Animals desert turtle message. Desert turtle. Indian star tortoise
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Reproduction and development In laying 2-7 eggs. The eggs are spherical, slightly oval, 39-49 mm long. The incubation period at a temperature of 30-31°C and a humidity of 50-60% is 80-130 days. Turtles are born in autumn. They weigh 23 g with a shell length of 48 mm. Sexual maturity is reached at 15-20 years, and the life expectancy of these gophers is up to 50 years (according to other sources - up to 80). In 1963-1973, turtle growth dynamics was studied in Nevada. On average, gophers grew by 9 mm per year. The fastest growth was observed in April-July.
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Food Desert western gophers feed on green vegetation with a high moisture content: various herbs, leaves of shrubs, fruits and flowers of prickly pear. In the wild, they rarely manage to drink water, but if possible, they are able to drink so much at one sitting that their weight increases by 40% (other desert dwellers, camels, have a similar ability).
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Behavior They dig holes for themselves up to 14 meters long. In dry years during hot summers, the activity of these turtles decreases. In the north of their range, in Utah, gophers hibernate in groups in their own deep burrows. Further south, in Arizona, they use the deepened burrows of prairie dogs for wintering. In Sonora, where winters are mild, gophers do not winter at all. Turtles from Utah make regular seasonal migrations between wintering roosts at the base of the hills and summer feeding grounds on the plains.
- Superclass Quadrupeds - Tetrapoda, Class Reptiles, or Reptiles - Reptilia
- Infraorder Freshwater and land turtles - Testudinoidea
Desert Gopher Turtle - Gopherus agassizii- found in the deserts and semi-deserts of the United States (including the Mayave and Sonoran deserts in southeastern California, where the number of turtles is 100,000, that is, 200 animals per square mile), in southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and western Arizona. The weight of the gopher turtle is 11-23 kg.
The carapace has a length of 15-36 cm, is painted in a monotonous brown or monochromatic yellow color. Males are larger than females, the weight of the first is 20 kg, the second is 13 kg. The head is covered with scales, the tail is thick. The claws are very long and serve to dig holes where the turtle spends most of the day.
The desert gopher tortoise is a herbivorous tortoise that feeds on low growing grasses and shrubs or freshly fallen leaves. It feeds twice a day, but can go without food for a long time. During the breeding season, the male attacks the female from the flank and hisses. The female lays 4 to 12 round white eggs in a deep hole dug in a secluded corner of the desert. Newborns hatch from eggs after 4 months. Their shell is soft, which remains for the first five years of life. It hardens as the gopher tortoise approaches physical maturity. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of 14-20 years, life expectancy is 100 years.
The gopher turtle moves very slowly. It is active in the morning, and in extreme heat it leaves its burrow only at night. With its long claws, the turtle digs holes up to 10 m deep, where they spend the winter months motionless. This turtle is the official state animal of California and Nevada. It is popular as a pet despite the fact that the number of the animal is declining as a result of the deterioration of habitual habitats as a result of human activities. In some areas, populations have declined by 55%. To preserve the population of this unique animal in California, a reserve has been set up in the desert with an area of 38 square meters. miles.
Based on materials from the site http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/.
Most often found in collections desert western gopher (desert tortoise). It inhabits the deserts of southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, southeastern California, and western Arizona. In Mexico, the tortoise is found in the Sonoran Desert. Prefers areas with shrubs and soil suitable for burrowing, which can be up to 12 meters long. Depending on the climate, they can go for wintering (colonies of hibernating reptiles are often observed) or remain active all year round.
This species has a high, domed carapace up to 38 centimeters long. The carapace is brown, has a pattern, the plastron is yellow. Males have strongly elongated throat shields used by animals in ritual duels during the breeding season. Strong, elephantine forelimbs allow turtles to master both sandy deserts and mountain slopes.
An adult western desert gopher requires a large terrarium commensurate with its size. In the hot season (it is easier to do this in the southern regions), turtles can also be kept outdoors, subject to the standard rules: the presence of warm shelters and protection from predators. The corral must be fenced with a strong fence, and, given the ability of turtles to dig holes, the fence must be buried at least 15 centimeters into the ground. Shelter can be arranged either in the form of a booth or in the form of a hole with reinforced walls. The width of the tunnel should be 10-12 centimeters larger than the size of the turtle shell. The nest chamber should have a removable cover to facilitate the removal of animals from the shelter. When making it, it must be borne in mind that the turtle should turn around freely in the "bedroom". There must be a reservoir in the paddock, but it cannot be made deep: desert animals cannot swim and can drown.
The terrarium for young animals can be small, about 70-100 centimeters (70-150 liters) long. The air in it must be very dry. Therefore, it is necessary to make a large number of ventilation holes in the lid, it is better to make it mesh. The daytime temperature in the warm corner of the room must be maintained within 31-35 "C, in the cool - about 22-25" C. There is also a shallow pond and shelter. The night temperature in a warm corner should be about 21-24 "C. It is obligatory to install lamps like "Repti Glo" or others that are a source of ultraviolet rays.
The natural food of the desert gopher is various herbs, shrub leaves, prickly pear fruits and flowers. All of them have a large amount of fiber and little moisture. Similar food should be provided for animals kept in captivity (although most domestic hobbyists are unlikely to be able to grow cacti in the required quantity). Among the plants fed should not be poisonous (buttercups, oleander and some others). Diversify the diet of turtles with lettuce leaves, cabbage, various vegetables and fruits. It is also good to give alfalfa hay.
This species has been successfully bred in some US zoos. Turtles lay two to seven eggs.
In addition to the desert gopher, three more species are known: Texan (Gopherus berlandieri), Mexican (Gopherus flavomarginatus) gophers and gopher polyphemus(Gopherus polyphemus).
The conditions of their maintenance differ little from the conditions recommended for the desert gopher. Their breeding is poorly mastered
"Land Turtles". A.N. Gurzhiy
No part of the article may be reproduced without the written permission of the author and publishing house "Delta M"
It is not for nothing that scientists call the natural conditions of deserts extreme, that is, extreme. One is always in abundance, the other is lacking. The main thing that is sorely lacking in the desert is moisture. Less than 170 mm of precipitation falls annually, and for many months the merciless sun shines from a cloudless sky - not a drop of rain falls on the parched earth. But the desert does not occupy heat and sun. During the day, the air temperature rises to 45-50 °, in some areas of the tropics - even up to 58 °, and the surface of the earth at the same time heats up to 80-90 °.
