The smartest turtle. Red-eared slider: intelligence and procreation. Do turtles have intelligence?

The speed of a turtle depends on the size of its carapace. How big sizes a land turtle has, the larger its carapace, which means the lower its movement speed. Therefore, it is generally accepted that marine and freshwater species turtles are somewhat faster than land turtles. As for the sea turtle, it is capable of accelerating up to 35 km/h while moving in the water.

All turtles are good swimmers

Only people can move well in water sea ​​turtles, freshwater and some species of land turtles. Other types of turtles cannot swim and can easily die in the water.

Turtles can live up to 100 years, and some species even more.

In fact, few turtles can live that long. Turtles that can live this long include large land species, such as elephant and Galapagos. “Pets” that grow up to 30 cm in length can live no more than 50 years if they are provided with appropriate living conditions. Turtles that grow from 50 to 70 cm in length live 70-80 years. In other words, the age of a turtle can be calculated by its length.

All turtles have a hard shell

Most reptiles have a hard shell. Although there are species that have a soft shell. The soft shell helps her protect herself from predators: she crawls into a narrow gap and inflates, after which it is very difficult to get her out of there. Soft-shelled turtles (trionics) and leatherback turtles have a covering that does not consist of horny scutes, but of ordinary hard skin.

Turtles are considered amphibious creatures

In fact, turtles are reptiles or reptiles, as they are also called. And amphibian species include frogs, newts, salamanders and other types of amphibian animals.

A turtle can leave its shell

Unfortunately, this is not the case, since the shell is one piece, consisting of fused rib bones and the spine. It is practically the skeleton of a reptile, from which it can hardly get out.

Turtles live in or on sand

There are a huge number of turtle species in the world, found almost everywhere, but you won’t find turtles on clean sand, even if we're talking about about the desert.

Turtles are wise and intelligent animals

Naturally, this myth is most likely associated with her longevity. It is believed that with age a person becomes smarter and wiser, and a turtle is no exception. In fact, these animals are a little “smarter” than amphibians, but their “smartness” does not reach that of birds, including mammals.

Common mistakes about turtles

UFO (UFO) – translated from English means “unidentified object” or “UFO”, as we call it. In fact, it is a UV lamp, or rather an ultraviolet lamp. It is intended to irradiate the turtle with ultraviolet rays.

Amphibian turtle

In fact, amphibians are amphibians, like frogs, and a turtle is a reptile.

Mediterranean turtle

There are (Central) Asian turtles and (among) Earth sea turtles.

Sea red-eared turtle

Among large quantity Species, turtles are divided into freshwater, marine and land. If a turtle can live in salt water, then it is considered marine, and if it can live in fresh water, then it is a freshwater animal. The red-eared slider cannot be classified as sea ​​view turtles.

Tortoise breed

Reptiles do not have breeds, but only species and subspecies. Cats and dogs, although they have a lot different breeds, still belong to the same species.

Gammarus are dry shrimps

In fact, gammarus is a type of dry freshwater amphipod crustacean.

If you ask someone which pet is the smartest, many will say without a second thought that it is, without a doubt, a cat, a dog, a decorative rat, and possibly a large parrot. Yes, it’s true that our four-legged friends are intelligent creatures, but are only mammals intelligent? An intelligent pet must be able to communicate with its owner, understand his commands, the word “no”, know his place to sleep in the house, and so on. But are turtles smart? The fact is that the turtle has a different mind, unlike domestic predators or rodents.

When we want to get a pet, our goal is to get animals that would not only serve as decoration in the house, but would also benefit their owner morally and physically. Such benefit should be expressed in the fact that the animal will not be indifferent to the owner, will come to his lap, look into the owner’s eyes, play with him, in a word, the animal (if it behaves in this way) will become a friend for the owner. Of course, such complex things as communication, understanding, finding " common language" with humans are accessible mainly to cats, dogs and rats.

Perhaps the most successful representatives are quite high intelligence among ordinary turtles are red-eared turtles, and we will talk about them. Yes, maybe someone will say that what intelligence is there? Do they know how to take objects in their teeth? Remember the owner, respond to your name, perform acrobatic stunts? Yes, on the one hand, outwardly, perhaps, it is so. But to say that this animal is definitely stupid would still not be fair. It is quite possible to teach her tricks, or anything at all. You should note that training red-eared turtles is more difficult than training a dog or cat.

