Trade impact:
Most red-eared turtles were transported to the pet trade, which doomed most of them to die young. Most of them were sold to ignorant dealers, and they were not given proper and sufficient care during the resale period. The number of red-eared turtles exported by the United States reaches 3 to 4 million each year. Most of these turtles come from farms in Louisiana and Mississippi River, and turtle hunters who set up farming business on farms also collect 25,000 to 30,000 adult animals including red-eared turtles from these places every week and transport them to foreign food markets (mainly in the Far East). The fierce turtle trade has prompted the establishment of a large number of artificial ponds, and no pond can accommodate as many as 13000 reproductive adults. Due to overcrowding, disease, chaotic nutrition and incorrect water depth, the turtle mortality in this pond is extremely high every year. It must be severely pointed out that it is pond water, which is seriously polluted by a large number of pathogenic organisms.
Due to the loss of habitat, the number of wild red-eared turtles itself is under pressure, and people are not satisfied with the intensive field collection of reproductive benefits. Now the number of red-eared turtles in the country of origin is not as much as expected.
Breeding box: Turtles always grow up from childhood. When you buy them, you will feel that they can be kept in a small low-cost box, but they can grow to a considerable size-30 cm is not uncommon. At this scale, they need spacious space, good filtration system and time spent on it. If you bought them at first because they were cheap, it's not worth it, because you have to spend 100 more than their price to maintain them, including boxes, heaters, filters, lights, food and your hard work. This is not an exaggeration. How much food does it take from larva to adult? This does not include their illness and the cost of running these devices. Yes, I also like to take part-time care. Don't just provide equipment because it's cheap, but take care of it seriously.
Because the red-eared turtle is good at swimming, the water in the box can be put deeper, just like an ordinary aquarium. For young turtles, the size of the box can be 75*35 cm, but with the growth of young turtles, the box will change accordingly. Land must be provided and you must rest in the sun. In addition to the usual sunshine, the land temperature can also be provided by spotlights. Around 27 degrees, the temperature in water is not much different from that on land. The depth requirement of water is not so important because they have better swimming ability.
Food: omnivores. Be careful of your Brazil, he is good at eating. You should try to provide them with normal and regular food. It is suggested that young turtles should be once a day and adult turtles should be three times a week. Besides meat, fish, shrimp and insects, they can also accept green plants and aquatic plants well. Commodity turtle food and cat and dog food on the market are more balanced in nutrition. This turtle has a keen sense of sight and smell, so it is good at grabbing food.
filter system
The most common problem faced by water turtles is water quality. Dirty water is easy to breed bacteria and parasitic diseases. A dirty feeding box will stink, which is not a pleasant decoration for the family. But changing water is extremely boring. An effective and practical method is to install a filter screen, which will reduce the frequency of changing water. The effect of external filter will be very good, especially in the feeding box with large space. The water quality can be recycled not only for young turtles, but also for adult turtles. Other filters, such as underwater filters, may absorb young turtles.
lamplight
Another factor that is often overlooked is lighting. All turtles kept indoors should be illuminated. In addition to normal sunlight, artificial lighting should be provided.
Hibernation: the bottom of the container can be filled with sand and yellow leaves collected in autumn, and then a lot of water is added to make it deeper (even if the surface is frozen and there is temperature below), and the turtle will automatically become sand and leaves. In addition, if the tortoise hibernates and doesn't go into the ground, don't dig a hole and bury it.
Pay attention to water quality when raising Brazilian tortoises
Nowadays, many people like to keep lovely Brazilian tortoises, especially those with students at home. Under the comparison of classmates, maybe one day they will take a little turtle home. Although Brazilian tortoises are easy to raise, they have one disadvantage: they eat too much and excrete too quickly. Coupled with the high indoor temperature, the rest of the feed and feces are easy to rot when mixed together, so the water always stinks. It's only been changed for two days, and it becomes muddy soup. Even the Brazilian tortoise can hardly be seen. Green algae will grow if there is enough light. In particular, some people use relatively small glass jars or washbasins to raise them. If they don't pay attention, it stinks, and it's not healthy for people to disturb the tortoise.
