How to determine the sex of red-bellied turtles and is this the only problem with their content?

Now it has become fashionable to keep houses not only familiar to us cats, dogs and fish, but also various exotic fauna, including red-bellied turtles. These reptiles belong to the family of freshwater turtles and are so named because of the red (or yellow) spots, which are located on the sides of the head like ears. The natural habitat of this species is in the southeastern United States, however, due to the great adaptability and vitality, the red-bellied turtles have long been settled outside. When keeping these reptiles at home, the owner may face some difficulties.

The first of these is how to determine the sex of the red-bellied turtles. It is certainly possible to know this when the tortoise reaches the age of 6-8 years. It is better, if the expert in the definition of the sex of the red-bellied turtles, although he can not give an absolute guarantee. Usually in males the ventral side of the shell, or plastron, is more concave than in females. In addition, they have a long thickened tail. In females, on the contrary, a flat or slightly convex plastron, a short tail, and also much shorter claws on the forelimbs. If you have wondered how to discern the sex of the red-bellied turtle living in your home, then remember - it will be much more convenient for you to do this when comparing it with other individuals. If you have only one animal, then it will be difficult for you to identify it on your own. Thus, how to determine the sex of red-bellied turtles is one of the main difficulties that lie in wait for the owner of an animal.

Further, it is believed that the red-eared turtle is unpretentious, so it will not be difficult to keep it. This is not entirely true. The correct content of these reptiles can become for the owner no less of a problem than the question of how to determine the sex of red-bellied turtles. First, the turtle still needs a home that is as close as possible to its natural habitat. A red-eared turtle is an aquatic reptile and, consequently, it needs a small artificial pond, but there it can not spend all the time - it needs to sometimes get out on land. It would seem that everything is simple: put the animal in an aquarium and make there a dry island of any material. However, this is not an optimal solution.

The fact is that it will be difficult for an animal to get out on land, if a gentle slope is not provided. In addition, its surface should be fairly rough, as the turtle needs to claw its claws when lifting. Now they began to sell special inclined beaches for turtles, which are located in the aquarium. The bottom of the latter can be sprinkled with gravel for the convenience of the animal, but it should not crumble and get into the water.

The surface of the land should occupy at least a quarter of the area of the entire aquarium, and it is necessary that its capacity is approximately 150 liters. In addition, you need to keep the water temperature in the aquarium at least 20 degrees. Water should be changed at regular intervals once a month.

In addition, the red-bellied turtle needs to "bask in the sun", for which a lamp is placed above the aquarium. It will also be useful to irradiate the reptile with a weak ultraviolet first once a week, and then every other day. It is important not to overdo it, otherwise the animal can get burns.

Feed the adult turtle 2-3 times a week. In the diet of these reptiles usually include crustaceans, mollusks, worms, meat, fish, as well as lettuce and sea kale. Turtles should immediately eat the food offered to them, so you need to accurately calculate its quantity.

From the foregoing it is clear that the question of how to determine the sex of red-bellied turtles is complex, but far from being the only one in their content. But when creating all the necessary conditions for an animal, the duration of its life can be more than 30 years.