Currently living on our earth. These animals are very popular among connoisseurs of exotic fauna. However, these unique pets require special care and attention. From this article you will learn how turtles reproduce and what are the conditions for keeping them.

Terrarium

Some believe that you can keep a reptile in a regular cardboard box. It's a delusion. In order for your pet to feel as comfortable as possible, he needs to create all the necessary conditions. For these purposes, only a terrarium with high walls (about 1 meter) can be suitable. You should pour enough at the bottom and make a small canopy of fabric or cardboard in the corner. Such living conditions are the most natural for these animals. The terrarium must be equipped with heating, ventilation and lighting systems. Since many people need ultraviolet radiation, it is recommended to install UV lamps along with conventional ones. They should be placed at a distance of at least 60 centimeters from the location of the reptile. Small ventilation holes should be made in the walls and on the lid of the terrarium. For aquatic turtles, you need to build a small pond at the same level as the floor. It is very useful to place young individuals of freshwater species in an aquarium with water for some time. It should be regularly replaced with fresh, settled one.

Reproduction of turtles

Breeding reptiles is a rather difficult and painstaking task. It is very important to provide animals with favorable living conditions: a varied diet, hibernation, and a spacious habitat. To ensure that future offspring do not have any abnormalities, individuals of both sexes must be absolutely healthy.

Stimulation methods. Exposure to light and heat

Reproduction of turtles at home can occur quite quickly if certain measures are taken. It should be noted that if there is only one pair in the terrarium, the chances of success are quite low. Ideally, you should have one female and two young males. It is customary to use changes in humidity, temperature and daylight hours to stimulate the reproduction of reptiles. First, you should gradually reduce t o. It is recommended to increase the humidity and shorten the duration of daylight hours. Then you can make changes in reverse order. Exposure to heat, light and humidity stimulates reptiles to reproduce.

Wintering

Another method is cooling. Reptiles are placed one at a time in cloth bags and placed in sphagnum moss. Boxes with turtles should be taken to a cool room (from 0 to 12 degrees). To prevent dehydration, the filler should be sprayed with water from a spray bottle every day. As a rule, artificial wintering lasts about four weeks. The turtle boxes can then be moved back into the house. After two days, the animals can be placed in a terrarium and a heat lamp can be turned on, thereby increasing the duration of daylight hours to 16 hours. It is very important to include foods rich in vitamin E in your pet’s diet.

Mating games

How do aquatic turtles reproduce? Usually the male, upon seeing the female, swims up to her head. Animals touch each other with their noses. At the same time, the behavior of individuals is not aggressive. A striking example of this is the red-eared turtle. How they reproduce The mating process usually takes place in water. Before the act of copulation, the male seems to tickle the chin and neck of his partner with long claws. At this time, his paws vibrate finely and finely. During the mating process, he can even hit the female’s shell quite hard. This is usually observed in more mature individuals. As a rule, sexual intercourse lasts from five to fifteen minutes. After mating, the female waits until night and comes out to lay eggs on land. How do land turtles reproduce? Here the action happens a little differently.

Typically, sexual activity of reptiles occurs in late spring. During this period, males organize fights for the right to reproduce. At the same time, the female shows one of them her disposition to mate. She stops in place and stands calmly. At this time, the male carefully approaches her from behind and, sniffing into the tail zone, climbs onto her shell. This process can take quite a long time. When he finally takes a comfortable position, copulation will begin. At the same time, the male will firmly grab the neck of his chosen one with his beak. How they reproduce Their behavior during the mating season differs significantly from terrestrial and freshwater ones. Before intercourse, the male behaves quite persistently and aggressively. If the female is on land, he chases her. In the event that a female specimen is in a pond, the male climbs onto her with the help of his claws and holds tightly to the shell of his partner. Being in this position, he hits his head against the back of the female’s head or grabs her neck with his jaw, blocking any movements. This is how flirting occurs before mating.