The simplest way to solve this problem is to completely change the water. Generally, all dirty water should be replaced four hours after feeding. When changing water, first take the turtle out and put it in the bucket. At the same time, it is best to brush the wall and bottom of the container with a brush, then inject clean water with appropriate temperature, and then put the turtle back into the water. It should be noted that not all species of swamp turtles or water turtles can fully adapt to changing water, but Brazilian turtles will soon get used to this practice and its interference. After completely changing the water, the Brazilian tortoise can be induced to speed up the excretion of feces in the intestine and make the newly changed water dirty again. So if necessary, it's best to change the water for the Brazilian tortoise again before going to bed at night. Although it feels a little troublesome to do so, it can ensure the healthy growth of the tortoise!
Wim, Xi 'an's turtle friend, translated from Slider Home website.
A container for raising turtles
The Brazilian tortoise needs enough space to move. The most basic thing is that there should be water in the container and a place above the water for the tortoise to bask in the sun. For most Brazilian turtles, the best container for keeping turtles is an aquarium glass box of 30,55 gallons or more. There should be enough water in the container. The measure is that once the tortoise accidentally turns over, it can be easily turned back by using the buoyancy of water. According to estimates, this height is about 3/4 of the turtle's body length.
The container shall be equipped with the following equipment:
(1) a heater
(2) a filter
(3) Full spectrum lamp tube
(4) The place where turtles bask in the sun
If your turtle container is placed in a place with cold air or airflow, add a cover to the container (pay attention to ventilation).
*: Remember: the bigger the container, the better.
Two: filtering:
The Brazilian tortoise is a very dirty animal, so it needs a strong filter with good quality. The quality of the water you provide directly determines the health of your precious turtle. Brazilian turtle is a water turtle, so it will directly discharge feces and liquid excrement into the water, which is easy to breed bacteria. If the water quality deteriorates, it will greatly increase the chance of Brazilian tortoise getting sick. It is best to use a powerful filter, which can filter twice the size of your aquarium.
* keep-the secret of fresh water/effective filtration is:
As much water as possible.
(2) As large as possible filtration area (surface area of filter material)
(3) Dissolve as much oxygen as possible (by air pump or inflator)
III. Constant temperature equipment and temperature:
Reptiles' metabolism depends on their surroundings. Therefore, when the ambient temperature becomes lower, they become less active. Higher temperature water can also enhance the immune system of turtles, and the optimum temperature of Brazilian turtles should be kept at 24-28 degrees Celsius. The easiest way to keep a constant water temperature is to go to the aquarium and buy an underwater heater, preferably with an automatic thermostat, which can set the water temperature at your required temperature more conveniently. Besides, you should buy a thermometer to monitor the water temperature.
Pay special attention every time you change water. You must turn off the heater first and take out the aquarium to dry for a while, otherwise your heater will probably burst because of the sudden change of water temperature.
Remember: the air temperature should also be warm enough. In winter, it is best to raise the air temperature in the house where turtles are kept. In summer, don't turn on the air conditioner in the room where turtles are kept. Of course, capping the aquarium can also solve some problems.
Four: a place to bask in the sun:
It is very important for the Brazilian tortoise to have a dry place to bask in the sun. Sunbathing is one of the main activities of Brazilian tortoises. It is necessary to keep their bodies dry when sunbathing, so that common diseases such as fungal infection, nail rot and eye diseases can be avoided by sunbathing regularly. You can design a sunning place for Brazilian tortoise in the following ways:
(1) On one side of the aquarium, place a smaller aquarium and put some stones on it.
(2) Glue a piece of glass parallel to the bottom of the aquarium with glass.
(3) Put a driftwood in the aquarium or fix it on the edge of the aquarium to keep it in a fixed position.
Five: Lighting
The Brazilian tortoise needs full spectrum light, because the UVB it releases is necessary for the Brazilian tortoise to digest nutrients. By directly irradiating this full spectrum of light, it can help Brazilian tortoise absorb various vitamins (especially vitamin D3), which is very beneficial to accelerate the ossification of Brazilian tortoise and the health of its shell. Simulating the alternation of day and night in nature with full-spectrum light can help your Brazilian tortoise develop healthily. It is highly recommended to scale Reptisun 5.0 and Iguana Light 7.0. Of course, there are many so-called full-spectrum lamps on the market, which can't actually provide qualified UVB rays. In addition, a 60-watt light bulb can provide enough heat.
Remember: don't use black tubes, because the light emitted by these tubes is a dark red light. Because of the high density of this light, it will damage the vision of the Brazilian tortoise.
Six: the scenery of the aquarium:
When setting the scenery, make sure that all the decorations are harmless to the Brazilian tortoise. Please note the following points:
(1) Make sure that the plants used in the scenery are not poisonous.
(2) Don't use plastic plants, because your Brazilian tortoise may eat by mistake.
