Central Asian turtle: maintenance and care at home, photos, videos.

The Central Asian tortoise (Latin: Testudo horsfieldii) or steppe tortoise is a small and popular domestic land tortoise. Interestingly, in English-speaking countries it is called Russian tortoise. Its small size makes it possible to keep this turtle even in an apartment, and it is also quite active for such a leisurely animal. They also tolerate cold weather fairly well, temperatures that would make tropical species sick or die. They live long, are unpretentious, but like all living things, they require care and cannot be just a toy.

Habitats

Central Asian, Steppe tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii, Agrionemys horsfieldii) – semi-desert of Central Asia. It is found in both Southern Kazakhstan and India. Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan are states where you can also see these reptiles. In Russia, the Central Asian or steppe turtle is extremely rare and has been spotted near the northeastern coast of the Caspian Sea and in the south of the Orenburg region.

River valleys, sandy and clayey deserts and semi-deserts, and even fields and agricultural lands are the “home” for this species of turtles. It was also found in the foothills and mountains (up to 1200 m). This confirms the evidence that Central Asian turtles can move well along steep cliffs.

Description and behavior characteristics

The Central Asian species of turtles is very interesting and quite unpretentious. A pet can easily be kept in an apartment or house. Externally, the animal has a rounded body, short stature, the color of the shell is yellow-brown, dark blurry spots are clearly visible on it. The upper part of the carapace consists of 13 horny scutes with grooves and 16 plastrons, the lower part - of 25 scutes. Interestingly, the age of an individual can be determined by the number of grooves.

The average length of a turtle is 25 centimeters. Males are smaller in size compared to mature females. There are 4 toes on the front paws. There are tubercles on the back ones. Females reach sexual maturity at 10 years of age, and males reach sexual maturity already in the sixth year of life.

In its natural habitat, the reptile hibernates twice - in winter and summer. Before doing this, she digs a hole. Sometimes the depth of the hole reaches two meters. At home, the Central Asian land turtle hibernates very rarely.

The steppe tortoise is a solitary turtle by nature, so it needs its own kind only during the mating season or during wintering. In their natural habitat, at the beginning of spring, animals crawl out of their burrows en masse and begin to reproduce.

The reptile has long been a popular pet. A peculiarity of the species is that it does not stop actively growing in apartment conditions. If you follow all the rules for keeping her, she will not have any health problems.

How long the Central Asian turtle lives depends on its habitat. In nature - from 40 to 50 years. Unfortunately, at home, on average, a reptile lives up to 15 years, but if you take excellent care of it, it can live twice as long in captivity.

The name of the reptile itself speaks about its habitat. It is found in semi-deserts and steppes, regions with arid conditions. Some representatives can be found near the mountains and even at an altitude of up to a thousand meters. Until recently, many turtles were found in river valleys and farmlands.

Despite the fact that their range is quite wide, the number of Central Asian turtles decreases every year. That is why this species is listed in the Red Book.

Mediterranean

These are European land turtles with about 20 subspecies. Individuals can live in different areas with different climatic conditions. They love the warmth of the sun very much, for this reason they prefer places with increased sunlight.

Features of turtles of this species:

• The Mediterranean tortoise has a convex shell with a strong structure;
• the shell is colored yellow or olive;
• there are dark brushes on the surface;
• there are spurs on the hips;
• the length of the shell can be 35 centimeters;
• Reptiles feed mainly on plant foods, and can also eat various crustacean organisms.

Turtles of this breed are often kept in houses or apartments. European land turtles have an unpretentious nature and do not require increased care. The main thing is that the temperature in the terrarium is maintained within 25-30 degrees, and there is also a balanced diet. If all this is done, the animal can live in captivity for several decades.

How to determine the age of a Central Asian turtle?

It is the Central Asian turtle that can be called a classic representative of the family of land turtles. Since childhood, we have seen such turtles on the pages of our favorite books - with a rounded, low shell of an olive-reddish color with dark spots. The dorsal shield or carpax is divided into 13 horny scutes, and the ventral plastron into 16. On the side of the carpax there are another 25 small scutes, and there are grooves on the central 13 plates. It is by their number that you can easily determine the age of the turtle that is in front of you.

