Chinese trionics. Far Eastern turtle: content

Chinese trionics is one of the most famous samples of spineless turtles. It is a small freshwater creature, which is very appreciated by terramnists for its charming appearance. The Far Eastern amphibian does not require certain conditions of care. Most of the life the turtle is under water (it can stay there up to 15 hours). It is able to breathe oxygen from both water and air.

In the natural environment, trionics lives in freshwater lakes, rivers and ponds, where prevailing conditions are sloping banks, a weak current and a sandy bottom. The activity of the turtle manifests itself at night, and in the daytime it rests. This Chinese creature has an excellent speed reaction - quickly moves in water and on land. And that's why it's very difficult to catch it in the wild.

Description

Like all turtles, the Chinese Far Eastern trionixus has an oval-shaped shell 30-40 cm long, but unlike other species it is not so hard, because it does not have rigid horny plates. The color of the shell of these amphibians is brownish green, with small yellow spots, the lower part of the body is sand colored, the head is small in size.

The eyes of the turtles are slightly convex, come in different colors. A thin, elongated neck emerges from the shell. Compared with females, the males have a longer striped tail (three years later). For females, it remains short. Each limb of the trionics has five fingers. One of the qualities of the tortoises' outer appearance is a trunk with nostrils. She can even reach them to the tail. The amphibian weighs no more than 4 kg.

Habitat of the trionics

Turtles of this breed live in Taiwan, Japan, the Hainan Islands, northeastern China, Korea and Vietnam. The Hawaiian islands of these individuals were most likely brought by seafarers, who used them as food. In Russia, turtles spread to the Southern Amur and Primorye.

Chinese trionics lives in large and small rivers and lakes on the muddy bottom. The banks must be sloping, with strong vegetation. On the coast, turtles creep out to soak up the sun, and their water protects from dangers, and there they feed. In the autumn, these creatures burrow into the mud, where they spend the whole winter, and they wake up by May-June.

Lifestyle

Choose fairly warm water reservoirs with sandy bottom and sparse vegetation. Do not tolerate rivers with a rapid current. In severe heat, the Far Eastern tortoise hides in moist sand or goes into the water. If there is a threat, the amphibian will immediately crawl into the bottom silt. These wonderful creatures can warm up not only on the banks, but also burrow into the ground stranded by the water line. If necessary, they dig out and disappear in depth.

Existence under water

Most of the time the Chinese trionics conducts in the water, perfectly dives, swims. A portion of oxygen the turtle is adapted to take from the water with the help of pharyngeal breathing. In the throat of the amphibian, there are ligaments of villous mucosal growths covered in a mass of vessels, and here the ingestion of air directly from the liquid takes place. Underwater, the Chinese tortoise opens its mouth so that the liquid flushes the hairs in the larynx. The purer the water in the river, the less opens the mouth of the trionics that has plunged into it.

The Far Eastern tortoise can pull its elongated neck away to breathe in air. This gives it the opportunity not to rise to the surface of the water and remain inconspicuous for predators - it's just worthwhile to show the proboscis out of the water. Despite this adaptation to aquatic life, the amphibian is able to run along the land remarkably well. In particular, young trionics move quickly. The photo of the turtles is shown below.

Can bite

The caught turtle behaves very hostile, tries to grab the hand, and its long neck makes it possible to reach the back of the carapace. The bites of even tiny turtles can be very painful, large specimens can cause severe enough injuries with their sharp teeth of the horny jaw.

What feeds on

Chinese trionics are predators and eat worms, fish, insects, amphibians, mollusks and crustaceans. The extraction is awaited in the ambush, hiding in the mud or in the sand, and grabbing the approaching victim with a sharp movement of the head. The greatest food activity is seen at night or at dusk. During this period, the Chinese trionics does not hide in ambush and can hunt energetically, vigorously surveying its territory and searching for food on the bottom of the lake. If a large- sized fish is caught, the turtle immediately does not swallow it, but first bites off its head.

Reproduction

Sexual maturation in turtles begins with the sixth year of life. They mate from March to April, and eggs are laid in May and until the end of August. In particular, their active effect since mid-June. Trionix digs an oval pit at a depth of 15-20 cm and a diameter of 8-10 cm at a distance from the water of 10-35 m, covering it with grass. Eggs in the nest lie together or in 2-3 rows. Females lay 20 to 70 eggs 2-3 times during the summer period. Their eggs are covered with a white shell, they have an oval shape with a diameter of 17-23 mm and a weight of 5 g. The duration of excretion at a temperature of 28-30 degrees is 40-60 days. The size of the newborn creatures is about 30 mm. The photo of the turtles is shown below.

Chinese tortoise at home

It is better to keep such moving amphibians in a large aquarium and preferably with a lid, as turtles often escape. The island with the earth is necessary for them exclusively for laying eggs. Themselves the trienniks on it almost never climb.

Inhabitants in the aquatorarium turtles need a uniform water temperature of 20-26 degrees. They are very picky to sunlight and to high air temperature. Lower sand or small breed, which must be present in the aquarium, play for the amphibian the role of the saving shelter.

Soil also reduces hostility. The height of the interlayer is 10-15 cm. The turtle of the Chinese trionics in the daytime creeps out of the water rarely, but loves to luxuriate in the sun, sticking out the muzzle from it. The scale of the aquaterrarium should be at least 60 liters, it all depends on the size of the amphibian. The bright lighting annoys him.

Aeration in the aquarium of the Far Eastern tortoise is necessary, since it inhales not only ordinary air, but also that which is dissolved in water. She breathes this air with the help of special hairs in the depth of the larynx. This allows the trionics to stay under water for a long time.

They do not get along with anyone

Chinese trionics are considered predators and hermits. They should not be kept with other non-sting animals, as conflicts between individuals can start, which will lead to serious consequences with serious injuries, limb loss and even death. Give the tortoise food only isolated from other creatures.

How to contact

Communicate with older specimens should only be in special gloves. Take them only for the back of the shell. They have an elastic and elongated neck that flexes well, and this provides the tortoise with the dodginess for a bite.

If the trionics still inflicted a wound, then in no way should it be delayed. Just the best way is to lower the turtle into the aquarium, and she will immediately unhook herself. There were times when the amphibian did not want to let go of his hand, had to open the mouth with an additional iron sovochkom, sticking it from the side.

Mature individuals caught in captivity retain their anger and savagery, but young turtles easily get used to eating from hands, although they differ in hostile character too.

In Japan and China, trionics are caught and eaten, their meat is very highly valued. Most often amphibians are caught in a jail or on a fishing rod. The eggs of turtles are also suitable for food. There are even some Japanese monasteries, where they contain Far Eastern creatures in lakes as sacred animals. In the Red Book also got a turtle Chinese trionix. The copy price in Eastern countries is low - about $ 10.

Drying is very harmful for the amphibian. Maximum it can be on land for no more than two hours.

What to feed

In terms of nutrition, trionics are quite undemanding and eat different animal foods. Young creatures can be fed:

• Insects (flour worms, cockroaches, crickets);
• Bloodworm;
• Gammarus;
• Small aquarium fish;
• Large daphnia;
• Coreet;
• Earthworms.

Adult turtles are eager to eat:

• Shrimp;
• Squid;
• Snails;
• Mollusks;
• Sea and shallow freshwater fish;
• By-products (liver and heart);
• Rats;
• Mice;
• Frogs;
• Pieces of meat;
• Chickens.

Only sometimes trionics can eat plant products: bananas, lettuce leaves and cabbage. From time to time with food it is necessary to give turtles vitamin-mineral top dressing.