Huge popularity among amateur amphibians today is the Central Asian land tortoise. It is usually painted in shades of sand, brown, and sometimes green, and in the middle of the scutes there are dark spots that resemble splattered blots. By the way, if you have decided to put such a pet in the terrarium, be prepared for the turtle to swarm there and scatter everything in different directions, so that all plants and other fillers of the terrarium are recommended to be located on elevations that will be stable.
Terms and conditions of content
The best place for keeping a land tortoise is a special lorry, which has high sides or an aquarium with a capacity of at least 100 liters, a sand layer of 15-20 centimeters will be poured onto the bottom, and a 100-watt electric lamp attached to one corner. The turtle house itself can be decorated with stones or plants. Under the foot at a depth of 2 centimeters, the temperature of the ground should be 28 degrees below zero, and of air at least 35 degrees. In the afternoon in the so-called "cold" corner the temperature should be 20 degrees and not fall below this mark. At night, the lamp is best off.
In the terrarium for the Middle Asian turtle does not need to pour water. This kind of tortoise will be quite free to have a container of water in which, if desired, it can lie down, as if in a bath. It is a common opinion that a land tortoise can quite creep along the floor of an apartment, quite untrue. Such a tortoise needs a primer so that it can dig it, subject to its natural needs. By the way, walking around the apartment turtle, there is a huge chance of accidentally stepping on, so it's better not to risk once again. Danger to the pet is also carried in the car, because of which your pet may have a cold. It is precisely the reason why it is better to give preference to a spacious aviary in which a tortoise will be safe and completely at rest. In such conditions, your pet can warm up well and as a result it will not only have an energetic look, but also an excellent appetite.
Rules for feeding the tortoise
Turtle, which weighs up to 500 grams, daily, it is necessary to give 30-40 grams of food, which should include 80% of greenery, grasses, finely chopped or grated vegetables, as well as fruits, 10% - skins, and 10% on minced meat and one boiled egg. It is recommended to season with a pounded egg shell, potassium gluconate or chalk. By the way, every 10 days you need to add a drop of fish oil or a special vitamin mixture (trivit).
Also in the diet of land tortoises include a variety of vegetables (carrots, cabbage), fruits, juicy shoots of plants. Very willingly the turtle has leaves of dandelion, salads and apples. To facilitate feeding, it is recommended to give the pet the same apples and carrots. These products are necessary before feeding to grate. Feed should be given every day. The general diet depends on the age of the turtle. Up to a year and slightly older are young turtles, which should be fed daily and, as a rule, mostly animal food. But the diet of adult turtles should include vegetable food. They are fed them very abundantly, but in a day.
Feed the turtle in a small bowl or saucer. With the help of a pet is not worth it. By the way, the amount of feed should be equal to the size of half of the shell.
It is important to remember that milk, meat, fish, bread, as well as cat or dog food are not allowed to be given to the Central Asian land tortoise. Once a week, pet the pet with vitamins, adding their ration. You do not need to water a turtle, but once a week, arrange for a day off.
If she is "shy"
Just bought and brought to the apartment turtles are inactive and even begin to refuse to eat. In this case, the pet should "fatten". Every day he needs to offer a special dish, which includes the leaves of a green salad, grated carrots, pear, apple, as well as persimmons, banana and green onions. All these ingredients must be topped up a little with vanillin, and to improve the digestion of the pet, arrange for him a warm bath.
What do you need to understand at the time of buying piomets?
At the time of choosing a turtle, special attention should be paid to its behavior (coordination of movements, as well as activity), the external species (the tortoise should not be damaged, and its shell must have a regular shape and smooth scutes that should densely adjoin each other). Also, you need to pay attention to whether there is an incompatible animal on the skin and armor on the animal. The best way is to inspect the turtle's mouth: a healthy reptile should have a mucus of light pink color, without plaque, ae the saliva should not be viscous (do not form bubbles and not drag on the videnite), breathing quiet, and there should be no discharge from the nose and mouth. Also, when buying a pet, you need to remember about its transportation and about what, you can transfer it. In order to transport a tortoise for a short distance, an ordinary cardboard box is suitable, on the bottom of which it is necessary to put a crumpled paper or a scoop. On all sides this box should be closed, so that the tortoise can not get out of it. If you buy a turtle in the cold season, then it is recommended to put a heating pad on the bottom of the box.
And yet, if you are not sure about the field of your future pet, it can be easily identified by special signs. To do this, you need to take a pair of land tortoises of the same age group and make a comparison of the length of their tails: the tail of the male in sexually transmitted teeth is much longer than that of the female. Plus, the tail of the male slightly curved under the armor, but as for the shell itself, it is bent over the tail. By the way, it is a curious fact that this particular feature is unique to the males of the Central Asian turtles.
Another way to determine the sex of the turtle is to examine its jaws. The females of the jaw are usually much more developed than the males. Also, you will need to pay special attention to the size of the turtle: for a significant part of the representatives of the species of terrestrial turtles, sexually mature males are significantly smaller in size.