Can a red-eared slider lay eggs in an aquarium?

How can you tell if a red-eared slider is hibernating or dead?

The fact that a turtle should hibernate can be determined by the following external signs: the turtle moves little and, at the same time, yawns often. She can hide in a corner of the aquarium and remain motionless there for a long time.

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At what age can pregnancy begin?

In natural habitats, red-eared turtles reach sexual maturity at 6-8 years of age. At home, the process of puberty occurs faster, males become sexually mature at 3-4 years, and females at 5-6 years. The ideal age for breeding aquatic reptiles at home is 5 years; earlier attempts to produce offspring will be unsuccessful.

It is quite problematic to accurately determine the age of exotic animals, so for mating it is recommended to select individuals according to the length of their shell. Sexually mature males have a shell of at least 11 cm, females by this age already reach 15-17 cm. Before puberty, it is almost impossible to distinguish the sex of animals; all reptiles look like females.

Secondary sexual characteristics in red-eared turtles can be determined by comparing several individuals. Males are distinguished by a smaller elongated shell, an elongated tail and the presence of sharp long claws on the forelimbs. In addition, the characteristic gender of males is a triangular notch in the terminal part of the abdomen. Males during bathing sometimes release their penis, which looks like a rose flower. After determining age and gender, you can form heterosexual groups of females and males at a ratio of 2:1 and wait for mating games to begin.

Smart and prudent

There are many people who are convinced that turtles are not only slow, sluggish creatures, but also stupid. However, this is also not true. Professor Leonid Viktorovich Krushinsky conducted experiments, as far as I know, the only ones in the world that proved that turtles have a mind, that they are capable of thinking. In addition to turtles, a variety of birds and animals took part in the experiments. They were all given the same logic problem. They all had to figure out: where did the food go? The first turtle, like the others later, was brought into the room and left near the feeder. The turtle approached her and began to eat. But a few minutes passed, and the feeder began to slowly move along the rail to the left. The turtle followed her. And then the unexpected happened - the delicacy disappeared from her field of vision: the feeder disappeared behind a wooden screen. Now everything depended on the mental abilities of the turtle. To continue breakfast, she had to figure out which direction the food was going. Pigeons and voles, which were offered this problem earlier than the turtle, were unable to solve it. The rabbits, deprived of food, jumped, not knowing where. The chickens were looking for the grains they had just pecked where they had disappeared. And the ducks, looking for food, tried to get to it through the wooden screen, not realizing that this was impossible. Unlike all of them, the turtle walked along the screen to the left and continued breakfast. The experiments involved both land-living and water-dwelling turtles—European marsh and Caspian turtles. And they all coped with the task perfectly. Other facts also speak about the intelligence of turtles. Turtles that live in the desert, in particular gophers (but not all, but only some of them), after small, rare rains, make pools in which the water can stay for even six hours. Recently, there have been fewer places suitable for laying eggs, and swamp turtles have begun to lay eggs in alligator nests. In these nests, clutches of turtles are less likely to die from predators. Turtles, once in captivity, quickly adapt to new conditions. They stop being afraid of a person and take food from his hands. If they are fed at the same hours and in the same place, they will come there at the right time. Some owners are convinced that their turtles know their names.

Enemies

The most dangerous day is the first day of life for small turtles. Birds of prey, lizards and animals know when it is time for a new generation to emerge and lie in wait for it on the shore.

Only a few manage to escape; there are cases when the entire masonry died without ever reaching the water. If the baby leatherback turtle was able to get to the pond, it begins a measured life.

The main enemy of adult reptiles is humans. Pollution of water bodies, illegal catching of reptiles and the development of the tourism business have significantly affected the number of this species. The reptile often mistakes garbage and plastic for food, nutrition is disrupted and the individual dies.

