The basics of keeping a land turtle: a quiet tenant with high demands
Many people think that a turtle is such an unpretentious pet. He sits in a corner, crawls slowly, eats a cabbage leaf once a week. It's like a living stone that doesn't require much attention. In fact, this idea is a direct way to turn an animal's life into a quiet suffering. The land turtle, this living relic from the age of dinosaurs, requires very specific and, indeed, quite expensive conditions.
Keeping this creature at home is not just about buying an animal, but creating a miniature ecosystem for it. Ignoring its needs leads to diseases, deformation of the shell and a significant reduction in an already long life. So before you bring this piece of antiquity home, you should think seven times and weigh everything.
A terrarium, not a shoe box
The turtle's free movement around the apartment is an idea that makes any herpetologist's hair stand on end. It's dangerous.: drafts, dust, risk of being crushed, live wires. The turtle needs its own house, and this house is a spacious horizontal terrarium. No aquariums with poor ventilation, and certainly no cardboard boxes.
There must be a proper microclimate in this house. This means that you will need special equipment. At a minimum, this is:
- UV lamp (UVB 10-12%). Without ultraviolet radiation, the turtle does not absorb calcium, which leads to rickets and softening of the shell. The lamp needs to be changed every 6-8 months, even if it continues to shine.
- Incandescent lamp for heating. There should be a warm—up point with a temperature of about 30-33°C in one corner of the terrarium, and about 24-26 °C in the other, cool corner. This allows the animal to regulate its own body temperature.
You can't grow a healthy turtle without these two lamps. This is not a whim, but a vital necessity.
How to feed a prehistoric vegetarian?
The cabbage and cucumber diet is another popular myth that cripples turtles. Such a diet is poor in calcium and vitamins, but it is rich in water and oxalates, which leads to kidney and bone problems. The basis of proper nutrition of a land turtle is a variety of grasses. In summer — fresh weeds, in winter — dried.
A proper diet should consist mainly of weeds: dandelion, plantain, clover, knotweed, woodlice. Fruits and vegetables can be given, but very rarely, as a treat, as they cause fermentation in the intestines. It is strictly forbidden to give turtles meat, bread, dairy products, cat or dog food. It's poison to them. And, of course, there should always be a bowl of clean water in the terrarium.
Finishing touches to the portrait of an ideal home
When the terrarium and the food are sorted out, there are still details that are also important. The bottom of the terrarium needs the right soil. Sand and fine sawdust are not suitable — the turtle can eat them, which will cause intestinal blockage. It is best to use coarse wood chips, hay, or earth mixed with coconut substrate.
And one more thing. The turtle should be bathed periodically in warm water (about 30-32 ° C) for 20-30 minutes. This helps her replenish her water balance and cleanse her intestines. But it is absolutely impossible to lubricate the shell with oil, as some "experts" advise. This clogs the pores and disrupts heat exchange. In general, a turtle is a pet for thoughtful and responsible people. Les aficionados des compétitions vidéoludiques seront ravis par une section dédiée aux sports électroniques. En employant un code promo 1xbet du jour qui vous octroie 100% de bonus jusqu'à 130€, vous pouvez explorer les paris sur des jeux comme Dota 2, CS:GO, FIFA et d'autres titres. Les tournois majeurs sont répertoriés avec des cotes concurrentielles. Cette rubrique séduit une génération de parieurs férus de jeux vidéo. Le bonus d'accueil vous offre les moyens de tester vos pronostics.