The lack of moisture and the withering heat do not allow the rich vegetation cover to develop in the deserts. Only for a short period of rains, lasting one or two months, some deserts are transformed: a green cover appears on the sand or on the clay surface. It was at this time that insects and reptiles lay their eggs, birds make nests, and mammals bring babies.
How do desert animals manage to adapt to harsh temperatures, lack of moisture, to life on soil that is almost not covered with vegetation?
No animal can tolerate prolonged overheating. If you leave a lizard or a rodent gerbil during the day in the sun, then in just a few minutes they will die from sunstroke. Desert dwellers escape from the scorching rays of the sun in different ways. Many of them - jerboas, geckos, sand boas, dark beetles - are nocturnal. During the day, when the sun bakes mercilessly, these animals find refuge in deep cool minks.
Animals leading a day life are active only in the early morning hours, when the soil has not yet become hot. And when the sun rises higher and its rays turn the surface of the earth into a frying pan, they seek shady cool shelters. Diurnal lizards - foot-and-mouth lizards, agamas, roundheads - climb into the holes of rodents, burrow into the sand or climb onto the branches of bushes, where the temperature is noticeably lower than in the hot surface layer of air. Mammals also hide in burrows or hide in the shade of bushes and rocks. Small birds - desert sparrows, dun finches - prefer to build nests in the shade to protect themselves and their offspring from overheating. Therefore, they willingly settle under the huge nest of the desert raven or golden eagle. Under it, as under an umbrella, there are 3-5 nests of small passerine birds.
The inhabitants of the desert have adapted in different ways to obtain the water necessary for the body. For tens of kilometers, desert birds fly to the watering hole - grouse and pigeons. Desert dwellers, who do not have such mobility, have to find water in a roundabout way. So, herbivorous animals - black beetles, rodents (gerbils and ground squirrels), antelopes - extract water from the succulent parts of plants - leaves, green twigs, rhizomes and bulbs. Desert animals have a number of physiological adaptations for economical use of water.
Central Asian tortoise.
In order to move quickly on loose sand, sandy desert animals have various adaptations. On the paws of many lizards and insects, scales or bristles form special brushes. These brushes provide good support when running on the surface of the sand. A reticulated foot-and-mouth disease rushes from one bush to another with lightning speed, leaving a chain of footprints in the sand. If you pick up this agile lizard, you can see a comb of horny scales on each toe of its paw.
Big gerbil.
In mammals living among loose sands, the paws are densely pubescent and there is a thick hair brush on the soles. It is not for nothing that two types of jerboas are called "furry-legged" and "combed-toed". These animals perfectly run along the slopes of sand dunes, their shaggy feet do not fall into loose sand. Even such a huge animal as a camel, despite its impressive weight, easily and smoothly moves along the sandy "sea" - and indeed the "desert ship". The soles of his feet are flat and wide. And this heavyweight walks along the dunes much easier than a light horse, whose narrow hooves are deeply bogged down in the sand.
It is also inconvenient for snakes in the sandy desert to crawl in the usual way: there is no solid support for the wriggling body. Some species of desert snakes have developed a special "lateral move". The snake does not crawl forward, but, as it were, shifts one half of the body to the side, slightly lifting it above the ground, and then pulls the other half towards it. Here in the Karakum Desert, this is how the sand efa moves, in South Africa - the tailed viper, in the deserts of Mexico and California - the horned rattlesnake.
Thin-toed ground squirrel.
It is not easy to dig a hole in the sand if it is dry and crumbles immediately. But in such sand it is easy to just bury yourself with your head, and not every predator will guess where his prey has gone. Many inhabitants of the dunes use this method of protection, burrowing into the sand in a few seconds. This is what eared and sandy roundheads do. They seem to “drown” in the sand, throwing it away with the vibrating movements of the body. And other animals simply crawl in the thickness of the sand, for example, a sand boa from the Karakum desert or a pygmy viper from the Kalahari desert.
Eared round head.
Thus, we see that even in the harsh conditions of the desert, animals find ways to escape from the heat, get the necessary moisture, and use the special properties of the soil. Therefore, despite the severity of nature, the desert is quite richly populated by various animals. The most typical desert dwellers are reptiles. These animals, more than birds or mammals, are able to tolerate drought and fall into an inactive state for many weeks and even months.
monitor lizard
One of the most common desert animals is turtles. The period of activity in the Central Asian steppe tortoises is very short - only 2-3 months a year. Having left their wintering holes in early spring, the turtles immediately start breeding, and in May - June, the females lay their eggs in the sand. Already at the end of June you will hardly meet turtles on the surface of the earth - they all dug deep into the soil and hibernated until next spring. Young turtles, having emerged from eggs in autumn, remain to winter in the sand and come to the surface only in spring. Central Asian turtles feed on all kinds of green vegetation. Various types of land tortoises live in the deserts of Africa - the closest relatives of our Central Asian tortoise.
Arrow-snake.
Desert lizards can be seen everywhere. Foot-and-mouth and roundheads are especially numerous. In our clay deserts live takyr roundhead and multi-colored foot-and-mouth disease, and in sandy - sandy and eared roundhead, net and striped foot-and-mouth disease.
Young gazelle.
Sandy roundhead - a tiny lizard with a sandy-yellow back and a tail striated below. Lizards twist and unwind their striped tails when excited. In the hot hours of the day, the roundhead runs into the shade of small bushes. If you persistently pursue the lizard, it spreads out on the sand and, rapidly vibrating with its entire body across the axis of the body, in a few seconds “drowns” in the sand. Many predators are deceived by such an unexpected maneuver.
The scarab beetle drags a ball of dung into its hole.
