1. Feeding of food

Three days after the hatchlings hatch, the activity level increases significantly and they begin to look for food. According to the standard of feeding one cooked egg yolk per 100 hatchlings, start Feed regularly, with animal feed such as mealworms and fly larvae as the main ingredients within one month of age. As the hatchlings continue to grow, the amount of bait should be gradually increased to ensure that there is enough to eat and a little excess.

2. Daily management

Change the water frequently, do not use tap water or well water directly, and remove bait residue and feces in the pool every day to keep it fresh and pollution-free; pH value is 6 to 8, immature Turtles must also keep the water temperature at 20 to 29°C;

Newly introduced or captured turtles must be "acclimated". Do not put them in the pool for the time being. They should be kept dry, splash water appropriately, and keep them moist. Feed live food and observe its normal eating and activities before placing it in the pool. The lighting can be indoor natural light or outdoor diffused light under cool conditions;

3. Overwintering management

As the outside temperature drops, the activities and food intake of ratite turtles gradually decrease. When the temperature of the pool water drops below 15°C, it basically stops moving and foraging, and tends to hibernate. When the outside temperature drops below 0°C and the surface of the pool water freezes, the hatchlings will die within a few hours. After entering the overwintering period, the sand in the pool should be thickened and a covering should be added to the pool to prevent the pool water from freezing.

Extended information:

Morphological characteristics

The morphological description is based on the description of specimen No. 8 from Jiangxi, Fujian, Guizhou and Shanghai: medium body, extremely flat dorsally and ventrally. The length of the carapace is 80.5~174.0mm, and the edge has no fine teeth. The carapace is oval in shape, slightly concave in the middle of the front edge, and slightly rounded in the rear edge. It has a central ridge that is slightly raised front and back.

The limbs are strong and covered with imbricate-like scales. Large scales are arranged in rows on the front edge. The forelimbs have 5 claws and the hind limbs have 4 claws. The fingers and toes are webbed. The tail is long, almost as long as the carapace, and is covered with short rectangular scales arranged in a ring.

There are 7 rings at the base of the tail, 4 on the ventral surface, 1 on the back, and 1 on the sides; there are 5 rings in the middle, 1 on the dorsal and lateral parts, and 2 on the ventral surface; the end is 3 in a ring, one on the back and 2 on the abdomen; there is 1 scale at the tip of the tail. The scales on the back of the tail are large, with about 30 scales in a longitudinal row from the base to the tip of the tail.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Ratite Turtle

Baidu Encyclopedia - Eagle-billed Turtle