At home, a turtle may show some ability to train. This is explained by the fact that in captivity the turtle does not use its shell for full force. The turtle may not use its shell, may not retract its legs and head at the slightest noise, or when it is picked up. The turtle loses the fear of being eaten by the enemy, and uses its defense less.

Turtles that live with people get used to the fact that their owner loves them, feeds them, and takes care of them in every possible way. The turtle’s soul no longer worries about how to feed itself, and it can become lazy and reduce its level of initiative. In such a situation, turtle training will be very useful. It will not be just entertainment for the owner, but also a benefit for the turtle itself.

So how do you train a turtle? A fairly easy trick you can teach a turtle is the food trick. First, make a feeder for your pet. It is advisable to make the feeder with a complex shape, and place the food in some compartment of the feeder. The turtle will soon guess where the treat is and will then be able to quickly find it.

You can teach your turtle not to be afraid to take food from your palm. You can give it to her from tweezers or from a pipette.

Over time, the turtle will get used to the fact that you feed it all the time, it will begin to perceive you as a breadwinner, and you can easily teach it to follow you and meet you (as cats do). And if the turtle often scratched you, then you can wean it off this.

Turtles are also not indifferent to different toys. Like cats and dogs, a turtle can play with a ball. But biologists say this is most likely just the turtle's reaction to foreign object. Try leaving a small ball of bright color (red, orange, yellow) in the turtle’s aquarium for three weeks, but don’t be too small, the turtle can swallow it (more than 4 cm). The turtle may guess that it is a round ball and will push it with his nose. You can put a mirror in the terrarium. The turtle, seeing its reflection, will think that it is someone else's turtle and will show aggression.

As for how a turtle goes to its toilet, turtles are trained to come to a specific place in the terrarium where they eat. Many turtles can be trained to relieve themselves in a certain corner.

Main advice for the owner. There is no need to be afraid or lazy to communicate with an animal. By communicating and making contact with your pet, over time you will notice how his attitude towards you will change, how quickly and intelligently he will learn from you various tricks, small games that you can demonstrate to your friends, and you yourself will be satisfied.

Note: The lifestyle of red-eared turtles lives in small lakes, ponds and other bodies of water with low, swampy shores. Leads a relatively sedentary lifestyle. Extremely curious. If the turtle is full, it crawls ashore and basks in the sun. If hungry, it swims slowly in search of food.
When the water temperature is below +18 °C, the turtle becomes lethargic and loses its appetite. The turtle is able to notice danger at a distance of 30-40 m, after which it slides into the water with lightning speed (for which it received the name “Slider”). In nature, turtles become sexually mature at 6-8 years of age, and in captivity at 4 (males) and 5-6 (females). Mating in nature occurs from late February to May. The male, having met the female, is located directly in front of her head, and very close. The female swims forward, and the male swims backward, tickling the female’s chin with his long claws.
To lay eggs, the female leaves the pond and comes to land. Having found a suitable place, she heavily wets the ground with water from the anal bladders. After this, it begins to dig a hole with its hind legs - a nest. The nest of a red-eared slider looks like a ball with a diameter of 7 to 25 cm. In the nests, females lay from 5 to 22 (usually 6-10) eggs with a diameter of no more than 4 cm, which are then buried.
Turtles do not have the instinct to care for their offspring; after laying eggs, they leave the nest and never return to it. Incubation period lasts 103-150 days at temperatures from 21 to 30 °C. At incubation temperatures below 27 °C, males hatch, and at temperatures above 30 °C, only females hatch.

She is able to perceive sounds at very low frequencies. For example, the red-eared turtle senses soil vibrations and the approach of a person or animal at a level of 1000-3000 hertz.

In the same time representatives This species is endowed with very acute vision. So, when looking for food, they first pay attention to the color of the object, and only then to the smell and taste.

In addition, the females are very fertile, and the small turtles that are born are very hardy and grow quickly. The size of a newborn baby is about 3 cm; in adults it is 10 times larger. Moreover, females are much larger than males.

