Red-eared slider: intelligence and procreation. Taming Reptiles Smart Turtle

The red-eared turtle is a cute, unpretentious, well-studied in captivity, popular and very pleasant object of terrarium. Perfect for first time owners and for middle and older children school age who, under the control and help of their parents, can cope with simple pet care responsibilities.


To keep redbushes you will need an aquaterrarium. This is a container combining an aquarium and a terrarium, which is suitable for animals leading a semi-aquatic lifestyle. It must have water space for swimming and, of course, land areas for rest, sleep, heating and other needs that are inherent in the object contained in the aquaterrarium.

In the wild there are about 180 species of all kinds of fresh aquatic turtles, and only a few of them can live without problems in captivity and have contact with humans. The red-eared turtle is the most popular of them.

Within the species Trachemys scripta there are 15 subspecies, the most famous of which are the red-eared slider, yellow-bellied slider and Trust's turtle. They differ from each other in their habitat and the phenotypic features of the exterior expressed in this area, which give the subspecies slight differences from each other. However, all red-eared turtles have expressive " business card": bright scarlet (some subspecies have red or bright orange) "ear" spots on the sides of the head.

The red-eared turtle is very elegant. The pattern of the shell, consisting of bright yellow contrasting stripes, extends to the skin of the paws and head, so it looks striped. In young red eared birds, the carapace (upper part of the shell) is solid green; it acquires a characteristic pattern as the individual grows. Sexual maturity in males occurs at approximately 4, and in females - at 5-6 years. With good care, a red-eared turtle can live in captivity for about 30-40 years or even more (it is clear that in natural conditions these figures are much lower, because many juveniles die in early age, and adult turtles often die from various external circumstances).

In nature, the red-eared turtle is widespread. Its range covers the United States from southern Virginia to northern Florida and Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico in the west, Mexico, all of Central America, northwest South America(northern Colombia and Venezuela). Also, this species was introduced (inhabited by humans) into European countries (Great Britain, Spain and others), Israel and even Australia, where it is considered a pest, displacing rare local species of reptofauna. In our country, as an experiment, red-eared turtles were brought to Crimea, where they lived through the winter safely with virtually no losses. There is an opinion that they can inhabit the reservoirs of the south, and in some places middle zone Russia.

In terms of behavior, the red-eared turtle is considered one of the most agile and swift representatives of these armored slow-moving creatures. She is agile not only in water, but also on land. Possessing acute vision, she can notice danger from a distance of 30-40 meters and tries to hide from it in the water, rapidly sliding down, for which she received her slang nickname “slider”, like the flip cell phone that was fashionable a few years ago. Slider – sliding, sliding). That’s why red-eared turtles settle in small rivers, ponds and lakes with gentle banks, often in swampy reservoirs. After the hunt, the turtle basks on the shore under the rays of the sun, and when it is hungry, it swims in the water in search of prey.

The red-eared turtle is a small predator: it feeds on fish fry, crustaceans, insects and their larvae, mollusks and other similar foods. These turtles do not have teeth, but the powerful muscles of their jaws allow them to easily grind any food, even mollusk shells. If the water temperature drops to 18°C ​​or lower, the turtle becomes lethargic, sleepy, loses its activity and agility, does not want and cannot feed, and falls into a state close to hibernation. Therefore, you will need at least a small, simple heater that will allow you to maintain the water temperature in the aquaterrarium at least 20 degrees - this is the ideal temperature for redfish in captivity.

Sexual differences in red-eared turtles are expressed in the following: females are larger than males; males, like most turtles, have a slightly curved plastron (lower part of the shell), as well as more powerful and longer claws. In the wild, the mating season for American freshwater turtles is from February to May. Mating games of males are expressed in the fact that they begin to wave their forepaws in front of the female’s face, and immediately before mating, they stroke and tickle her chin with their claws.

To lay eggs, the female comes to land. She digs a spherical nest in the ground, moistening the ground with water from the anal bladders, after which she lays from 4 to 25 eggs and buries her clutch, sprinkling it with slightly damp soil. Red-eared turtles do not have the instinct to care for offspring: after laying eggs, the female leaves the nest with the clutch forever. Incubation period lasts 103–150 days, after which small turtles emerge from the ground. The sex of the young (the quantitative ratio of newborn males and females) depends on the temperature of the environment in which the clutch was located.

