Tell me, how long can a turtle hold in the water at one time?

Half an hour to a day

Depends on the species

Common knowledge about raising turtles: The carapace is relatively flat with three longitudinal edges. The plastron is brownish-yellow, and each scute has large dark-brown patches. Kiss short. There are dark-colored yellow stripes and yellow spots on the side of the head and throat, and extend back to the neck. When the male becomes an adult, the whole body turns black, which is very different from that of the female. Male tortoises age. The color on the body becomes darker and darker. When most male tortoises reach adulthood, the markings on the neck will disappear and the whole body will turn into jet black. This is why tortoises are called "tortoises". The body color of female tortoises generally remains unchanged throughout their lives, and their bodies are slightly larger than male tortoises of the same age. Turtles are very spiritual and highly interactive with people. When you approach, it will swim to you and ask for food; when feeding, it likes to take the food away from your hand.

Distribution of tortoises

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Wild tortoises are mainly distributed in mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and other places. Except for Northeast China, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang and other places, it has been found in other places in mainland China. Wild tortoises inhabit rivers, lakes, and ponds.

Life habits

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The Chinese tortoise is an aquatic reptile that can also land on land. Mainly inhabits rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds and other waters. They often stay in the water during the day.

When the summer is hot, they look for shade in groups. Mild temperament. When encountering danger or being frightened, it retracts its head, limbs and tail into its shell. It is an omnivore and feeds on small animal fish, shrimp, snails, clams, etc. It has a strong ability to withstand hunger and will not starve to death without eating for a month. It is a cold-blooded animal. When the water temperature drops below 15°C, they hibernate in the mud at the bottom of the water or in covered loose soil. The hibernation period generally lasts from November to early April of the following year. When the water temperature rises to 15°C, they come out of their burrows and start feeding when the water temperature is 18°C ??to 20°C. The growth of turtles is relatively slow. Under normal conditions, the growth rate of female turtles is: the weight of first-instar turtles is about 15 grams, the second-instar turtles are 50 grams, the third-instar turtles are 100 grams, the fourth-instar turtles are 200 grams, and the fifth-instar turtles are 250~ 350 grams, about 400 grams for a six-year-old turtle. Male turtles grow slowly, and the largest sexually mature individual is generally less than 250 grams. The diet includes snails, shrimps, small fish, etc. Turtles have a wide range of food habits and eat corn, small fish, shrimps, snails, etc. Among them, their favorite foods are small fish and small shrimps.

Food of tortoises

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Tortoises are omnivorous animals. They are mainly fed small fish and shrimps (dried shrimps can be used) and lean meat (note : Do not eat fatty meat, which is prone to indigestion), small insects, rice, vegetables, fruits, turtle feed (eat less feed, most of them contain additives), etc. They are carnivorous when young and vegetarian as adults.

If your tortoises have just arrived, they may not eat right away. This is normal, don't worry. As long as the water temperature in the tank is suitable, the tortoise will naturally eat after becoming familiar with the new environment.

Compared with other pet turtles, tortoises adapt to new environments relatively quickly.

Young Brazilian turtles can be raised in a flat-bottomed container without difficulty. Plastic basins, plastic troughs or boxes, and aquariums are all suitable. The water should not be too deep. A commercially available flat shallow plastic trough with an island and a plastic coconut tree in the middle is the most unsuitable because (1) it is too small. (2) it cannot be installed with an electric heater. (3) it misleads users to put the small The island serves as a feeding place. Because the turtle feeds entirely in the water, the result may be that the island is filled with feed while the turtle is starving.

An ideal breeding place must have certain minimum requirements. Each young turtle should have five liters of water space for movement, and the water depth should not exceed the length of the turtle body so that the turtle's feet can reach the ground when it comes to the surface to breathe. At the same time, it is necessary to make an island for them out of bricks and stone chips. Floating islands are not suitable because the young turtles often cannot climb up and their efforts are in vain. On the other hand, be careful not to let the islands and decorations become dangerous obstacles that could trap the turtles and cause them to drown.

The water temperature that hatchlings can adapt to is about 25 degrees Celsius; when the weather is cold, the air above the container should also be heated. Installing a shade lamp on the breeding box can get the best of both worlds.

