1, daily life:
Generally, the amount of water is slightly higher than that of turtle back. Especially for smaller turtles, don't drink too much water. You can also put a stone with a bigger turtle shell and a flat one in the middle of the basin. Slightly above the water. A place where turtles can rest when they want to go ashore. (Water-tap water or well water cannot be used directly. Water should be left for more than a day before it can be used. This is very important. )
2. Diet articles:
Feeding food can generally be 3 days 1 time, and the feeding amount can be increased or decreased according to the size of the turtle. When the temperature is moderate in spring and autumn and the appetite is strong, it can generally be increased by 5%~ 10% of its weight. In addition, before the arrival of winter, we should feed more than usual to hibernate and prepare enough nutrition. Feed fresh food, especially when the temperature is high in summer. Animal feed is easy to deteriorate due to heat, so it should not be eaten overnight, nor should it be frozen in cold winter to prevent diseases such as indigestion.
If extra food is found after feeding, it should be removed in time to avoid polluting the water quality and living environment, especially in summer. The water for raising turtles should not be too much and too deep, generally only 2~3 cm, which is equal to the turtle's back. Whether to change the water depends on the cleanliness of the water quality during feeding. In general, when the water quality is polluted or turbid, it should be changed. Change water more in summer and less in winter, especially when hibernating, the water temperature of fresh water is slightly 2~2℃ higher than usual.
As winter approaches, turtles don't eat. At this time, they have to prepare a place for the winter. Put about 30 centimeters of water in the sink, then put soil and many fallen leaves. But if the water temperature is always around 25 degrees, turtles don't have to hibernate, so they must be fed on time.
3. Daily life:
Turtles and snakes are close relatives, so they shed their skin, but unlike snakes, turtles' scales also fall off. What I want to warn you here is that the tortoise should not help it artificially in the process of molting, it will take care of itself, otherwise it will cause lifelong harm to it.
Extended data:
common sense
First, distinguish between men and women.
The female turtle's belly is flat, the male turtle's belly is concave, the male turtle's smell is heavy, and the female turtle's smell is light; Yellow-throated turtle has no body odor, and its body is yellow and exhausted. The middle of the abdominal shell of the male turtle is concave, while the abdominal shell of the female turtle is straight. The male reproductive hole of the young turtle is far away from the abdominal shell, and the female reproductive hole is close to the abdominal shell. The male abdomen shell is slightly concave, while the female abdomen shell is straight, and both sexes have no body odor.
There are obvious differences in appearance between female and male turtles: the male turtle has a small body, a black shell, a slender trunk, a long tail and a thin handle, and a special smell; The female turtle has a large body, brown shell, prominent longitudinal edges, short and thick trunk, thick tail and short handle, and no special smell.
A more reliable and accurate identification method is: in the breeding season of the tortoise, catch the adult tortoise, and when its limbs and head and tail are trying to shrink into the human shell, squeeze its head and limbs with your fingers so as not to give it time to breathe. At this time, the water from the accessory bladder is discharged from the reproductive hole of the turtle, and then the genitals slowly protrude. If only the longitudinal inner wall protrudes outward, it is a female turtle.
If there is a connector with congestion, swelling and brown-purple protrusion, it is a male turtle. If it is in mating season, male turtles will also have milky semen. The tortoise's head has stuck out, whether it's a female or a male.
Second, calculate the age
There are three ways to calculate the age of turtles.
1. With the periodic changes of nature, turtles have obvious growth period and hibernation period. In the growing period, the carapace grows like a body, forming a loose and wide concentric ring. In winter,
During sleep, the tortoise enters a dormant state and stops growing, and the shield of the carapace almost stops growing, forming a narrow and compact concentric ring. Such dense concentric rings are similar to calculating the age of trees through their rings. When winter stops developing, annual rings will appear. According to this, we can judge the age of the turtle, that is, the number of concentric rings on the shield, plus 1 (rings after breaking the shell), which is equal to the actual age of the turtle.
This method can only be calculated when the concentric ring pattern of tortoise shell is clear and the annual rings of tortoise shell are clear before 65438+500g g. Shortly after the baby turtle was born, some radial lines were seen on the hard shield in the center of its shell, but there were several ring lines on the shell, that is, the age of the turtle. The longer it was, the harder it was to identify it with the naked eye, and it could only be calculated according to the weight of the turtle, except for artificial reproduction.
2. The growth of turtles is slow, and the age is calculated by the number of concentric rings (growth rings) on the tortoise shell shield, and one ring is an annual growth period. Of course, different turtle species, the clarity of ring marks and whether there are ring marks during hatching will also affect the accuracy of age. The life span of turtles is generally long, at least 20 years. According to historical records, the life span of white turtle is over 800 years old, so it has the reputation of "Millennium turtle, Millennium turtle".
