Is it the tortoise or the tortoise who controls the house?

It’s a turtle

Chinese name of grass turtle: 黑 turtle, grass turtle, golden thread turtle

English name: Reeve’s Turtle, Chinese Pond Turtle

< p>Latin scientific name: Chinemys Reevesii (named by Gray in 1831)

Wild tortoises are mainly distributed in mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and other places. Except for Northeast China, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang and other places, it has been found in other places in mainland China. Wild tortoises inhabit rivers, lakes, and ponds and feed on small fish, shrimp, insects, frogs, plants, etc. Turtles are semi-aquatic animals. They often climb out of the water and dry their shells on rocks or wooden piles. The fifth instar tortoise enters sexual maturity. Every year in mid-April, male and female tortoises mate in the water. Female turtles lay eggs between May and August. Each female turtle lays eggs three to four times a year, with five to seven eggs each time. The female turtle lays her eggs in the sand not far from the water's edge. After 50 to 80 days of natural incubation, the hatchlings hatch out of their shells and can enter the water and live on their own. Turtles can grow to about 23 centimeters long. The average life span is fifty years. Compared with other common turtles, tortoises grow more slowly and are much smaller. Turtles have the habit of hibernating. Every year, when the water temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius, tortoises begin to hibernate. Tortoises bury themselves in moist sand or hibernate in rock crevices and other places.

The method of identifying male and female tortoises is as shown in the picture above. The male turtle's tail is more slender and thicker at the base. The cloaca is farther from the base of the plastron. The distance between the cloaca and the base of the plastron in female tortoises is relatively close. This method is more accurate in identifying male and female, but when used to identify hatchlings, there will be errors because the hatchlings are not fully developed and the difference between them is not obvious

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Other body shape differences between males and females: The plastron of male tortoises will have a slight indentation, while the plastron of female tortoises will be flat. Male tortoises age. The color on the body becomes darker and darker. When most male tortoises reach adulthood, the markings on the neck will disappear and the whole body will turn into jet black. This is why tortoises are called "tortoises". The body color of female tortoises generally remains unchanged throughout their lives, and their bodies are slightly larger than male tortoises of the same age.

There are many foods to feed pet tortoises, including small fry and shrimps sold in aquarium stores; various meats for cooking at home (use raw meat, not cooked); various special feeds for turtles ; Even cat food and dog food can be used to feed them. Generally speaking, when the temperature is high in summer, feed twice a day; when the weather turns cooler in autumn, feed once a day

For adult tortoises, some breeders recommend feeding them every other day. Because they are adults, their metabolism is relatively slow, and overfeeding them is bad for their health. Most tortoises still retain their wild eating mentality. In the wild environment, food is not easy to obtain, so when tortoises eat, they always gorge themselves and overeat.

Therefore, when feeding them, be careful not to overfeed them.

If your tortoises have just arrived, they may not eat right away. This is normal, don't worry. As long as the water temperature in the tank is suitable, the tortoise will naturally eat after becoming familiar with the new environment. Compared with other pet turtles, tortoises adapt to new environments relatively quickly.

Turtles need to dry their shells. Vitamin D produced by sunlight is beneficial to the absorption of calcium and is very important for the growth of turtle shells. It would be best if your tortoise is kept in a courtyard or balcony where the sun can directly shine. When letting the turtle dry its shell, it is best to let the sun shine directly on the turtle, because glass will block certain wavelengths of light and affect the effect. When sunbathing in summer, you should also pay attention to a sheltered place so that the tortoise can choose to take shelter to prevent heat stroke. If you keep tortoises indoors and don't have time to sunbathe them, do so. It is recommended that you use professional reptile lighting. According to the equipment instructions, simulated exposure for a period of time every day. The aquarium where turtles are kept needs to have a land area, arranged with driftwood or stones, so that the turtles can come ashore to rest and take light baths. The water surface in the aquarium should not be too high, as long as the water surface slightly covers the turtle's back.

Turtles have solid skin and are easy to raise.

If the water quality, temperature and food are well controlled, you will almost never get sick. General bacterial infections and skin trauma can be cured by soaking and applying aquarium medicines and antibiotics. For details, please consult an aquarium store or pet hospital.

Turtles have the habit of hibernating in winter. If you live where winter comes early, is long, and is cold. It is best to warm it up, shorten hibernation time or cancel hibernation.

The general heating temperature is 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. Its hibernation time is controlled to about three months. Hibernation is very beneficial to healthy adult tortoises. The heart rate decreases during hibernation, which makes the turtle live longer, and the turtle will likely need to complete some hibernation during this time to develop. Therefore, it is best to respect their hibernation habits and ensure a period of hibernation. During the heating period in winter, feed according to the feeding method in summer. Many hatchlings will die during hibernation, so hibernation is not recommended for hatchlings born that year.

Turtles are very spiritual and highly interactive with people. When you approach, it will swim towards you and ask for food; when feeding, it likes to take the food away from your hand. Each tortoise has its own unique personality. You will discover many interesting phenomena during the breeding process. It is a very interesting pet. The "turtle" mentioned in ancient Chinese legends, myths, and fables mostly refers to tortoises. According to ancient Feng Shui theory, turtles are animals that can bring good luck and longevity. Turtles can also predict bad luck, ward off evil spirits and control the house, and bring you wealth... Although these are superstitions spread among the people, but... Since there are still many things we don't know, let's take it seriously. .. It’s not a bad thing anyway.