Intelligence red-eared turtle very high. This information was obtained by examining the central nervous system and through direct observation of turtle behavior. It turned out that they have a very high IQ compared to other turtles (and many reptiles in general).

Studies of the sensory organs of the red-eared slider have shown that it has excellent vision and sense of smell with rather poorly developed hearing, but is very sensitive to sounds extremely low frequencies and is able to hear underwater. The turtle senses the slightest vibrations in the ground (for example, from the steps of a person or other approaching object). As for the eyes, they don’t just “see well” - the red-eared slider has superbly developed color vision. When hunting, the red-eared turtle first pays attention to the color of the object, then to its shape, and only then to the smell and characteristic movements of its prey.

You can buy and equip an aquaterrarium for a red-eared turtle yourself, order it based on the requirements for your interior, or make it yourself (which is extremely undesirable for beginner terrarium makers!).

The requirements for the aquaterrarium are:
- it must have strong joints and “hold water” well
- volume per animal – at least 150-200 liters
- the land area must occupy at least 25% of the total area of ​​the terrarium
- if desired, water heating can be replaced with overhead heating above the land area. However, remember about winter cold, accidents and interruptions in the apartment heating system, so it is better to still have a water heater
- mandatory - ultraviolet lamp (recommended - Repti Glo No. 5)
- filters for water purification. You can add water to the terrarium either partially or completely replacing it, but the water must stand for at least a day!
- it is better to use ladders to lift the turtle to the surface: it is easier for it to rise from the water and slide into the water along inclined surface. Smooth stairs and slides made of plastic are already “yesterday”. It has been proven that the slippery surface of the land and ladders are inconvenient for the movement of turtles, so they should be slightly rough, but in no case rough!

The temperature in the aquaterrarium on land and in water should be approximately the same - about 20-22°. Overheating is just as dangerous for an animal as underheating!

Is it possible to create a biotope aquaterrarium with the red-eared slider?

However, it is impossible to create such a small semi-aquatic world for the red-eared slider! Firstly, the area of ​​land for the pet to rest must be “clean” and “empty”. If you decorate it with colored soil, some small pebbles or other decorative material, the turtle will certainly destroy everything. Her goal is not to eat inedible objects at all, but her instinct tells her: she needs to dig, dig, shake up everything around in search of prey, so any decorative details will be chewed and destroyed, torn off and thrown into the water, etc.

As for fish, shellfish, shrimp and other aquatic animals and plants, they will certainly be destroyed by the turtle! The fact is that red whales have a natural instinct: to try to grab and eat everything that floats in the water. The red-eared turtle does not get along with other reptiles or representatives of the amphibian order.

On the Internet, on the site of reviews of various products http://otzovik.com, we found the following observation from a novice terrariumist (spelling and style slightly corrected by the author): “The turtles did not cause any trouble. When we had guests, they were always popular. In practice, it turned out that they eat shrimp and meat very well. On this diet, of course, they began to grow much faster. And, of course, the water in the aquarium got dirty faster. All the algae that we bought for their aquarium was eaten by the turtles in 5 minutes.

When we decided to add a snail to them, thus deciding to decorate the aquarium, after an hour we realized that we had done it in vain. They react with curiosity to everything in the aquarium, and, of course, the snail was attacked by them. They even bit through her shell slightly. The poor guy has a crack in his sink. Turtles will eat any fish, even the most aggressive one, in 5 minutes.”

Now we'll look at a few typical mistakes novice owners of red-eared turtles (this valuable information “wanders” from site to site and you should pay close attention to it!), and then we will talk about some of the nuances of keeping and preventing diseases of red-eared turtles in more detail.

Keep them in close quarters;
- keep the turtle in an aquarium without land; A turtle is capable of drowning despite being aquatic. If she gets stuck in some narrow place, she will not be able to come to the surface for air;
- keep the turtle without heating and ultraviolet radiation, as we have already discussed. Many people confuse the red-eared turtle with a sea turtle, thinking that it constantly lives in the water. In fact, this is not so - in order to avoid hypothermia and fungal diseases, it needs to be properly warmed up and dried;
- feed turtles only raw meat;
- feed turtles only plant food;
- add vitamins to the feed “by eye”: they must be strictly dosed;
- keep turtles in dirty water, especially if a film forms on the surface;
- clean the turtle with rough brushes, and even more so remove the horny scutes if it is overgrown with algae;
- keep several males in one aquarium and introduce new animals without prior quarantine;
- use only smooth materials (glass, plastic) for the construction of the gangway and sushi island;
- wash the aquaterrarium in the kitchen and use dishes for turtles in which food for people is prepared;
- clean the aquaterrarium irregularly.

