What do these turtles eat?

Hello, my friend. What a coincidence! I also have two turtles, and I have studied and practiced many turtles' living habits and habits.

Turtles belong to semi-water turtles, so eating usually needs to be done in water. Let me give you some advice.

Stop eating when the temperature is lower than 18, and hibernate when it is lower than 15. It was not until March-April around 20 that I really ended my hibernation and began to eat. My turtle hibernated from 1 1 until 19 degrees last month before eating.

If feeding, it is recommended not to use turtle food because there is no nutrition. Turtles don't eat or drink before hibernation by storing fat and protein. Lean meat, fish and liver can be cut into small pieces and fed to it. When it begins to eat, it is best to get some live food such as fry and earthworm to stimulate its appetite for food.

Never feed cooked meat, fat meat or cured meat, it will cause indigestion and severe enteritis.

Turtles have the habit of drying their nails. Put them in the sun every day, which is very helpful to promote the absorption of calcium, and also helpful to their healthy growth and prevention of onychomycosis.

Turtles have a lot of excrement, which easily pollutes the water and likes to stay in clean water. You should change the water often.

It must be that the tap water has been dry for two days to remove chlorine harmful to soft-shelled turtle.

Well, if you can do this, your turtle can be raised well, all by hand. If you have any questions, you can ask me and I will answer you as soon as possible. I wish your tortoise a healthy growth.

Many people want to keep turtles, because they all think turtles are fun, lively, quiet and need little space. Many friends have raised them, but few have raised them well. They are all bought and raised according to the method suggested by pet dealers. Unfortunately, they died soon after. This shows that although turtles have stronger vitality than most pets, they are not as easy to raise as they thought. In order to avoid many innocent turtles from misfortune, I have kept them here for more than ten years.

1. Optional article: There are several pet turtles, such as Mississippi red-eared turtle, yellow-throated turtle, Burmese turtle and crocodile turtle. The most common and only species I have ever raised is Mississippi red-eared turtle, which is beautiful in color, moderate in individual size and easy to raise, so I recommend you to buy this kind of turtle. Yellow-throated turtles are big and ugly, and are generally used to breed green turtles. Burmese turtles are rare and have different habits from water turtles. Therefore, if you put them in water, they will die. When buying a turtle, you must ask whether it is a turtle or a water turtle, so as not to be cheated by profiteers. As for the snapping turtle, its appearance is more individual, but it is more fierce. Be careful to hurt you after raising it.

2. Daily life: It is also important for the tortoise to build a new home for it, because someone raised the tortoise in a fish tank and drowned it. Don't laugh, it's true. First, the Mississippi red-eared turtle is a reptile, not a fish. It draws oxygen directly from the air, not from the water, so your new home for it should consider its breathing convenience. That kind of deep fish tank is not suitable. Especially when the turtle is filled with water, it must swim very hard to the surface and stick its head out for air. After a long time, physical exhaustion will drown. Moreover, this fish tank is long and narrow, which is not conducive to turtle activities. Because its activity radius is not large, you can use a spittoon-shaped round fish tank for keeping goldfish, but the mouth of this fish tank is relatively small, which is not conducive to observation and teasing turtles. The small basin is also quite good. I use the glass device used in the chemistry laboratory. Putting a stone in the middle of the fish tank is for turtles to rest in the sun, because turtles can't keep soaking in water, otherwise their bodies will be seriously affected and even their shells will rot! The size of the stone is larger than that of the tortoise, accounting for about one-sixth of the area of the fish tank, and the height is slightly higher than that of two turtles piled up. The top should be flat, of course, water should be added to the fish tank, and the water surface should be slightly lower than the stone surface. Because turtles don't breathe in the water, the requirements for water are far below the standards for fish farming. As long as the water is not too turbid and smelly, fish tanks should not be placed in dark places such as corners and bathrooms, and it is best to put them in quiet places where sunlight can shine.

