How many years do red-eared turtles live? How long do red-eared turtles live at home? Turtles in natural conditions

The red-eared turtle, or yellow-bellied turtle, is one of the common reptiles found among terrarium lovers. This unpretentious species is perfectly adapted to life in a home aquaterrarium or an aquarium with a hanging island. The lifespan of a yellow belly in an apartment depends on the conditions of detention. If the animal is properly fed and cared for, it will be healthy and live a very long time, as befits turtles.

Lifespan

Red-eared turtles live a long time. In the wild, some specimens live up to 30 years. At home, they can live from 20 to 35 years, reaching a weight of 600 g and a diameter of 30 cm. In nature, red-eared turtles reach sexual maturity at the age of 6-8 years, and in captivity they become sexually mature at 4 years (males) and 5-6 years (females).

Age determination

Finding out the age of a turtle is easy - just measure the length of its shell.

How to determine the age of a pet by shell size:

In addition to the length of the shell, age is determined by the color of the red spots and the number of shell rings.

The spots behind the turtle's eyes change color throughout life from scarlet to burgundy. The darker they are, the older the animal.

There are also concentric rings on the turtle's shell, indicating its age. They begin to appear after the first year of life. Every six months, 2-3 rings are added. After three years of age, the process will slow down and one ring will form per year. By counting the number of rings and performing simple arithmetic calculations, you can determine the age of the pet.

Content Rules

Under optimal conditions, animals should live in a 100-liter aquarium or terrarium. The water is purified with filters or changed 2 times a week. An ultraviolet lamp will be required. Without it, the animal will not absorb calcium and its shell will become deformed. Colored stones should not be placed in the aquarium - they release substances harmful to aquatic fauna. The stones should be of such a size that the turtle cannot swallow them.

The optimal water temperature is 24-25 degrees. It is necessary to arrange a piece of land in the container that the turtle can climb onto to dry itself. The places where reptiles bask in the sun are called baskings by zoologists. All land and freshwater turtles, snakes and crocodiles need such areas.

Home aquaterrarium for keeping turtles

Feeding

Little turtles are fed light food - dried gammarus - small crustaceans. This food contains 50% proteins, so the young body receives all the amino acids necessary for growth. Few grown yellowbellies are fed once or twice a day with fresh or boiled meat or fish. Animals over 2 years old are fed 2-3 times a week. The menu should be varied. If yellowbellies are fed only fish for a long time, they begin to develop vitamin deficiency.

In nature, red-eared turtles themselves catch their prey: earthworms, fish, freshwater snails. The aquarium animal also needs to be given live food - this keeps yellowbellies interested in life.

For development, the turtle really needs calcium and phosphorus, so bone meal is added to the food once a week in the following quantities:

• with a shell length of 6 cm - 0.2 g;
• 7cm – 0.4 g;
• 10 cm – 0.5 g.

In captivity, the animal is susceptible to rickets, so in the fall and winter, one drop of vitamin D in oil is added to the food once a month. A turtle over 3 years old is given 2-3 drops of vitamin.

If these conditions are met, you can be sure that the animal will live a long time. If the turtle was not sick when purchased and is kept in the right conditions, it will not get sick. If kept poorly, yellowbellies will live no more than 2 years.

Many animal lovers wonder what the life expectancy of a turtle is. It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question. Everything will depend on the species to which the pet belongs. Conditions of detention also play an important role. In this article we will discuss how long a turtle lives and how to care for it at home so that it pleases you for as long as possible.

How long does a turtle live?

For example, the lifespan of a giant tortoise is more than 50 years. This is much longer than the life of any vertebrate animal. European marsh turtle lives on average 20-25 years.

The main difference between these cute creatures and other animals is their slow metabolism. Therefore, they can do without food and even without water for a long time. In addition, they have very high immunity; therefore, their injuries heal quickly and they are resistant to various infections. This also helps them be surprisingly resilient. Few people know that turtles have the unique ability to stop their heartbeat and then start their “engine” again.

