Turtle In The Country - Features Of Keeping An Exotic Pet. Species, Terrarium, What To Feed. Photo

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Turtle In The Country - Features Of Keeping An Exotic Pet. Species, Terrarium, What To Feed. Photo
Turtle In The Country - Features Of Keeping An Exotic Pet. Species, Terrarium, What To Feed. Photo

Video: Turtle In The Country - Features Of Keeping An Exotic Pet. Species, Terrarium, What To Feed. Photo

Video: Turtle In The Country - Features Of Keeping An Exotic Pet. Species, Terrarium, What To Feed. Photo
Video: 100 BABY RATS FED TO TURTLES!! OMG! 2024, March
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If you and your children move to a summer cottage in the summer, and they tearfully ask to have at least some kind of pet, settle for a domestic turtle. This reptile does not need special care; pasture is suitable for feeding it. And the "terrarium" can be made on the lawn in such a way that it turns into a highlight of the garden design. In theory, you can buy both a water turtle and a land turtle. But in the first case, you will have to organize a rather large container for the pet, in which you need to take care of the water. And at the end of the season, taking the turtle to the apartment, you will have to provide her with an aquarium with water. The land turtle will also have to be taken home by autumn, but here, too, it will be less of a hassle.

Turtle in the country - features of keeping an exotic pet
Turtle in the country - features of keeping an exotic pet

Content:

  • Which turtle to choose?
  • How to equip the territory for a turtle in the country
  • Turtle house and protection from the weather and other animals
  • What to feed a turtle with?
  • Moving the turtle to the city

Which turtle to choose?

Among the land turtles there are very interesting specimens. On average, these reptiles live in captivity for 30 years. That is, with proper care and nutrition, they will become little friends of adults and children for many years.

Pay attention to the following breeds of land turtles:

  • The Central Asian turtle reaches a size of 10-18 cm. These land turtles have dark shields on a light shell. But these reptiles are not very inclined to play, they prefer a quiet pastime. Therefore, families with small children are probably better off purchasing a domestic turtle of a different breed. On the territory where the Central Asian tortoise will live, it is imperative to pour sand, where these animals love to swarm even in the heat.
  • If you want a larger turtle - up to 35 cm in size, then pay attention to the Mediterranean. These animals are speckled or monochromatic. They have interesting spurs on their hind legs.
  • A beautiful reptile with an original shell is a star turtle, also called Indian. She has a beautiful shell, which is decorated with a kind of stars. Their yellow pattern stands out well against the dark background. The size of males is 15, females are 25 cm.
  • The Balkan turtle is similar in color to the Mediterranean. But with age, its color becomes duller. These turtles are best suited for families with children, as they are very mobile, especially in summer. The size of such a reptile is about 20 cm.
  • The Egyptian turtle is smaller - only 12 cm. These animals have a sand-colored shell, which is decorated with a dark pattern. But the Egyptian turtles, unfortunately, have a weak immune system, are susceptible to disease, and must be treated with great attention.
Central Asian turtle
Central Asian turtle
Star, or Indian, turtle
Star, or Indian, turtle
Balkan turtle
Balkan turtle

How to equip the territory for a turtle in the country

To keep the turtle in the country, you must choose a good place. It should be sunny, but light partial shade is needed on the south side so that the turtle can rest in such a shady corner in extreme heat.

If you have one turtle, then for a "terrarium" in the fresh air, it is enough to enclose an area of 2.5 m². If there are two, a plot of about 4 m² is ideal.

This site can be of various shapes:

  • rectangular;
  • square;
  • round;
  • quirky.

When setting up a terrarium for turtles, it is important to pay special attention to ensuring that no poisonous herbs grow in this place. After all, these reptiles, like small children, can drag everything into their mouths. And it is too late to understand whether the plant was poisonous. Here's what you should never allow domesticated turtles to eat:

  • jasmine;
  • begonia;
  • azalea;
  • narcissus;
  • nightshade;
  • buttercup;
  • plants containing alkaloids.

Therefore, such crops should not be grown in a turtle's terrarium. But ideal for them:

  • dandelions;
  • clover;
  • agave;
  • mint;
  • spurge;
  • lavender;
  • knitting;
  • thyme.

Clover can grow in this place by itself. Usually, after the first mowing of the grass in May, its leaves begin to appear, and then flowers. If there is no clover in the selected area, then you can specially sow the turtle area.

It is interesting to break down the composition of the recommended plants here. Then, in the center, you plant higher crops like mint and lavender. And round the edges with undersized thyme. Then you will have a mini-flower bed that will smell wonderfully and serve as a refuge for a turtle.

The turtles in the "pen" should have stones that form a small hill. It is useful for these animals to overcome obstacles, periodically roll over onto their backs, and try to return to their original position.

In one of the parts of the terrarium, you can plant ornamental plants, the leaves of which reptiles will also be happy to eat. It can be oregano, basil, violet, geranium, hibiscus.