3. Diet: What does the tortoise eat? Many profiteers who buy and sell pets recommend "special turtle food". When I got back, I found that turtles didn't like eating, or even didn't eat at all. In fact, those so-called "turtle food" are basically cheating money. In order to make money, profiteers only sell you garbage that turtles don't eat. They are eager to buy another one as soon as you die, so don't buy the so-called "turtle" recommended by profiteers when buying a turtle. Sisby red-eared turtle mainly eats meat, such as small fish, shrimp, loach, earthworm and insects. I often give a fly a snack when I kill it. Generally, newly bought turtles have weak eating ability and won't prey on live food, so you need to feed them a little at this time. Be patient when feeding it. Cut the fresh meat into mung beans, clamp them with tweezers and slowly reach the front of the turtle's nose. It will smell carefully before eating. Practice makes perfect. Generally, it is enough to feed one cigarette butt at a time. When you are young, you should feed it three or four times a week to make it adapt to the environment quickly, because it will sleep when it is hungry for a long time, while the turtle who is too young often won't wake up when sleeping, so you should feed it more to prevent it from sleeping. When it's bigger than a matchbox, you usually eat it yourself. It can put some small ones at this time. Don't put too much, or you will kill a lot but don't eat it, so the water will stink as long as it is put for one day at most, and the same is true for feeding meat. Don't waste it and don't feed it as much as possible, or it will collapse. My turtle used to tilt its head and limbs back, which is very funny. I vomited several times, showing how worthless the turtle is! Overfeeding will make turtles grow too fast. It's not fun and cute when it grows up, unless you save it for eating, hehe! I have a friend who bought a turtle with me. I ended up feeding too much. In less than two years, it grew to the size of a bowl. All the patterns on my body are gone, which is very ugly. It also makes a gasping sound, like a dinosaur. When I was that big, I could eat a basin of loach in a week, which shows its horror. So when I grow up, I can feed it once a week. It's best to feed some small fish to make its shell grow harder.

4. Daily life: Turtles will encounter some special physiological phenomena during their growth, which will have a great impact if they are not handled properly, among which molting is the one that impressed me the most.

Turtles and snakes are close relatives, so they shed their skin, but unlike snakes, turtle scales will also fall off! ! My turtle shed its skin when it was about four years old. There was no digital camera at that time, so I didn't record this strange appearance. What I want to warn you here is that you should not help it artificially in the process of molting, it will take care of itself. I just don't know that "helping" it has caused lifelong harm to it. I'm here to apologize to this poor turtle. Here, I will carefully introduce what your turtle looks like when it molts.

Most turtles are docile and can accept any food. Judging from the food, they are easy pets to keep. But turtles, like lizards, need sunbathing. In addition, the turtle's body is close to a circle, its weight seems to be much higher than that outside, and it also has a lot of exercise. Generally, cages are often too narrow and more troublesome than other reptiles.

1. Food

Although turtles eat all kinds of food, they have been fed cheap food with low nutritional value, which may cause malnutrition and must be especially careful. Turtles need a lot of calcium, so they should be fed calcium-rich food. In addition, carp feed and dog food are also very suitable foods. Occasionally feeding some fresh food such as boneless fish, snake meat and mice will definitely win the love of turtles. Feeding only fish and meat slices will cause malnutrition and need to supplement water-soluble nutrients. What is introduced above is the food provided for turtles who often live in water. For example, turtles who don't like plant food in water are not suitable for artificial feeding. Generally, leafy vegetables, cabbage, carrots and other vegetables can be fed with nutrients.

2. birdcage

Aquatic turtles can be kept in containers that can hold water, such as tanks. The tortoise is bigger than it looks and needs a lot of exercise, so it needs a bigger cage. The sink with an average side length of 60 cm is still too small, so it is best to keep it in a storage box for clothes.

3. Others

Turtles don't irradiate ultraviolet rays and can't use calcium. Compared with lizards, the facilities to prevent turtles from escaping are relatively simple. As long as there is water supply facilities and a cool place to rest, it is not easy to get heatstroke, and the way of sunbathing is relatively simple. If the calcium intake of young turtles is insufficient, the turtle shell will easily become soft; Insufficient intake of vitamin A may cause eyes to turn white. When the above phenomenon occurs, in addition to the problem of insufficient vitamin A and calcium, it may also involve long-term feeding of low-nutrient foods, insufficient ultraviolet rays and other problems, which may be due to the wrong feeding methods. We must carefully provide balanced food, sunbathe with sun lamps, and so on. , completely change the feeding environment.

Common diseases

Shell diseases of aquatic turtles

Artificial aquatic turtle shells may have ulcers. Although they are all crustacean diseases, the types of pathogens are different due to different symptoms. Gram negative bacteria. Gram positive bacteria. Symptoms include hulling, pigmentation, ulcer, quadriplegia, paw shedding, visceral necrosis and so on. Crawfish, snakes, sea maggots and other animals used as feed, as well as soil and polluted water, may be the source of infection. Bacteria enter the body through the abraded wound. In the course of treatment, medicinal bath is used and appropriate antibiotics are applied throughout the body. However, all kinds of turtles are allergic to certain antibiotics, so special attention should be paid when using them.

As a new heterogeneous pet, tortoise is deeply loved by pet owners. It is gentle, not picky about food and easy to raise. However, it should be noted that turtles are active and the foraging space should not be too narrow. It is best to sunbathe every day.