All existing species of turtles are descended from Cotylosaurus, their terrestrial ancestor. The descendants of this animal, in the course of evolution, learned to live in both salt and fresh water. It is worth noting that the question of the life expectancy of a turtle is quite extensive. Well, judge: on the island of Galapagos there lives a turtle, which, according to local residents, has reached 300 years old. Although, this may well be just a legend, because scientists claim that large turtles (which include the centenarian) can live up to 180 years, but no more.

In any case, the answer to the question of how long a red-eared turtle lives depends directly on people who constantly destroy the habitat of individuals with their actions. Humanity has repeatedly attempted to resettle turtles from their usual habitats; moreover, people barbarously exterminate these animals for their meat, skin and shell.

How long does a turtle live at home?

There is also no clear answer to this question. This largely depends on the conditions of their detention. If the conditions you create are suitable for this type of red-eared turtle, then, for example, a red-eared turtle can safely live with you for up to 30 years. Along with this, cases have been recorded when a turtle at home lived for four decades to the delight of the owner.

Description of red-eared turtles

The genus of these turtles (Chrysemys) has 8 species. The habitat of their representatives is the water bodies of South and North America. The shell of these animals reaches 28 cm in length. The color of the shell and the pattern differ from one individual to another. For example, sexually mature males are completely black. Their main distinguishing characteristic is the presence of 2 orange, yellow or red spots that can be seen on the sides of the head, hence their name.

Subspecies of red-eared turtles

Scientists divide the species of red-eared turtles into several subspecies. For example, the Colombian subspecies, which has been listed in the Red Book as the most vulnerable for many years. The Colombian tortoise is the smallest of its relatives. It lives in the waters of Lake Maracaibo, located in northwestern Venezuela. It can settle in lagoons and swamps, in the lower reaches of the Sinu and Magdalena river basins. This subspecies is protected in Colombia at the legislative level, thanks to which the export of turtles outside the state has been minimized.

German lovers of these individuals released them into natural reservoirs in Germany and some other countries in Europe. Due to the fact that these countries have a predominantly mild climate, turtles have taken root there well. Today, European animal activists, together with biologists, urge people not to keep red-eared turtles at home.

How to determine the sex of a red-eared slider?

If several turtles live in an aquarium, then their sex is very easy to determine. Males differ from females in that they have has a long tail, wider at the base. Females have thin and short tails. Males also have longer claws on their front legs than females.

Habitat and its influence on life expectancy

Anyone who wants to extend the life of their pet should definitely take an interest in its natural habitat. After all, if you try to replicate the natural conditions of these animals at home, their life expectancy will increase. Red-eared sliders live in marshy, shallow bodies of water in the eastern United States and northeastern Mexico.

In their homeland, they received the nickname “red-eared sliders” for their manner of running away when they are in danger, sliding their belly along the ground, this helps them reach water faster. They have every reason to fear people. Locals often eat meat adult turtles and their eggs.

Lifespan of red-eared turtles

The future owner of these funny creatures, dressed in a shell, must be aware that he is getting a small pet for almost his entire life. There are cases when turtles in captivity live to a very old age (30-40 years or more). But this happens to those owners who understand that this animal is not a toy, and it needs to be given attention every day. If you do not follow the vital rules, then your red-eared pet can quickly give up the ghost, and even the good genes inherited from its wild ancestors will not be able to help it.

Often people are interested not only in how long aquarium turtles live, but also in how to determine their age. After all, it is not always possible to get a tiny turtle and raise it from a very young age. Turtles are often given as gifts or purchased as adults. Approximate calculations can be done in a simple way - measure the diameter of the shell. Based on the following data: for the first year of life, the turtle grows to an average of 6 cm, then for each subsequent year they add 2-3 cm. At 6 years, the male’s shell will reach approximately 17 cm, and the female’s - up to 20 cm. However, it is worth remembering that their growth gradually slows down, and the increase is no longer more than 1-2 centimeters.

Reproduction

The breeding season for red-eared turtles, which live in the Southern Hemisphere, is from September to December, and those living in the Northern Hemisphere, from April to June. As a rule, mating occurs under water. They build their cozy nests on the sand near the water, in places shaded by plants, so as not to overheat.