Baby care

Little turtles, despite their tiny size, are already fully grown and independent. Young reptiles will need their own room. After 5-7 days, land turtles are taken out of the incubator and moved into a small terrarium, at the bottom of which special soil should be placed: sawdust, peat or gravel. The air temperature is maintained at 30-32C using a fluorescent lamp. A prerequisite is the installation of an ultraviolet radiation source for reptiles with a power of 10% UVB and a special drinking bowl.

Before moving babies into their own home, they must be bathed in boiled water at a temperature of +36C for 30-40 minutes. The volume of water should reach 2/3 of the turtles’ body height. Don’t be alarmed if foolish little ones dip their heads under the water and blow bubbles; wild relatives behave exactly the same way. Water procedures saturate the body of the cubs with the necessary moisture and stimulate intestinal motility of newborn pets. At first, babies need to be bathed 2-3 times a week.

Caring for newborn red-eared slider turtles is necessary in compliance with the principles of caring for adults. After birth, babies do not yet know how to swim, so owners should observe the behavior of the babies in the first hours of their life in the aquarium. For young freshwater turtle reptiles, it is also necessary to equip their own home. For 10-20 turtles, one aquarium with a capacity of 100 liters is enough; the volume of water must be increased gradually as the kids get used to living in an aquatic environment.

The water temperature for young freshwater reptiles should be at least 28-30C. The aquarium must be equipped with banks and islands so that kids always have the opportunity to relax and warm up. A prerequisite for the proper development of the young is the installation of a daytime and ultraviolet lamp for reptiles with a power of 5% UVB.

The body of newborn turtles is very sensitive to infectious microflora that multiply in warm water. From the first days of life, an aquarium for red-eared turtles should be equipped with a filtration system. If it is not possible to install a filter, it is recommended to completely change the water for babies every 1.5-2 days. The aquarium should be filled with settled fresh water at exactly the same temperature in which newborn red-eared turtles usually live.

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Incubation by other vertebrates

Fish generally do not incubate eggs. However, some species of mouthbrood eggs are not eaten until they hatch.

Some amphibians hatch their eggs. Female Pacific

(
Pacific salamander eschscholtzii
) curls around a clutch of eggs and massages individual eggs with its pulsating throat.
Some aquatic frogs such as the Suriname toad ( Pip peep
) have sacs in the skin into which the eggs are inserted. Other Neotropical frogs in the family Hemiphractidae also have sacs in which the eggs develop, in some species directly into juvenile frogs and in others into tadpoles, which are then stored in small bodies of water to continue their development. The male Darwin's frog does not carry eggs in its mouth until metamorphosis, and the female stomach brooding frog of Australia ingests the eggs, which develop in the stomach.

Lifestyle

Adults are found mainly in the open ocean. These animals are tireless travelers. There are known cases of overcoming a huge distance of 20,000 km. from the USA to Indonesia. The leatherback turtle's tracked journey took 647 days, during which it fed primarily on jellyfish. During the day, the reptile preferred deep waters, and surface waters at night. This strategy allowed the turtle to constantly stay in the layer of water where most of the jellyfish are located, making daily migrations upward in the dark and descending during the day.

It is jellyfish that constitute the main diet of adult reptiles, although they can also prey on other soft-bodied animals - cephalopods and tunicates.

It's scary that trash thrown into the ocean can literally kill a leatherback turtle. She perceives a plastic bag floating in the water as a jellyfish. It is clear that eating garbage will not bring anything good to the animal. It is estimated that one in three turtles eat plastic. Given the limited population of animals, it is scary to imagine the amount of garbage in the world's oceans.

Like all sea turtles, the leatherback begins its life journey by crawling out of the sand of the beach where its mother laid her egg. These first minutes of life are the most dangerous. On the way to the water, young turtles are waited by birds, other reptiles, and some mammals. Those few who were able to get to the saving water have a better chance of survival than those who hesitated on the shore.

Determination of gender

To ensure reptiles reproduce at home, it is necessary to find out which sex each turtle belongs to. Obviously, the offspring is the result of the mating of a male and a female.

