Fixing, measuring and weighing turtles
Correctly take a turtle. so that she does not scratch or bite – not so easy. Some tortoise can be held by the back of the shell with one or two hands, while others have to be held by the tail or distracted by the long-necked tortoise so that it does not twist and bite.
To find out the weight of a turtle, you need to weigh it on a scale.
And you can measure the turtle with a straight ruler or caliper.
Fixing turtles
Fixing turtles is quite simple and can be done in any way. It is only important that the turtle has its back turned away from you, as when frightened, they often emit liquid from the cloaca. It is most convenient to hold the turtle by the back of the shell, when the thumb holds the carapace, and the rest hold the plastron, as in the fourth photo.
For medical purposes, the head of a turtle can be fixed in the way shown below – with two fingers. To enter drugs into the stomach, you will even need to keep your head extended. The easiest way to do this is to hold the turtle by the head.
The exceptions are caiman, snake-necked turtles and trionics, which have a long neck and bite painfully. They must be held by the back of the shell and held with both hands. (Photo 1 and Photo 2). It is not recommended to hold a turtle by the tail, including caiman turtles. The adult caiman tortoise is quite heavy, and its tail is not adapted to support the weight of its entire body. Lifting a turtle by the tail can injure the spine, muscles and ligaments, as well as the pelvic organs.
Is it possible to flip a turtle?
Yes, turtles can be turned over for any manipulations (health checks, washing, etc.). They do not die from this, and from an inverted position, being on the ground, in 95% of cases they themselves can perfectly roll back. If the turtle is in such a position that it cannot roll over on its own, then it is better to find and turn it over within 1-2 days in order to avoid health problems (attack by animals, dehydration, hypothermia, overheating …).
Turtle weighing Turtles are weighed on any suitable scale of increased accuracy (up to a gram), for example, on a kitchen scale or on a medical one. When “0” is set on the scales, the turtle is placed on the scales and the displayed weight is observed. A restless turtle can be weighed in a box or turned over on its back. It is necessary to measure the weight of turtles to calculate vitamins, calcium, medicines, as well as to check health.
Turtle measurement Turtles are measured with a caliper. 3 sizes are determined – the length (along the midline of the carapace), the width (at the widest point) and the height (from the bottom of the plastron to the highest point of the carapace) of the shell.
The length of the upper carapace is approximately measured with a ruler, applying a zero value to the beginning of the carapace at the level with the most protruding edge, and then look at the value that corresponds to the edge of the carapace.
Correct and incorrect measurement of the length of the turtle:
Tortoise bite – jaw unclenching
Against the bite of a land tortoise that has seized and does not open its jaws, the drowning method is used when the tortoise lowers itself into a basin of water with its head, and is not allowed to breathe until it opens its jaws.