Among the powerful sand dunes, overgrown with only separate bushes, lives a large eared round-headed. In the hot hours of the day, the round-eared roundhead runs along the sand, raising its body high on widely spaced legs. At this time, she resembles a small dog. This posture protects the abdomen of the lizard from being burned by hot sand. Noticing a dangerous enemy, the round-eared roundhead runs across to the other side of the dune and burrows into the sand with lightning speed with the help of lateral movements of the body. But at the same time, she often leaves her head on the surface in order to be aware of further events. If the enemy is too close, the lizard goes on active defense. First of all, she vigorously twists and unwinds her tail, painted - from below in a velvety black color. Then, turning to the enemy, he opens his mouth wide, "ears" - skin folds in the corners of the mouth - straighten out and fill with blood. It turns out a fake "mouth" three times wider than a real mouth. With such a frightening look, the lizard lunges towards the enemy, and at the decisive moment, it clings to it with sharp teeth.
Sand efa.
On the slope of the dune, overgrown with saxaul; occasionally you can see the largest lizard of the desert - the gray monitor lizard. It reaches a length of 1.5 m and weighs up to 3.5 kg. Nearby, a hole more than 2 m deep is visible, where this “desert crocodile” hides in case of danger. Rodents, lizards, snakes, and even beetles, ants and caterpillars serve as food for the monitor lizard.
Phalanx.
Some lizards in the deserts have adapted to a nocturnal lifestyle. These are various geckos. One of the most remarkable representatives of night lizards is the skink gecko inhabiting the deserts of Central Asia. He has a large head with huge eyes, which have a slit-like pupil and are covered with a transparent leathery film. Having got out of its mink in the evening, the gecko first of all licks both eyes with a wide spade-shaped tongue. With this, he removes dust and grains of sand that have settled on the leathery film of the eye. The skin of a skink gecko is delicate and translucent. If you grab it, the skin flaps easily come off the lizard's body. An even smaller, graceful and fragile gecko is a comb-toed gecko. Its body is so transparent that the bones of the skeleton and the contents of the lizard's stomach are visible through the light. Our geckos have scalloped ridges on their feet to help them move across the sand. But the webtoed gecko from the sandy Namib Desert in South Africa has an even more peculiar adaptation. He has webbing between his toes, but not for swimming, but for walking on the sand.
Skink gecko.
One of the most bizarre lizards, the Moloch, lives in the sandy deserts of Australia. Her entire body is covered with sharp spikes sticking out in all directions, and above her eyes two large spikes form "horns". Moloch skin absorbs water like blotting paper, and after rare rains, the weight of Moloch increases by almost a third. The water accumulated in this way is gradually absorbed by the animal.
In South Asia and North Africa, various types of spiny tails live on dense gravelly soils. These lizards are equipped with a thick, spiked tail, which they use as a defensive weapon when they strike them. In the body cavity of the spinetails there are special bags in which water is stored. It is gradually consumed during the dry period.
There are many snakes in the deserts, among them there are poisonous ones. Asp snakes are common in the Australian deserts, rattlesnakes are common in the American deserts, and viper snakes predominate in the African and Asian deserts. For the Central Asian deserts, an arrow-snake, a sandy boa, and a sandy efa are characteristic.
Tarantula.
The snake arrow was named so for the extraordinary speed with which this graceful, thin, light brown snake moves. Rushing after a lizard, it really resembles an arrow shot from a bow. During the day, the arrow-snake often climbs onto the branches of bushes, from where it tracks down prey. The snake arrow has venomous teeth at the back of its upper jaw. But for a person, her bite is not dangerous - the back teeth do not reach the skin when bitten.
The sandy efa leaves a mark on the sand in the form of separate oblique parallel strips - after all, it moves in a “lateral way”. This is a small, dense, sand-colored snake with large light spots across the back. In danger, it curls up into a double crescent and, sliding one side against the other, makes a loud sound by rubbing the pointed lateral scales against each other. The food of efas is mainly gerbils, at the holes of which she settles, and young efas are supplemented by scorpions, locusts, centipedes.
In the first half of the night, a sand boa is often found in the desert. This snake is well adapted to life in the thickness of the sand: the head of the sand boa is spatulately pointed - it is easier to break through the soil, and the eyes are extended to the top of the head so that, slightly sticking its head out of the sand, the snake can examine the surroundings. The boa strangles its victims with the rings of its muscular body, justifying family ties with the giant boas of the tropics. The menu of the sand boa includes both diurnal animals, which he finds sleeping in the sand, and nocturnal ones, which he catches on the surface.
Insects are not as visible in deserts as reptiles, but they also form the basis of the animal population of the deserts. Most of all in the deserts of beetles. ^ Especially often it is possible to see a variety of dark beetles. These beetles are usually black in color, sometimes with white dots or stripes, they cannot fly - they only crawl and run along sand or gravel, sometimes climbing onto the lower branches of shrubs. Dark beetles can cause great harm to plantings in deserts: after all, their food is all kinds of vegetation. Most darklings are active at night.
Often you can see beautiful beetles on the branches of bushes in the desert - black, green-golden color. And at night, large whitish beetles fly into the light of the lantern - snow beetles. The larvae of all these beetles feed on the roots of shrubs.
There are many ants in the deserts, only their anthills do not rise above the ground, as in the forest. Usually only the entrance to the underground anthill is visible, ants scurrying back and forth all the time. Particularly funny desert ants - phaetons, they run on long legs with a high abdomen. Ant is a pale runner living in loose sands, at the slightest danger it quickly burrows into the sand.
In the burrows of gerbils, various mosquitoes and mosquitoes spend the day hiding from the heat. With the onset of darkness, they fly out of their burrows, and the females look for victims among warm-blooded animals, mainly rodents. There are few arachnids in the deserts, but they are very characteristic of these places. And in the sandy and in the clay desert you can find various types of spiders, scorpions, phalanxes. The tarantula spider lives in a burrow that it digs itself. He strengthens its walls with cobwebs so that they do not crumble. All day the tarantula sits in its mink, and at night it goes out for prey - small insects. The tarantula has a whole set of eyes - two large and six smaller ones. With a lantern, his eyes from afar burn with a green light. Large smoky phalanxes often come running to the light of a lantern at night. These are agile animals up to 7 cm long, with long hairy legs. Phalanxes are omnivores, they feed on any little thing that they are able to catch, and they can deftly dig up prey from the thickness of the sand. Contrary to popular belief, phalanxes are not poisonous.