Male pet turtles reach sexual maturity by 4 years, females - by 6 years. The mating period at home is from February to May. After mating, the female comes to land to lay eggs. Therefore, it is very important for these animals to create appropriate conditions in captivity. Small turtles are born after 105-150 days; the ambient temperature should not fall below 21 degrees. The length of the cubs is 3 cm.

Offspring are born during the rainy season, which lasts from September to December in areas north of the equator, and in June in areas south of the equator.

Nutrition

This is one of the most important factors that anyone who has decided to place a red-eared slider in their home needs to know. With proper nutrition, these animals will live in captivity for at least thirty years. Follow the right diet - this will increase the life expectancy of the individual.

It is important to remember that turtles are diurnal animals, so you need to feed them during the day. The basis of their diet is dry aquarium food. At the same time, red-eared turtles will not refuse the following delicacies:

• bloodworm;
• earthworms;
• tubifex;
• aquatic crustaceans - gamarus; the most useful for turtles is live hamarus, which is available for sale in winter;
• insects and snails - they are needed in order to bring the turtle’s diet as close as possible to natural.

Meat supplements will allow you to balance the lack of protein in your turtle's diet. It is enough to simply give the animal boiled or fresh thinly chopped meat.

Vitamins play a special role in turtle nutrition. They not only improve the pet’s well-being, but also increase its life expectancy. Red-eared turtles need to be given vitamin supplements:

1. An oil solution of vitamin D, it is enough to give it once a week, applying a few drops to food.
2. Vitamin A is given less frequently - once every two weeks.

We have already mentioned that the lifespan of your turtle will directly depend on how well its habitat is organized. Make every effort to ensure that the conditions of detention are close to natural.

Remember that turtles need dry land as well as water. The volume of the aquarium should be 150 liters per individual. At the same time, it is important to comply proportions of water and land - approximately 3:1.

In pet stores you can purchase a special island on which your turtle can walk or just relax. There is no need to make it yourself from available plastic materials - it will be difficult for the turtle to climb onto it on a slippery surface, which will lead to the animal refusing to walk. And this, in turn, will certainly affect your well-being and life expectancy.

Make sure that the temperature in the terrarium is always maintained at a fairly high temperature. This can be easily achieved using a special lamp. Do not change the water more than once a week. Take care of your pet, and he will delight you for many, many years!

Today, there are just over three hundred species of turtles in the world, of which only seven species live in our country. These unique reptiles are distinguished by great endurance and amazing vitality. A characteristic feature of the turtle is its excellent immune system, which easily copes with various infections and promotes rapid healing of wounds. The animal is able to remain viable for a long time even without food.

Origin of the turtle

The question of origin is still occupied by the minds of many scientists. The conditional ancestor is considered to be Permian cotylosaurs or eunotosaurs. This small and very lizard-like ancient animal had short and fairly wide ribs, which together formed a kind of shield-shell in the back area.

Some scientists suggest that turtles owe their origin to a special group of parareptiles that were descendants of the amphibian discosauriscus. The first, most ancient specimen that fell into the hands of scientists was Odontochelys semitestacea, very well known in scientific circles. This turtle was characterized by the presence of the lower half of the shell, as well as teeth, which modern species are completely devoid of. The second oldest turtle is Proganochelys quenstedti. This animal had a full and well-formed shell and also had teeth.

The largest land turtles from the genus Meiolania had shells that often exceeded two meters in length. In addition to the huge shell, the animal had a very long and incredibly powerful tail, which was decorated with flattened bone spikes arranged in two rows. The species is characterized by the presence of a triangular skull, on which there are elongated, blunt-type spines directed backwards and sideways.

The assumption that absolutely all turtles are long-lived is nothing more than another misconception. It has been proven that only one species, the giant Galapagos tortoise, can live more than two hundred years. The average lifespan of other species, as a rule, does not exceed 20-30 years. The Balkan turtle in nature lives no more than a hundred years, and some individuals of the Mediterranean and red-eared turtles can live for four decades.

