How turtles breed in captivity

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Turtles are perhaps the most ancient reptiles currently living on our earth. These animals are very popular among connoisseurs of exotic fauna. However, these unique pets need special care and attention. From this article you will learn how turtles breed and what are the conditions for their maintenance.

Terrarium

Some believe that you can keep a reptile in an ordinary cardboard box. It's a delusion. To make the pet feel as comfortable as possible, he needs to create all the necessary conditions. For these purposes, only a terrarium with high walls (about 1 meter) can be suitable. Enough coarse sand should be poured at the bottom, and a small canopy made of fabric or cardboard should be made in the corner. Such conditions of detention are the most natural for these animals. The terrarium must be equipped with heating, ventilation and lighting systems. Since many species of turtles need UV light, it is recommended to install UV lamps along with the usual ones. They should be located at a distance of at least 60 centimeters from the location of the reptile. In the walls and on the lid of the terrarium,make small ventilation holes. For aquatic turtles at the same level with the floor, you need to build a small reservoir. It is very useful for young freshwater species to be placed in an aquarium with water for a while. It should be regularly changed to fresh, settled.

Turtle breeding

Reptile breeding is a rather difficult and painstaking task. It is very important to provide animals with favorable conditions for life: a varied diet, hibernation, a spacious habitat. So that future offspring do not have any deviations, individuals of both sexes must be absolutely he althy.

Stimulation methods. Exposure to light and heat

Reproduction of turtles at home can happen quite quickly if certain measures are taken. It should be noted that if there is only one pair in the terrarium, the chances of success are rather low. Ideally, you should have one female and two young males. As a stimulation for reptile reproduction, it is customary to use a change in humidity, temperature and daylight hours. First, you should gradually reduce to. At the same time, it is recommended to increase humidity and shorten the duration of daylight hours. Then you can make changes in the reverse order. Exposure to heat, light and humidity acts as a breeding stimulus for reptiles.

Wintering

Another method is refrigeration. Reptiles are placed one at a time in rag bags and placed in sphagnum. Crates with turtles should be takenin a cool room (from 0 to 12 degrees). To prevent dehydration, the filler should be sprayed every day with water from a spray bottle. As a rule, artificial wintering lasts about four weeks. The crates of turtles can then be moved back into the house. Two days later, animals can be placed in a terrarium and a heating lamp can be turned on, while increasing the duration of light time to 16 hours. However, it is very important to include foods rich in vitamin E in your pet's diet.

Mating games

How do aquatic turtles reproduce? Usually the male, seeing the female, swims up to her head. Animals touch each other with their noses. At the same time, the behavior of individuals does not differ in aggressiveness. A prime example of this is the red-eared turtle. How do these reptiles reproduce? The mating process usually takes place in water. Before the act of intercourse, the male, as it were, tickles the chin and neck of his partner with long claws. At this time, his paws vibrate finely. In the process of mating, he can even hit the female's shell quite hard. This is usually seen in older individuals. As a rule, sexual intercourse lasts from five to fifteen minutes. After mating, the female waits for the night and comes out to lay her eggs on land. How do tortoises reproduce? Here the action is somewhat different.

Usually sexual activity of reptiles occurs at the end of spring. During this period, males arrange fights for the right to reproduce. At the same time, the female shows one ofthem their disposition for mating. She stops in place and stands quietly. At this time, the male carefully approaches her from behind and, sniffing into the tail zone, climbs onto her shell. This process can take quite a long time. When, finally, he takes a comfortable position, copulation will begin. At the same time, the male will firmly cling to the neck of his chosen one with his beak. How do marsh turtles reproduce? Their behavior during the mating season is significantly different from terrestrial and freshwater ones. Before intercourse, the male behaves quite persistently and aggressively. If the female is on land, he pursues her. In the event that a female swims in a pond, the male climbs onto it with the help of claws and clings tightly to the shell of his partner. Being in this position, he beats his head against the back of the female's head or grabs her neck with his jaw, blocking any movements. This is how flirting before mating happens.

Pregnancy period

After mating, individuals should be immediately seated in separate terrariums. The fact is that after intercourse, males often show aggression. So, let's continue to consider how turtles breed. For about two to three months, the female bears eggs. During this period, she behaves uneasily. Experienced zoologists recommend including fresh foods rich in vitamins in her diet. In the terrarium, it is necessary to maintain the temperature within 22–26 degrees Celsius. And on land, you should prepare a separate place for laying eggs. To do this, dig a recess in the soil or sand andplace a small container with sphagnum there so that it is flush with the land. After laying eggs, the female forgets about her offspring.

Incubation period

As soon as the female lays eggs, the container should be removed from the terrarium and placed in the incubator. It is recommended to isolate the young mother from other reptiles for some time. At the same time, her nutrition for two to three weeks should be enhanced. This will restore the strength and immunity of the animal. The temperature in the incubator where the eggs are located should be maintained within 29 degrees. The height of the sand in it must be at least 20 centimeters. There you also need to put a small vessel with water, placing it under a heating lamp.

You can use a simple aquarium or a glass jar as an incubator. Turtle eggs must not be turned over. They must be handled with extreme care. Three months later, babies will appear from the eggs. Young offspring should be immediately transplanted into an aquarium or aquaterrarium. Be aware that some eggs may not be fertile.

Baby care

Baby turtles hatch from an egg using a tooth located at the tip of their nose. With this small fang, they pierce the shell from the inside. Two days after hatching, the tooth disappears on its own. All juveniles have a transverse fold on the plastron associated with the position of the reptiles in the egg. Baby turtles should never be placed in the same corral with adult animals. The point is that matureindividuals lack a maternal instinct, and therefore they can cause irreparable harm to young animals. Newly hatched offspring are usually kept in the same temperature conditions as adults. Their diet should consist mainly of plant foods with added calcium. The bottom of the terrarium should be covered with special soil designed for a certain type of reptile.

How do sea turtles reproduce?

Surprisingly, reptiles of this species start breeding only on the land where they themselves were born. Often, for this, the female has to overcome enormous distances. Nevertheless, not a single female has so far strayed from the intended course. This navigational ability of reptiles of this species still surprises scientists to this day. Reproduction of turtles, as a rule, occurs at night. The female comes ashore, making sure that she is not in danger, and heads up the coastline. She looks for a secluded spot where the tide line does not reach. Having found a suitable piece of land, the female digs a hole with her front paws until the upper part of her shell is at ground level. Then she digs a hole about 50 centimeters deep, where she lays up to two hundred eggs. The turtle is able to make several clutches in one exit to land, filling them with sand. Sea turtles in captivity have a similar breeding process. After seventy days, cubs are born. Young turtles should be transplanted into a separate container andtake care of them, maintaining heat, light and humidity. This is how turtles breed.