The deserts are inhabited by groups of rodents characteristic of these landscapes - gerbils and jerboas. Gerbils lead a diurnal or twilight lifestyle, settle in entire towns - colonies. Gerbil colonies are the epicenter of life in the desert. Gerbil burrows are used as shelters by lizards, snakes, and insects, and predators that feed on gerbils, such as monitor lizards, ferrets, and ephs, also settle here or nearby.
Jerboas inhabiting the deserts of North Africa and Asia are typically nocturnal animals. Their large eyes, large ears indicate a high development of hearing and twilight vision. The front legs are small, and the hind legs, jumping, have an elongated foot. The tail is usually longer than the body and serves the jerboas both for balance when jumping and as a rudder on sharp turns. Having climbed into a deep mink for a day, the jerboa clogs the entrance to it with an earthen plug - a “penny”. Among the jerboas, five-toed ones stand out clearly (they live in clay and gravelly deserts) and three-toed ones - they have feet with a hair brush and they live in sandy deserts. Jerboas and gerbils serve as food for various four-legged and feathered predators. They are hunted by the desert owl, and the golden eagle, and the fox, and the dune cat.
Large mammals are rarely seen in the desert, but their traces are visible here and there. More often than others, there are traces of desert hares, very rarely - traces of the desert lynx caracal. Some antelopes live in the desert. The deserts of Central Asia are characterized by the goitered gazelle; other gazelles live in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia and Africa.
There are few birds in the deserts. Only occasionally do you hear the unpretentious song of the crested lark or the alarming cry of the dancing wheatear. Among the dunes, saxaul jays live settledly - birds with loose, lush plumage of a gray-yellow color, which well protects them from overheating. These restless birds from afar notice the appearance of an outsider and notify everyone with a loud chirring, replacing our restless magpie. Saxaul jays fly reluctantly, above the ground itself, but they run superbly, with wide sweeping steps.
In the trunks of desert bushes, white-winged woodpeckers make hollows for themselves, and after them saxaul sparrows can settle there. Desert owls nest in the walls of wells and hide from the heat of the day. Many desert birds do not consume water at all and never fly to water. This is how the desert sparrow, the warbler, and the saxaul jay behave. But some birds penetrate deep into the desert only enough to be able to periodically fly to the watering place. By the reservoir in the desert, you can see the dawn finches, saxaul sparrows, turtledoves and sandgrouse arriving here.
In our deserts there are black-bellied and white-bellied grouse, as well as their relative - saja, or hoof; her toes are fused into a solid scaly foot. There are especially many sandgrouse in Africa, up to the Kalahari desert. Ryabki are exceptionally good fliers, they have long, pointed wings. Therefore, they can nest even several tens of kilometers from water bodies, flying there to drink. Arriving at the reservoir, they sit down on the shore in a noisy flock, enter the water and drink quickly and eagerly, without taking their beak off the water, they suck water into the stomach. But then they go even deeper into the water and diligently wet the plumage of the chest. Why is this? It turns out that having flown to the nest in which thirsty chicks are waiting for them, the parents let them suck water from the moistened chest feathers.
Desert life hides many mysteries. There are still animals there that are very little known or not at all known to science. And knowledge of the animal world of the desert is necessary for people to successfully develop the rich natural resources of these harsh places. After all, the desert is both pasture for sheep and hunting grounds. In order to skillfully master it, one must have a good idea of all the subtle and hidden connections that exist between the vegetation of the desert and the animals that eat it, between predatory and herbivorous animals, and foresee the changes that human activity will cause in the desert.
The Galapagos tortoise is most commonly referred to as the elephant tortoise. The life expectancy of these reptiles is very long. There are cases when elephant turtles lived up to 400 years or more. The areas of distribution of the large Galapagos tortoise are savannahs, broad-leaved forests and shrub plains located in a tropical natural zone.
APPEARANCE
The shell of an elephant tortoise can reach 1.5 m in length and 0.5 m in height. The body weight of adults is from 150 to 400 kg.
Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: males are much larger than females. The paws of the elephant tortoise are strong and thick, with short powerful fingers.
Compared to water turtles, land turtles are not as agile, so in case of danger they hide inside the shell, rather than flee.
There are no webbing between the fingers. The neck is thin. The dorsal carapace is black, covered with small, weakly expressed mounds. In adults, the shell is covered with lichen.
Galopagos tortoise
LIFESTYLE
Elephant turtles are herbivores. Their diet includes grass, green parts of plants. Turtles that live on the lava plains of the Galapagos get their food on the plateaus formed on the site of an extinct volcano. Such plateaus provide turtles with an abundance of fresh water that accumulates in the depressions of the volcano.
The large size of the elephant tortoise makes it impossible to keep it at home.
Turtle mediterranean
The Mediterranean tortoise is a small land animal, the size of which in adulthood does not exceed 25–28 cm.
Under natural conditions, this species is found in the Mediterranean countries, from where the name of the turtle comes from, as well as in Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Azerbaijan and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.
In the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, Mediterranean tortoises live in steppes, semi-deserts and on the slopes of mountains covered with bushes, and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus - in forests. Sometimes Mediterranean tortoises live in fields and vineyards.
APPEARANCE
The shell of this species is strong, well developed, convex, covering the entire body. The scutes of the carapace form a complex pattern in the form of irregular rings, dark along the outer edge.
The older the turtle, the more rings on its shell, although their number does not correspond to the exact number of years of the animal.
LIFESTYLE
The most active Mediterranean tortoises
they show during the day, but in the summer, in hot weather, in the middle of the day, they often hide in the forest under fallen leaves and branches, and burrow into the ground in the steppe. In cool weather, in spring or autumn, turtles crawl out into the open to bask in the sun.
These animals are quite slow, but in the spring, during the breeding season, they often have to travel considerable distances. The Mediterranean tortoise feeds mainly on plant foods, occasionally eating worms, snails or insects.