This is interesting! An elephant tortoise named Garietta lived to be 175 years old, and the Madagascar radiated tortoise Tui-Malila had a lifespan of almost 188 years. Other long-livers among these representatives of reptiles are also known.

The large turtle has a very slow metabolism, so it is rightfully one of the longest-living species on our planet. This animal can survive without water and food for a year or more. The turtle is characterized by the presence of wrinkled skin on the body and a very slow speed of movement, as well as the ability to slow down and stop its heartbeat, so the aging process is almost invisible. A turtle rarely dies a natural death. As a rule, the animal dies from pathogenic microflora or becomes the prey of a predator.

Turtles in natural conditions

The animal leads a solitary lifestyle. A pair is found only during the mating season or in preparation for wintering. For food, land turtles use mainly plant foods. Most freshwater species are classified as carnivores and feed on a variety of fish, shellfish, arthropods and other invertebrates. Sea turtles are represented by predatory, omnivorous and herbivorous species.

This is interesting! Various species of turtles inhabit a significant part of the land and water in the tropics and temperate zones. In our country you can find loggerhead, leatherback, Far Eastern, marsh, Caspian and Mediterranean turtles.

The main reason for the decline in turtle numbers is the capture of these animals in order to obtain high-value meat, which is considered a delicacy. This product is eaten raw, boiled and fried. Turtle shells are widely used in the manufacture of traditional Japanese women's hair jewelry. The number of some species of land turtles is declining as a result of the settlement of places traditionally inhabited by animals by people.

Home content

Small species of land and freshwater turtles have enjoyed great success in recent years as unpretentious and very original pets. When kept in captivity, the animal must be placed in a terrarium, aqua-terrarium or aquarium. The choice of maintenance method depends on the lifestyle characteristics of each species. Improper feeding and care conditions often become the main cause of death of an animal at home.

At home, the most commonly kept turtles are red-eared, musky, Caspian, mud or loggerhead turtles, swamp turtles, as well as Chinese trionix. For these types it is necessary to ensure the availability of:

• spacious aquarium;
• an ultraviolet lamp that heats an island of land, occupying a third of the total area of ​​the aquarium;
• filter system;
• high-quality special food.

As natural food, you can use fish, finely chopped raw meat, worms, mice, small frogs, snails, as well as plant foods such as vegetables, apples, bananas and algae. You can use special balanced food with a sufficient content of microelements and vitamins to feed your pets. A young turtle needs to be fed daily. Adult and well-formed individuals should receive food once every three days.

This is interesting! All types of turtles have very poorly developed vocal cords, but some varieties of these exotics are capable of hissing quite loudly, which allows them to scare away enemies and express their displeasure.

The temperature of the aquatic environment should be maintained at 26-28°C, and the resting island should be heated to a temperature of 30-32°C. It is necessary to strictly control the purity of water, carrying out its timely replacement.

These species are kept in terrariums. For a medium-sized turtle, it will be enough to allocate a terrarium with a volume of 80-100 liters. You need to add washed and dried river gravel to the bottom in a layer of 5 cm. It is imperative to provide the land turtle with a small bath-pool filled with warm and clean water. The standard power of a heating lamp should be approximately watts per liter of terrarium volume. The optimal temperature should be 18-30°C.

Land species are herbivorous turtles, and therefore the basis of their diet consists of 90% plant foods. About 10% of the diet is animal food with the addition of mineral and vitamin complexes. You need to feed your turtle a finely chopped mixture of herbs, vegetables and fruits, supplemented with bran, soybean meal, cottage cheese, dry yeast, seaweed, minced meat and a boiled egg.

The yellow-bellied or red-eared turtle (Trachemys scripta) is a species belonging to the family of freshwater American turtles. This freshwater reptile is deservedly one of the most common and very popular species among lovers of such exotic pets as turtles.

Characteristics of the red-eared turtle

Experts recommend purchasing a reptile in early spring, which will allow the baby to adapt as easily as possible to new conditions during the summer. A seasonal feature of reptiles purchased in the fall is slow adaptation and slower growth processes, as well as the risk of developing rickets, vitamin deficiency or pneumonia.

