Turtles are one of the most amazing animals, over which time has practically no control. Experts say that over the past 200 million years, turtles have not changed either externally or in their way of life. Many people are fond of raising land turtles in their homes as pets. These slow creatures do not require special care, and their life expectancy can be many decades.
Instructions
Step 1
Turtles are real long-livers of the animal world. Many of them live up to 150 years or even longer. Do you know how old your pet is? In reality, it is almost impossible to accurately determine the age of a land turtle, but the approximate number of years can be determined using the following tips from experienced breeders.
Step 2
A turtle's age can be determined by the size of its shell. The turtle continues to grow throughout its life, its shell becomes longer, and also noticeably changes its shape. Older turtles have longer claws and a longer tail. If you have a Central Asian land tortoise, then the age-to-length ratio is as follows. A newborn turtle reaches a length of 3 to 3.5 cm and weighs about 10-12 grams. At the age of one year, the turtle reaches a length of 4.5-5 cm, and weighs 25-35 g. At 2 years old, the turtle reaches 5.5-6 cm and weighs 48-65 grams, at 3 years old - 7, 5-9 cm and weight 95-150 g, at 10 years old - length from 15 cm and weight from 150 g. The growth rate of a turtle at home depends on the size of the terrarium, the quality of the feed, special additives and other factors.
Step 3
The second way to determine the age of a turtle is by counting the rings on the top of the shell (scientifically called carapace). Select one scale on the carapace and count how many groove rings there are. For a more accurate age determination, you can count the number of grooves on several scales, and then find the arithmetic mean. For one year, a turtle forms 2-3 grooves, depending on feeding and lifestyle. Young turtles grow rings much faster than older animals. In addition, the number of rings depends on how often the turtle hibernates. In older turtles, the shell becomes smoother, and the rings gradually fade.