Pregnancy period

After mating, individuals should be immediately placed in separate terrariums. The fact is that after intercourse, males often show aggression. So, let's continue to look at how turtles reproduce. The female bears eggs for about two to three months. During this period she behaves restlessly. Experienced zoologists recommend including fresh foods rich in vitamins in her diet. The temperature in the terrarium must be maintained within 22-26 degrees Celsius. And on land you should prepare a separate place for laying eggs. To do this, dig a hole in the soil or sand and place a small container with sphagnum moss there so that it is level with the land. After laying eggs, the female forgets about her offspring.

Incubation period

As soon as the female lays eggs, the container should be removed from the terrarium and placed in an incubator. It is recommended to isolate the young mother from other reptiles for some time. At the same time, her nutrition should be enhanced for two to three weeks. This will restore the animal’s strength and immunity. The temperature in the incubator where the eggs are located should be maintained within 29 degrees. The height of the sand in it should be at least 20 centimeters. You also need to place a small vessel with water there, placing it under a heating lamp.

You can use a simple aquarium or glass jar as an incubator. Turtle eggs should not be turned. They should be handled with extreme caution. After three months, babies will hatch from the eggs. Young offspring should be immediately transplanted into an aquarium or aquaterrarium. Please remember that some eggs may not be fertilized.

Newborn care

Baby turtles hatch from eggs using a tooth located on the tip of their nose. With this small fang they pierce the shell from the inside. Two days after hatching, the tooth disappears on its own. All young individuals have a transverse fold on the plastron, associated with the position of the reptiles in the egg. Under no circumstances should baby turtles be placed in the same pen as adult animals. The fact is that mature individuals lack maternal instinct, and therefore they can cause irreparable harm to the young. Newly hatched offspring are usually kept under the same temperature conditions as adults. Their diet should consist primarily of plant foods with added calcium. The bottom of the terrarium should be covered with special soil intended for a specific type of reptile.

How do sea turtles reproduce?

Surprisingly, reptiles of this species begin to reproduce only on the land where they themselves were born. Often, for this, the female has to overcome enormous distances. Nevertheless, not a single female has yet strayed from the intended course. This navigational ability of reptiles of this species still surprises scientists to this day. Turtles usually breed at night. The female comes ashore, making sure that she is not in danger, and heads up the coastline. She looks for a secluded place where the tide line does not reach. Having found a suitable piece of land, the female digs a hole with her front paws until the upper part of her shell is at ground level. Then she digs a hole about 50 centimeters deep, where she lays up to two hundred eggs. During one exit to land, a turtle is capable of making several clutches, covering them with sand. For those in captivity, the reproduction process is similar. After just seventy days, the cubs are born. Young turtles should be transferred to a separate container and cared for by maintaining warmth, light and humidity. This is how turtles reproduce.

7. Reproduction of turtles

Turtles breed in captivity quite rarely. Breeding turtles is a painstaking and responsible work that only experienced specialists can do.

In order for turtles kept at home to begin to reproduce, they need to be provided with the proper conditions: proper nutrition, suitable habitat and relative freedom of movement.

For successful reproduction, in addition to observing all conditions of detention, it is advisable to place several individuals of the same species in one pen or terrarium. When forming a group, the correct ratio of the number of females and males is important, which contributes to the manifestation of elements of mating behavior in these animals. In freshwater turtles this ratio is approximately 2:1.

Only with proper maintenance can red-eared turtles produce offspring in captivity.

In addition, when choosing animals, you need to take into account their age - you should select sexually mature, but not old individuals, which should first be checked by a veterinarian. The most suitable age for mating of red-eared turtles is 5 years. Despite the fact that they reach puberty a little earlier, fertilization may not occur in very young individuals. Sick or weakened animals will also most likely not produce offspring.

You can distinguish the sex of red-eared turtles by the length of their tail (the male has a longer tail). In addition, the male has a depression on the plastron.

A group of selected turtles must be carefully observed for some time to determine how ready they are for mating and reproduction. If relationships have been established between individuals of different sexes, the remaining turtles need to be moved to another place.

Typically, hobbyists who breed red-eared turtles in captivity keep males and females separately and place them next to each other exclusively for the mating period. In this case, it is best to leave the male in his usual territory, and place the female with him.