Rational and balanced feeding of a variety of foods;
- if the turtle does not receive food rich in calcium, it is necessary to give mineral supplements;
- strictly observe personal hygiene after contact with the turtle and cleaning the terrarium;
- it is better to transport the turtle in a linen bag in your bosom.

The most big problems health problems for red-eared turtles are associated with colds and pneumonia. Therefore, the best preventative measure is to prevent situations in which the turtle could catch a cold. Your aquaterrarium should have good ventilation, but not be in a draft. It must certainly have at least one (or preferably two - in water and on land) thermometer installed, by looking at which you can determine the temperature of the environment. To illuminate the aquaterrarium, you can also use a regular incandescent lamp, which perfectly imitates the sun’s rays, but you still can’t do without ultraviolet light.

In cold and dark seasons, turn off the lamp only at night. If the turtle has become lethargic, floats on the surface and does not want to dive, or its appetite has sharply decreased, be sure to consult a veterinarian! Most likely, these are the first signs of a cold or infectious disease, which is very difficult to cure at home. The administration of antibiotics, immunostimulants and vitamins in case of illness should be carried out under the strict supervision of a veterinarian; “self-medication” is ineffective and even destructive for the turtle!

The same lethargy, weakness and decreased metabolism, coupled with a softening of the shell, indicate a lack of calcium and vitamin D3. If you come across such a “rickety” turtle, it should also be treated only after consultation with a veterinarian, because vitamin preparations are also given strictly in doses and hypervitaminosis is no less harmful than vitamin deficiency!

In a word, without a veterinary education, never prescribe treatment for reptiles and turtles in particular. Drugs for treating animals sometimes differ from “human” ones, in addition, it is very difficult to calculate their dosage based on body weight (and for a turtle, it is necessary to subtract the weight of its shell). Therefore, you will need a good herpetologist. Finding such a specialist in Moscow or St. Petersburg is not difficult.

Attention!

Over the past six months to a year, cases of unauthorized sale of young red-eared turtles have become more frequent in our city. People of unknown nationality near metro stations, at food or clothing markets, as well as during city holidays and festivities, offer to buy their child a “ninja turtle, like in the cartoon,” for a small price. Usually they stand on the streets or in underground passages with plastic carrying terrariums, in which there is not a hint of heating, small pebbles are poured on the bottom (which is generally contraindicated!), and under a tiny centimeter layer of water, dozens of small red-eared turtles are floundering and teeming with them.

If you agree to purchase, the seller will provide you with a similar tiny plastic container and a bag of food “for the first time.” The seller will not tell you where to get this food next, or how much the turtle will grow, what terrarium to keep it in, what equipment to use, or other nuances - most likely, he doesn’t even know.

Such “ninja turtles” are clearly not designed for a long lifespan. Having bought such an animal out of pity, with the hope of going out and raising it in good conditions, you risk getting, at best, disappointment (running around veterinary clinics), and at worst, severe mental trauma if the baby dies, despite all your efforts. In addition, by responding to this offer, you yourself create consumer demand, encourage and provoke these people to develop their cruel “business” further.

Feeding the red-eared turtle

Nowadays a very fashionable expression has appeared: balanced food. What does it mean? To balance means to put together (and in the correct proportion!) all the components necessary for the animal’s comfort and health. Food for turtles includes both natural (pieces of gammarus, worms, algae, etc.) and mineral components and vitamins. An addition to food (individual or complex vitamins, treats, dietary supplements) for animals is called top dressing, which is used to pamper a pet or maintain its health for a certain period of time.

In addition, the structure of the food is selected taking into account each type: some animals need to gnaw and grind food, while others, on the contrary, need to eat a soft substance. All these requirements are taken into account by professional feed manufacturers, which are developed with the help of zoologists and veterinarians. Choosing the right food and providing it to your pet for the rest of its life means giving it a guarantee proper development and good health.