(3) Make sure that the stones used for the scenery are smooth and have no edges and corners, because that may scratch the turtle skin or shell.
(4) Don't use pebbles or gravels, because your turtle may eat them and cause serious symptoms (such as intestinal stones).
Wait).
Seven, clean the turtle container:
If there is no filter, you can also bathe the baby Brazilian tortoise every two days. Caution: Do not use abrasive products.
Eight: Risk of electric shock:
If you use electric filters, underwater heaters or even lamps, there is a potential risk of electric shock to you and your precious turtle. Be sure to connect the ground wire to avoid accidents. Do not use a light bulb with a power higher than the rated power of the motor (for example, install a 100 watt light bulb on a device with a rated power of 60 watts. )。 Because the Brazilian tortoise is active, it will wander around and bump around, so it is best to put your underwater heater where the tortoise can't reach (such as behind an immovable obstacle).
Nine: Necessary equipment:
A big aquarium
(2) A powerful filter with high quality
(3) Underwater heater
(4) Full spectrum lamp tube
(5) Thermometer
(6) Complete feed
(7) Various vitamins
X: suggested but not necessary equipment:
(1) automatic water changing device
(2) cuttlefish bone
Now, it's sad to see many people trampling on turtles, buying them back and torturing them to death. Most of these people don't know the habits of soft-shelled turtles, either because the water quality is getting worse, which makes soft-shelled turtles have dirty eyes, rotten skin and onychomycosis, or they don't pay attention to the water temperature, which makes soft-shelled turtles catch a cold, or they don't know what they eat. The tortoise was tortured and eventually died. So the most important thing now is to let these people know the habits of turtles. So I translated this article from the foreign website Slide Home, which is also a small thing I did for the suffering turtles.
2. Breeding of Mississippi red-eared turtle (Brazilian color turtle)
Author: Shen Wei
First, choose and buy.
Red-eared turtle originated in North America and was introduced to China in 1987. At first, it was completely imported, and later it was successfully cultivated in the south. In recent years, it has successfully propagated in many parts of the country.
Red-eared turtles have strong adaptability and are deeply loved by pet lovers all over the world because of their bright colors. However, its super adaptability and fertility have also caused great damage to the ecological environment of many importing countries, and some places have been flooded.
If you can pay attention to the following points when buying, your breeding success rate will be very high.
Individuals with intact bodies and no trauma should be purchased.
Try to choose large individuals in the same batch.
There are two simple ways to test an individual's flexibility and strength in purchasing. First, turn the tortoise's abdomen upward. The faster you climb, the more flexible you are. Second, put the turtle in deep water, and the sunken turtle will be in good health.
Second, feeding.
The breeding of red-eared turtles is generally simple.
First of all, the culture environment can use containers that are not easy to climb, such as tanks, pots, barrels and so on. Generally, the bigger the space, the better.
Water quality is one of the keys to successful feeding. Water can contact cold boiled water and tap water for chlorine removal (sodium thiosulfate, Vc, exposure, etc.). ) Three days in summer. The water level can be used in deep water when young turtles are young, and should be changed every day, especially after feeding and excreting. Adults are half the height and can prevent the occurrence of white eye disease. Food, red-eared turtles are carnivores, and lean meat, small fish and shrimp, internal organs and insects are all good feeds. Young turtles are best fed with small lean meat or small feed fish, and can also be fed with silkworms.
Generally speaking, the red-eared turtle can grow from 6-7 grams to 40-50 grams in the first year, and it can grow to 150 grams if the temperature is raised. Money turtle, the scientific name is three-line closed-shell turtle, also known as red-edged turtle, Sichuan-backed turtle and broken-board turtle. Its natural resources are mainly distributed in Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan in China, and mainly distributed in Vietnam and Laos abroad. In recent years, many provinces have introduced trial breeding and achieved good results. Scarabs have beautiful appearance, delicious meat and rich nutrition. It has the effects of nourishing yin, strengthening yang, removing dampness and toxic materials, reducing swelling, benefiting liver and moistening lung, and is an advanced tonic. At present, the market price is as high as 1.5 ~ 2/kg, and the breeding prospect is broad.
I site selection and turtle pond construction
The selection of turtle farms should be based on the principle of adapting to the living habits and production needs of turtles, requiring convenient transportation, quiet environment in turtle ponds, sufficient water, good water quality, convenient drainage and irrigation, and good soil water retention, so as to make full use of heat resources, prolong the growth period of turtles and shorten the breeding cycle.
