В древности существовало поверье о том, что Planet Earth rested on the shell of a giant tortoise. In Chinese mythology, this reptile was among the sacred animals. Adherents of esotericism used the shell of turtles for predictions. Apparently, the number of plates that are located on the edge of the "turtle house", contributed to this. The Chinese people depicted this animal on the imperial banners, considering that the tortoise protects from fire and war.
In Japan, this mysterious creature was considered a symbollongevity, wisdom and immortality. Eastern doctors tried to make a miraculous drug out of the turtle shell that can slow down the aging of the human body. In India, people have noticed that it is common for a tortoise to hide in its shell. They identified this feature with meditation and spirituality.
The Legend of the Turtle
Among the Mongolian people there is a legend thatthat one day the turtle moved from north to south. On the way she met a warrior who shot an arrow at her. An arrow pierced the shell of a turtle, hitting her to death.
From the side of the damaged shell a forest arose, and fromthe blood of a dying animal formed the sea - that was the northern side of the world. The flame that finally burst from the turtle's throat was called the south side. According to legend, in the paws of an animal were lumped earth, which subsequently formed the soil with the whole flora. So, according to the myth, all sides of the world and the earth happened.
Scientists believe that turtles appeared on Earth200 million years ago. They have changed little since then. The only thing, some of them have mastered the land, others - sea abyss and fresh water. Researchers suggest that the life of a turtle on earth is over 200 years! About how old this amazing creature can be judged by the shields on its shell.
Shell structure
The turtle shell of the whole world consists of two shields:spinal and ventral. They are interconnected. The shell has holes for the head, legs and tail. When danger approaches, the turtle hides in its shelter.
У некоторых видов этого животного панцирь мягкий, but it's pretty durable. Therefore, a formidable predator will not be able to gnaw it. The shell serves as a real protection for the turtle. After all, it is clumsy and slow by nature, and the “home with you” will always save and hide from enemies.
Turtles are subdivided into sea, river and land. Scientists have about 230 species of these interesting creatures. They have between themselves some differences in color, size and body structure.
For example, land and river turtles are smaller in size than their marine counterparts. All reptiles are extremely thermophilic creatures. Their habitat is the tropics and subtropics.
Only in the very hot deserts of New Zealand andtravelers will not come across turtles on the Pacific coast of South America. Land species lives in almost all corners of our planet. In Russia, river turtles and sea turtles are known.
Red-eared turtle
The most beautiful representative of the turtle world- red-eared. This is a freshwater turtle, which has a shell size of more than 25 centimeters. Beauty reptile grows many years. The shell of a red-eared turtle in 1.5 years reaches a diameter of about 7.5 cm. Then it continues to grow more slowly, adding 1 cm per year. The shell of a red-eared turtle can reach a maximum length of 30 centimeters.
Turtles content
Russian lovers of a lively corner willinglyacquire exactly this kind of turtle. It is not only a bright color reptiles, but also in its unpretentiousness. But there are some features that should be considered.
For example, it is a mistake to choose for a redheadedturtles small terrarium. After all, the reptile will grow up and demand more and more space. It is necessary to stock up on a terrarim on 100-150 liters. It should provide a dry space, and the water level should exceed the size of the turtle shell.
It is recommended to change the water in the aquarium 1-2 times a week and maintain the temperature in it at least + 20-26aboutWITH.If you ignore these rules, then after a while you can find on the shell of an animal a spot of unhealthy color. Connoisseurs are advised to put the aquarium with a turtle in a sunny place, as your pet loves to soak up the warm rays.
The health of the turtle, including its conditionshell, directly depends on nutrition. It must be balanced. On sale there is a considerable amount of feed for turtles, but they do not take into account all the mineral and vitamin supplements.
This will sooner or later affect healthreptiles. In parallel with this, it can be found that the red-eared turtle has a soft shell, which is not its natural feature. You can supplement the diet with finely cut fresh fish. An excellent feed additive for turtles can serve as moths and earthworms.
Carapace - Health Indicator
Turtle shell often suffers from traumaticdamage. Especially to this are the land reptiles. The cause may be a fall of a turtle from a height. Sometimes a bug may step on or pinch it in the doorway.
That is why the tortoise shellshould be periodically inspected for cracks, scratches and other changes. If the owner noticed spots on the tortoise’s shell or a suspicious discoloration, this may indicate the presence of secondary bacterial and fungal microflora. Such lesions can lead to partial or complete destruction of the shell. With such signs should immediately consult a doctor!
Shell softening
Consider the reasons why the shellturtles become soft. If this is not due to a natural feature, then, most likely, this is due to the lack of calcium in the body of the animal. It also speaks of non-compliance with the rules of keeping a turtle, a lack of ultraviolet rays and a lack of vitamin D.
If you notice, for example, that the redheadedturtles soft shell, then rush to the examination to the doctor. Only he can say exactly what caused this phenomenon and what to do. Often owners of reptiles notice spots on the shell of a turtle in the form of algae. If they are poorly expressed and they are few, then there is nothing to worry about. If the turtle is “overgrown” with this pattern, you should pay attention to water pollution and lighting. White spots on the tortoise shell can signal the presence of fungus. Self-treatment of reptiles is not recommended. In any case, if spots are seen on the shell of a red-eared turtle, it is better to consult a herpetologist in time.
Leatherback turtle
This reptile is considered the largest turtle inthe world. The weight of her body varies up to 600 kilograms, and its length reaches 3 meters. Why does a tortoise shell attract attention? The shell of a reptile of this species consists of interconnected bony plates. But he is not related to the skeleton. A distinctive feature of the leatherback turtle shell is extremely dense skin! Scientists note that this reptile does not know how to pull its head into its shell because of the unusual structure of its body.
Science is known for another large species - the giantturtle. Sometimes it is called gigantic, or Seychelles. The reptile lives on the island of Aldabra. The turtle is interesting in its structure: it has quite powerful paws and a small head relative to the body. Its shell is rather sloping and reaches 130 centimeters.
Musk Turtle
Мускусная черепашка – самая маленькая в мире.Its habitat - the waters of the United States and Canada. This creation of nature weighs a little more than 200 grams. The length of the turtle is about 8 centimeters, the shell reaches about 6-7 centimeters. As a protection, the reptile is able to exude a rather unpleasant odor due to the fluid that accumulates in its back part of its shell. The turtle is omnivorous and unpretentious. Its diet includes small fish, various aquatic vegetation.
Roof turtle
The unusual construction among the turtles stands out roofing. Her homeland is India. The shell of this interesting turtle in length has about 40 cm.
The reptile has a keel on its back. Especially striking backward tooth on the third vertebral shield. The color of the roof turtle is excellent!
Reptile's belly is reddish-yellow, with clear black spots. Head and neck are highlighted in bright red. The shell, bordered with a light yellow ribbon, plays with greenish-brown shades.
Interesting
Female turtles lay their eggs in the sand or in rotten plants. The number of eggs can be from 7 to 100 pieces. After hatching from them, the little turtles rush to the water, considering it their refuge.
But on the way, reptiles can serve as food.for different predators: crabs and birds. They all want to taste the turtle meat. However, in the water, reptiles can also be eaten. Simply, being in the water space, turtles move faster, and they have more chances for survival.