If the water temperature is still too low, you can add an electric heating pipe to the water - the temperature can be adjusted as much as possible. If you choose an electric heating pipe with higher thermal energy (100 to 150 watts) now, it will be enough to handle a larger water tank when the Brazilian tortoise grows larger. The electric heating tubes sold in aquarium stores should be placed under the water. When installing, care should be taken to avoid the possibility of the electric heater and power cord getting stuck on the Brazilian turtle. The Brazilian red-eared turtle is an aquatic turtle. It likes silence and is afraid of noise, likes warmth and is afraid of cold. It is active in nature and has strong adaptability to the environment.

The Brazilian turtle

For example, its tolerance to temperature changes is stronger than that of domestic turtles such as tortoises and yellow-throated aquatic turtles. The suitable water temperature for growth is 20~32℃, and the optimal growth water temperature is between 25~30℃. When the temperature is below 20°C, food intake is reduced and the activity is less active. When the temperature is below 16°C, hibernation begins, and when the temperature is below 12°C, it is complete hibernation.

The Brazilian red-eared turtle is an omnivorous turtle that is resistant to hunger. When artificially bred, it mainly eats carnivores, especially in the juvenile and hatchling stages. It mostly eats small fish, shrimp, lean animal meat, etc. In the adult stage, the turtle can also eat plant feed (bananas, fruits, etc.) and worker compound feed. In the wild, the adult turtle's diet includes algae, duckweed and other herbs floating in the water, python clams, small fish, shrimp and other crustaceans, and various molluscs such as snails and spiders. [2]

Growth and Reproduction

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The egg-laying period of the Brazilian red-eared turtle is from June to September, and the eggs are mostly laid in the early morning or during the day. The egg-laying process takes about 1 to 4 hours; it lays eggs 3 to 4 times a year, with about 45 eggs per year and up to 90 eggs. At a temperature of 24 to 25 degrees Celsius, hatchlings can hatch in 50 to 70 days. . [2]

When the Brazilian red-eared turtle reaches the courtship period, the sexually mature male turtle will actively shake his hands towards the female turtle. If the female turtle is also willing to mate, she will also respond to the male turtle by shaking her hands. However, if the female turtle has not reached sexual maturity or has no desire to mate, she will ignore the male turtle. But sometimes a male turtle will get the wrong gender and shake his hand at another male turtle, and the other male turtle will naturally ignore it. If the female turtle is willing to mate, the male turtle will ride on the back of the female turtle and at the same time extend his genitals from the cloaca of the tail into the cloaca of the female turtle. The female turtle will turn over her tail to expose the cloaca for the male turtle. of the genitals in order to fertilize the eggs. About 1 to 3 months after mating (depending on the environment, temperature, soil, etc.), the female turtle will dig a hole to lay the eggs, and then cover it with soil. The soil has camouflage protection, heat preservation, moisture retention, ventilation, and oxygen delivery. It can accelerate the hatching of eggs and protect the safety of turtle eggs

Brazilian turtle: Characteristics: The head, neck, limbs, and tail are all covered with yellow-green inlaid stripes of uneven thickness, and there are 2 stripes on both sides of the top of the head. Thick red stripes. The cornea of ??the eye is green with a black spot in the center. Kiss blunt. There are yellow-green and irregular spots in the center of each scute on the carapace and plastron, and the pattern is different for each turtle. There are webs between the fingers and toes. The tail is moderate.

Life habits: Lively temperament, more lively and active than any freshwater turtle produced in China. It is sensitive to water sounds and vibrations, and will dive into the water if it is frightened. It is an aquatic turtle that likes to live in clear ponds. At noon, when the wind is nice and the sun is shining, it likes to lie on the shore and dry its shells. The rest of the time, it floats on the water to rest or wander in the water. The activity changes with the change of ambient temperature. The optimal temperature is 20--32℃, hibernation is below 11℃, and deep hibernation is below 6℃.

Food habits: Omnivorous animals. Under artificial breeding conditions, they like to eat animal food, such as fish, pork, animal offal, mussels, snails and bloodworms (chironomid larvae), red threadworms (water earthworms), mealworms (mealworms), fly maggots, etc. . Also eat vegetables, rice, fruits and other plants. Brazilian turtles have no selective feeding time and eat both day and night.

Feeding instructions:

Feeding: Although the Brazilian turtle is omnivorous, it prefers animal food. Under artificial breeding conditions, the main sources are poultry, pigs and other animal offal, fly larvae, and mealworms. Properly mix fruits, vegetables and mixed feeds to enhance nutrients in the body. Add vitamin E powder and antibiotics in spring and autumn to increase the number of eggs the turtle can carry and enhance its physical fitness. Daily feeding should be done at a fixed time, at a fixed point, and at a fixed quality.

