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Turtle Keeping
Thinking about getting a turtle? Great, then you are exactly right here. Here you will find everything you need to know about turtles.
Getting a turtle is a connection for life. Turtles can become very old! However, there is a lot to consider when caring for them, otherwise they will quickly become ill.
You Should Think About This Before You Buy One!
If you are thinking about getting a turtle, you should keep in mind that most turtles are still growing and therefore need a lot of space when they are fully grown.
Things To Know
There are about 300 different species of turtles. They have been living on earth for about 250 million years. Today they live mainly in Mediterranean areas or in desert areas such as North America and Southeast Asia.
Turtles are cold-blooded reptiles.
How long a turtle lives has a lot to do with the way it is kept. Smaller species live between 35 and 60 years, larger species up to 120 years.
Turtles like to live alone, that means they do not like to live in partnerships. They only look for a partner when they want to mate. In smaller species, turtles are sexually mature at about 5 years of age; in larger species, they are not sexually mature until about 25 years of age.
60 to 90 days after the female is fertilized, she lays the eggs. She digs a deep hole with her hind legs and lays between 1 and 6 eggs. Afterwards the female covers the laid eggs again with soil. The incubation period of the eggs is between 47 to 225 days. This is due to the different species.
Habitat
In Germany, the most common are the Greek and the European tortoise. Aquatic turtles are rather more complicated to keep and exotic.
Very important for the turtles to feel comfortable in their terrariums are the right temperature and humidity, water and the right substrate.
One should leave turtles as little as possible in the apartment and give them a place in the garden. However, the place should be fenced in any case so that the turtles do not get to unexpected places.
Nutrition
The most common mistakes happen in the diet. Experienced turtle keepers therefore rely on a diet that is very close to nature. This way the turtles hardly get sick and the fertilization rate increases. This is a sign that the turtles are doing well.
The food should be varied and always fresh. Although in nature the turtles sometimes eat snails or insects, you should still feed them only vegetarian.
Food plants for the Greek tortoise Bear’s garlic Blackberry leaves Willow leaves Brennettles Thistle Thistle leaves Horn violets Dandelion Rose leaves Rucola Pansies Vine leaves Wild carrot.
Also very important for the turtle are minerals and vitamins. Herbs like clover or ribwort are very good for the Greek tortoise. If you plant the herbs and vegetables in your garden yourself, you should make sure that you do not use artificial fertilizer. -It can be very harmful for your tortoise. You should also be careful with vegetable waste from the supermarket. It often has harmful substances that are not good for your turtle.
Physique
You can tell turtles apart by their dorsal and thoracic shells. The dorsal and thoracic shells are connected by rigid bridges of bone and cartilage. The carapace consists of massive bone plates. Above the bone plates there is a layer of skin. On the body of the turtles there is a peculiarity, they have very good eyes and can distinguish colors better than we humans. The biggest turtle ever found is the leatherback turtle. It is up to 240cm tall and weighs 860 kg. The smallest turtle ever found is the flatback turtle. It has a shell length of 9.5cm and a weight of 140g.
Hibernation
As a rule, European tortoises hibernate as soon as the days become shorter and colder. They look for a quiet place and cool down. They stop feeding, but still defecate until the intestines are empty. Then they burrow in to maintain the temperature there for a longer period of time. It is very difficult to influence this natural process. Indoors, it works best in a refrigerator that is temperature controlled for the turtles.
If you have a garden even better! Here you just have to take care that your turtle is not disturbed by rodents. You also need to protect them from frost. The rest your turtle will do all by itself.
Diseases
Many diseases of the turtle can be traced back to the wrong diet. If they get too much protein, their shell will curl. If they get too little minerals their shell becomes very porous and brittle. Liver problems due to toxins very quickly cause gout, which also causes the animals a lot of pain.
Also common are colds and parasites. Warm inhalation baths can help. In case of doubt, however, one should always consult a veterinarian.
Keeping Costs
How much does it cost to keep a turtle?
It should be clear that you should not consider a turtle as a cheap hobby. The initial cost is about 100€. The cost of basic equipment, that is, terrarium, food, electricity, etc. can quickly reach 100€.
Take A Vacation: Where To Go With Your Turtle?
You want to go on vacation and don’t know where to take your turtle? Here are a few tips.
It is not possible to take a turtle on vacation. Many keepers follow the winter period and go on vacation only when their turtle is in the winter period. But of course one would like to make also times in the summer vacation.
Other animals can simply be left in a boarding house that is connected to an animal shelter, for example. But this is not possible with turtles, because the animal shelters are often not specialized in reptiles.
So you should rather ask in veterinary clinics and at your veterinarian if there is a possibility to leave your turtle there for the vacation period.
If you want to leave your turtle with other keepers in the area you should make sure that there is enough space.
Also breeders sometimes offer to leave their animals for a few days. But you should go to the vet and have your pet examined beforehand. It is not recommended to put a sick animal with other animals.
You should never leave your turtle alone. Your animal needs daily fresh water for drinking and bathing. They also need fresh food every day. You can’t put food in their enclosure for a week. Your turtles would eat most of it on the first day.
Another risk is the fall on the back for your turtle. She won’t be able to get up on her own without your help.
Sources
https://schildkroete.net/die-eiablage-bei-schildkroeten/
https://www.fressnapf.de/ratgeber/kategorie/terraristik-schildkroeten
FAQ About The Turtle
The price of a turtle depends on the species of turtle.
A tortoise named Jonathan is believed to be the oldest tortoise and the oldest land animal in the world. He hatched from his egg in 1832 and is therefore over 180 years old. He lives on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic.
These 5 pieces of turtles are suitable for beginners: Greek tortoise, Moorish tortoise, columnar tortoise, leopard tortoise and the margined tortoise.
The maximum age of tortoise varies with their species. On average, different tortoise species live between 35 and 120 years.
Turtles have lived on earth for more than 200 years. They are among the oldest vertebrates.
Turtle
The price of a turtle varies with the species of turtle. Turtles, for example, can be bought for 30 to 120 euros. Tortoises cost between 80 and 120 euros.
Tortoises eat plants such as dandelion, rocket, nettle and various types of lettuce. Aquatic turtles also eat meat such as fish fillets, aquatic snails, shrimp and earthworms.
The number of eggs varies greatly with the species of turtle. Adult Greek tortoises lay about 5 eggs 2 to 4 times a year. Aquatic turtles lay 50 to 200 eggs every 2 to 3 years, depending on the species.
Turtles all have a shell that protects them from danger and into which they can retreat. They move with their four legs.
The fastest turtle in the world is the leatherback turtle. It reaches speeds of up to 35km/h.
Turtles live an average of 35 to 120 years, depending on the species.
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