Three-keel Chinese tortoise (Latin: Mauremys reevesi) is a reptile species that is widespread in domestic content and is characterized by high adaptability to the conditions created for it.
Habitat
In the natural environment lives in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and the Philippine Islands. The animal can be found in rice plantations, in shallow ponds, ditches and saltwater swamps.
In China it is known under the name "green-haired" because of the dense fouling of the shell with long green algae. For the most part, this property belongs to the old representatives of the turtle family, which are highly revered by people for this feature, are considered sacred and are symbols of longevity.
The three-keel Chinese tortoise is characterized by dexterity and activity. Often she can be seen at performances by Chinese circus performers, where she pulls out lucky tickets for the audience. And this is not surprising: the animal is very friendly both towards people and to its fellow tribesmen.
Chinese three-keel turtle: description
The aquatic animal is characterized by small size: the average length of the carapace (dorsal carapace) averages 18 cm. The head and neck, starting from the eyes, are decorated with an original pattern of yellow marks and stripes resembling hieroglyphs. In males, over time, such skin manifestations acquire a dark color.
The shell is oval, with three longitudinal crests, in males it is painted in dark brown or black. The abdominal shield is black. The seams on the shell between the shields of males and females are light yellow. The females have a slightly different color range of the shell: from light gray to dark brown; there is a light-colored border on the edges of the abdominal scutes. The skin is gray, the head is large, but not massive. The limbs are solid, the hind legs are equipped with small membranes.
What does the Chinese turtle eat?
Chinese three-keel turtles are omnivorous and indiscriminate in food. Almost completely carnivorous, although as an exception they can come down to bananas.
At home, food of plant and animal origin is readily eaten, of which it is better to prefer large bloodworms, low-fat fish, shrimps, mollusks, as well as crickets without hind legs. The vegetarian diet of the inhabitants of the water world should include pieces of vegetables and fruits (zucchini, pumpkin, cucumbers, carrots, pears, apples), as well as lettuce, nettle, and dandelion. The animal loves aquatic plants: pistia, duckweed. Turtle feed is not contraindicated for turtles, which is recommended to be combined with calcium supplements (for example, with egg shells). Feeding the animal should be carried out 2-3 times a week, not more often.
Propagation Features
The three-keel Chinese tortoise reaches puberty at 5-8 years of age. The mating period falls on May - June. The courtship of the male is expressed in the form of light nibbles of the female, which during intercourse he holds the jaw. Pregnancy lasts from 45 to 60 days. Under natural conditions, females breed on the shore, laying from 4 to 8 eggs in the sand. During the calendar year, three-keel Chinese turtles manage to give life to a new generation three times.
Household conditions
The three-keel Chinese tortoise is very popular at home. The animal is omnivorous, peaceful, unpretentious. For the maintenance of one unit, a horizontal 50-liter (or more) aquaterrarium is suitable. The depth of the water poured into it should not exceed a 15-centimeter mark. It is important to think over the cleaning system correctly, the vital activity of turtles leads to rapid water pollution and the need to clean it every 2-3 days.
Be sure to equip the shore for the rest of the turtle. It can be a lift attached to the walls of the terrarium, made of plastic or glass. To fix it, you can not use toxic adhesives that can poison the turtle.
On land, peat and sphagnum moss laid on it can be used as a surface coating . The bottom of the aquaterrarium is recommended to be covered with coarse soil. The size in this case matters, because the curious turtle will try to taste the smaller stones. When using street snags or stones, the latter must be doused with boiling water or warm well in the oven before being placed in the aquarium. This action is aimed at the destruction of parasites that can infect the turtle.
An important factor in captive life is lighting over an artificial shore. It can be organized using an incandescent lamp, which should be placed at a safe distance for the animal (to avoid injuries and burns).
Chinese three-keel turtles feel calm at a temperature of + 12-30 ° C. There is information about the normal transfer of wintering at -20 ° C in garden ponds.
In captivity, the Chinese three-keel tortoise (an unpretentious and very common species) is able to live for about 20-25 years.