It is interesting to watch the mating games of turtles both in natural conditions and at home. During the breeding season, water turtles often show a completely different side to themselves than in normal life. Thus, males often fight among themselves, seeking the favor of the female they have chosen.

Only healthy turtles that have reached sexual maturity can produce offspring.

If you want your turtle to give birth, include foods containing vitamin E in its diet. It has a beneficial effect on reproductive function.

Turtles, like other reptiles, after building a nest and laying eggs, do not care at all about their offspring, and small turtles emerge completely ready for independent life.

When preparing for breeding, it is important to properly prepare the turtles’ diet. Many experts recommend adding foods containing vitamin E (greens, vegetable oil) to animal feed. Vitamin preparations are also suitable.

During pregnancy, turtles' diets must contain foods high in calcium and phosphorus.

During the breeding season, red-eared turtles need to create comfortable conditions: do not disturb them, exclude all extraneous noise and vibration, try to touch the animals as little as possible. In addition, it is necessary to take care in advance of the place where the eggs will be located. Red-eared turtles dig a nest in the ground, so you need to place a small container filled with clean sand or peat in the terrarium in advance (it should be poured in a layer of about 5 cm). Females can also lay eggs directly on a piece of land arranged in a terrarium, and sometimes in water. In the latter case, it is recommended to immediately remove the masonry from the water.

Turtle lays eggs

For freshwater turtles to begin mating, the water temperature in the terrarium or aquarium must be 22–26 °C. Increasing the length of daylight hours and lighting intensity also helps stimulate mating.

After the female lays eggs, it is recommended to remove the container with them and place them in an incubator. The incubator temperature should be maintained at 28–30 °C.

If you don't have an incubator, you can use a regular glass jar or an aquarium filled with sand, which should be moistened regularly. This incubator can be heated using a regular incandescent lamp. You can place the incubator next to the central heating radiator.

Turtle eggs, unlike bird eggs, should never be turned over, so they should be transferred to the incubator very carefully.

Baby turtle emerges from egg

Eggs laid by turtles are not always fertilized. In order not to keep empty eggs in the incubator for several months, they need to be checked. To do this, you can build a primitive ovoscope: place a small electric light bulb, perhaps from a flashlight, in a small cardboard box, and cover the box with a lid in which a hole has been cut in the shape of an egg, but slightly smaller. To check the egg, you need to place it, without turning it over, on the hole and turn on the light bulb. There will be a noticeable darkening in the middle of the fertilized egg, while the empty one will transmit light evenly. When checking, you should remember that the longer the eggs mature, the more accurate the result will be.

Newborn baby turtles, like other reptiles, have remnants of the yolk sac, which disappear a few days after birth, as well as a special egg tooth, which they use to cut the shell. In addition, in the first days after hatching from the eggs, turtles can see a transverse fold on the plastron - a consequence of the bent position of the baby inside the egg.

After the female lays her eggs, she should be kept separate from other animals for some time. The female's nutrition for several weeks should be enhanced, since during this period the turtles' immunity is weakened and they are more susceptible to various diseases.

If a turtle has babies, you need to try to save them all. Under no circumstances should they be placed in the same pen or terrarium with adult turtles, as these reptiles do not have maternal instincts and can harm the young. It is best to prepare a small separate terrarium, specially equipped for their maintenance.

Small turtles require special care.

Small turtles eat almost the same as adult turtles, with the exception of plant foods. Both special ready-made food and finely chopped raw fish or pieces of seafood are suitable for them.

For normal development, red-eared turtle cubs need ultraviolet radiation. The irradiation time should be increased gradually, starting from 1–2 minutes, and lamps with soft radiation should be used for procedures.

First of all, it should be understood that breeding turtles is possible only if the individuals are sexually mature (for land turtles this is an average of 10-15 years) and completely healthy. In addition, there are a number of nuances that must be taken into account when breeding. Here are the main ones:

For breeding, turtles of the same species are selected, as similar in appearance as possible and belonging to the same habitat.