Buying a healthy pet

In order not to run to the veterinarian the next day to prescribe treatment, it is better to immediately buy a healthy turtle

Pay attention to everything:

• observe her behavior, activity and coordination of movement;
• the appearance must be free of damage and the presence of inappropriate stains;
• the carapace is of regular shape with even scutes densely adjacent to each other;
• the best way to determine whether a turtle is healthy is to look into its mouth: the mucous membrane should be free of plaque, light pink in color and without viscous saliva;
• There should be no discharge from the nose.

Don't forget about transportation. For short distances in the warm season, it can be carried in a cardboard box with paper inside. In autumn and winter, it is better to cover the passenger with a warm cloth and place a heating pad there.

Content

When keeping Central Asian turtles at home, you should adhere to the following basic rules:

1. The terrarium must have soil, which consists of large pebbles, wood chips, hay or sawdust.
2. The terrarium must have a house and a feeder.
3. When arranging a terrarium for keeping a reptile, it is necessary to use an incandescent lamp with a power of forty to sixty watts. An artificial light source is very important for the Central Asian tortoise, since heat promotes the development of natural processes occurring in the animal’s body. In the absence of external heating, the animal’s metabolism deteriorates, food begins to rot in the stomach, after which the reptile may develop problems with the gastrointestinal tract. The temperature in the reptile's house should be from twenty-four to twenty-six degrees in a cool corner, and warm (under a lamp) - from thirty to thirty-three.
4. Any hypothermia caused by cold weather in the terrarium can cause a cold in reptiles.
5. In order for the turtle to safely absorb the vitamins, calcium and microelements necessary for life, it is recommended to install a special ultraviolet lamp above the terrarium, which should be located at a distance of twenty-five centimeters from the turtle.
6. In one of the free corners of the room in which the turtles are located, there should be a special enclosure. This is due to the fact that turtles prefer to find shelter for themselves, and in order for the reptile to feel favorable, it is recommended to place a heating lamp near the walls of such an enclosure.
7. Keeping the Central Asian tortoise on the floor is prohibited. This is allowed only in cases where the fenced enclosure for the reptile is located on a warm floor, without temperature changes and without even minor drafts.
8. You need to bathe your reptile in warm water once every two weeks. The recommended temperature is from thirty to thirty-five degrees, and the height of the water is up to the level of the animal’s head (approximately two-thirds of the height of the shell).

Food

In its natural environment, the Central Asian tortoise feeds mainly on vegetation: perennial grasses and shoots of shrubs, melons, berries, and occasionally fruit carrion.

At home, turtles benefit from a variety of plant foods. Greens, lettuce, coarse fiber (dried herbs and hay), leaves of edible plants should make up about 80% of the total nutritional diet. About 15% vegetables. Fruits – 5%.

It is better not to feed a turtle by hand. It is advisable to place the chopped food in a bowl or specially adapted “dining” surface to prevent ingestion of soil.

Young turtles are fed daily. For “aged” turtles – once every 2-3 days (individuals whose plastron size is 10 cm or more). The amount of food should be given within reasonable limits, usually from ½ shell size, until the turtle is satisfied.

In nature, the steppe or Central Asian tortoise lives in arid conditions with sparse vegetation. Therefore, when preparing a diet, you need to take into account that very sweet and overly juicy foods are not natural for them and can cause fermentation in the stomach. The plant variety of feed should be moderate!

You should not give your turtle cat or dog food. It is also not recommended to feed the animal “human food” - meat and fish, bread and milk, cottage cheese, eggs.

In the terrarium where your pet lives, it is advisable to have a source of calcium. It could be sepia. And powdered vitamin supplements. Many companies produce similar drugs, there is plenty to choose from.

The turtle does not need to drink regularly. Bowls with water in the terrarium are not necessary, as they can be trampled, spilled, or overturned. But excessive humidity in a “turtle house” is extremely undesirable.