This FAQ has been compiled in response to numerous questions regarding mental abilities and tameness of various groups and species of reptiles. It is organized as a set of questions and answers. If you have experience in taming reptiles, additions or adjustments to this, write to me and your comments will be taken into account.

Can a reptile become tame? In short: YES.

To be more specific, the majority will most likely do so, but some will not. No one has ever bred domesticated reptiles to specifically shape their character, although some captive-bred species, such as the corn snake, are milder in character than wild ones.
Some species (and individuals) are more likely to become accustomed to humans than others. Some of them will stop hiding when you appear and will start eating out of your hands, but will never allow you to touch them. Some of them will endure squeezing in exchange for Tasty food, others will hate this process.

Some will run away, others will bite. However, some reptiles will be truly tame and will eventually love having their necks scratched.

If you want to have a tame pet, then when buying a reptile, choose the one that seems most calm and friendly to you. If you are not willing to invest a lot of time and effort without a guarantee of success, do not take on difficult species.

Some species are friendly in childhood, but begin to show aggressiveness as they grow older. Reticulated pythons have just such a reputation. However, some breeders report that their reticulated pythons are quite adequate and friendly, and that with age, these snakes “get wild” not only because this is a trait of their character, but also due to less frequent contact with the owner when the python becomes large.

Some reptile species, no matter how tame they are, can be dangerous when they get large enough. They can harm humans if they are scared or angry. And they could potentially kill you if they mistake you for food.
No matter how tame your reptile has become, be prepared for the possibility that it might bite or scratch if it gets scared or angry. In this case, it is better to use tongs and gloves.

Remember: ALL REPTILES ARE WILD ANIMALS. Don't forget this, and many troubles will pass you by.

Do reptiles like to be petted?

Some people like it. I know several boa constrictors who absolutely love it, even when their head is touched. The point is this: although stroking is an unnatural state for reptiles, if they get used to it, they begin to love this process.

Many snakes will like to sit in a warm, dark place, similar to that found under a T-shirt. If your method of cuddling your pet is to let it curl up on your stomach under your shirt while you read a book, then a snake is the perfect animal for you.
Turtles are far from plush to the touch, but many people enjoy scratching their belly, i.e. the lower part of their shell, and the turtles demonstrate that they like it. “I had the opportunity to keep several young Galapagos tortoises. They float on clouds if you scratch their jaws and necks.”

How do I know if my reptile likes it when I pet it?
Your animal likes affection if:
It doesn't leave you when the opportunity presents itself;
It doesn't try to avoid your hands;
Falls asleep in your arms;
Stays close to you when you stop touching it;
Visibly relaxes when you approach;
Doesn't hiss or bite.

How smart are snakes?

Snakes have VERY humble minds. The animals they feed on have much more developed intelligence. However, snakes are capable of developing some conditioned reflexes. For example, if, when opening a terrarium, you always give the snake food, then over time it will begin to perceive any opening of the door as an invitation to dinner. And sooner or later it will start to bite into the first thing that appears from this door, including your hand.

How smart are turtles?

Much smarter than snakes. Turtles can learn some small tricks and useful skills if given enough time and encouragement. delicious food.

Turtles are very conservative creatures; if something becomes a habit, they do not like to change it. If they live in the same place, they will remember where to get food and that it comes from the refrigerator, where there is a saucer of water for them, where favorite place for the toilet (it makes sense to put papers there) and that you are the source of good things in their life. Subsequently, the latter will lead to the turtle following you around the room or yard to convince you to scratch its head or give it something tasty.

One friend told me that his tree turtle is potty trained, sits near the refrigerator if he wants to eat, goes to the bathroom and sits in front of the bathtub if he thinks it's time for her to take a shower.

All my aquatic turtles know that food comes from the kitchen, and they can easily differentiate fingers from food if they want to. I also think that turtles have a concept of fun or play, i.e. actions that do not give them practical benefit, but bring pleasure (try playing submarine with his turtle). “Henry (the turtle) remembered that the nozzle on a garden hose was either orange or bright yellow. After a while I left the hose on low and he drank cold, fresh water whenever he wanted.”

