

The male can be distinguished from the female not earlier than at the age of about a year. In males, the plastron is concave to make it easier to stay on the female, the tail and claws are longer.

The claws of males are only 3-5 mm longer than those of females. By the way, like many reptiles, females are slightly larger than males.

To start breeding, red-eared sliders need ultraviolet light in the range of 320-400 nm. Shorter wavelengths of UV light are needed to prevent rickets. In addition, reptiles begin to mate only if they have enough plentiful and nutritious food.

Please note that there should be only one male and one female in the aquarium. Otherwise, the males will fight, and they fight very aggressively, biting off each other's tails, crippling their paws.

For the same reason, you can not leave laid eggs in the aquarium - you must definitely move them to the incubator. The size of the container with sand for eggs must be selected based on the fact that the egg in diameter reaches 4 cm and there can be up to 10 of them in one clutch. That is, in order to lay eggs, the turtle gently dig a hole of the appropriate diameter and depth. Above the container with sand you need to create a small shadow.

Red-eared turtle egg incubator

After the turtle lays eggs, the container with them must be placed in an incubator that you can make yourself, or you can use one that is used for chicken eggs. Optimum temperature in the incubator should be maintained at 27 ° C (plus or minus two degrees).

Hatching of turtles can be expected up to 5 months, however, subject to the ideal temperature regime you can wait for them to appear in 2 months. Babies should not be released into an aquarium with adults, since these reptiles have no maternal and paternal instincts and they can attack and injure the younger generation.

Baby turtles in the aquarium

If you do everything right, and at the first sign of illness in your pets, do not hesitate and immediately contact a veterinarian, then the turtles will delight you for decades.

Video: keeping a red-eared turtle at home

There are over 335 species of turtles that inhabit various continents. Some species are very popular and easy to buy in pet stores, some are rarer, and some species are difficult to see even in zoos.
At home, animal lovers in Russia most often keep the following types of turtles: freshwater red-eared, freshwater marsh, freshwater turtle trionyx and land Central Asian tortoise. Found in southern Russia mediterranean tortoise and a marsh turtle, in the east of Russia there is a Far Eastern trionyx, in Ukraine and in Belarus there is a marsh turtle. Red-eared turtles in in large numbers brought from nurseries in Europe and Asia, and then bad people release American turtles into Russian ponds, so the chance to meet red-eared turtle in the river or in the pond we have very large.

Here are the most popular types of turtles:

Land (lat. Agrionemys horsfieldii)

A yellow-beige turtle with darkening on the shell, usually up to 25 cm long. The turtle is listed in the Red Book and the CITES list and is prohibited for sale without documents, which is ignored by pet stores and, of course, by smugglers.

The Central Asian tortoise lives in the states Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan in the steppe and semi-desert regions.

Eats like everyone else land turtles, vegetation (field plants, dried forage grasses, houseplants, occasionally permitted vegetables). Meat, milk, bread and white cabbage, fruits are strictly contraindicated for her. Once a week, the turtle should receive calcium and reptile vitamin powder.

For maintenance you need: a terrarium from 100 l + UV lamp 10-12% UVB + incandescent lamp + soil (sawdust / hay / wood chips + pebbles) + house. The temperature in the terrarium should be between 25 in a cold corner and up to 35 in a hot one (under a lamp).
Hibernation is optional for turtles, and harmful and dangerous if not done properly, so it's best to avoid it. It is recommended to bathe the turtle once a week.

freshwater Pond slider(lat. Trachemys scripta)

This bright green (turns darker in adulthood) turtle with red "ears" on its head has become very popular all over the world in the last 25 years. The turtle can bite painfully, although it is not very aggressive.

This turtle is the most popular and the most "aquarium turtle" in our country and in many others.

The turtle lives in the USA, it is brought to Russia from turtle farms. It is strictly forbidden to release it into the reservoirs of Russia - this harms the ecosystem, and besides, the turtles themselves rarely survive the winter.

The turtle is freshwater and predatory (snails, fodder insects, raw freshwater lean fish with bones and entrails, occasionally dry food), but it also needs land and plant foods (algae or lettuce, dandelions).

More information about feeding turtles, an aquarium and a terrarium, and caring for turtles can be found in the relevant sections.

It is important to know:

  1. You can not plant new turtles to the existing ones without prior quarantine.
  2. If you experience symptoms of illness or a long-term refusal to feed, you should contact your veterinarian-herpetologist.
  3. If the turtles in the same aquarium/terrarium are fighting or too aggressive, they need to be seated.
  4. Turtles should not be allowed to come into contact with other pets.
  5. Land turtles (and sometimes water turtles) are kept on the floor like cats and dogs, as a result, the turtles are stepped on, injured by other pets, they catch colds, quickly develop rickets, beriberi, arthritis and kidney failure.
  6. A turtle is bought a pair so that it does not get bored, and as a result of a fight, bitten off paws and tails. Turtles are lonely! And they need a pair only for reproduction.
  7. Feeding turtles the wrong food leads to big problems with internal organs and even to death. The fact that a turtle eats something does not mean that it can.

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO WERE TAMED!