Young animals, elderly, sick and weakened individuals are not allowed to crossbreed.

Proper nutrition is a prerequisite for successful reproduction. The diet of turtles should be varied and balanced. The daily need of pets for vitamins and mineral elements must be fully satisfied.

The hormonal background of reptiles directly depends on temperature. The temperature should be within the range of +25-30 °C, which in apartment conditions is achieved through artificial heating.

It is especially important to control the temperature in the spring, as this is the most favorable time for reproduction.

Under conditions of temperature fluctuations, offspring will not be obtained. For example, at unfavorable temperatures, sperm in males will not mature. Too high a temperature during the incubation period will provoke accelerated development of embryos, which will not be able to break through the thick wall of the egg and will die.

Immediately before crossing, it is recommended to separate the males from the females for several weeks to stimulate their interest. This technique is used by many breeders around the world. A male, temporarily separated from a female, at the next meeting shows much greater interest in the opposite sex than when kept together with females.

In nature, male turtles engage in a fight for a female. In home-keeping conditions, to preserve the element of fighting, it is also recommended to have two males. As practice shows, in the absence of competition, the male often ignores the opposite sex.

Male land turtles can be aggressive when courting a female. To reduce the level of aggression, it is recommended to place the male with the female, and not vice versa, since the male will feel even more confident in his territory.

It is necessary to provide a place in the terrarium for laying eggs. In nature, turtles lay their eggs in the sand. Before laying, the female begins to worry and dig holes. If one nest does not suit the turtle, it begins to build a new one. This is an important issue that also cannot be ignored.

With the right approach, breeding turtles at home ceases to be an impossible task and brings owners many joyful experiences, because it is so interesting to watch the development of babies!

Most owners of land or sea turtles try to breed them at home. If in the natural environment reptiles independently prolong their genus, then when they are kept in captivity, various difficulties with reproduction may arise, so in this case the reptiles need the help of the owner. Only the creation of optimal conditions for mating and egg laying will be the basis for obtaining healthy offspring.

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Features of turtle breeding at home

Breeding turtles is a responsible process for any breeder, which must be approached with a certain set of knowledge. Before you start breeding reptiles, it is important to consider the following points:

1. 1. Mating games of turtles can last all year round if certain conditions contribute to this (they must be well-fed and kept warm). However, the best period when reptiles are most sexually active is considered to be from February to May.
2. 2. When choosing suitable individuals for crossing, the age of the turtles must be taken into account. They must have reached sexual maturity, but not be old. In captivity, pets have constant access to good food, so they often mature faster than their wild relatives. In the wild, turtles are unable to produce fertilized eggs until they are 15–20 years old. The ideal age for breeding in captive reptiles is 4 to 6 years for males and 5 to 10 years for females.
3. 3. Elderly reptiles should not be involved in mating, as their offspring will have a lot of genetic abnormalities, and there is also the possibility of complications during laying.
4. 4. To obtain healthy turtles, the health of the parents must be carefully monitored. It is very important that individuals selected for breeding do not show signs of illness or stress. Also, turtles that have undergone treatment for any diseases do not reproduce.
5. 5. You can determine readiness for mating games by the behavior of your pets. Males become more active, begin to fight for the attention of females, and make sounds reminiscent of a dog barking.

Determination of gender



Before you start creating a group, you need to make sure that the turtles are truly different sexes. It is advisable to determine the sex of a reptile only after a year. Until this age, sexual characteristics are practically invisible. You can identify females and males based on the following factors:

• Males have a longer tail than females (they have it short and narrow), and the anus is located at the tip of the tail;
• on the plastron of males there is a special depression designed for a more tight fixation on the female;
• in some varieties, the iris of the eyes of boys is colored reddish, and in girls it is yellowish;
• males are smaller in size;
• a significant difference lies in the claws on the front paws - in boys they are longer;
• The shape of the lower part of the shell in females is flat, while in males it is concave.