For the winter, animals take refuge in crevices, small depressions between tree roots, or burrow into the ground. They come out of hibernation in March.
After waking up, the turtles begin mating games that take place in open spaces. The male during the games comes close to the female, hides his head and taps the edge of the shell on the shell of the female.
In June-July, females begin to lay their eggs in specially dug holes. During the summer, turtles lay eggs on average 3 times. Each clutch contains 3-8 white eggs. The tortoise lays eggs and fills it with soil and rams its surface, passing over it several times.
mediterranean tortoise
After 70–80 days, cubs are born. Since young turtles hatch from their eggs in late summer or autumn, most of them do not crawl out to the surface, but burrow into the ground and hibernate until spring.
Mediterranean tortoises, especially young ones, in which the shell is still soft, often become easy prey for predatory animals and birds. In many ways, people contribute to the decrease in the number of Mediterranean tortoises, catching them in large numbers and destroying their natural habitat. Therefore, you should not take home very small turtles, which practically do not survive in such conditions. Preference should be given to adults and sufficiently developed individuals.
coal turtle
The coal turtle is also called the red-footed turtle. It lives mainly in the forests of Venezuela, Brazil, Paraguay, Guiana, Northern Argentina and Bolivia.
In length, an adult reaches 55 cm.
LIFESTYLE
Coal turtles lay their eggs in autumn. In clutch there are from 5 to 15 eggs. The duration of the incubation period is 3.5–6 months at an ambient temperature of 26–30 °C.
coal turtle
The coal turtle is an omnivore. When animals are kept in captivity, they are fed fruits (apples, pears, plums, bananas, oranges), vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage), chicken or lean beef, and even dry cat food.
Particular attention is paid to the temperature in the terrarium, which should not be lower than 27 ° C, and to humidity - a sufficiently high one is required.
turtle leopard
The leopard tortoise is common in the territories adjacent to the Sahara. Some populations live in South Sudan, East Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, South West Africa.
APPEARANCE
The carapace is high, rounded, up to 60 cm long, light brown in color with small dark spots. Animals are easy to distinguish by gender: males are much larger than females. Old individuals can weigh up to 35 kg.
leopard turtle
LIFESTYLE
The leopard tortoise mainly lives in deserts, semi-deserts, plains with thorny bushes, some populations are found in mountainous areas.
The diet of the leopard tortoise is food of plant origin (prickly pear, aloe, euphorbia, thistle).
The terrarium where leopard turtles are kept must be equipped with an artificial reservoir.
Since this species of turtle does not tolerate the effect of low temperatures, the lamp in their terrarium should be turned on all the time during the cold season.
Yellow-footed turtle, or shabuti
Shabuti turtles are common in South America east of the Andes, on the island of Trinidad, in Venezuela, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Guiana. In recent years, the number of yellow-footed tortoises has declined significantly.
In captivity, shabuti adapt to the most adverse conditions.
APPEARANCE
The carapace reaches a length of 60 cm, in nature there are individuals with a length of 1 m or more. The carapace is convex, oblong, the carapace is fixedly connected to the plastron. On the plastron and carapace there are many thick, large horny scutes.
Shabouti
The head and limbs are dark grey, almost black. In many individuals, the limbs are colored yellow, which is why the turtles got their name. However, there are individuals with orange and red legs, which is why they are often confused with red-footed turtles.
Turtle radiant
Previously, this turtle was called the steppe turtle and was assigned to the genus Testudo, but then it was separated into a separate genus, which includes only one species.
Radiant turtles live in Madagascar. Until the end of the first quarter of the 20th century, these animals lived in prickly pear thickets, but after the Dactylopus coccus beetles, which actively reproduced at that time, destroyed most of the plants, the turtles had to change their habitats.
APPEARANCE
The radiant tortoise is considered one of the most beautiful tortoises in the world. This is a fairly large land animal up to 40 cm long and weighing 15–18 kg, with a very high, domed carapace.
LIFESTYLE
The yellow-footed tortoise lives in tropical forests. The main part of her diet is plant foods: fruits and green parts of plants.
The female arranges a nest in a pile of fallen leaves and buries 4-12 eggs covered with calcareous shells there.
The scutes of the carapace are black or dark brown, on each of them there is a yellowish spot resembling a star shape with rays diverging to the edges. The head and limbs are yellowish, the upper part of the head, muzzle and neck are black, there is a bright yellow spot on the back of the head. Elephant limbs. Male ray turtles have long tails and a notch in the plastron at the base of the tail.
LIFESTYLE Under natural conditions, radiant tortoises live in arid areas with scrub vegetation, most often in wooded areas in southern Madagascar. Recently, the number of these animals in nature has decreased significantly, as they are often used for cooking. Since 1979, radiant turtles have been bred at the Wildlife Recreational Center. So, from 500 eggs laid by turtles, about 300 cubs were bred.
radiant turtle
The mating season for radiant turtles begins in early spring, and offspring appear in September. During mating games, the male walks in circles around the female, trying to pry off her shell with his own, while making sounds reminiscent of clucking. The male shakes his head and sniffs the cloaca and hind legs of the female.
Sometimes he lifts the female with the front of his carapace to restrict her movements. Females choose males with a carapace length of at least 33 cm.
Females lay approximately 4-12 eggs in a pre-dug hole 15–20 cm deep. The incubation period is 145–230 days. The shell length of newly hatched turtles does not exceed 3 cm.
Central Asian turtle
The Central Asian tortoise lives in the countries of Central Asia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. On the territory of Russia, this animal is found on the northeastern coast of the Caspian Sea.
Inhabits mainly desert and semi-desert areas, as well as mountainous areas.
APPEARANCE
The shell of the Central Asian tortoise is round, not too high, yellowish-brown in color, with dark spots. The carapace consists of 13 scutes, the plastron of 16. There are 25 scutes on the sides of the carapace. On each shield of the carapace there are grooves, the number of which corresponds to the exact number of years of the turtle.
The plastron of males is slightly concave. The length of the shell of this species in some cases can reach 28 cm, but most often it is not more than 20 cm. Males of the Central Asian tortoise are usually smaller than females.