Today's pet market offers ready-made, properly balanced feed mixtures for land and freshwater turtles. Among their great variety there are also feed and vitamin supplements domestic production. For example, the line of food and supplements for turtles offered by the Zoomir company was developed with the participation of doctors from the Institute of Veterinary Biology in St. Petersburg. Ready-made foods are not as appetizing as minced meat or bloodworms, but they not only satisfy all the needs of the turtle’s body, but are also very convenient to use: light, compact, float on the surface of the water, do not sink and do not clog the filter.

To find out which food is best for your turtle, ask about its feeding at the store or nursery where you bought it. The pet should be “transferred” from one food to another gradually. In the first days after purchase, the turtle may refuse to eat due to stress, but if it continues to go hungry for more than 2 days (especially a small turtle!), contact your veterinarian for advice. Any deterioration in appetite and change in the nature of bowel movements (diarrhea or constipation) may indicate an incipient disease.

Some terrarium keepers prefer to feed their red-eared pets outside the terrarium. Firstly, by developing a feeding reflex in the animal (“set it aside and give it something tasty”), you can eradicate the turtle’s desire to gnaw on everything that is not pinned down – including wires and devices that are within reach. Secondly, some red-eared turtles have the habit of defecating immediately after feeding, so if you feed them in a separate basin, and then, when they have finished all their “business”, put them back in place, your aquaterrarium will remain clean much longer, and the filter – less pollution.

How to feed a red-eared turtle - in water or on land? There is no clear opinion here. Aesthete terrarists like to place bowls of food on an island of land, while advocates of a natural lifestyle believe that when a turtle catches food from the water, an imitation of hunting occurs. Most likely, you will use a mixed scheme, throwing ready-made food pellets into the water, and feeding natural feed such as minced meat or fresh fruit in a feeder on dry land.

The size of your turtle will depend directly on the conditions of its feeding and maintenance. On animal proteins, babies grow “by leaps and bounds,” and this fact is not only gratifying for the owners, but also indicates the normal development of the young individual. The turtle’s growth is also affected by the volume of the aquaterrarium and the purity of the water - the more spacious, warmer, lighter and cleaner the terrarium, the better the animal grows and feels.

About the importance of calcium

Behavior, communication, everyday situations (summer, dacha, children, etc.)

The vocal cords of red-eared turtles are not developed. At the moment of threat, out of fear, they are capable of emitting a hiss or a thin squeak. You should not suddenly lower your hand on the turtle, make noise or gesticulate violently: it will mistake you for a predator and may begin to “defend” in panic: hiss, stick out its claws, try to hide in its shell, or bite. You will have an instinctive desire to recoil from the head of the angry animal and withdraw your palm.

At the same time, you should also be wary of the turtle’s hind legs - they also have sharp claws, and in a moment of danger, the animal may try to hit or push away its source using its hind limbs. This is especially dangerous when being carried or transported: if pushed, the turtle may fall to the floor and be injured. So don't trust too much small child drag turtles from place to place for feeding or cleaning the terrarium.

The best way to let your pet breathe in the fresh summer air and bask in the sun is to place the terrarium outside. However, avoid direct sunlight so as not to overheat the animal, and also carefully monitor the terrarium so that it has some kind of lid or tightly closed grille on top, so that predator birds, neither the dogs could reach the turtle. And it is better that such a “walk” takes place under your supervision.

In the warm summer time The diet of the red-eared slider can be varied fresh leaves dandelion or salad, but only in small pieces, as a treat, without “breaking” her diet, in order to avoid digestive disorders.

