Breeding red-eared turtles is not an easy task for a beginner. To breed offspring, you need to have a male and female purchased from an experienced terrarium keeper, and not in a regular pet store. And the most important thing is not just to achieve mating, but to grow small turtles from the laid eggs that can reproduce in subsequent generations. After mating, the female lays eggs in a pre-prepared cuvette, which is then placed in an incubator and the young are awaited. The closer the created conditions are to natural conditions, the greater the number of cherapashat will be born from the laid eggs.
Instructions
Step 1
Keep in mind that turtles, like other animals and people, may have their own preferences, likes and dislikes. Therefore, to increase the chances of success, it is advisable to have multiple males and females. For reproduction, individuals who have reached the age of 6-8 years are suitable. If they were grown at home, then 4-6 years. Separate partners from each other for a while before mating. Then create the most comfortable conditions by keeping the temperature in the terrarium at least 22-26 ° C, increasing the daylight hours and removing all annoying factors. During this period, diversify the diet of animals with foods rich in vitamin E. It is recommended to give vitamin preparations.
Step 2
Red-eared turtles can mate all year round, but it's best to choose the time between February and May. Having put the female next to the male, observe their courtship, it is very interesting: the male pokes his muzzle into the female's muzzle and swims in front of her with his tail forward. At the same time, he gently strokes her cheeks with his long claws. In the wild, females lay eggs on the sandy shore from April to September. You should create something similar to such a shore in the aquaterrarium, offering the female an alternative to a cuvette filled with a layer of peat or sand 5 cm thick.
Step 3
Make sure that the turtle can easily reach such a ditch, otherwise it may lay eggs in the water. In this case, they must be removed from the water, marking the top side of the eggs with a marker. This is necessary so that you do not accidentally turn the eggs during transportation to the incubator, otherwise you will not get offspring. You can use an aquarium or a Styrofoam box as an incubator. It should always be humid inside, so place containers with water on the bottom of the container and add it constantly. It is better if the eggs lie in a layer of moist sphagnum, not entirely covered with it.
Step 4
Install a heater in the incubator, for example, a conventional incandescent lamp and a thermostat. Maintain a constant temperature of 27-30 ° C in it. Depending on the conditions you create, the embryos will develop from 2 to 5 months. You can fully congratulate yourself on your success if at least half of the turtles from all fertilized eggs are born. They are recommended to be immediately placed in a separate container, since adults, including their own mother, can harm them. The cleaner the water and more nutritious food the younger generation has, the faster they will grow.