How smart are lizards?

It depends on the species. Anoles and most geckos are no different in intelligence. Others, such as some iguanas, are quite intelligent, and some species of monitor lizards are very smart - almost as smart as, for example, the parakeet.

Iguanas are perhaps moderately intelligent. De Vosjoli, in his Guide to Keeping Green Iguanas, tells the story of a herpetologist at a large zoo who once saw an iguana hitting a tree with its tail, causing two fruits to fall from the tree. At this time, another iguana ran up and ate both fruits. The first iguana grabbed the second by the legs, but it ran away. This, he said, was the most intelligent scene he had ever observed in iguanas.

The iguana can certainly learn from experience and identify simple cause-and-effect relationships. It takes time and patience, but people have reported success with harness training and potty training (iguanas that were about to defecate were brought to the same place, eventually they got used to the fact that if they were put in that place, then need to defecate).

Do reptiles differentiate between people?

Undoubtedly, but not all to the same extent. It is well known that turtles distinguish between people. Snakes that are handled primarily and for a sufficient amount of time by one person recognize the owner and prefer him or her to other people. Nile monitors are used as "sentinel lizards" in some parts of Africa because... They remember well the people who feed them.

What should I do if a reptile bites me? It hurts?

Depending on the size of the teeth and the type of animal, this may simply be painful, the wound will be bleeding, or the bite site will turn into a bloody mess.
All of us have been bitten. This is an integral part of the reptile hobby. We disinfect the wound, apply several stitches if necessary, and try not to talk too much about it (well, except to the attending physician). Unless you want a law to be passed that prohibits keeping our pets because one of the reptiles has bitten the owner (it doesn’t matter that no one would ever think of banning dogs or cats, because they also bite and scratch. Reptiles can).

Never look for someone to blame if you are bitten, even if it was someone else's animal. If you are bitten, it means you did something wrong or simply no one is to blame. Never file a lawsuit against a store if you were bitten by their animal - you have to start with the fact that you wanted to hold the animal, right?

Sometimes snakes break their teeth when they bite. This is a normal part of life. If one of the teeth broken during the bite remains embedded in the skin, treat it as if it were a splinter, although the teeth usually come out more easily than most splinters. Reptiles do not suffer from rabies, which distinguishes them from cats and dogs.

Most turtle bites are pincer bites and do not draw blood. However, a large turtle can bite well. Particular attention should be paid to ensuring that children's delicate hands remain at a decent distance from the animal's mouth. It is a myth that a turtle can bite off a person's leg. The most unpleasant part of a turtle bite in most cases is removing the animal from the bite site, because... turtles clench their jaws tightly and for a long time.

My reptile is very shy. How to tame her?

With a lot of patience. When the animal is no longer afraid of you, when you pass by the terrarium, change the water, clean, feed it, you can try to gently touch it. If you carefully observe the animal, you will know when and when you can do this and when you shouldn’t.

Start taming gradually if you don't want to scare the animal away from the very beginning. To begin with, it is enough to hold the animal for a few minutes a day, several times a day, simply lifting it, without holding it or limiting its movements. When (if at all) he gets used to it to the point that he won't try to escape, carefully remove him from the terrarium. He will probably squirm and try to escape.

Gently secure it until the animal calms down, hold it for a few more seconds and return it back to the terrarium. The point of this manipulation is for him to understand with his tiny brain that you are not going to eat him.

How can I tell if an animal loves me or what I do?

The hypothalamus is the part of the brain responsible for most emotions. Reptiles have it too, so they also have feelings. Since they cannot speak, we cannot know exactly what emotions are dominant in them.
Basic basic emotions– this is fear, aggression, pleasure. I don't think anyone would argue that reptiles don't feel this and don't express these emotions. They try to avoid what frightens them, attack when they are angry, and seek what pleases them.
If you create an environment that is pleasant and comfortable for the animal, you will "like" it in the sense that the good things in its mind come from you, and therefore it wants to be with you.

Accordingly, you will quickly and easily find out that the reptile does not like something: it will try to leave or even bite.
Whether reptiles have more complex feelings, such as sympathy, is a very difficult question. For turtles I can answer with a cautious yes, but for others I don't know.