This is interesting: A female reptile can lay eggs without the participation of a male, but storing them will not give any results, since fertilization in this case was not carried out.

Sexual dimorphism in red-eared turtles appears at one year of age. For comparison, it is recommended to take reptiles of the same age. The distinction between individuals is carried out according to the following criteria:

• body size (females are larger);
• claws on the front paws (in males they are longer);
• tail (longer in males than in females);
• the shape of the lower part of the shell (in females it is flat, in boys it is concave).

Reproduction of sea and land turtles at home and in the wild

Everyone's favorite turtles are one of the most ancient animals on Earth. In nature, turtles reproduce naturally, laying several hundred eggs per season. Reptiles have been kept in homes as pets for quite some time, but not every owner succeeds in raising turtles at home. The reason for this phenomenon is a lack of knowledge of the physiology of unusual animals, an unbalanced diet and violation of feeding and housing conditions. But with a competent approach to the process of breeding turtles in captivity, even beginners can get tiny, cute reptiles.

Little turtle's "hobby"

People don't always choose dogs or cats as pets. This happened to one guy. A small 30-year-old turtle is the pet of one netizen who lives in Japan. This reptile once appeared in the guy’s home, which he was very happy about. After 10 years, the turtle has hardly grown, and the shape of its body remains the same.

The little turtle loves to accompany its owner as he moves around the house. She eats little, crawls slowly and smiles when the guy plays with her. However, as the pet grew up, she acquired a new “hobby” that may make some people laugh or cry.

So, one day a man filled the bathtub with water to take a bath and went to get a towel. At that moment, a small turtle crawled in and laid eggs. When the guy saw his pet's clutch for the first time, his mouth opened in surprise. The Japanese, not knowing what to do, pushed the turtle and said: “I just wanted to take a bath. And then I discovered this surprise. I do not understand what it means".

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Where are the eggs laid?

The turtle tries to lay eggs in places where they will be safe. Moreover, this place is located at a considerable distance from the turtle’s habitat. Basically, she lays her eggs in the sand. The fact is that it is easy to make a depression in the sand, especially since sand can hold both heat and moisture.

If the mating process is noticed, then it is better to pour a certain portion of sand into the terrarium (aquaterrarium) so that the turtle can lay eggs without much effort. Eggs are laid at a depth of 50 mm, so an island 100 mm high will definitely attract a female.

If a female lays eggs without a male, then they can be thrown away immediately, since there will be no offspring.

Use as food

For culinary needs, only eggs of aquatic turtles (and only certain species) are used. This product can be recognized by its soft shell and perfect spherical shape.

As a rule, this delicacy is part of oriental cuisine, and also serves as a traditional product for residents of Malaysia, Cuba, Costa Rica, and many island residents. They consume the product raw or lightly cooked with the addition of soy sauce. The turtle delicacy tastes like chicken eggs, but leaves behind a musky aftertaste.

The threat of complete extinction of some species of turtles, especially sea turtles, has become the reason for the ban on the consumption and sale of eggs of “wild” reptiles. Instead, the local population and tourists are offered a product from turtle farms. Although poachers are always ready to offer visitors the “forbidden fruit.”

Useful components

Being a low-calorie product (no more than 155 kcal/100 g) with a high protein content, turtle eggs are an ideal nutritional ingredient. Dairy products also serve as an excellent source of proteins, but in addition to proteins, they also contain impressive portions of fat, which is practically absent in turtle eggs.

In addition, if 100 g of chicken or quail eggs contains protein within 12 g, then the turtle product contains more than 14 g. As for fats, reptile eggs contain only 7 g (per 100 g of product). And if we talk about proteins of animal origin, then egg whites, in particular from turtle products, can serve as a useful dietary source of these substances.

