Turtles at home, how long they can live: sea, land tortoise and Central Asian tortoise

The dream of immortality is the most intimate for most people. No matter how long a person’s life is, more and more information appears about animals whose life expectancy is incomparable to ours.

Turtles are considered one of the longest living organisms on our planet.

For example, the turtle Harriet. This Galapagos resident was born around 1830, and died in 2006 of heart failure in Australia. Almost all her life she lived in the zoo. It is believed that Harriet was brought to Europe by Charles Darwin, who then sailed on the Beagle ship and studied these representatives of the animal world. She died at the age of 176.

Yes, Jonathan— elephant turtle , living on the island of St. Helena, is considered the oldest representative of those living on Earth, he is 178 years old. Jonathan was first photographed in 1900. Then he was photographed every 50 years. The researchers say that Jonathan feels great, and will be able to live for quite a long time.

Turtles are one of four types of reptiles. There are 290 species of terrestrial and aquatic species known in the world, and all of them are incredibly hardy and tenacious. They descended from cotilosaurs, the oldest land reptiles. Many of them have adapted to life in salt and fresh waters. Turtles are extremely resistant to infections, quickly recover from injuries, and can not eat for a long time.

Longevity among them thought to be a marion tortoise. The documented age of one of the representatives of this species was 152 years. It is believed that under favorable conditions they can live up to 250 – 300 years. Life expectancy depends on many factors, and the type of turtle is no exception. They rarely die of natural causes. The main causes of death are various diseases, large predators and, unfortunately, people. In this article, you will learn about the lifespan of some species.

sea ​​turtle life span

For marine life span averages 80 years. But most are not destined to reach that age. Some of them die while still in the egg in the embryo due to too low or high temperatures. Some can be eaten by predators after they hatch from their eggs and try to run to the water. Those who manage to get to the water are waiting for sea turtles. Because of this threat to the life of newborn turtles, many species are on the verge of extinction.

Lifespan of a domestic turtle

Some of the most common home types include:

• European swamp;
• land turtle. There are over 40 types. Households usually contain:
  • Central Asian (steppe);
  • Mediterranean (Greek, Caucasian);
  • Balkan;
  • Egyptian
  • red-eared and yellow-eared.

Do not confuse the red-eared tortoise with the red-eared tortoise – they are completely different species. The terrestrial one uses water only as a drink, and the red-eared one can live in water for a long time, but it cannot do without land either.

The life of the European marsh turtle

There is no consensus on the lifespan of this species. But there is no doubt that she is a long-liver. The numbers fluctuate from 30-50 to 100 years. With the right content, she can live in captivity for at least 25 years.

For favorable conditions for keeping the marsh turtle in captivity, an aquaterrarium (150-200 liters) is required. Be sure to make an “island”, which will play the role of the coast. Sand should not be used as soil, it is better to take medium and large stones so that the turtle cannot swallow them. A powerful filter is needed to purify water, since the main life processes of a turtle occur in water, thereby polluting it.

Clean water in the aquarium is a guarantee for her health and longevity, you need to change the water regularly. Fresh water must be the same temperature as the drained water, otherwise it is possible to catch a cold for the animal. During the day, the air temperature should be 28-32 degrees, and the water temperature 25-28 degrees. They need ultraviolet light. It must be above ground. The height of the water for small individuals should be approximately 10 cm, for larger ones – 15-20 cm.

How long can tortoises live

Famous for their slowness, these representatives are also distinguished by a very long life. Some species can live 100, 120 and more years. The most famous tortoise in the world is Advaita, who died of old age on the night of March 22-23, 2006, her age was 150-250 years. The Central Asian steppe turtle will live in captivity for about 30 years.

How long do red-eared and yellow-eared turtles live

Red-eared will be able to live in captivity for 35-40 years. Today it is the most popular among home. And so that your pet can please you for as long as possible, when keeping red-eared individuals, you should follow some rules:

• do not keep a pet in close quarters;
• the aquarium must be dry; she can drown, though she is aquatic;
• the aquarium must be heated;
• you should not keep them on a diet of only raw meat or vegetable feed, food should be varied;
• if there is not enough calcium in the feed, it is necessary to add mineral supplements;
• give vitamins in accordance with the annotation;
• do not leave the water in the aquarium dirty, especially if a film has formed on the surface;
• do not clean the pet with coarse brushes if it is overgrown with algae and do not remove the horny shields;
• do not keep several males in one aquarium;
• do not introduce new animals without a preliminary monthly quarantine;
• do not use only smooth materials for the manufacture of the ladder and the island;
• do not wash the aquarium in the kitchen and use the dishes of people.
• regularly clean the aquarium;
• strictly observe personal hygiene after cleaning the terrarium and contact with the animal;
• it is better to transport it in the bosom in a linen bag.

Turtle life at home without water

Domestic individuals sometimes get lost, crawl into some secluded corner, even into the most unexpected place, and do not get out of there for a long time. Owners should not worry too much, your pet will never won’t go far from the waterss. Turtles are able to live without water for 2-3 days, which helps with their transportation. If you need to quickly lure the pet out of hiding, put a bowl of water in a conspicuous place, the animal will definitely appear.

Turtles kept in captivity live almost half as much as free relatives. Therefore, it is necessary to take care in advance of the favorable conditions for keeping your pet and the proper care of it. All given life spans correspond to normal maintenance and feeding. With improper care, the turtle may not live up to 15 years.