(1) Timing.

The feeding time is fixed, generally between 10 and 14 o'clock in spring and autumn, and between 7 and 9 o'clock or 18 and 19 o'clock in summer. When the temperature is too high or too low, turtles will eat less or not at all. phenomenon.

(2) Fixed point. The baiting location should be fixed so that it is easy to observe the turtle's eating and activities. When the food is fed, healthy turtles can crawl to the food table to find food. Those turtles that are unresponsive or do not eat should be carefully observed, and severe cases should be kept separately.

(3) Qualification. The feed must be fresh and smell-free, and the scraps should be washed first, and then excess tendons, skin, etc. should be removed to avoid indigestion.

Water quality management: Brazilian turtles spend most of their time in the water and like to be in clear water bodies. Therefore, the quality of water is very important. Change the water every 10-15 days in summer. If the water color is brown-green or blue-green, it indicates that the water quality is too "fertile" and all water should be changed in time. From June to September, due to higher temperatures, water changes should be performed 3-4 hours after feeding. In winter, the turtle can change less or no water during hibernation.

Winter management: Before hibernation, when the water temperature reaches 22°C, antibiotics are mixed into the feed to enhance the turtle's disease resistance. When the water temperature drops to 14°C, the activity of the turtles decreases. Most turtles sink to the bottom of the water and stop eating. A few turtles only eat a small amount. At this time, the pool needs to be thoroughly cleaned and the turtles are inspected. The inspection includes skin, head, and feces. , parasites, and unhealthy turtles cannot hibernate. They should be selected and raised alone, and the water temperature should be raised to above 20°C to allow the turtles to eat, and corresponding treatment measures should be taken. During hibernation, if the water temperature occasionally rises above 18C, do not feed them to prevent the temperature from dropping at night and causing indigestion and other diseases. During hibernation, some turtles that are floating on the water, have weak limbs, and other abnormalities should be fished out in time and raised in isolation. After hibernation, as the temperature increases, the water temperature reaches about 16°C. The turtles have a small amount of activity, and some turtles can already look for food. At this time, you cannot rush to feed. You should wait until the water temperature difference between day and night does not exceed about 6°C before feeding. The first time The water needs to be completely changed and disinfected before feeding.

Money Turtle:

Characteristics: The head is slender, the back of the head is sallow, the top is smooth and scaleless, the snout is blunt, the upper rafter is slightly curved, the throat and neck are light orange-red , there are prismatic brown patches on the side of the head behind the eyes. The carapace is reddish-brown, with three black vertical stripes, resembling the Chinese character "Chuan". The central one is longer (none in larvae), and the front and rear edges are smooth and not jagged. The plastron is black with yellow edges. The space between the dorsal and ventral carapace, and the thoracic and ventral shields are all connected by ligaments. The turtle shell can be completely closed. The skin on the armpits, limbs, and tail is orange-red, and there are webs between the fingers and toes.

Identification of male and female: The female turtle has a wider carapace, a thin and short tail, a thin tail base, an anus closer to the rear edge of the plastron, and a shallow notch formed by the two anal shields of the plastron. The male turtle has a narrow carapace, a thick and long tail, a thick tail base, an anus farther from the rear edge of the plastron, and a deeper notch formed by the two anal shields of the plastron.

Living habits: Money turtles like to choose shaded places to live and have the habit of living in groups. In the production area, the temperature is low from November to March of the following year, and people often hide in the shade without eating; in April, the temperature gradually rises, and they start to move; from May to October, the temperature rises, the range of activities expands, and the food intake increases. After months, the temperature drops significantly, activity decreases, and they gradually enter a state of hibernation.

The growth temperature of the golden turtle is between 24-32°C. When the water temperature is 28°C, it will float up and breathe once in about 20 minutes; when the water temperature is 25°C, it will float up and breathe once in about 26 minutes; When the water temperature is below 12, it enters hibernation.

When the pH value is moderate, the following are the effects of water temperature on turtles:

Below 4℃ - freeze to death

Below 10℃ - hibernation

16℃——The food intake dropped significantly

36℃——Started not eating

45℃——He died of heat

Food habits: money Turtles are omnivorous. In nature, it mainly preys on aquatic animals such as snails, fish, shrimps, and tadpoles in the water. It also eats young mice, young frogs, scarabs, snails, and fly maggots. Sometimes it also eats pumpkins, bananas, and tender stems and leaves of plants. Under artificial breeding conditions, they like to eat animal offal, earthworms, lean meat, small fish and mixed feed.