Feeding

They are fed once every 3 days at the same time with food of plant (90%) and animal origin. As the main food, turtles are given a fresh mixture with the following ingredients (not all at once):

• Carrots with tops, pumpkin, zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant;
• Lettuce, artichoke, green onions;
• Unsweetened apples, strawberries;
• Dandelion, fig, clover, aloe, kalanchoe, echinacea.

In winter they are fed hay.

You cannot give one type of food in large quantities; it is better to offer the indicated components in equal proportions!

Feed little by little:

• Bloodworm larvae;
• Pieces of fish;
• Dry vitamin food allowed for turtles;
• Banana, orange, tangerine, melon, mango, any unsweetened fruit;
• Watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries;
• Sea and regular cabbage, cucumber, tomato;
• Parsley, celery, mushrooms, plantain;
• Fresh sunflower seeds, sprouted oats or barley, dry yeast.

Solid food is necessary for grinding the beak: branches of fruit trees, willow, birch.

You cannot give:

• Cherries, potatoes, garlic, spices, onions, spinach;
• Egg shells, crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, cockroaches, poisonous insects;
• Meat.

Young individuals are given only plant food, gradually increasing the range of the menu.

Nutrition

In nature, the Central Asian tortoise feeds on desert plants, melons, shoots of perennial grasses and shrubs, berries and fruit drops in gardens. At home, turtles can be fed with a variety of plant foods - greens, fruits, vegetables, berries. Animal feed is not allowed. It is also necessary to give vitamins and minerals (calcium) to turtles. In a cramped terrarium, turtles spoil food more than they eat, and they prefer not to eat trampled food. Central Asian turtles do not need regular drinking. There is no point in putting bowls of water in the terrarium: they will be trampled, spilled, or overturned. It is more practical to give the turtles a bath day once every one or two weeks. Young turtles should be fed a mixture of finely chopped vegetables and vitamin and mineral supplements every day; those that are older - every other day. The amount of food is as the turtle is full, but in reasonable quantities.

Hygiene

The Central Asian turtle does not require any special care. Periodically it is necessary to clean the terrarium, as well as replace bedding soil that has become unusable. Twice a month it is highly advisable to perform general cleaning in the terrarium or aquarium using non-toxic detergents. During this cleaning process, it is necessary to disinfect all decorative fillers, as well as feeders and drinkers.

Terrarium: Glass, wooden, plastic terrarium from 60x40 cm for a young turtle and up to 1-1.5 m x 50 cm for one or two adults. Soil: large pebbles in a warm corner (preferably) + terrarium soil or coconut mulch moistened in a cool corner + wood chips/sawdust Lighting: 40-60 W incandescent lamp and 10-12 UVB ultraviolet lamp for reptiles. Extras: house, feeder, thermometer

The UV lamp should be located approximately 25cm from the turtle (not lower than 20, not higher than 40). An ultraviolet lamp does not heat the terrarium, but provides the necessary ultraviolet radiation for the turtle, which in nature they receive with the help of sunlight - ultraviolet radiation is vital for turtles to function normally, absorb calcium and obtain vitamin D3. A heating lamp (incandescent) plays the role of a heat source, creating the necessary temperature gradient at which the turtle can choose the optimal temperature for itself.

Warmth is also vital for a reptile because they can only stay warm from external heat sources in order for the body to function properly. Without heat, low metabolism becomes even slower, food is not digested, but rots in the stomach, and problems with the gastrointestinal tract are possible. The temperature is 24–26°C in a cold corner near the house and 30–33 in a warm corner under a lamp. The temperature under the lamp can be adjusted by changing the light bulb itself in the lamp (put different ones in power), or by lowering or raising the lamp. Turtles love to burrow into gravel, dig, and find their own shelter. Any drafts and sudden changes in temperature, even when kept in a terrarium, can cause colds in these animals.

Pen: The pen is made in one of the corners of the room, the heating lamp is located at one of the walls of the pen, and the turtles can choose the temperature they need at the moment. In summer, it’s a good idea to set up a corral on a summer cottage. In July–August, on the line south of Kyiv–Voronezh, you can leave turtles in a pen overnight; north of this line, it is better to bring animals into the house at night. To make it easy to find the turtle at any time, you can use a small piece of adhesive tape to attach a balloon or a noticeable flag on a sufficiently high pole to the carapace.

