How to determine the age of the red-bellied tortoise by external signs?

The red-bellied turtle is not just a thermophilic amphibian, living in the waters of Central and South America, Africa and Europe. For many, she became a pet darling, replacing ponds and lakes with an aquarium. It is not very difficult to take care of this animal (it is unpretentious in nutrition and rarely ill), but nevertheless there are certain nuances associated with keeping turtles in captivity. They must necessarily know the person who decided to acquire one or more individuals, and even more so for people who have long since settled in the house.

Care of the animal, its nutrition and behavior change significantly with age. Especially carefully it is necessary to look after the cubs, as well as for the elderly individuals. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to determine the age of the red-bellied turtle, despite the fact that it is very important to know this.

The fact is that the size of the animal largely depends on the conditions of its content and diet, so in this matter it will not help much. Moreover, there are a lot of subspecies of red-bellied turtles. Belonging to a particular one can also affect the dimensions.

So, if a particular red-bellied turtle has liked the pet shop, how to determine the age and sex of the individual, you can ask the seller. However, even the future owner will not be prevented from having at least basic information on this matter.

First, the red-bellied turtle was named due to the characteristic red spots behind the animal's eyes, which to the ears have absolutely nothing to do, but vary with age from bright scarlet to maroon hue. Secondly, younger individuals have a green color with strips and divorces, which becomes duller and darker with age. Thirdly, with good care, young animals grow very quickly.

Buying a small pet, you need to be prepared for the fact that it can several times increase in size for the first year of stay in the new house. So how do you determine the age of a red-bellied turtle yourself? If you are not talking about special accuracy, then you can try to do this by carefully examining the carapace of the animal. For each year of life on it 2-3 rings are formed. Having calculated their total number, you can come to the appropriate conclusion.

As a rule, red-eared turtles live in captivity for about 30 years. If to create ideal conditions of the maintenance they can please the owners and 35-40 years. However, one must understand that, like all domestic animals, at a young age they are mobile and funny, and become more infantile and capricious towards old age. It is for this reason that it is so important to know how to determine the age of red-bellied turtles. Buying a large individual, for example, for a child, it will be insulting to find out that she does not have to live more than 1-2 years. It is especially important if the animal is bought not in a specialized store, but from a private person.

Usually cubs are more mobile, curious, playful and awkward than adults. When buying a small fidget in the shell, you can not particularly think about how to determine the age of the red-bellied tortoise. More attention should be given to the appearance of the shell (it should not be damaged) and the behavior of the baby (if the room where the animals are kept is cold, lethargy and lack of mobility are permissible, but it is better to choose someone who is fussier).

Red-eared turtles are oviparous. Cubs hatch usually length about 3 cm, beginning to grow intensely literally from the first days of life. Sex can be uniquely determined only by 5-6 years. Previously, it can only be assumed with a certain degree of probability (which the seller of the pet store should certainly inform).

How to determine the age of the red-bellied turtle is generally understandable, but in order to do it accurately, it is necessary to know the date of its appearance.