How long can a turtle (red-eared and terrestrial) not eat, how long can they live without food at home

Turtles are sometimes referred to as “reptile camels” due to their extraordinary endurance. Rumor has it that they can starve and not drink for months and even years. Whether this is true or fiction – now we’ll figure it out.

Amazing case in Brazil

The turtle named Manuela went missing in 1982 while the house was being renovated. The owners decided that the animal had escaped through the open doors while the builders were doing their business.

And only in 2012, after 30 years, they found their pet in a closet, among a pile of rubbish. The owners claim that the door to the closet is constantly tightly closed, that nothing edible is stored inside. Moreover, there is absolutely no access to water. How a reptile could survive without water and food for so long is unclear.

And many simply do not believe in this fantastic story. However, scientists were not so categorical. They identified the species of the animal and assigned it to the family of red-footed tortoises, which in nature can live without food for up to 3 years. And its diet can consist not only of dishes familiar to turtles – fruits, grass, leaves – but also of carrion, insects and even excrement.

Therefore, scientists have suggested that Manuela could eat termites, which were found in the floor. From them, the reptile received the moisture necessary for life. Well, partly the reptile had to absorb excrement. And what: if you want to live, you won’t decide on such a thing.

Central Asian tortoise

This species is the most common in Russia among owners. These reptiles are also distinguished by their vitality and endurance. Thanks to the fatty layer, the Central Asian land tortoise can live without food and water for quite a long time – several months. Cases of their fasting up to a year or more are described.

Important! Prolonged abstinence from food depletes the body of the reptile, leads to irreversible changes in organs.

Too much feeding is also harmful to the pet. Give a turtle a day to eat as much food as will fit in half of its shell. It’s not worth checking this advice practically – it’s enough to visually try on the volume.

At home, during a forced hunger strike, certain conditions should be created:

• ambient temperature should be around 28°C;
• air humidity should be at least 80%;
• the period of abstinence from food should not exceed 90 days;
• the reptile must have access to drink.

During the hunger strike, the pet will lose 40% of its mass. This is the maximum allowable option – if the losses are higher, then this means that the health of the animal has been significantly damaged.

In nature, these reptiles get water from their food and absorb moisture through their shells while swimming. If they live in a human dwelling, water becomes essential. Without it, the pet will be able to stay no more than a week.

The situation is different if the animal hibernates. Then all life processes slow down. In this state, it goes without food or drink for up to 14 weeks without any harm to itself.

Amphibious turtles

Many animal lovers are concerned about the question: how long can a red-eared turtle not eat. Aquatic reptiles are less hardy than land reptiles. The red-eared turtle can live without food for no more than 3 weeks. But this is also a decent amount of time.

But without water, the red-eared turtle cannot do for a long time. A reptile can not drink for 4 to 5 days, although such abstinence is unlikely to leave its mark on the health of the pet. Therefore, you should not conduct experiments and test the endurance of a reptile.