Create a group

The body of reptiles is designed in such a way that a female can lay eggs without the help of a male, but offspring will not appear from them, since they will be unfertilized. For successful reproduction of turtles, it is necessary to create a group consisting of several adult reptiles of different sexes located in the same enclosed space. The following expert advice will help:

• The ratio of female to male individuals in the proportion of 2:1 promotes the manifestation of mating behavior in animals.
• Pets should not be placed all at once in one enclosure, so that competition and fights do not arise between males as a result of the struggle for the attention of females. It is advisable to divide reptiles into groups, each of which will have one male and many females. This scheme is most suitable for the popular red-eared turtles. Males can be allowed to be aggressive towards each other to establish healthy competition, but fighting must be carefully controlled to prevent them from injuring each other.
• Before forming a breeding group for breeding, you need to take into account the type of reptile. In fringed turtles (testudo marginata), only two individuals are allowed to mate - male and female; in caiman turtles, one male should be taken for a pair of females; in most land turtles, three males mate with one female.
• If several pairs live in the same territory and sympathy has arisen between two reptiles, it is necessary to remove the remaining reptiles from the aquarium for a while to allow them to mate.
• Males prefer larger females. It is important to keep females of the same size in the same group so that none of them is left out.

Only the correct sex ratio contributes to the emergence of the reproductive instinct in turtles.

Preparing the enclosure for mating

To create optimal natural conditions for mating, you will need a large terrarium or outdoor enclosure. Humidity and temperature conditions must be strictly observed. Also, the place where pets live must meet the following requirements:

• the walls of the terrarium must be chosen to be at least 1 m high;
• fill the bottom with coarse sand;
• place a small homemade canopy made of fabric or cardboard in the corner;
• equip the terrarium with heating and lighting systems;
• install ultraviolet lamps at a distance of at least 60 cm from the reptile’s location or ensure natural sunlight enters the container;
• create a ventilation system - small ventilation holes should be drilled in the walls and on the lid;
• for aquatic turtles, you need to install a small pond at the same level with the floor.

Stimulation of reproduction

To get healthy offspring, you need to make every effort and use the following recommendations from experts:

1. 1. Before mating, pets should be sent for the winter. It is advisable to keep the individuals in different enclosures 1–2 months before the planned crossing, so that they have time to miss each other.
2. 2. After wintering in the terrarium ends, the temperature should be gradually increased to simulate the onset of spring. You can also go the second way. To do this, a quarter before mating, reduce the duration of illumination to a quarter of a day and reduce the air temperature by 5 degrees relative to the upper permissible temperature. After a couple of months, over the course of several weeks, you need to gradually increase the duration of daylight hours to 12 hours and the temperature readings. Over the last week, twice a day it is necessary to spray the terrarium and the turtle itself with water from a spray bottle and give it fresh food.
3. 3. Warmth is an important aspect in reptile breeding. It is necessary for the quality functioning of the digestive system and maintaining immunity. To hatch small turtles, adult turtles should be provided with 24-hour exposure to a warm environment at a temperature of at least +25 degrees.
4. 4. Eating a healthy diet and keeping your reptiles on a well-balanced diet high in calcium and phosphorus will help with reproduction. If there are not enough nutrients in the pet’s diet, then there is a possibility of late embryonic death of the embryos.

Turtles' diet should be supplemented with vitamins and minerals. The female especially needs useful nutritional supplements. Calcium is necessary for the formation of calcareous membranes, and nutrients in the yolk are necessary for the developing embryo. In order for the turtle to produce healthy babies, it should be given daily calcium carbonate in the form of limestone flour, sprinkled separately from food, and special vitamins, for example, Nutrobal or Vionate (three times a week), vitamins E and D.