3. The approximate age can be seen from the lines of tortoise shells. The darker the color, the clearer the grain and the older it is. On the contrary, it is tender. If it is the actual age, it is difficult to judge. Identification method of turtle age. Look at the lines on the shell on the turtle's back, that is, the number of laps. There are circles on each shell, and the number of circles represents age.
The more laps, the older you get. The calculation method of turtle's age is generally based on the number of concentric rings on the tortoise shell shield, and each ring represents a growth cycle, that is, one year. The number of concentric rings on the shield, plus 1 (born one year after breaking the shell) is the age of the turtle. This method can only be more accurate if the concentric ring pattern of tortoise shell is clear. For an old turtle or a turtle with fuzzy concentric rings, only its approximate age can be estimated.
Third, feeding skills.
Nutrients needed by soft-shelled turtle are mainly protein, fat, carbohydrates, inorganic salts and vitamins.
1. protein. Protein is the most important to the growth and development of turtles. Turtles take egg whites directly from feed. It is generally believed that the high content of protein in feed will make the feed have good nutritional value and the breeding objects grow fast. Soft-shelled turtle has a high demand for protein content in feed, and the demand is different at different growth stages. Generally, the content of protein in feed is required to be 38% ~ 42%.
2. Fat. Fat is one of the indispensable ingredients for the growth and development of soft-shelled turtle. Mainly used as body fat stored in the body or as an energy source for exercise. Generally, the thermal energy released by fat oxidation of soft-shelled turtle is twice that of sugar and protein. The experiment shows that the fat content in turtle compound feed is 3.5% ~ 5.0%. Too high or too low will affect feed efficiency, weight gain rate and meat weight gain coefficient.
3. carbohydrates. The main physiological functions of carbohydrates after being absorbed by human body are: one is to provide heat, the other is to form body components; The third is to keep protein in the body as a binder for feed. The suitable amount of starch in turtle feed is 23% ~ 26%.
4. Inorganic salts. Inorganic salts play an extremely important role in turtles, not only participating in the formation of bones and blood, but also directly or indirectly regulating the physiology of the body, especially for the spawning and reproduction of parent turtles. Among the necessary inorganic salts, the following are easy to be lacking, such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, zinc, copper and cobalt. Calcium and phosphorus account for 3/4 of all inorganic salts in the body, especially "efficient and fast-growing additives" such as bone meal must be added before and after laying eggs. ?
5. vitamins. When turtles lack vitamins, their growth and development slow down, their metabolism is abnormal, and they are prone to various diseases. Most vitamins cannot be synthesized in the body and must be supplied through feed. Vitamins, like animal hormones, are small but essential, so multiple vitamins must be added to the feed.
There are many kinds of food for turtles, including rice, wheat, peas, small fish, shrimp, insects, snails, refined pork, etc. Among them, the favorite food is small fish, refined pork and corn. In artificial feeding, in order to meet all kinds of nutrients needed for turtle growth and avoid poor growth and anorexia caused by single feed, various feeds should be adopted, such as fish, shrimp, snails and mussels in animal feed and rice, wheat and corn in plant feed.
In order for turtles to fully digest these feeds, corn and peas need to be crushed and soaked for about 2 hours before feeding, and other large pieces of food must be chopped before feeding. It should also be noted that in different periods of turtle growth, feed containing different nutrients should be given according to its growth characteristics.
The turtle's life is closely related to the climate, and it begins to eat at the beginning of April every year. From June to August, the feeding activity reached its peak and the weight gain rate was the fastest. 5438+ 10 After the temperature gradually dropped in June, its food intake began to decline. When the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, stop eating and enter the hibernation period. Therefore, turtles should be raised according to their growth characteristics, and the general requirements are as follows:
(1) timing. The temperature is low in spring and autumn, and the tortoise is inactive in the morning and evening. It only feeds around noon, so it is more appropriate to feed at 8-9 am. From Grain Rain to the autumnal equinox is the peak season for turtles to feed, and it is in summer. Generally speaking, soft-shelled turtles are inactive at noon, and they are usually fed in the afternoon 17- 19, so it is more appropriate to feed in the afternoon 16- 17. Timing can make turtles eat on time, get more nutrition and ensure fresh feed.
(2) positioning. Fixed feeding points should be set up along the edge of the pool, and the feeding platform of the feeding point should be close to the water surface, which is convenient for turtles to swallow water and bite. The purpose of feeding the turtles in a fixed position is to make them form a habit, so that they can find food conveniently, and at the same time, it is convenient to observe the activities of the turtles and check their feeding situation.
(3) Qualitative judgment. The feed should be kept fresh, and the leftover food should be removed in time after feeding to prevent the feed from rotting and stinking, affecting the appetite of turtles and polluting the water quality.
(4) quantitative. The feeding amount of feed depends on the temperature, water quality, the appetite and activity of soft-shelled turtle, and also depends on the appetite and activity, and it is advisable to have a little surplus in the meal. Generally, feed for one or two days 1 time.
References:
Baidu Encyclopedia-Tortoise?