The height of the fence outside the turtle pond is based on the principle of theft prevention. The fence inside the turtle pond is generally 50 cm high to prevent turtles from running away from each other. The size of the pond depends on the scale of culture, and the water depth is 0.5 ~1.5 m. It is best to have steep slopes on three sides of the pond, so that turtles can't climb up and down (except for the parent turtle pond), and the other side is gentle slope, and the slope ratio is 1: 3, so it is better to level the turtle pond.
Second, true and false identification and male and female identification
1. Identification of authenticity: Due to the high price of scarabs, some lawless elements confuse the real with the fake, which has caused certain economic losses to farmers. Therefore, the following judgment methods are introduced.
(1) The back of the money turtle is brown or gray-black, with three obvious black vertical stripes, and the middle one is the most obvious and the longest, so it is also called Chuanzi back turtle.
(2) There is a yellow diamond mark on the top of the money turtle head, which is smooth and scale-free.
(3) The money turtle board (abdominal nail) is horizontal and connected by ligaments, so it is also called broken turtle.
(4) The hard skin around the edge of scarab is orange, so it is also called red-edged turtle.
2. Male and female identification: It is difficult to distinguish between male and female in the larval and larval stages of scarab, and it can only be distinguished after it grows into a mature turtle. The identification method is as follows:
(1) The carapace (tortoise shell) of male scarab is slightly concave, the tail is long and thick, the body is slightly fishy, and the spawning hole is far away from the carapace.
(2) The tortoise shell (tortoise shell) of female scarab is straight, with short and thin tail, thick body and no fishy smell. The carapace is arched and oval, with a round and wide back end and no mating device.
(3) Hold the turtle's four legs with your hands, tilt your head back, and the mating apparatus of the male turtle is exposed, which is purple-black; The mother turtle can't.
Third, reproduction and incubation.
Breeding turtles should be over 5 years old, with an individual 1.5 kg and a male-female ratio of 3∶ 1. At the end of March and the beginning of April every year, the water temperature reaches above 65438 08℃, and the scarab begins to mate and fertilize, and lays eggs from May to August. Each female turtle can lay eggs in two batches a year, with 3 ~ 12 in each batch. During the breeding period, if the mother turtle's eyes and nose are found to secrete mucus, it means that she is giving birth, so pay attention to observation. If you find a newly dug nest in the sand pool, you should mark it. After 48 hours, when the animal poles (white spots) of the turtle eggs can be identified, we will take them out and transfer them to an incubator or incubator for incubation. The sludge used for incubation should consist of 7 parts of fine clay (dried, crushed and sieved) and 3 parts of water-sprayed sludge. Eggs should be placed on silt, and then covered with 5 cm thick silt. The humidity of silt soil should be kept at 75% ~ 85%, and the temperature should be controlled at 28 ~ 32℃. After 50 ~ 65 days, the young turtles can hatch.
Fourth, feeding management.
1. Feeding management of young turtles: The newly hatched young turtles are delicate and should not be put into the pool immediately. You can let them crawl freely on the hatchery first. After the umbilical cord converges, when the body changes from curly to straight, it is disinfected with 9% physiological saline, and then put into indoor pots and dishes for temporary cultivation, and the water temperature is kept at 25 ~ 30℃. Young turtles that have just hatched 1 ~ 2 days don't need to eat nutrition from outside because the yolk has not been absorbed. After hatching for 2 days, cooked egg yolk, Daphnia, etc. Feed twice a day. After two weeks, you can gradually feed chopped fish, shrimp, snail meat and animal offal, or you can mix a small amount of wheat flour, vegetables and other mixtures. Change the water once a day to keep the basin clean. When individuals grow up and have normal mobility, they can be transferred to young turtle ponds or young turtle ponds for feeding.
2. Feeding and management of adult turtles: the money turtle has a wide range of feeding habits, mainly animal feed, and some plant feed, including small fish, shrimp, snails, mussels and animal offal. The feed ratio is 70% of animal feed, 30% of plant feed, plus proper amount of vitamins, calcium and trace elements. Feed should adhere to timing, positioning, quality and quantity. The feeding rate of concentrate is 4%, and the feeding rate of fresh feed is 7% ~ 10%, which is increased or decreased according to the feeding situation. Feeding time should be 8 ~ 9 am and 6 ~ 7 pm every day. Every 2 ~ 3 days, some old water will be discharged and new water will be injected to adjust the water quality. In addition, the whole pool is sprayed with quicklime slurry every week and disinfected regularly with drugs to improve water quality, sterilization and disease prevention. Where conditions permit, hot spring water, factory surplus hot water and boiler warm water can be used for breeding in winter, which can prevent turtles from hibernating, continue to grow, shorten the growth cycle and improve economic benefits.