"Terrarium" for turtles in the fresh air
"Terrarium" for turtles in the fresh air

Turtle house and protection from the weather and other animals

Domestic turtles at the dacha need a small house where they could rest and warm up. This is where you can give your imagination room! Make a house out of boards, draw windows here with your child. Punch a semicircular entrance hole with sandpaper. Place hay on the floor of the house to keep your turtle comfortable.

Place a small body of water nearby. You will need to pour enough water into the container so that its depth is equal to half the height of the turtle. From the remains of road tiles, you can make a decorative path from the house to the reservoir, which will also decorate the summer cottage "terrarium".

It is very important to consider a fence for the area where the turtle will live. Since these reptiles can dig holes, dig the bottom of the fence 30 cm into the ground. The height of this structure should be such that the turtle cannot climb up, which they love to do. Usually 50 cm is enough. Too high a fence should not be done so that it is convenient to bend over and perform some business operations here.

Since birds of prey, dogs, cats and cats can be dangerous for these small reptiles, it is better to cover the territory of the "aviary" from above. You can use a grid for this. Better yet, make a semblance of a gable roof made of boards or mesh, which is covered from above with roofing felt or waterproofing material. Then even in the rain inside the "terrarium" will be dry. If you forget to take your pet into the house in this weather, he will not get wet.

What to feed a turtle with?

In summer, this is the easiest way to do this, since the first grass begins to appear in the spring, which the turtles eat with pleasure. Therefore, in the summer at the dacha, there should be no problems with feeding land turtles. The main thing is to exclude some cultures from the menu of this armored animal.

In addition to the above prohibited plants, land turtles must not eat:

  • crickets;
  • garlic, onions;
  • eggshell;
  • milk;
  • bread;
  • some cereals (with the exception of rolled oats);
  • cherries;
  • citrus fruit peel;
  • seeds of berries;
  • ready-made meat products in the form of sausages, sausages.

This is what the ideal diet for a land turtle looks like:

  • 75% greens;
  • 15% berries, fruits and vegetables;
  • 5% oatmeal porridge;
  • 5% special vitamin or mineral supplements that you can buy at any pet store.

Offer the turtle dandelion leaves, lettuce, alfalfa, plantain, lawn grass, sorrel as greens. Also, these animals will not give up the stems and leaves of beans, peas, from the inflorescences of plants useful for them.

Greenery should always be in turtles' feeders. This is the main component of their diet. As vegetables, you can offer these reptiles fresh carrots, pumpkin, ripe zucchini, radishes, and young beets. You can also infrequently give beet tops to animals.

The turtles' fruit and berry diet consists of strawberries, raspberries, apricots, and watermelon. But fruits and berries should be given in small quantities, like a dessert.

Sometimes land turtles need to be offered meat. It is poured over with boiling water and cut into small pieces. But it is better to boil the meat in order to exclude the possibility of finding harmful microorganisms in it.

If the turtle has a bath of fresh water up to half its height, then the animal can climb here and quench its thirst. The fact is that land turtles receive their moisture reserve not only from water and consumed juicy products, but also through the absorption of water into the skin. Make sure that the animal is comfortable crawling into such a bath, and the water is always clean and warm in the sun.

By the way, these animals need sunlight. That is why most of the summer cottage "terrarium" should be in the sun. Then the calcium in the body of the turtle will be better absorbed. By the way, being in the fresh air for land turtles is a prerequisite for their health and longevity. For a turtle, spending the summer in the country is happiness!

Offer the turtle dandelion leaves, lettuce, alfalfa, plantain, lawn grass, sorrel as greens
Offer the turtle dandelion leaves, lettuce, alfalfa, plantain, lawn grass, sorrel as greens

Moving the turtle to the city

After you have rested with your beloved pet in the country, you need to properly transport the turtle back to the city. For a land reptile, a regular cardboard box with small openings for air is suitable.

Place absorbent wipes on the bottom of the box, and place grass, sawdust, crumpled paper towels or hay on top. A plastic container is also suitable for such transportation. A land turtle can go without water for up to two days. But transportation from the cottage to the house usually takes less time.

The carrier itself should be of optimal size, not cramped, but not too spacious. If the heat is above + 28 ° C outside, then put napkins or a damp cloth soaked in water in the container, and sometimes spray the turtle with not cold water. Do not place the carrier in direct sunlight.

After the turtle gets home, provide it with everything it needs for a comfortable life. This is, of course, first of all, a glass terrarium, the size of which should correspond to the size of the pet itself. The optimal terrarium for a 20 cm long turtle has dimensions of 100x30x50cm, where 50 cm is the height.

A small house to hide in and a container to dip and drink in are the main components of a turtle enclosure. Hay is best used as bedding in the terrarium and is easy to change.

At home, turtles need to organize 10-12 hours of additional lighting with an ultraviolet lamp and a heating lamp. Heat and ultraviolet rays allow the turtle to absorb calcium and produce B vitamins. Without this, the pet will be sick, the horn surfaces will be curved.

Reptiles need some time to get used to being in a city apartment. As long as the temperature permits, you need to walk with the turtle in the fresh air. From green food, gradually the pet needs to be transferred for the winter to special food from the pet store.

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