Selection and purchase

Buying a healthy turtle is an important first step, which will be much more convenient in future breeding. Before buying, it is best to look at some information and pictures of turtles to be bought or refer to turtles raised by others to avoid being cheated when buying; When buying, gently pull the limbs of the turtle with your hands. If it retracts or struggles hard, it means it is a healthy turtle. Then look at the turtle's anus. If there is fecal pollution, there may be something wrong with the digestive tract. In addition, we should carefully observe whether it is lively, normal and sensitive.

fodder

Turtles need a lot of calcium, so they should be fed calcium-rich food. You can feed some special feed for turtles with balanced nutrition, and occasionally you can feed some fresh food such as boneless fish and shrimp. However, feeding only fish and meat slices will cause malnutrition, so it is necessary to supplement water-soluble nutrients, and vitamins can be supplemented with vegetables such as leaves and carrots.

take care of

If ultraviolet rays are not irradiated regularly, turtles can't use calcium, and the shells of young turtles are easy to soften. So you can put it outdoors before going to work in the morning and move it indoors after work in the evening, so that you can bask in the sun properly and strengthen your physique, but remember to bask in the summer. In terms of diseases, prevention is still the main way to prevent bacteria from entering the body from abrasions. Medicated bath can be used for treatment, and appropriate antibiotics can be applied all over the body, but some turtles are allergic to antibiotics, so special attention should be paid when using antibiotics.

In late autumn and early winter, the tortoise goes into hibernation, staying quietly without eating or drinking. As the weather became warmer and warmer around Tomb-Sweeping Day, turtles began to eat. At this time, you can prepare some small fish and shrimp or lean meat strips for him to eat, and watch him gobble up and make him feel happy. He likes an environment with water and basks in the sun on the balcony during the day. The sun in summer will do harm to it, so put it in a cool place. You can feed it something every day. It also likes a clean environment, changing water every day and keeping the water clean. I wish your little turtle a healthy growth! ! !

Buy a turtle first and tell you the trick.

Take a look. The shape of the turtle body should be beautiful, and the geometric patterns on the back of the turtle should be arranged neatly and orderly. Tortoise shell should be flat and oval, without defects. When the turtle crawls, the pace should be steady, and the abdominal armor should not touch the ground.

Two touches. Gently touch the turtle, the shell should be smooth and flat, without sticky objects and edges. When touching, the glans and limbs should be immediately retracted into the tortoise shell. The skin should not be too rough.

Try it three times. Put the selected tortoise in a glass jar alone, and then release the water. Generally, the ratio of water to turtle height is 3: 1 or 5: 1. If the tortoise sinks into the water, it is better to put in food, and the tortoise with a big appetite will swallow it immediately.

In fact, the tortoise is very docile and can accept any food. From the food point of view, they are easy pets to keep. But turtles need sunbathing, just like lizards. In addition, the turtle's body is close to a circle, its weight seems to be much higher than that outside, and it also has a lot of exercise. Generally, cages are often too narrow and more troublesome than other reptiles.

The landlord wants to raise a turtle and let it take the initiative to eat. He must master some necessary common sense. First of all, the tortoise must be in the water to eat ~! Or I can't swallow it. This is a feeding mistake that beginners love to make. It is impossible for a turtle to eat without feeding it into the water. The lowest water level has to be flooded several times. Water temperature is the biggest factor to determine whether it has appetite, eating and activity ~! ! Let the tortoise eat as soon as possible. If you don't eat for more than 1 week, you will become more and more anorexic. After half a month, you will start to metabolize body fat and muscle tissue and gradually die. You can't starve a turtle just because it's hungry, which is very wrong ~ the longer you wait, the harder it is to feed, and the greater the harm to your body.

The following is a summary of my original experience in raising turtles for many years. Please look at it carefully. After feeding correctly, your turtle will eat it.

If you buy a turtle and don't feed it in the water every day, or the water level is very shallow, it's all wet. If the necessary conditions such as water temperature and water level are not set well, the tortoise will never eat, because you can't eat without eating in the water ~! Only a few semi-water turtles and tortoises can eat on land, and turtles can't eat and swallow food normally without water ~! The water temperature determines whether it eats or not.

The temperature of water temperature is the most critical reason that affects the turtle's eating ~! Turtles are stubborn. If the water temperature can't reach the feeding standard, it won't eat even if it starved to death! This is the physiological characteristic of all turtles. So there is no fixed food intake, according to the changes of temperature and physical condition. Try to feed it well.

The turtle's eating can't be controlled by itself, but depends on the water temperature, which controls whether it eats or not. This is the common feature of all turtles, which is very different from warm-blooded mammals such as cats and dogs that eat when they are hungry. Furthermore, a reasonable diet is one aspect. First of all, don't choose cheap turtle food sold by vendors. Not every turtle can adapt. Miscellaneous pellet feed is not nutritious enough to arouse turtle's appetite. More importantly, the prerequisite for the tortoise to open its mouth to eat is the most important. Otherwise, even if it is used in tempting food, it will not eat at all. This is the biggest problem after a novice raises a turtle.