Verb (abbreviation for verb) disease control
Beetles have strong disease resistance, and the most common diseases are colds and enteritis. If you have a cold, you can inject gentamicin into the muscle at one time, and the amount of each injection is 65438+ 0/6 of the human dosage, and two days is a course of treatment; If you have enteritis, you can feed the beetle with oxytetracycline tablet 0.2 g or furazolidone tablet 0. 1 g per kilogram for 3 days as a course of treatment.
At present, there are many kinds of Brazilian turtles in China, but most of them are red-gill turtles or yellow-gill turtles, which belong to semi-aquatic turtles and are usually carnivorous, such as small fish, shrimp or lean meat, beef and so on. Turtles are very dependent on water when they are young, and they need to live in water for more than 2/3 of the time. With the increase of age, it is less and less dependent on water, but it still needs to live in a humid area near the water source. Because the Brazilian tortoise is a tropical turtle, we should not only pay attention to water quality and food, but also master the temperature of water in daily feeding.
The deterioration of water quality is one of the main causes of the death of Brazilian tortoise. The container for breeding Brazilian turtles should not be too small. You can put a small piece of foam in the water for turtles to climb and rest. Keep changing water every day (except for fish tanks with filtration system), the water temperature should be kept above 25℃, and the water must be dechlorinated to ensure the water quality. In spring and autumn, soft-shelled turtle can bask in the sun properly every morning and evening to enhance its physique, but it is not suitable for exposure in summer.
How to prevent and cure hemorrhoids in soft-shelled turtle
Turtle hemorrhoid is a common disease, but many friends don't know how to treat it and lose their love for turtle. The symptom of the disease is that there are one or several white hemorrhoids about the size of soybeans near the neck, limbs or anus of turtles, and there are yellow and white bean dregs-like contents around them when squeezed by hand. Sick turtles can still eat at the initial stage of illness, and gradually eat less. As the illness worsened, they stopped eating and were slow to respond. He usually dies within 2-3 weeks.
The main causes are: Aeromonas punctata subspecies, which often exists in water, turtle skin, intestine and so on. When the water environment is good, the turtle is infected with bacteria. Once the water environment is polluted and the turtle has trauma, bacteria will multiply in large numbers, causing the turtle to suffer from hemorrhoids.
The prevention and control methods should first pay attention to water pollution and ensure the environmental quality of water. When more than one sick turtle is found, it should be isolated first. Squeeze out the contents of the diseased turtle focus completely, rub it with sulfur wine, coat it with oxytetracycline powder, and then fill the affected area with cotton balls (coated with oxytetracycline or Jin Leiying ointment). If the sick turtle is an aquatic turtle, it can be put into shallow water. For turtles that have stopped eating, try to fill their food and bury antibiotics in it.
About the white eye disease of turtles
I often hear netizens say that the turtle's eyes have turned white and I can't open them. Especially in early spring, it is especially common. The main reasons are mostly the deterioration of water quality or the excessive alkalinity of water quality. The disease is more common in red-eared turtles and soft-shelled turtles, and the incidence of young turtles is higher. The onset season is spring, and autumn and spring after wintering are the epidemic peaks.
Symptoms: the eyes of the sick turtle are inflamed and congested, and the eyes are swollen. The cornea and mucous membrane of the eye are eroded by the inflammation of the eye, and the outside of the eyeball is covered with white secretion, so the eye cannot be opened. Sick turtles often rub their eyes with their forelimbs, which makes them move slowly. In severe cases, people stopped eating, and finally died of weakness and other diseases.
Prevention and treatment: For soft-shelled turtle with mild symptoms and barely open eyes, it can be soaked in 30 mg/L nitrofurazone or furanone solution for 40 minutes. Soak continuously for 5 days. For those who can't open their eyes seriously, clean the white matter and white necrotic epidermis in the eye first, and continue cleaning if there is bleeding, then soak the turtle in a solution containing vitamin B and oxytetracycline, and put 0.5 tablets of oxytetracycline and 2 tablets of vitamin B in every 500g of water. Strengthen water management at ordinary times, pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene, remove leftover bait in time, and properly control feeding density.