Captive breeding is a sign of good maintenance, so if you decide to breed red-eared turtles, you need to create suitable conditions for this. Breeding turtles requires several healthy adult males and females. The sex of males is determined at a length of about 9-10 cm (at the age of 2-5 years), the sex of females at a length of 15-17 cm (which corresponds to an age of 3-8 years). The characteristic differences are as follows: the abdominal side of the shell in males is concave, the tail is thickened at the base, longer than in females, and the cloaca is located farther from the shell. In sexually mature males, long claws grow on the front legs.
Instructions
Step 1
As a rule, females are larger than males and less active. The belly side of the shell is flat, the tail is short and without thickening. The cloaca is located in close proximity to the shell. In captivity, males reach sexual maturity at 4 years, and females at 5–6 years.
Step 2
Red-eared turtles are capable of mating all year round. This process is stimulated by an increase in the ambient temperature. Turtles should feel comfortable and have enough food. Animals should be kept in a large terrarium (if possible, in an outdoor enclosure), the water level in which should not exceed 12 cm.
Step 3
Mating games of red-eared turtles take place in water and boil down to the fact that the male, turning his muzzle to the female, “strokes” her muzzle with his long claws, as it were. The mating process itself takes from 5 to 15 minutes. After one fertilization, a red-eared turtle can make 4-5 clutches. In order to lay eggs, a female red-eared turtle needs an island of land, preferably a solitary one. Before doing this, the female pulls out a round nest in the sand or soil, moistens it with water from the anal bladders. On average, there are 10 eggs per clutch, approximately 4cm in diameter. The laid eggs are placed in the incubator as soon as possible. There they ripen at a temperature of 21-30 ° C. The time from laying to hatching of turtles can vary from two to five months.