When purchasing a red-eared turtle, you should pay attention to the condition of the reptile's shell. It must be undeformed and not soft, of correct shape, without scratches or any other damage. There should be no cracks or spots on the reptile's skin. Sick and dehydrated animals have sunken eyes surrounded by a small “indentation.” The red-eared slider's eyes should not have any discharge or swelling. The turtle's mouth should not have a whitish coating, abrasions or wounds.

This is interesting! A strange-looking formation located on the plastron is most often a residual part of the yolk sac - a source of food for the little turtle. This formation resolves on its own, after which the reptile begins to actively feed.

It is important to be able to independently determine the sex of a red-eared turtle, and also to remember that very small turtles, regardless of gender, look exactly the same. Only as they grow older do the differences between females and males become obvious. The latter become sexually mature more quickly, having a shell measuring about 10-12 cm by this age, but the females of this species are noticeably larger. Among other things, males have longer claws, which are located on the front pair of legs, as well as concave plastrons and a longer, thick tail. The male's cloaca is located closer to the middle part of the tail.

Aquarium setup, filling

Proper diet for turtles

In captivity, the red-eared turtle should be fed with low-fat, preferably river fish, and once every two weeks the freshwater reptile is given raw beef liver. The diet of an exotic pet must be supplemented with snails, as well as crickets, food cockroaches, earthworms and small aquarium fish. The plant part of the diet can be represented by various aquarium plants, lettuce, dandelion and plantain leaves.

This is interesting! When placing food in an aqua terrarium, you need to remember that red-eared turtles do not chew food until they completely immerse their heads under water, which is due to the lack of salivation.

Aquarium water should contain calcium in the form of Vitakraft Series mineral stone. Many owners of red-eared turtles feed their pets with special ready-made diets: Tetra ReptoMin, Sera and JBL. Among vegetable crops, preference should be given to carrots, which in crushed form are given to freshwater reptiles no more than once a month. A tortoise under one year of age should be fed daily, while older turtles should receive food once every two or three days.

Caring for a red-eared slider

Friendly and fairly unpretentious red-eared turtles require simple but specific care. Clean water is the key to the active growth of young animals and the preservation of the health of adult animals. To fill the aqua terrarium, you should use water that has settled for five days. By installing a powerful filter system, you can reduce the frequency of water changes. To maintain optimal temperature values, you can use a traditional incandescent lamp, the light from which should be directed directly at the island of land. In this case, the aquarium water will not require too active additional heating.

Important! It is a misconception that red-eared turtles living in close quarters do not grow and remain attractively small in size. In such conditions, the reptile can die very quickly.

After some time, the adapted animal learns to take all its food exclusively on land, which makes the feeding process very convenient and also prevents the risk of water contamination too quickly. It is desirable that the island for resting and feeding the reptile has a textured surface. Experts consider it inappropriate to keep turtles that have noticeable differences in size inside the same aqua-terrarium.

It should be noted that the clumsiness and slowness of the red-eared turtle is often very deceptive, so sometimes such domestic exotics are able to show noticeable activity not only in water, but also on an island of land. It is for this reason that it is very important to choose the right home for the reptile. The minimum height of the walls should be approximately 35-45 cm. Too low walls of the aqua terrarium can cause the turtle to jump out and quickly die from severe injury, dehydration or starvation.

Health, disease and prevention

Almost 90% of all diseases of the red-eared turtle occur as a result of improper maintenance or failure to comply with care requirements. The presence of dirty water in an aquarium quickly causes a sharp deterioration in the turtle's health.

A sick aquatic animal must be kept at a temperature increased by about 2-3 o C, which helps to improve the functioning of the immune system. It is also necessary to monitor the turtle's drinking regime, since dehydration can cause the death of a freshwater turtle due to the rapid development of kidney failure.