Turtles need to be raised and fed at a suitable water temperature. This is a key factor. It is forbidden to use hot water and warm water, which will kill the tortoise. Because supercooled water can't meet the standard of edible temperature, it won't be eaten with cold water. The water temperature of 22-25 degrees is just right. This is the best water temperature for turtles to eat. Water at this temperature feels like the water temperature when swimming in summer. But not warm water, but the feeling of cold water ~! But it feels neither hot nor cold, and it is very comfortable. Mix warm water with cold water and feed at this water temperature. The water level and quantity should be sufficient, and the minimum water level should not exceed. It's no good if the water level is too low. Turtles usually live, eat and excrete in water. Too low water level can't dilute excrement evenly, which will lead to a large number of bacteria breeding and easy to get sick.

Feeding fresh fry, shrimp, live shrimp and live breadworm are the most suitable foods for soft-shelled turtles, who like to eat them very much. Cut the small fish into small pieces and put them in with toothpicks to feed ~! Or put it in water and let it eat in front of it. For some turtles, it doesn't eat the whole fish directly in the water, but needs to be cut into several sections ~! The same is true for shrimp. Peel off the head and tail of the shrimp, cut it into small pieces, put it in water or feed it. Try not to feed turtles with the meat of domestic animals such as pig lean meat, because there are many parasites in it and it is easy to get sick. There are also many shellfish parasites such as snails, and food parasites are very harmful to soft-shelled turtles.

Usually, we should give priority to fresh fish and shrimp food. Like cooked meat and ham sausage, you must never eat it indiscriminately ~! Be sure to pay attention to some necessary knowledge ~! First, don't feed the tortoise salty food, such as salty shrimp, dried fish sausage and so on ~! ! After sodium chloride (salt) is ingested, it will cause edema and renal function damage. Turtle should definitely avoid salt intake ~! It's a little salty ~! Similarly, the cooked food we usually eat, such as fried meat, rice and steamed bread, is not suitable for turtles. Keeping a turtle is different from keeping a cat or a dog. It cannot adapt to what people eat every day.

Ensure the water quality is hygienic and eat food every day, otherwise the tortoise will die because of wrong feeding or eating. Many people think that turtles don't make trouble when they are hungry, and they don't bark when they are sick, so they are easy to raise. It doesn't matter if you don't eat You didn't have any feeding experience before, and finally the tortoise died of consumption. The tortoise is not an iron shell, it is also life, but it will not be as noisy as cats and dogs, let alone despise it because of silence.

The tortoise should be kept in the water every day, and a floating platform should be set up to let it climb ashore to rest, so as not to be soaked in the water all the time. When it wants to come up, it will go ashore to bask in its back and will not be touched manually. At ordinary times, the water level for breeding and feeding should at least exceed it, and there is no need to worry that the turtle will drown. Compared with the rivers in the natural environment, the water level in the turtle tank at home is many times shallower. It's no good if the water level is too low. Turtles usually excrete in water. Too low water level can't dilute the excrement evenly, which will cause a large number of bacteria to breed and easily get sick ~!

Two years before the turtle was bought, after the temperature dropped, the turtle could not survive the winter smoothly, which easily led to death. Therefore, in the winter when the weather is not very warm, if the water temperature cannot be guaranteed, the special heating rod for aquarium is a common necessary tool for raising small turtles, and it is also a necessary tool for wintering and after the temperature drops. It's completely different from a heating rod for boiling water. There are both flower and bird markets and aquarium markets. It is easy to find. The hot and cold water temperature is the most unfavorable to soft-shelled turtle, and it is very easy to get sick. However, you don't have to worry about the heating rod. When the heating rod is not used, it will start to cut off power, and the effect of constant temperature will not be achieved. Just leave the power on. When it reaches the temperature, it will automatically turn off the power, and when it reaches the specified temperature, it will automatically start the power-on heating. Must be completely immersed in water, in the deep water area, so as to ensure the temperature control and safe use of the heating rod. In the future, the body length will be about 15cm when it grows up. Eat strong, it's cold in winter, and you can hibernate. If the house has heating, forget it. Don't take it outdoors either, or you'll freeze to death. Turtles need to hibernate in water. Humid environment is very important, so you can't hibernate dry. Winter is very dry, the humidity is not suitable, it is easy to dehydrate and die, which is very costly to the body. Hibernate in water, which is also their way in the natural environment, instead of hibernating on land. There may be some shit at first, and it needs to be replaced immediately after it is found. Pay attention to the temperature difference of water and keep it constant, otherwise it will break its hibernation environment. Then change the water every 1-2 weeks to ensure that the water quality is sanitary and clean during hibernation and will not get sick.

Real hibernation if the room has heating, it won't work. Although it seems to hibernate with eyes closed, it is actually not a real hibernation state, but a shallow sleep state caused by a dry environment. It is essentially different from hibernation.

May the tortoise of the landlord grow up healthily ~!