Caring for Turtle Eggs



Reproduction of turtles in captivity is not limited to just the mating of two reptiles. The owner needs to provide optimal conditions for laying eggs. You must adhere to the following recommendations from experts:

• In order for the process of laying eggs to begin, the air temperature in the terrarium or water in the aquarium must be at least +22...+26 degrees.
• On land you need to build a nest where the female can lay eggs. To do this, you need to dig a hole of small diameter in the soil or sand and place a container with sphagnum moss or a wet mixture of sand, peat and sphagnum in it so that its edges are flush with the land.
• The female lays up to 10 eggs with a diameter of up to 4 cm. They should not be left in the same container where the turtle lives. Reptiles do not have maternal instinct; they can damage the shell. It is necessary to carefully, without turning the eggs over during the first 5–6 hours (otherwise the embryos will die), transfer each of them to an incubator with an air temperature of +25...+30 degrees.
• You can place the masonry in a glass jar with sand and place it near the heating system in the apartment.
• Containers for the microwave are also suitable, which need to be covered with a five-centimeter layer of damp substrate and small depressions made in it, then carefully place the eggs there. After a few days, it should be checked whether everyone has survived, and the dead should be removed.
• The incubator should be located away from direct sunlight and drafts.
• If a fungus appears on the eggs, you need to get rid of it using an aqueous solution of an antiseptic mouth rinse in a one-to-one ratio.

The best incubator option is a 20 liter aquarium. A heating element with a thermostat is placed in it and bricks are laid. Then the container is filled one third with water. A ditch with masonry is placed on the bricks, which should not come into contact with the aquatic environment.

The formation time of small turtles inside the eggs is from 2 to 5 months. Throughout the entire period, it is necessary to carefully monitor temperature and humidity parameters. The baby turtle makes a small hole in the shell before hatching from the egg. Over the next day, she continues to remain inside and feeds on the contents of the yolk sac. Take it out of the egg yourselfUnder no circumstances should a baby be born.

After small reptiles are born, they are prohibited from being placed in a terrarium with adults in order to avoid injury. It is better to place the offspring in a separate aquarium and keep them there for 11–12 months. The cubs need to be fed plant foods high in calcium. To obtain vitamin D, you can use UV lamps.

Red-eared turtles are unpretentious animals that quickly adapt to home conditions. But in captivity they rarely produce offspring: this requires special conditions of detention.

In general, breeding red-eared turtles should not pose any problems for the owner. Females lay eggs on their own; you just need to provide proper care: a suitable habitat, proper nutrition, freedom of movement and peace.

Choosing a partner

The best time for turtles to breed is from February to May. For successful reproduction, it is advisable to place several individuals of the same species in one terrarium. The ratio of females to males 2:1 promotes mating behavior in animals. If several pairs live in the aquarium and a good relationship has been established between two individuals, you need to place other turtles for a while. There is a high probability that “this is love” and mating will occur soon.

When choosing suitable turtles for mating, you need to consider the age of the animals. Turtles must be mature, but not old. The ideal age is 5 years.

Choosing a mating site

Sometimes males and females are kept separately, moving into a common enclosure only during the mating period. In this case, it is advisable to move the female turtle into the territory of the male. For mating, you can use a separate terrarium with warm water, the depth of which does not exceed 10 cm.

Mating of turtles occurs in water and on land, and one fertilization is enough for several (4-5) clutches. Sperm can remain in the female genitals for a long time - up to two years.

Choosing a location for masonry

If mating does not occur, the animals can be stimulated by increasing the water temperature and increasing the length of daylight hours in the enclosure. If there is no “land” in the aquarium where the turtles live, you need to build an artificial beach. In order for the female to lay eggs, she will need a flat bank with a layer of sand of 3-5 cm. It happens that a turtle lays eggs directly into the water, then the eggs must be removed immediately.

Turtles often lay unfertilized eggs, like many other reptiles. If a female living alone has laid a clutch, there is no point in caring for the eggs. Only when several turtles of both sexes permanently live in an aquarium is there a chance of mating.

Egg care

The most difficult stage in reproduction is caring for the eggs. The masonry must be very carefully placed in an incubator, which can be used as an ordinary glass jar with sand. The jar should be heated with an incandescent lamp or placed near a radiator, and the sand should be regularly moistened. The optimal temperature in the incubator is 28–30°C.

Eggs must be protected from mold and ventilated. Breeding turtles is a big responsibility and difficult work for breeders. But all the troubles will be rewarded when, after 2-3 months, little turtles are born.