When we are going to get a pet, the last question is how much time our pet will spend with us. The life expectancy of turtles today is considered the longest, in some individuals its term reaches 150 years or more. Recently, a passion for keeping them at home has become very popular.
Features of turtles
Their appearance is so peculiar that it is impossible to confuse these reptiles with anyone. They differ from other animals by the presence of a shell, which serves as a kind of shield located on the upper part of the body. The carapace is a bone covered with keratinized plates.
The body of the turtle has grown together with the shell, and represents a single whole with the entire bony system. The carapace is provided with holes through which the animal can easily retract its limbs. Its shape and structural structure can be different and are largely determined by the habitat of the turtle. For example, marine reptiles have a flat shell, and in land counterparts it is thicker and has a convex shape.
How many turtles live?
The question of how long the life span of turtles is, arises especially sharply when enthusiastic about their enthusiasts to start exotic pets at home. The answer is obvious: it all depends on the proper care of reptiles.
Today around the world there are about 300 species of turtles, while in Russia there are only 7. Animals of any kind are very tenacious and hardy. They have good immunity, helping to overcome many infections and contributing to the rapid healing of injuries.
These cute reptiles are absolutely picky about food, can remain completely without food for a long time, and feel good about it.
Life expectancy of turtles of different species differs from each other. For example, a case is known when a turtle named Marion is 152 years old and is still alive. Under favorable conditions, it is quite capable of reaching 200 and even 300 years. So long have the giant turtles living in the Galapagos Islands. Large turtles are recognized as long-livers among this class of animals. Obviously, this is due to a slow metabolism. Most species of turtles are 20-30 years old. A popular species of red-eared, for example, lives 30 years when creating favorable conditions.
Why do turtles live so long?
This animal can do for a long time not only without food, but also without water. There are cases when turtles were without food for a long time, measured in several years. This amazing fact of their behavior was recorded for a long time. Turtles move very slowly all their long life, have wrinkled skin. For these reasons, age-related changes and aging are very difficult to notice. The same goes for internal organs.
Scientists have long been looking for the answer, on which the life expectancy of turtles depends, studying their genetic characteristics. The natural death of these reptiles is very rare. The cause of death is often a disease or death from predators and people.
If these cases were excluded, then the life of turtles would have been much longer. They have another amazing feature - to control the heartbeat: stop it for a while, and then start it again. When the heart stops, the turtle freezes and does not move at all.
Turtles - long-livers of the planet
Studies have shown that these reptiles live on earth for more than two hundred million years. There is a suspicion that they mastered the land before the dinosaurs. Over such a long time, turtles have not undergone any changes at all, as if evolutionary changes had not touched them.
This has not happened to any animal on the planet. This quality is adaptable to any external conditions and explains such a long life of turtles.
The life span of domestic turtles
Under favorable conditions, the age of wild turtles can exceed the duration of human life by several times.
If we consider the question of the life expectancy of domestic reptiles, then the indicators are more modest. And still, compared to other domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, they live much longer.
Popular types of turtles at home have the following lifespan:
- rubella - 30 years old;
- European marsh - 20-25 years;
- Central Asian - 20-30 years.
When looking at these indicators, the conclusion suggests itself that when a turtle gets home, you must be ready to live with it a significant part of your life and provide this amazing silent inhabitant with worthy care and attention.
Sizes of land turtles
The size of the land reptile is largely influenced by its appearance. The largest land individual is the elephant. Sizes of turtles sometimes reach 1.8 meters, and weight - 300 kilograms. It is impossible to keep such a giant at home.
Land turtles, which are recommended for home maintenance, usually have a length of about 40 centimeters. This is due to the small living space and the limited housing of the turtle. If it lives in a spacious place that does not constrain movement, it develops much more actively. If the turtle, upon reaching a certain size, slows down in growth, it means that it has become crowded in the aviary and, accordingly, it is difficult to move around in it. In order for the reptile to grow significantly larger than its relatives, it is necessary to provide it with a spacious monastery.
The turtles of the largest sizes living in the marine environment are huge reptiles, they are also called leathery. They got their name because of the carapace, consisting of small plate bones, connected to each other, but separated from the skeleton. Because of this structure, the turtle is unable to retract and hide its head inward.
The length of reptiles reaches two and a half meters, and weight - about six hundred kilograms. They are the inhabitants of any southern warm sea. Despite the fact that there are many such turtles in the world, it is extremely rare to see them.
Because of caution, the leathery inhabitants of the sea swim close to the shore and leave the sea only at night when there are fewer dangers on land.
The main delicacy of these turtles are mollusks, as well as small fish, crustaceans, jellyfish, scallops. The meat of the reptiles themselves of this species is quite suitable for eating, despite the fact that there are cases of poisoning with toxins contained in it. For the tortoise, toxins that enter the body with food are not dangerous, but for humans such meat is dangerous.
Among the inhabitants of marine reptiles, the so-called greens are also considered large. They are also called soup. The habitat of these animals is the subtropics and tropics of the oceans. In size, they reach one and a half meters, and the weight is close to two hundred kilograms. There are single individuals that have a weight of half a ton, and the length reaches two meters.