Another benefit of turtle eggs is that they contain omega-3 fatty acids, which effectively reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Omega substances are extremely useful for preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease. They are necessary for the functioning of brain cells. Turtle eggs are rich in eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, the first of which is completely absent in the chicken product, and the second is found only in so-called trace quantities. A lack of docosahexaenoic acid leads to impaired brain function, rapid cell aging, and poor vision. Eicosapentaenoic acid is important for reducing bad cholesterol, preventing thrombosis, heart attacks, strokes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

But why such a big difference? Turtles are hibernating animals and in order to survive hibernation, they need a large supply of nutrients. Their eggs contain more than 50 vitamins and minerals in proportions that are ideally balanced for humans. This product can serve as a source of vitamins A, , , , as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, iodine.

Preparation

Getting red-eared turtles to breed in captivity is quite a difficult task. To achieve the desired result, you first need to take care of your pets’ diet. Reptile food should include vitamins and nutrients. Vitamin E is especially useful for males, as it has a positive effect on the reproductive function of animals. Calcium and phosphorus are useful for the normal course of pregnancy in females.

Before the intended mating, two turtles need to be placed in different aquariums. To create a suitable environment, it is recommended to change the water and heat it to 25 o C. It happens that during the mating process, the male does not allow the female to come to the surface for a long time. To prevent the reptile from suffocating, the water level in the aquarium should not exceed 10 centimeters. A container with sand must be placed inside the vessel, where the female will lay eggs.

It should be located in a dry area that is easily accessible to the turtle. Please note that mating will only occur if there is soil in the aquarium. A sign indicating that the female is ready to reproduce is the reptile displaying high activity, as well as its refusal to eat.

Related species

The leatherback turtle is the only member of the family. This reptile is closely related to other species of sea turtles, perfectly adapted to life in the water. Their forelimbs turned into paddle-like flippers, and their shell acquired a streamlined shape. Sea turtles do not retract their heads under their shells. The females of these reptiles lay huge numbers of eggs.

The Australian green turtle (Chelonia depressa) is found only off the coast of Australia. Reaches a length of 72 to 100 cm and weighs about 70 kg. Its smooth, very flat carapace is oval in shape and olive in color with a yellow-brown border along the edges. This carnivorous turtle is endangered.

How many days do chicks hatch?

A budgerigar incubates a clutch for three weeks. Periodically turn each egg so that the embryos develop evenly. The female occasionally leaves the clutch to drink and satisfy her hunger, as well as to empty her intestines. The eggs do not have time to cool to a critical temperature.

Note: it happens that the female abandons the nest and the eggs cool down. If your goal is to breed parrots, give eggs to other hens or try hatching chicks in an incubator.

There may be a difference of several days between the first and last chick, based on the order in which the eggs are laid. When the youngest chick just breaks through the shell, its older brothers have already acquired fluff and gained strength. Natural selection manifests itself - the survival of the fittest.

The female supplies the helpless chicks with crop milk and keeps them warm. The male does not distance himself from the family; he feeds the female while she is sitting on the nest, and then the newborns. Most budgies are caring parents. They feed the chicks for one or two months, until the offspring wants to fly out of the nest.

Young animals must be forcibly separated from their parents at the age of one month. At the same time, the nest is removed, otherwise the married couple will again have a desire to reproduce. The female’s body, weakened by pregnancy, childbirth and feeding, needs rest.

Cooking turtle eggs

The owner followed the usual method of frying eggs. He heated the oil in a frying pan and then cracked the eggs into it one at a time without any hesitation. The guy said that the yolk of these eggs is very large and not as bright as chicken eggs, and the white is presented in a very thin layer.

The shell of a turtle egg is very strong and fragile, identical to the shell of snake eggs. This food takes much longer to fry than chicken eggs, since it contains a lot of water. Therefore, you will need patience to create a mouth-watering dish.

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Green turtle nutrition

Having barely seen the light, the turtles, obeying ancient instincts, strive as far into the depths as possible. It is there, among corals, sea reefs, and a variety of algae, that they are threatened by a minimal number of land and water inhabitants trying to eat them. Their increased growth forces them to consume not only vegetation, but also mollusks, jellyfish, and crustaceans. Young green turtles and worms readily eat.