In order to love someone, an animal must accurately distinguish between people and clearly prefer some to others. Turtles clearly distinguish people and choose. To my surprise, I noticed that my friendly snakes clearly do not like some people, but I cannot understand the reason for this.

One person said that his turtle is very socialized: when he is reading a book, lying on the floor, the turtle comes up and climbs onto his back and sits there for about 15 minutes.

In general, when answering this question, use your own thinking and you will probably be right

How to potty train a reptile?

Generally speaking, you cannot potty train a reptile. She will teach you. Many reptiles tend to follow established habits, including pooping in a specific place. Simply placing paper in this place where the reptile usually does its business will make your life much easier.

But there are exceptions to this rule. Supposedly, aquatic monitors can be trained, and leopard geckos tend to choose a particular place to go to the toilet and go there all the time.

Many reptiles prefer to use a container of water in their terrarium to defecate, and this can also be used.

How often should I handle my animal?

The more, the better, but not so much that the animal has no time to sleep and eat. Especially new animals, it is important to leave them alone for the first few days or weeks while they adjust and begin to eat normally. They can then be handled for short periods of time a couple of times a day. Watch the animal. If it is very stressful, reduce contact time to a minimum.

Of course, when you tame an animal, you make it nervous. Before you begin taming, make sure the animal is well fed and comfortable in its new environment. Then the few days of anxiety that taming brings with it won't be too harmful.

Can a snake learn to perform tricks?

No. Yes. May be. One of the readers writes that she taught the snake to crawl towards her when she pats the floor.

Can turtles learn to do tricks?

Yes. Just use your imagination, time and encouragement.

Can lizards learn to perform tricks?

Not certainly in that way. Many can learn to eat from your hands, or rest while lying on your body.

Is it possible to let a reptile roam in the yard?

No. Reptiles tend to come and go as they please. A reliable fence will help in this case.

Can I put my reptile on a leash and walk it?

Some lizards can be trained to walk on a leash. I've heard that this can be done with iguanas and cape monitor lizards. For these purposes, you can use harnesses for cats or rabbits.

Never make holes in a turtle's shell in order to tie it on a leash! Turtles cannot walk on a leash, and damaged shells can become inflamed. In addition, the shell is a living bone, and the perforation procedure is not pleasant for the turtle, to put it mildly.

Which reptiles are easy to tame?

Note: There are individual differences within the same species. I have two corn snakes. One of them is so tame that I can do whatever I want with him, the second is timid and hates being touched, despite the fact that he has known me for a very long time. There are always exceptions!
Corn snake;
Royal snakes;
Milk Snakes;
Common boa constrictor;
Red-eared turtles;
Snapping turtle (but they grow big and bite often).
Common iguanas;
Royal pythons;
Some monitor lizards, such as the Cape monitor, but this takes time;
Tiger pythons (but they get huge, making them difficult to handle. Adults can harm humans. Far from ideal a pet!)
American species box turtles.

Which reptiles tend to stay wild?

Note: There are individual differences within the same species. If you have a tame dog-headed boa constrictor, I sincerely envy you! There are exceptions to any rule.
Colubrid snakes;
Whip snakes;
Most species small lizards;
White-lipped python;
Current geckos;
Basilisks.

Which reptiles tend to be aggressive?

Chondropythons
Dog boas and other types of tree boas (long teeth!)
Anacondas, especially green ones.
Some monitor lizards, for example, are Nile;
Reticulated pythons typically have bad character. Although some people report that their pythons are tame and friendly. But in any case, this animal is not for beginners

Which reptiles are not suitable for non-professionals?

Gilatier's poison teeth (Heloderma suspectum) (poisonous and prohibited for keeping)
Rattlesnakes(they can become completely tame, but just one bite is enough to send you to the next world);
Any Poisonous snakes;
Crocodiles and alligators (although there is evidence of the ability to tame swamp crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) and some other crocodiles raised from an early age);
Komodo dragons;
Flat-horned toad lizards (Phrynosoma) (they become tame, but feed mainly on ants).

