How long can a red-eared turtle live without food and why doesn't it eat?

All good owners worry when their pet suddenly begins to refuse food. They start to panic, grab the pet in an armful and rush to the veterinary clinic. This behavior is often justified. But in any case, it is necessary to know the reasons why this or that animal suddenly "goes on a hunger strike." Today we'll talk about why red-eared turtles do it.

Trachemys scripta - The yellow-bellied or red-eared turtle is a reptile that belongs to the family of American freshwater turtles. If such a turtle is properly looked after, then it will live quite a long time. However, many breeders do not know how to handle a reptile, and therefore their pets die. It is advisable to know in advance some of the intricacies of caring for such an animal.

• These turtles need to be alternately in the water and on land.... They equally need both a water space and a solid surface (on land they must be heated in UV rays).
• Turtles, despite their cute appearance, are aggressive and can attack each other.
• Red-eared turtles are omnivorous... However, it is best to feed them with special food, to which calcium, vitamins and other equally important elements are initially added.
• The red-eared turtle cannot do without moisture., since when eating dry food, it also swallows water. Therefore, know that without water, the turtle will die in about three days. Consider this fact especially in summer.

When it comes to how long turtles can go without food, the answer is: the red-eared turtle can live without food for a little more than three weeks. This period may seem small to someone. Nevertheless, it is rather long.

To begin with, the turtle needs to be as comfortable as possible. The terrarium should resemble the pet's habitat. Otherwise, the reptile will lose its appetite, and this factor will lead to death. Consider why a turtle may refuse food.

• If you have violated the temperature regime in the terrarium, then this will lead to problems. For example, the temperature should fluctuate between 25-27 degrees. At lower rates, your pet will first become inactive, and then it may even go into hibernation.

• If you do not provide lighting in the space where the turtle lives, then this can also affect the mobility of the pet. So install a UV lamp.

• Turtles can only swallow food with sips of water.... Therefore, make sure the drinker is full and clean. Otherwise, your pet will either suffer from thirst, or low-quality moisture will lead to illness.

• If the turtle doesn't like the food, it can also refuse it.... Therefore, keep in mind that food should be varied. Be sure to include special vitamins and dietary supplements in your feed.

• While waiting for offspring, as in the mating season, the turtle may also refuse to eat... During this period, many reptiles feel anxious, and therefore they often lose their appetite.

• Puberty pet can also affect the desire to eat.

• Various diseases can cause refusal to eat.... For example, if a turtle develops conjunctivitis or other eye diseases, it may simply not see food. The fact is that turtles cannot find food by smell, they can only see food.

• Frequent feeding can lead to overeating... And then your pet will stop eating.

• Turtles hibernate in nature. Perhaps your pet is preparing for this process and therefore refuses food. To fix this problem, raise the temperature in the terrarium to 27 degrees.

These actions are the guarantee that your slow pet will always be healthy and active. Therefore, you need to know the basic conditions and some subtleties of feeding red-eared turtles.

• If you are feeding a friend with shells other than special food, consider the size of the pieces. For small reptiles, cut the food very finely, for medium-sized pets, cut the food coarser, for the largest individuals, more significant pieces are suitable.

• Please note that aquatic reptiles are capable of tearing large pieces with sharp claws.... This means that such pets can be fed in large portions. Vegetable components for them do not even need to be cut.

• How much food can a turtle eat at a time? In this matter, everything is simple. The pet should eat the food within half an hour. That's how much food he will eat during this time, exactly how much food he needs.

• What is the frequency of feeding the turtle? The young are usually fed every day. At the same time, calcium must be added to the feed to increase the shell. Adults are fed about 3 times a week.

• Don't pamper your pet. Give him a mixture of food. If you only give the reptile the food it loves, you will spoil it. If the pet is naughty and just does not want to eat food, then let the turtle starve for 3-4 days. Then she will eat not only tasty, but also healthy ingredients.

• Feed should be at room temperature... Very cold food can be fatal to your pet.

• Reptiles should receive calcium and vitamins with their food.... In order for the turtle to eat all the healthy additives, mix them with food and hand feed the pet.

• Try to keep the color of the food attractive. Turtles find food with their eyes. The more colorful the food, the faster the turtle will find and eat it. You can add carrots, melons, tomatoes, etc. to the mixture.

• You can feed the aquatic turtle with tweezers, put food in a special bowl or throw it into water.