To what size and how quickly does a red-eared turtle grow at home?

Many reptile lovers give birth to little turtles, rarely who wants to immediately take an adult. But in order for the turtle to start growing and not get sick, a number of conditions must be observed. In addition, knowing the norms for the size of a turtle, you can roughly assess the quality of its health even on your own. About what determines the growth rate of reptiles, as well as about the norms of dimensions and other nuances, read this article.

The first growth spurt occurs in the first couple of years of life of the red-eared turtle. It is during this period that a healthy animal should have a molt. Reptiles experience continuous and significant growth over the next decade.

It should be noted that with the right approach to care and nutrition at home, turtles grow faster than in the wild, and are also distinguished by longevity. The turtle grows all its life. In the first years this occurs actively, in subsequent growth it slows down, but does not stop. The most recent active spike in height and weight of the turtle occurs in late adolescence - between the ages of 6 and 7 years.

You can see that turtles change with age not only in size. The coloring of the little turtles is not an exact copy of the adults, although, of course, they are similar to each other. This is due to melanophores (pigmented cells). The more an individual grows, the more cells grow in. Thus, an individual whimsical pattern is created.

Only adults differ by sex. It is impossible to determine it at home in cubs.After the onset of 3 years of age, gender can already be reliably determined. At a more mature age (after 3 years), females usually become larger than males.

At the age of 3 months, babies reach a size of 2.5 to 3 cm.In the period from 1 to 2 years, the size of animals is 3-6 cm.At the age of 3, females begin to grow faster: their size can be from 6 to 9 cm At 4 years old, females are already quite large - from 9 to 14 cm. At 5 years old, they can reach up to 16 cm in length. The maximum size of girls at 6 years old is 18 cm. Up to 7 years old, a female can grow to a mark of 32 cm. The minimum length at this age is 20 cm. As already mentioned, after 7 years, the growth of the turtle continues, but its rate decreases. It is worth noting that ThuDimensions of 32 cm are exceptional cases. The average maximum adult size of a female red-eared turtle is 28 cm.

At 3 months of age, the growth of males is the same as that of females - 2.5-3 cm. Up to 2 years, males reach 3-6 cm in length. At 3 years old, males can grow to a mark of 6-8 cm.At 4 years of age, the length of a male can reach from 8 to 10 cm.At 5 years old, males can be up to 12 cm long.At 6 years old, boys can be 17 cm long, but usually it is about 14 cm. By the age of 7, the male grows to 18 cm.The minimum height at this age can be 17 cm.

A healthy individual after 7 years of age grows from 1 to 2 cm per year. The average age of a red-eared turtle is 40 years. With strict adherence to all conditions and a responsible approach to nutrition, the pet by the end of life can reach 50 cm in length.

In general, it can be said that the life span of turtles is influenced by comfortable living conditions for animals. This includes two points: the aquarium and food.

In no case should he be in direct sunlight.... You cannot place it so that it is blown out. For juveniles, the water temperature in the aquarium should be around 27 degrees, and on land should be 32 degrees. The aquarium itself should be at least 200 liters in size. Only in a large enough tank will your turtle grow well.

Small aquariums, even tiny turtles are depressing, and they can grow poorly. A water heater (at least 100 watts) and a special UV lamp must be present. It is worth installing an artificial island or shore, a lamp, and a thermometer to control the temperature. You also need to purchase a water filter. Turtles eat in water and empty themselves there.

First of all, food for reptiles should be natural... It must also be of animal origin. For example, the following ratio of components can be considered good nutrition: 7 parts of small fish (lean) and 3 parts of offal (you can replace with various insects, shrimp, squid, and so on). You can not overfeed the animal - this will lead to obesity. And it, as you know, does not prolong life. The optimal frequency of feeding for adults is once every 2 days, for cubs - every day.

If these conditions are met, 85% of reptile diseases can be avoided. All this can be the prevention not only of many diseases, problems and subsequent visits to the veterinarian, but also the guarantee of their longevity.

You also need to adhere to the following tips.

• You can not pick up at home pets for no good reason.
• You cannot add very young turtles to adults. Often, adults can injure the young. In this sense, hazing among these animals is flourishing.
• Be sure to regularly (2 times a week) completely change the water in the aquarium.... This will save the animals from a long stay in the same container with their excrement and subsequent infection.
• It is undesirable to create stressful living conditions for reptiles or expose them to fear. The aquarium should be quiet.It is best to choose a room where loud sounds and vibrations are excluded.

Owners of red-eared turtles note the rapid and unexpected growth of their pets in the first years of life. The older the turtle gets, the more its predatory disposition manifests itself, and the more it eats. And the more he eats, the more he grows.