To the question Do turtles have intelligence? Are they trainable? given by the author Malinina the best answer is As paleontological evidence shows, the developmental paths of turtles and other higher vertebrates (mammals, reptiles and their direct descendants - birds) diverged at the previous level - the stages of different amphibian ancestors. The differences can be traced both at the morphological and, probably, at the “psychological” levels. Turtles have a unique body structure, which takes shape from the very beginning of their evolution, in parallel with the more or less distinct formation of this group. In addition, as noted by many who held both for a long time and was quite patient in his observations, the level of intelligence of turtles is noticeably superior to the development of most other reptiles. They form conditioned reflexes and behavioral stereotypes that are stable and complex for a reptile (try teaching a crocodile to knock on a feeder when it wants to eat, or a snake to drink from a tap or defecate in a certain place, and this was successful with some turtles). During long-term communication, both terrestrial and freshwater turtles can easily distinguish people by sight, and visually, and not chemically, which would be quite understandable. And finally, for last years Several cases have been noted that are simply amazing, if their interpretation was correct - perhaps some species of turtles are capable of playful behavior. At least something similar was observed among Trionics: old turtle, long years kept in monotonous zoo conditions, without visible reasons began to bite her paws, causing serious wounds. They could not find out the reason, but this behavior also suddenly stopped. After more careful and constant observation, they discovered that the attendant had left a small red rubber ball in the turtle’s pool, which Trionics periodically begins to push with its paws and nose in different directions, without showing any food, defensive or aggressive reflexes, i.e. without correlating a subject with some practical purpose.

Answer from 22 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Do turtles have intelligence? Are they trainable?

Answer from Stupidity[guru]
Certainly!! ! They are very smart!!

Answer from Neuvind Storm of the Fiords[guru]
No

Answer from Adapt[guru]
every turtle has its own golden key

Answer from Eurovision[guru]
Wow, after such a treatise there is nothing more to add.
Train your turtle, good luck!

Answer from Yelyena[guru]
My turtle could ask to eat (she would come up and “bite” her toe) and walk (she would crawl up to front door and scratched as if trying to open it. She clearly knew at what time in which room the sun would be there to bask, and she could tell who was feeding her...

Answer from Alex[guru]
To some, small ones, undoubtedly - yes! The turtle clearly knows at what time and in what place in the apartment the sun will be, and crawls there to bask. May demand food by biting the toe. It is unlikely that you will be able to train a turtle...

Turtles are a common type of pet. They are ideal for families with older children, but are not recommended for families with small children, as they may drop them, forget to feed them, or forget to wash their hands after handling the turtle (and there is a very important reason for this, which you will learn about below). ). If you are thinking about getting this exotic animal, you should know some facts and characteristics of turtles. Having studied all necessary information, you can do right choice and decide if a turtle is right for you as a pet.

Not all turtles swim

Land turtles, unlike sea turtles, live on land, as their name implies. However, did you know that not all sea turtles live in the water? Some species of sea turtles require access to water to keep their bodies hydrated, but they spend most of their time on land. Many people believe that marine and land turtles little different. But in fact, the differences between them are striking. Sea turtles most often have webbed feet, while land turtles have separate toes. Also, many sea turtles are omnivores, that is, they eat both plant and animal foods, while land turtles are herbivores.

Turtles are long-lived

Many turtles that are kept in the right temperature and humidity, exposed to ultraviolet rays and fed the right nutrition for their species can live for decades. A large number of turtles live longer than their owners and are passed on from generation to generation. Long duration The life of a reptile is something that a future turtle owner should take into account.

All turtles carry salmonella

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that many reptiles, including turtles, often carry in their intestines without being exposed to it. They periodically excrete this bacterium in their feces. In humans and other mammals such as cats and dogs, Salmonella bacteria can cause severe gastrointestinal distress such as severe nausea and diarrhea. This is why it is very important that every person wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling a turtle, and especially turtle feces. This is especially important when we're talking about about children who usually put in their mouths the hands that were just holding a turtle. This is why turtles are not recommended as pets for families with small children.

You can tell the difference between a male and female turtle

With most exotic animals, it is extremely difficult to distinguish between male and female. However, in the case of turtles, there are several reliable methods. For example, males tend to have longer tails and their rectal openings are further away than females. In some species of turtles, differences may be noticeable to the naked eye, such as in the shape of the shell or the color of the eyes. Additionally, some males have longer claws.

Females can lay eggs without males

Just like chickens, female turtles can lay eggs without fertilizing them, and these unfertilized eggs will not hatch. Many wild turtles lay eggs in the spring, thus responding to the changing temperature regime and light cycles. This is why you can often see turtles on the roads in the spring - they are looking for a place where they can lay their eggs. However, if we are talking about domestic turtles, then this does not happen to them, since their living conditions do not change depending on the season.

Sea turtles need land

Most often, turtles live in rectangular aquariums filled with water, but even sea ​​turtles sometimes it is necessary to go on land. This is why every aquarium should have a dry area, such as a rock, where the turtle can lie down and rest.