Loose living on the floor in the house is not allowed !!! Unless there is a pen, on a warm fenced corner of the floor, no drafts, with the right lights, temperature changes and soil.

WHAT NOT TO FEED?

There are foods that can be offered to a turtle with caution and once a week, but there are also those that cannot be given at all. If there are no dangerous or harmful products (but, nevertheless, none among the permitted products), it is better not to take risks and not give your pet unknown food.

What can you give a little at a time?

• Spinach, peas, white cabbage, mustard, beans, radishes, tomatoes, asparagus, pineapples, mushrooms, fatty fish, grasshoppers, lamb, pork, potatoes, celery, onions, pears, cherries, nuts.
• You can give your turtle tomatoes or pears as a treat occasionally.

Playful ferrets as pets: pros and cons, how much does it cost to keep a pet?

List of recommended and prohibited products for domestic red-eared turtles - https://tvoipitomec.com/cherepahi/chem-kormit-krasnouhih-cherepah-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html

What should you absolutely not give?

These products should not be given to the turtle and must be taken away if it suddenly finds or picks them up on its own.

This does not always mean that the pet will die after consuming them - however, diseases may develop and the content of certain substances in the food will affect the pet’s health.

What's on this list?

1. Unfamiliar plants - among them there can always be literally poisonous ones.
2. Peel, peel, pit.
3. Canned food - the turtle's stomach is not designed to digest them.
4. Dry food and supplements for other pets, such as cat and dog food.
5. Food from the human table - porridge, cheese, sausage, boiled and fried. The turtle will not be able to digest this food and will get sick.

Video: what to feed?

By adhering to the basic rules, it is not difficult to organize the turtle’s nutrition so that it does not cause trouble. These pets eat much of the same food as their owners - which means you don't have to buy them special food.

The main thing is to adhere to the list of permitted products and not allow the turtle to get products from the list of undesirable and prohibited products. A well-fed turtle that has received all its vitamins is happy and active.

Main enemies

But the number of turtles was also affected by deliberate actions of people against these harmless animals. In Turkmenistan, there is a belief among a certain part of the population that the turtle is the filthiest animal. This belief was previously accompanied by a ban on touching the turtle. Today it is combined with the aggressiveness of teenagers who destroy these slow creatures. In Uzbekistan, the origin of the turtle is linked in legend to a rogue merchant. He so shamelessly weighed down the buyers that they became indignant and cried out to Allah. Allah got angry, took two pans of the scales on which the merchant was underweighting the flour, and squeezed the swindler with them. “You will forever bear these evidences of your shame,” Allah concluded. Between the scales the merchant had only his head and limbs left sticking out, and he turned into a turtle. It must be assumed that such a legend did little to promote people’s caring attitude toward turtles. Also, a large number of turtles die from the feet of artiodactyl animals and birds of prey.

Sex of red-eared turtles

By the age of 4 years, males and 5-6 years of females reach sexual maturity, but the sex of red-eared turtles can be determined already in the second year of life. Males have longer claws on their front paws than females. They help to stay on the female during mating. The male's tail is thicker and longer than that of the female, and the cloaca is located further from the shell. The plastron (lower part of the shell) is flat in females and concave in males, which helps the male to take a comfortable position during sexual intercourse. In red-eared turtles of the same age, males are smaller than females, but the spots on the head are larger and brighter.

Under good conditions, red-eared turtles live up to 60 years.

Reproduction

For successful reproduction in captivity, you will need to purchase a pair of Central Asian turtles of the same age and approximately equal weight. The female differs from the male in the shape of the tail. The male has a longer and wider tail at the base, and the female Central Asian tortoise is characterized by a dent located on the plastron, near the tail. Males are also distinguished from females by the cloaca located further along the tail.