So, you have become the happy owner of a turtle (you should definitely find out the information you will find about keeping it at home) and are now thinking about how to establish contact with it? Well, you should be prepared for the fact that such a slow pet of yours is unlikely to learn to jump over a barrier like a dog or bring you slippers. However, you can teach your turtle things that will allow you to consider it quite tame. By the way, you can even demonstrate her peaceful mood and friendliness in action to your friends and acquaintances. Rest assured, they will definitely envy you.

What can you teach a pet turtle?

Before we begin the practice of taming, let's first talk about theory. What can your turtle theoretically learn to do? And how to achieve this?

How to teach a turtle to eat from your hands

You can teach your turtle to eat from your hands or from tweezers. In principle, it’s a fairly primitive skill, but it looks impressive. Although, the mechanism of its activation is very simple. When a turtle is hungry and looking for food, seeing it in front of it, it doesn’t bother too much about whether it eats from your hands or from tweezers. By the way, you can also train your turtle to eat at a certain time.

In fact, the feeding mechanism produces a very strong attachment reflex in the turtle (this is how we perceive it). The pet associates you with you as the only breadwinner, therefore, every time she sees you, she will pull her head towards you and follow you around the room on your heels, like a hungry cat. Some owners even manage to teach their turtles to wave their paws, but this is already aerobatics, however, you can try it.

How to stop a turtle from biting

Although, looking at turtles, it is very difficult to believe that they can be aggressive, but this is true. We often hear from offended owners that their Tortilla bit them painfully. There is little pleasure in this, therefore, we would recommend that you a priori wean your turtle from this habit. How to do it? First of all, do not offend the animal and pick it up more often (with the exception of a waterfowl turtle, since it cannot stay without water for a long time), over time your pet will get used to your hands, and even if it bites, it will do so very quickly. extreme cases.

How to train a turtle to play with toys

I've heard about turtles that love to play with toys, balls, for example. From a human point of view, this is nothing more than an interested reaction to an unfamiliar object. But, from the point of view of zoopsychology, this is quite possible. However, you can try to accustom your turtle to the toy yourself and see the result. To do this, place in a terrarium or aquarium - depending on the type of turtle, a bright-colored ball with a diameter of more than 4 centimeters (smaller - not worth it, as your pet can swallow it). Perhaps after a while you will notice that the turtle is pushing it from side to side, as if playing with it.

By the way, regarding games -

You should not hang mirrors in terrariums or make mirror walls.

As practice shows, the turtle perceives its reflection as an enemy, and a very real one at that, so it will show aggression towards it, which can result in injury to the animal (read more about) or serious nervous stress.

Continuing the theme of games, I would like to note that turtles are sensitive to sounds - they have good hearing, therefore, you can accustom them to a certain sound, which will be a signal to start the game.

How to communicate with a turtle

Is it possible to pick up turtles?

As we already wrote above, tactile contact is a very important component of the process of taming a turtle. Therefore, if you want to make friends with her, you must be able to carefully pick her up, stroke and even scratch her. At the same time, you can pick up both amphibians and aquatic turtles(for a short period of time).

But what kind of turtles you should not handle are representatives of such aggressive species as trionics, snapping turtles and vultures. It is better not to disturb them with tactile contact unless necessary (they bite very painfully).

Does a turtle have intelligence?

Sometimes pet owners place too much hope on their pet, although he (due to his natural disabilities) simply cannot (and not because he does not want) to respond to their call to be friends. The same can be said about turtles. Their psychological and morphological level is significantly different from that of dogs and cats. And, although turtles are superior in their level of intelligence to other reptiles (for example, lizards - read about the peculiarities of their maintenance) - it would be too bold to expect almost human attention and responsiveness from them.

You can develop conditioned reflexes and behavioral stereotypes in an animal, but, alas, you cannot count on conscious attachment.

Playful behavior, games with a maze, the ability to overcome obstacles in one’s path (if not over the top, then around), identifying the correspondence between the image of an object and a real object, and even the ability to behave atypically, the ability to quickly adapt to new conditions, the ability to adopt skills in other turtles - all this is the potential that your pet has, and you need, if you really want it, to simply develop the skills inherent in nature.