After 7-10 years, the soft shell hardens, and it becomes increasingly difficult for both birds and many predatory fish to get to the tasty meat. Therefore, without fear, turtles rush closer and closer to the shore, to sun-warmed water and a variety of vegetation, not only aquatic, but also coastal. By the time green turtles become sexually mature, they completely switch to plant foods, and remain vegetarians until old age.

Turtles are especially fond of Thalassia and Zostera, whose dense thickets at a depth of 10 meters are often called pastures. Reptiles do not refuse kelp either. They can be found close to the shore during high tide, happily consuming succulent terrestrial vegetation.

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Corrections

Signs

Unfortunately, there are no external signs of pregnancy in reptiles. A pregnant red-eared turtle looks exactly the same as all other turtles. Most often, pregnancy of freshwater turtles in the wild occurs in the spring and summer. At home, reptiles mate most often in the spring in April-May after a long winter hibernation. During this period, it is recommended to carefully monitor the aquatic turtles so as not to miss the courtship process.

Mating games of red-eared turtles are manifested by the active courtship of the male with the female he likes. The boy swims in front of the girl with his tail first and gently tickles the cheeks of the chosen one with the long claws of his front paws. On land, males can approach females and hit the female’s back with their shell. When several different-sex red-eared turtles are kept at the same time, males can start bloody battles for the right to court the female. In this case, it is recommended to leave a group of several girls and one boy.

It is almost impossible to find out that a red-eared turtle is pregnant, but you can suspect a successful conception in a female if you can notice mating games and the process of copulation of reptiles. Mating of red-eared turtles occurs in water and lasts from 5 to 15 minutes; during sexual intercourse, the male tightly hugs the female from behind. Sperm can remain active in the female genital tract for up to 2 years. One sexual intercourse is enough for a female to lay eggs 4-5 times.

You can understand that a red-eared turtle is pregnant by the characteristic behavior of the expectant mother. When a reptile carries eggs in itself, it experiences a change in appetite: from its increase to a complete refusal of food closer to the date of birth. Immediately before laying eggs, the aquatic turtle becomes restless, begins to dig the soil, and circles on land in search of a good place for its nest.

The most accurate confirmation of a reptile’s pregnancy is an x-ray examination, with which you can reliably verify the presence of eggs in the female’s genitals.

The pregnancy of a red-eared slider lasts on average 60 days and ends with the laying of eggs. It is recommended that the expectant mother be separated from the male after mating in order to avoid harm to the health of the female and her future cubs. During pregnancy, turtles must be fed a variety of foods, the bulk of the diet should be animal feed rich in calcium.

What do newborn turtles look like?

A baby red-eared turtle at birth has a body size of 2.5-3 cm, a baby Central Asian turtle is born about 3-3.5 cm in length. If there were 2 embryos in one egg, the size and weight of the twins will be several times less than that of their brothers.

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Turtle eggs hatch into small turtles with a round body shape that resembles the silhouette of an egg. An adult turtle and its young differ from each other only in body size. Newborn babies, immediately after birth, are fully prepared for independent existence and do not need maternal care.

The birth of turtles is accompanied by a large loss of energy, and newborns will begin to feed in a few weeks or even months. The offspring of turtles are born with a yolk sac on their stomach, thanks to which the babies can go without food for quite a long time. The yolk sac is the size of a cherry and is yellow in color; some baby red-eared turtles literally hug their bright bladder. It is prohibited to tear or forcefully release a baby turtle from its yolk sac; these manipulations can kill the newborn reptile.

Within 2-5 days the bubble will heal on its own. If turtles are born at home, to avoid damage to the yolk sac, you can bandage it to the underside of the shell with a gauze pad. Once the bubble has resolved, the gauze can be removed. Turtles are born with a transverse fold on the abdomen, which is associated with the position of the embryo in the egg. Within a few days of life, the groove is successfully overgrown.