Land turtles mate between February and August, immediately after emerging from their natural state of hibernation. The duration of gestation by the female is a couple of months, after which the pet lays from two to six eggs. The process of incubation of eggs lasts two months and is carried out at a temperature of 28-30°C. Newborn turtles that have just hatched from eggs have a shell about 2.5 cm long .

This is interesting! Low incubation temperatures cause the birth of a large number of males, and at high temperatures, females are most often born.

Outdoor aviary for living

In order for this turtle to be exposed to light more often and breathe fresh air, it is recommended to keep it outdoors in the summer. She needs to equip a high-quality, spacious enclosure with an area of ​​4 square meters. meters or more.

To prevent your pet from digging and running away, the picket fence should be buried at least 25 cm into the ground, and large cobblestones should be placed in the corners. In order for the turtle to have a place to sleep at night, and also to hide from the scorching rays during the day, you need to build it a hole-house. You can install a shallow reservoir of water - a bath, into which the reptile can climb without outside help.

Diseases and prevention

The pet must undergo examinations by a veterinarian for the purpose of prevention. There is usually a lot of bacteria in your reptile's urine and feces. At home, turtles can get sick if terrarium hygiene is not maintained.

The following rules must be adhered to:

• Change the water every day - both drinking and bathing.
• Disinfect all containers regularly.
• Check the bedding material for cleanliness and dryness and change it if necessary.

Like all living things, a turtle can get sick. The most dangerous and common diseases for pets are:

• A cold that is accompanied by refusal to eat, loss of appetite, irregular breathing, and mucus discharge from the nose.
• Rectal prolapse.
• Intestinal parasites, when they appear, the turtle loses weight and becomes apathetic.
• Diarrhea due to consumption of poor quality food. Feces have a strong and unpleasant odor.
• Intestinal obstruction. Occurs when hypothermia and eating something inedible, such as sand.
• Paralysis due to damage to the central nervous system, poisoning, infection.
• Poisoning. Characterized by severe vomiting and staggering when moving.

Cracks or fractures in the shell are extremely dangerous for reptiles. They can occur from a fall or from a bite, for example, from a dog. The healing process depends on the severity of the injury. The damaged area of ​​the shell must be disinfected and sealed to prevent bacteria from getting there. Calcium supplements will speed up healing.

If your turtle has herpes, it should be given special attention. Such an infection most often leads to the death of the reptile.

If you still want to purchase such a pet, then it is better to do this in specialized nurseries or pet stores. It is better not to buy animals that were caught in the wild and brought into the country illegally. Usually such individuals have health problems.

To sleep or not to sleep?

In nature, Central Asian women are forced to hibernate due to lack of food. At home, you need to try to create all the conditions so that they do not want to sleep, since during sleep the animals lose up to 50% of their weight, and can get sick after waking up from hibernation. Warmth, long daylight hours and a varied menu will help you with this,

Reptiles that live at home for the first year go into hibernation at home; their biological clocks have not yet adjusted to a new way. Over time, they will be able to cope without prolonged sleep, and will sleep only at night and a little during the day.

If you notice that the turtle intends to hibernate, has become slow and has stopped eating, help it survive this important moment - arrange a “bath day”, this will allow it to quickly empty its intestines of food debris and become saturated with moisture, then place it in a warm place. When she finally falls asleep, put her in a cardboard box with dry leaves or torn paper, sprinkle the same materials on top, and place her in a cool place with a temperature of +10 degrees.

In good conditions, with proper care, the Central Asian tortoise can live up to 30 years or more - its life expectancy depends entirely on the attention and care of its owners.

Buying a Central Asian tortoise

It is best to purchase a Central Asian turtle from a pet store or nursery specializing in reptiles. It is highly undesirable to buy animals caught in natural conditions and brought into our country illegally. As a rule, such reptiles do not undergo sufficient quarantine, so they are most often sold with health problems.

The maximum length of an adult turtle reaches a quarter of a meter, but for small pets you can purchase a small terrarium, which should be replaced with a larger dwelling as the land reptile grows and develops. The average cost of a young individual in a pet store or nursery is 1.5-2.0 thousand rubles. Young specimens sold secondhand are most often sold at a price of 500 rubles.