Central Asian tortoise
LIFESTYLE
The Central Asian tortoise in its natural habitat usually hibernates twice - in winter and during the summer heat. Before falling asleep, turtles dig holes, the depth of which can sometimes reach 2 m. In captivity, these reptiles rarely hibernate. In March-April, turtles come out of hibernation and start mating. From April to July, females make 2-3 clutches, each of which contains from 2 to 6 eggs. The duration of the incubation period is 80-110 days.
These animals reach puberty in the 10th year of life.
panther turtle
The panther tortoise belongs to the group of terrestrial tortoises and is quite large in size.
Panther tortoises are native to South and East Africa. These animals live in various areas, both in the savannas and in the mountains; moreover, turtles living in highland areas are usually larger than their flatland relatives. These reptiles are distributed mostly in North America.
APPEARANCE
The length of the carapace of an adult can reach 70 cm, and weight - 45-50 kg, so you should keep the panther tortoise in captivity only if it is possible to provide it with a sufficiently spacious terrarium.
The shape of the carapace in this species, like in most land turtles, is domed. The color of the shell is dull yellow. In young individuals, the scutes are decorated with dark brown patterns, which in some cases look like rectangles connected by a common center. With age, the pattern becomes more faded, and the lines are bent.
The shell shields are uneven, shaped like asymmetrical pyramids. The carapace is brown, uneven, with a keel, its length is 13–23 cm. The plastron is yellow, with black spots on the outer edges of the scutes.
The neck and forelimbs of the turtle are often reddish or orange in color.
LIFESTYLE
The diet of panther tortoises is dominated by animal food. Sometimes turtles eat green parts of plants and ripe fruits.
panther tortoise
The mating season for this species is in autumn. In September and October, males win the females they have chosen, while females also take an active part in mating competitions.
The eggs of these animals are spherical, with a hard shell, with a diameter of 2.5 to 5 cm. Each clutch contains from 6 to 13 eggs. The duration of the incubation period is, depending on the ambient temperature, from 189 to 440 days.
Indian star tortoise
Indian star tortoises live in India and on the island of Sri Lanka. Individuals are found on the small islands of Karaduwa and Ramaswaran.
APPEARANCE
The carapace is black, painted with yellow lines emanating in the form of rays from each shield. The pattern on the shell resembles a large star. The scutes on the shell are relief-convex, protruding in the form of a pyramid.
Indian star tortoise
Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: females are much larger than males. The largest male reaches only 15 cm in length, and the female - 25 cm. The shell of females is wider than that of males. The shell length of newborn babies is only 3 cm, but during the first 6 months of life, turtles grow their shell by about one third.
LIFESTYLE
In natural habitat, the mating season for Indian star tortoises begins in June and usually lasts until mid-October.
At this time, the males fight each other, trying to turn the opponent upside down. During the year, the female makes three clutches of 4–6 eggs.
The incubation period is 100 days at 28°C.
In warm weather, adult turtles are sure to arrange a corral in the open air in an area with diffused sunlight. In rain or extreme heat, turtles are moved indoors.
In captivity, Indian star tortoises are kept in a fairly spacious enclosure with bedding of dry grass or sawdust. A large cardboard box with a hole cut into it is installed as a shelter.
Turtles require daily bathing, so a large container of water is installed in the aviary, which is changed daily.
The diet of Indian star tortoises is made up of food of plant origin. Occasionally, you can give dry food for dogs and turtles, meat products and eggs.
Turtle Balkan
The Balkan tortoise is a small land animal that lives in southern Europe. In nature, this species is currently rare, but in European countries there are special farms where animals are bred artificially.
There are two subspecies of the Balkan tortoise - western and eastern. The latter differs from the former in large dimensions.
APPEARANCE
A distinctive feature of the Balkan tortoise is a long conical spike on the tail.
The carapace is small in size, most often 14–16 cm. In young individuals, it is colored brownish-yellow, and in adults it is dark in color with a bright yellow border around the edge.
Under natural habitat conditions, the Balkan tortoise prefers to settle in dry steppes and shrubs.
Balkan tortoise
Turtle stellate
The star tortoise is a land animal that lives on the Hindustan Peninsula, in Sri Lanka and nearby islands.
APPEARANCE
The name of this species was due to the pattern on the shell in the shape of a star with rays diverging from the center to the edges.
star turtle
The background of the carapace is black or dark brown, and the color of the star is yellow. The carapace of females is wider than that of males, and the costal and vertebral scutes stand out more clearly. The caudal shield is shorter in females. The length of the carapace of males does not exceed 15 cm, and that of females - 25 cm.
LIFESTYLE
Star turtles are most active in the morning and evening, preferring to rest in shaded areas during the day and sleep at night. When it rains, they go out into open areas.
The breeding season for star tortoises is during the rainy season, from June to October. During this period, females make 2-3 clutches, each of which contains 3-6 eggs.
Eggs develop, depending on weather conditions, 45-147 days. Young turtles do not have a star pattern on their shells; they may have either a yellow or orange carapace with a yellow stripe along the spine. On the carapace of young individuals there are black spots resembling blots, and on the plastron there are five pairs of black spots located at the junction of the scutes.
Egyptian turtle
The Egyptian tortoise is one of the smallest species of these animals. The maximum length of the carapace does not exceed 12.7 cm in females and 11.5 cm in males.
The Egyptian tortoise is found only on a small stretch of the Mediterranean coast between Libya and Israel.
APPEARANCE
Outwardly, the Egyptian tortoise is very similar to the Mediterranean one, however, the spots on the plastron of the first are located only in the region of the abdominal scutes, while in the second they cover the entire plastron. In addition, Egyptian tortoises do not have growths on their feet.
Egyptian tortoise
In the back of the plastron, the female Egyptian tortoise has an elastic ligament that allows you to cover your hind limbs and tail with a shield. In males, this ligament is ossified.
LIFESTYLE
Under natural conditions, Egyptian tortoises hibernate during the hot season, from June to September, and from autumn to spring they lead an active lifestyle.
Animals begin to mate in March. During the mating season, both females and males make peculiar sounds. Females lay 1-3 eggs in small holes up to 5 cm deep. The eggs mature in about 3 months, but there are cases when the incubation period lasted 10 months.