Even small turtles need a lot of space

The length of the aquarium should depend on the length of the turtle. Every breeder will tell you that the basic rule is that the length of the aquarium should be equal to five times the length of the turtle living in it, and the depth of the water should be two and a half times the length of that turtle. How more turtle, the larger the aquarium should be.

Turtles need vegetables

Turtles really need vitamin A, since they do not have the ability to store it in their bodies. As a result, they need to get it from food.

Turtles know their owners

Many people don't realize this, but turtles can recognize... appearance, as well as the sounds their owners make. Moreover, many owners report that turtles swim out of the depths specifically to greet the approaching person. You may not realize it, but some turtles may even come to you if you call their name.

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 hold 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.

Smart turtle African tale for children

There lived in the forest an Elephant, a Lion, a Leopard, a Pacasa and many other animals. Each of them had a plot of land, and each cultivated it, growing maize and sweet potatoes. But they could not eat anything that they grew, because they did not have a fire on which they could cook food. They only drank water and nibbled grass.
And nearby, on huge tree, strewn with fruits, lived a large green Lizard. Sometimes he would come down from the tree and talk to other animals.
One day the Elephant said to his comrades:
- Why do you think our friend the Lizard always walks around happy and never complains of hunger? He doesn't seem to need fire to cook food. Do you know what he eats? Those things that hang on the tree and sometimes fall to the ground. Let's ask him why he is always full. Is it really from these raw fruits? But he won’t tell us the truth: he’ll be afraid that we’ll find out his secret. Better let's ask the great Nzambi, who sits in the sky and knows everything. Maybe he will take pity on us and save us from our troubles.
And everyone agreed. The elephant was the first to go to heaven to talk with the great Nzambi. He talked about the misfortunes that animals suffer without fire, and also about the fact that the big green Lizard gets its food right on the tree. Can the fruits of this tree be eaten raw? And what kind of tree is this? And the great Nzambi said:
- The tree whose fruits the Lizard eats is called: tree-sapling, zelembua-muzelembua, muzelembua-kumuzelem-bua, magic tree! These fruits can be eaten raw. Go home and repeat this name dearly. True, it is very long, but try not to forget it. And when you come home, say this name loudly, and the tree will immediately fall to the ground. Then you can all eat well.
The elephant remembered everything that the great Nzambi said. He walked and repeated:
- Tree-sapling, zelembua-muselembua, muselembua-kumu-zelembua, magic tree! - He repeated and danced, rejoicing that he had learned the secret.
But the cunning green Lizard guessed what was going on. He saw the Elephant from afar, went to meet him and began to dance with him, singing different words. They danced and danced, and poor Elephant forgot the name that had to be repeated.
Very annoyed, he confessed everything to the other animals. And then Lev decided to go to the great Nzambi.
Great Nzambi received him well, spoke to him kindly, and told him the name of the tree. Lev, returning home, also joyfully repeated:
- Tree-sapling, zelembua-muselembua, muselembua-kumu-zelembua, magic tree!
But this villainous green Lizard met Lev in the same way, danced with him in the same way, and Lev also forgot everything.
One after another the animals went to the great Nzambi, and each time the same thing was repeated. Finally, the little water turtle volunteered to go to the great Nzambi. The animals were so outraged by her insolence that they beat and cursed the poor Turtle.
- You must have forgotten who you are and who we are! We are smarter, stronger, and much bigger than you, and you walk around, barely moving your legs, and imagine that you can do something!
But the fair Monkey objected:
- Why do you offend her? What harm did she do to us? Is it Turtle’s fault that we have such a leaky memory! Let him go! Maybe she will remember the words of the great Nzambi!
And the Turtle set off on a long journey. She walked slowly, with a calm, slow gait. The Great Nzambi, of course, listened to her, even sympathized with her more than with other animals, and then wished her to get home safely.
When the Turtle approached the house, a green Lizard came out to meet it, like other animals. The Turtle was small, and the Lizard was big, very big.
- Oh, that's how it is! - he shouted angrily. -Have you taken up this matter too? - And he bit off her head.
But the Turtle grew a new head, and she again began to repeat the name of the tree. The evil green Lizard tore her into pieces and buried her in the ground. But she resurrected and began to repeat again
magic words. Then the green Lizard chewed it and swallowed it. And the Turtle rose again, said the name of the tree - and it fell to the ground. And the green Lizard died of anger.
The animals greedily attacked the lying tree, ate everything - leaves and fruits, and again beat and scolded the Turtle. Only the fair Monkey took pity on the Turtle and saved some fruits and leaves for her.
As the days passed, the animals began to starve again and think about how to get fire. But where to look for it? Where?
Early one morning, the Elephant saw a small stream of smoke rising from the top of a distant mountain, and called all the animals:
- Look there! Do you know what this is? It's smoke! And where there is smoke, there is always fire.
The animals were happy and sent him for fire. He had already descended to the opposite slope of the mountain, when suddenly a loud, menacing cry was heard:

The elephant had never heard such a terrible voice and was very scared. The Elephant returned home and told the animals what had happened.
Then Leo volunteered to go get the fire. He considered himself braver than everyone else and was confident that he would deal with the insolent man.
But when he descended to the other side of the mountain, a menacing voice stopped him:
- Who dared to set foot on Grasshopper Mountain?! Well, go away, or I will swallow you, like I just swallowed Pakasa!
The lion got cold feet, put his tail between his legs and came back empty-handed.
All the animals, one after another, tried their luck and returned empty-handed. Then the Turtle volunteered to go, but she was beaten again. It was only through the intervention of the Monkey that she was finally allowed to set off.
- Who dared to set foot on Grasshopper Mountain?! Well, go away, or I will swallow you! - threatened the invisible brave man.
But the Turtle walked and walked, fearlessly, slowly moving its paws.
- Who are you? - asked the Turtle, having reached the very hole in which the Grasshopper was hiding.
He stuck his head out and moved his antennae:
- Ah! It's you, Aunt Turtle! Please come in! And I
I was scared, I thought who was coming... - And he invited her to sit down and rest. - What do you want, Aunt Turtle?
- I came to ask you for a coal. We live on the other side of the mountain and we have no fire to cook our food. If you only knew how hungry we are!
- That's all? Just think about it! Oh, how I was scared when I heard heavy footsteps. What would be left of me if our venerable friend the Elephant had put his foot on my hole! - And they both laughed.
While the sweet potatoes were baking in the fire, they continued their friendly conversation.
“I beg you, Aunt Turtle, don’t tell anyone that you met me here, otherwise they will kill me.” Say that you didn’t see anyone, you just walked up to the fire and took away the coal. OK? - And the Grasshopper gave the Turtle the coal for which she came.
Returning home, Turtle hid the truth and did not tell anyone. She quietly called her friend Monkey:
- Look, I brought fire. Just don't tell anyone anything. Let's go to your house together and cook food.
And the rest of the animals mocked:
- Well, didn’t we talk! We, who can do anything, were unable to get fire, and you, with your stupid head, imagined that you could achieve what we failed.
But it was impossible to hide the smoke. As soon as the fire lit up in the Monkey’s hut, a thin gray stream immediately rose above the forest. The outraged animals immediately ran there and spanked the poor Turtle. How dare she hide from them that she had brought coal! Just think about it! The turtle turned out to be the luckiest of all!
- They will pay for what they did to me! - the beaten Turtle complained to his friend Monkey. - Now I’ll go to the shore of my native lake and settle scores with them. You know, Monkey, when you get thirsty, climb the tree as high as possible and wait until I call you, just be careful not to go to the lake with other animals.
In the evening, as usual, the animals went to the shore of the lake to quench their thirst. The elephant came first. He lowered his trunk into the water, but stumbled upon something hard. I touched a stone with my foot, there was only stone all around, but no water. And the Elephant sang in a plaintive voice:
Water, water, I pulled it out
your trunk,
But I didn't find anything!
Oh, how thirsty I am!
Mom, I'm going to die!
Water, water, I stretched out my trunk, But I didn’t find anything! Oh, how thirsty I am! My father, I am dying!
He tried several times to feel the water with his trunk, but kept bumping into a stone.
Leo came after him. He also tried to get drunk, and also cried out to his parents. And so all the animals gathered on the shore of the former lake. And then - bang! - the blue stone burst, split into pieces, which crushed all the animals, and they died. Only one Monkey escaped punishment because he was a faithful friend of the Turtle.