The animal's ill health is evidenced by the characteristics of the movements of a swimming red-eared turtle.. A sick pet most often moves in a position “on its side” or simply sinks to the bottom. If an infectious nature of the disease is suspected, all animal care items should be thoroughly treated with an antiseptic that is safe for pets. As a rule, the first symptoms of a bacterial infection are represented by the appearance of edema and necrotic changes. In this case, a treatment regimen with antibiotics is prescribed, and the water in the aquarium is completely replaced.

When injured, the red-eared turtle, under the influence of an infection that has entered the body, develops blood poisoning, accompanied by redness of the paws and very pronounced lethargy. This pathology is classified as difficult to treat and therefore requires urgent and qualified assistance from specialists. Untimely treatment often causes the death of a pet as a result of dysfunction of internal organs.

Preventive measures are presented:

• daily inspection of the turtle;
• regular cleaning of the aqua terrarium;
• regular change of water in the aqua terrarium;
• proper organization of nutrition;
• preventing hypothermia;
• regular checking of the performance of illuminators, as well as heating and filtering devices;
• observing the rules of personal hygiene when caring for a pet;
• systematically cleaning the turtle shell from algae;
• mandatory quarantine for sick or newly acquired turtles;
• limiting the contact of a sick turtle with any other pets and family members;
• control of the animal’s movement outside the aqua-terrarium;
• periodic ultraviolet irradiation and sunbathing;
• regular examination by a veterinarian.

If the diet is incorrectly prepared, the freshwater animal develops calcium deficiency, which manifests itself in the form of curvature or severe softening of the shell. Too much calcium deficiency greatly increases your red-eared turtle's risk of death. In order to quickly normalize the general condition of the reptile, the veterinarian prescribes calcium supplements in injections.

He must understand that he is getting a little pet for almost his entire life. There are often cases when in captivity they calmly live to a very old age. 30-40 years and more. But this happens when people understand that the turtle is not a toy, and it requires proper daily attention. If you do not follow some rules, then your red-eared beauty will give up the ghost very soon, and even good genes will not help her.

At liberty o Only 10% of turtles survive to adulthood, and less than 1% survive to old age.. In a home terrarium, many of the causes of such high mortality can be avoided.

How long do red-eared turtles live at home?

At home, the red-eared turtle lives up to 40 years. In zoos this value is slightly lower than in an apartment: 30-35 years. Moreover, the larger the turtle, the longer its lifespan will be. But on average, in home terrariums, red-eared turtles spruces live up to 15 years, which is determined by many factors, mainly related to care. People often underestimate turtles and equate them with fish, but they require much more attention.

Why do turtles die in captivity?

The first common reason is poor content. If young individuals can live quite well in shallow “”, then with age they need more and more space. An adult requires an aquarium up to 150 liters in size. In this case, it is necessary to frequently change the water, plant plants and do not forget to regularly examine the turtle.

The second reason is infections.. A turtle can get sick by picking up an infection from another individual, or from the “decorations” of the terrarium - ampularia and store-bought algae. In addition, unfavorable conditions can also have an effect - lack of light, stagnant unfiltered water, too high or too low a temperature. In addition, turtles, like people, are susceptible to the environment and can get sick almost out of the blue.

The third reason is the lack due to unbalanced nutrition. In nature, the body tells the turtle if it lacks a certain vitamin, and it itself changes its diet. But in the confined space of the apartment she has no such choice. The diet of both adults and young individuals should consist of: from animal products(food for fish and the fish themselves are suitable), so and vegetable(seaweed, lettuce and dandelion leaves).

But here lies fourth reason frequent turtle deaths are far away not every city has a specialist who understands reptiles and is able to correctly identify the disease and prescribe treatment.

How to extend the life of a turtle

To extend the life of a red-eared turtle, it is enough to protect it from diseases and adverse conditions. Correctly sized, balanced food, a heating lamp, quarantine for new individuals and timely examinations at least once a month - all this does not require much time, but can serve well.

A pet whose care is given enough attention may well become a long-liver and become familiar to several generations of the same family. To do this, you should get a young individual, for the purchase of which you need to equip a spacious terrarium.