Flat-tailed turtle, or capidolo
The flat-tailed turtle is found only in Madagascar. This small animal is often kept in a home terrarium.
APPEARANCE
The carapace of this animal is elongated, with large yellow scutes, 12 cm long. The scutes have yellowish or light brown spots, around which black stripes crossed by light ones pass.
Capidolo
On the marginal shields, the stripes are vertical, light.
The plastron is light, with dark spots, without an elastic ligament.
The head of the turtles is painted black or dark brown, the limbs are yellow. The tail is flat, with a nail-like outgrowth at the end.
LIFESTYLE
The capidolo hibernates during the hot months, and the period of activity in animals falls on the rainy season.
Female flat-tailed turtles usually lay only one fairly large egg.
Desert tortoise, or Western desert gopher
The desert tortoise, or the western desert gopher as it is sometimes called, lives in the deserts of North America. Also found in southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, Arizona, the Mayave and Sonoran deserts.
Most often it can be found in areas overgrown with shrubs with fairly loose soil. Life expectancy of 100 years or more.
Gopher or desert tortoise
APPEARANCE
The carapace is domed, as in most tortoises, low and rather wide, and can be up to 38 cm long. The color of the carapace is brown, with dark patterns, the plastron is yellow, and the marginal scutes are serrated.
The limbs are large and very powerful. Males have elongated throat shields, which they use in mating competitions.
The head is large, on the paws there are often horny growths that look like spurs. Males are smaller than females, marginal shields on their carapace are pointed.
LIFESTYLE
The gopher tortoise spends most of its life in a hole up to 9-10 m deep. It moves rather slowly. It is most active at night and early in the morning.
The diet consists of leaves of shrubs and grass. Despite the fact that turtles can go without food for a long time, captive turtles are recommended to be fed 2 times a day.
The breeding season lasts from November to March, the female usually lays eggs in March.
The female desert tortoise digs a nest hole in the sandy soil, where she then lays 4 to 12 round white eggs. The incubation period lasts about 4 months.
The shell of newborn cubs is soft, which makes them easy prey for other animals and birds of prey. As the turtles mature, it gradually hardens.
Turtle yellow, or oblong
These turtles are common in Asia, they are found from Nepal to Malaysia: in India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Kampuchea, in southern China. Quite often imported for sale from Vietnam to China.
Currently, the number of these turtles has decreased significantly, in a number of countries this species is under protection.
APPEARANCE
The length of the yellow turtle is about 30 cm, body weight is not more than 3.5 kg. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: the shell in males is convex, while in females it is flat. On the hind limbs, females have long claws adapted for digging the ground.
The color of yellow turtles is light or dark yellow, on each shield there is a black spot. Sometimes there are individuals of black or light color without spots.
The head of animals is yellowish, during the breeding season, both in females and in males, a pinkish color appears around the eyes and nose.
LIFESTYLE
The yellow tortoise lives in humid forests, but can sometimes be found in drier areas.
It shows the greatest activity in the dark: at this time it hunts and eats food. These turtles tolerate low temperatures well, become active at a temperature of 20 ° C, but in the morning they like to bask in the sun. On hot days they become lethargic, try to hide in the shade.
yellow tortoise
Females become sexually mature, having reached a length of 23 cm. A pair of turtles is kept in a fairly large aqua terrarium (5 x 3 m).
During the mating season, the male becomes aggressive, so when keeping turtles in captivity, a couple from which they hope to get offspring are planted. The behavior of reptiles must be monitored: the male can inadvertently injure the female by biting her head, paws and tail.
The female about to lay her eggs becomes active, tries to get out of the enclosure in search of a nest, often stops and sniffs the ground. As a rule, she chooses a wet patch of land, devoid of vegetation, and digs a hole there 15–20 cm deep. During the season, the female makes 3 clutches of 2–4 eggs each.
Laid eggs are carefully transferred to an incubator with an air temperature of at least 28 ° C. The incubation period is 130–190 days at 28°C. Body length of newborns is 50–55 mm, weight is 30–35 g.
Hatched cubs are kept separately, fed with protein-rich food, and only at the age of 9 months are transferred to a large terrarium.
steppe turtle
Contrary to its name, the steppe tortoise does not live in the steppes, but in clay and sandy deserts, and occasionally settles on economic lands.
Distributed in South Kazakhstan and on the plains of Central Asia.
APPEARANCE
The length of the carapace is about 18 cm, in some adults up to 30 cm. The carapace is low, rounded, yellowish-brown, with blurry dark spots.
LIFESTYLE
These turtles are most active during daylight hours.
They hibernate during the hottest time of the year - in July-August. The mating season for steppe turtles begins in February, and in April the females lay their eggs.
In one clutch there are from 2 to 6 eggs. The incubation period lasts 60-65 days. Males reach sexual maturity after 6 years, and females - after 12.
Large pebbles, shell rock are used as soil. Smaller soil turtles often eat. Also, one part of a sawn in half and inverted ceramic pot is installed in the terrarium.
steppe turtle
Adult turtles are sprayed once a day with a spray bottle, preventing the soil from getting wet. It is best to take them out of the terrarium at this time. With the onset of warm days, turtles are transferred to the pen in the open air.
In captivity, adult steppe tortoises are fed no more than 2-3 times a week, young ones - daily. The diet of these reptiles is varied: they can be given grass (plantain, lawn grass, coltsfoot, clover, dandelion), berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries) and almost all kinds of fruits.
Moorish tortoise
The Latin name for the Moorish tortoise is Testudo graeca, or Greek tortoise. Carl Linnaeus described this species in 1758, suggesting that it comes from Greece. In fact, these turtles are most widely distributed in the territory from North Africa to Western Asia, inclusive, so the German name of the species - Mauritanian tortoise - is considered more correct.
Currently, the number of these animals has reached a critical level, so the Mauritanian tortoise is included in the Red Book of Russia.
APPEARANCE
The length of an adult is 20–30 cm; there is a shield on the shell above the tail. The color of the shell is dark yellow with dark spots. Paws are yellow-brown with dark spots.
Mauritanian tortoise
LIFESTYLE
The diet of the Moorish tortoise is food of plant origin.
Animals are most active in the morning and evening hours, and during the day they hide in dense thickets of shrubs or other shady places.
Turtle Chaco
Despite the fact that the Latin name for the Chaco tortoise is the Chilean tortoise, it is not found in Chile.
Distributed in South America: in southwestern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina and western Paraguay. Homeland - Argentina and Paraguay.
APPEARANCE
The Chaco turtle looks like a gopher turtle. The length of the carapace of an adult animal reaches 20 cm. This is the smallest tortoise of the Geochelone genus, which also includes the giant Galopagos tortoise.
LIFESTYLE
Chaco turtles live in dry deserts overgrown with shrubs and grass. They mostly spend their time in burrows. So, in the north of Patagonia, where the temperature in winter sometimes reaches -10 ° C, animals hibernate in deep burrows.
The mating season lasts from November to December. In February, the females lay their eggs in nests they dig in the sand. The incubation period is 125–365 days.
Chaco turtles feed on both plant (grass, fruits, cacti) and animal (insects and their larvae) food.
Kinix Homo
Turtles of the kinix genus live in tropical rainforests and scrublands of Tropical Africa and on the island of Madagascar.
The length of the carapace of an adult is about 25–30 cm. The carapace is convex, with strongly serrated edges. The rear third of the carapace is very mobile, covering the body from behind.
Kiniks Homa is common in Côte d, Ivoire (the old name is Ivory Coast), Congo, Nigeria.
Some species settle along the banks of reservoirs and swamps, others - in arid plains overgrown with grass and shrubs. Usually they lead a hidden lifestyle, they are most active at sunrise and sunset. They like to bask in the sun for a long time after swimming, while simultaneously producing vitamin D in the body.
Under natural habitat conditions, they never hibernate.
APPEARANCE
The head is light, the eyes are large. The carapace has an angular outline with a pronounced angle in the back. The general color is brown.
LIFESTYLE
The diet of the kinix Homa is made up of snails, slugs, various insects, and plants. In captivity, turtles eat fruits, vegetables, flour and earthworms, and occasionally specialized dry food for turtles.
In a terrarium where turtles are kept, there should be high humidity. If the air is dry, the animals hibernate, after which they become lethargic and soon die.
Turtles of this species do not tolerate bright sunlight, so they arrange an open-air aviary only in the shade.
Dry food for dogs should not be given to kinik-sam, and food of animal origin should be added to food no more than 1 time per week. Pregnant females and calves should be given a turtle calcium supplement daily.
Schweiger turtle
Schweiger's tortoises are widely distributed in the evergreen forests of West Africa. They live along the banks of water bodies and in humid tropical jungles.
APPEARANCE Schweiger's tortoise is the largest among other representatives of this genus. The length of the carapace of an adult reaches almost 30 cm.
The color of the carapace is rusty-brown, with light spots on the central plates and a border along the extreme plates.
Males differ from females in their long thick tails.
Schweiger turtles are kept in conditions of high humidity. Unlike other species, these animals are undemanding to lighting.
For animals, a spacious terrarium is equipped with shelter - a cardboard box with a hole or a piece of tree bark bent in half.
Be sure to take care of an artificial reservoir. It may be shallow, but the water in it must be constantly changing.
The Schweiger turtle is undemanding to food: it can be fed with grass, fruits, small invertebrates.
Once a week, animals are given mineral supplements for turtles or, as a substitute, pork or beef bones.
Mating in turtles of this species occurs throughout the year. The mating behavior of the male is very interesting: he walks around the female in circles, suddenly knocking her over on her back. A fertilized female eats a lot, is almost constantly in the water.
After 4 months, the female is given a shelter in a terrarium - a small cardboard box with a closed top, a layer of sand is necessarily poured inside, in which the turtle will lay its eggs.
The eggs are carefully transferred to an incubator at 30°C. The incubation period is 130–157 days.
Hatched cubs are transferred to a special "children's" terrarium with the same shelter from the bark. Young individuals are fed bananas, pears, cucumbers, peaches and finely chopped earthworms.
Asian turtle
Asian tortoises are widespread in the mountainous regions of Northern Vietnam (from the Vietnamese language, its name can be translated as "three-tailed tortoise"). Also found in Malaysia, Thailand.
The plastron of these animals is used in Chinese traditional medicine. Currently, the number of these turtles has declined significantly.
APPEARANCE
The color of the carapace is grayish-brown, sometimes orange, with a dark border on the plates. The limbs are dark, the head is light. Individuals living in Malaysia are brown in color. The plastron is light yellow, with a dark spot on each plate.
LIFESTYLE
Asian turtles live in forests and highlands. They feed on bamboo shoots and other plants.
The mating season begins in the rainy season.
The greatest activity of the young Schweiger tortoises is shown in the morning hours, during the day they rest in the shelter, in the evening they crawl out again to eat.
In captivity, Asian tortoises are often sick, poorly fed, and usually die within a few weeks of being caught.
Many lovers who have achieved certain results in keeping reptiles are advised to give animals juicy fruits (mango, guava, black grapes, bananas) as food.
Asian turtle
Turtle Hermann
Hermann's tortoises are widespread in Southeast Europe, Southern California, Southern Italy, Albania, Greece, and the Balkans. The second population lives in the north of Spain, the south of France and some islands of the Western Mediterranean.
About 10-15 years ago, these turtles were often exported to the UK and many other countries, where they could not acclimatize. Currently, the number of these turtles has recovered.
APPEARANCE
Young animals have a bright yellow pattern on the carapace, darkening with age. The inhabitants of Italy, France and the Mediterranean islands are colored brighter than the representatives of the second variety. They have red spots and specks on the plastron.
LIFESTYLE
Under natural conditions, the female arranges a nest on the slopes, in which she lays from 2 to 12 eggs.
The incubation period, depending on the temperature, is 90-120 days. Newborn cubs are just as brightly colored as adults. Already on the third day after birth, they begin to forage.
In captivity, Hermann's tortoises eat plant food, as well as snails and slugs. Particular preference is given to strawberries, figs and snails.