Large Galapagos tortoise. Black elephant (Galapagos) tortoise Chelonoidis nigra porter. Teenage elephant turtle

Geochelone nigra (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824), or Geochelone elephantopus (Harlan, 1827)

Elephant turtles are the most famous and famous representatives of the fauna of the Galapagos archipelago. The islands on which they live are also named after them.

Translated from Spanish - "galapago" means "big turtle". True, it cannot be said that such popularity brought great happiness to these giants: even in the era of great geographical discoveries, navigators and pirates of all stripes filled the holds of their ships with uncomplaining "live canned food". According to some data, about 200 thousand were destroyed in three centuries, according to others - about ten million unfortunate reptiles.

According to Charles Darwin, all giant tortoises living in the Seychelles and subsequently extinct in Mauritius were combined into one species Testudo indica. The scientist identified the inhabitants of the Galapagos archipelago as a separate species Testudo nigra.

The species name Geochelone nigra is currently in use. However, a five-language dictionary of amphibian and reptile names published in 1988 defines the elephant tortoise as Geochelone elephantopus.

Appearance

TOTALLY THE GENUS Geochelone is represented by a range of small to medium sized tortoises found in South America, Africa. Asia and Madagascar. Fossils spur that large species of Geochelone lived on all continents except Australia, but today the giant forms of this genus are limited to representatives of the elephant, or Galapagos Geochelone nigra and Aldabran G. giganleti (Seychelles) tortoises. These two species, almost identical in size, are the largest of the land tortoises.

The length of the carapace (upper part of the shell) of an adult elephant tortoise reaches 1.5 m. Giants weigh an average of 150 - 200 kg, but there are individuals weighing up to 400 kg. Males are noticeably larger than females and have a longer tail. The shell of an adult tortoise resembles a black horn shield, although the lichens that sometimes settle on the carapace can give it a spotted color. Juveniles are much more colorful: black tones and light, often yellowish, stripes and spots predominate.

Elephant-like, with large black scales, five-fingered limbs are armed with massive claws. The head, covered with thick shields, is set on a long neck. The skin is collected in an accordion when the head is pulled under the shell. Big eyes located on one straight line with the nostrils, together with keratinized jaws resembling a beak, and give the turtle a predatory look, unusual for the lifestyle of this peaceful creature. The jaws with ridge-like edges are designed for grinding hard plant foods. The external auditory meatus is absent.

In total, 14 subspecies of the Galapagos tortoise have been described to date, of which three are considered extinct, and only one representative remains of the subspecies G. nigra abingdoni from Pinta Island - an elderly 77-year-old male. He was given the appropriate name - Lonesome George and entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the loneliest creature on the planet. For a long time they have been trying to find a mate for him, however, so far without success. Lonely George is a representative of one of the six subspecies inhabiting the six islands of the archipelago (each subspecies has an island), the remaining five inhabit Isabella Island (here each subspecies lives on its own volcano).

Charles Darwin, acting British governor of the Galapagos Islands, drew the attention of Charles Darwin to the differences between turtles from different islands during their walk around Charles Island. Then Lawson noted that the tortoises differed so much that he could say with certainty which island came from which tortoise. In fact, this became one of the facts underlying the Origin of Species and allowed Darwin to note in his Voyage of the Beagle: “I could never imagine that islands located at a distance of 50-60 miles from each other, consisting of exactly the same stones, characterized by the same climate indicators, towering to the same height, can be inhabited by such different creatures. "In fact, on each of the seven islands on which elephant tortoises have survived in our time, climatic and natural conditions differ from each other, which is explained by different moisture regimes, the presence or absence of fresh water sources, and the characteristics of the vegetation cover.

All subspecies of the Galapagos tortoise can be divided into two morphotypes: domed and saddle shell. In the former, the front line of the shell is close to the neck, while in the latter, the same part of the shell in the form of an arch rises above the neck of the reptile. Differences in the shape of the shell are due to the habitat and the method of obtaining food. Domed-shelled turtles prefer moist, high-altitude areas and feed on grass and low shrubs. Saddleback turtles live in arid areas and eat more tall plants. The saddle-shaped armor allows its owner to stretch the neck high up, giving it a vertical position.

Distribution area and features of biology

The area of ​​distribution of the elephant tortoise is limited to the islands of the Galapagos archipelago. It is assumed that the ancestors of the elephant tortoise came from the South American continent to the islands on tree trunks at the beginning of the Pleistocene, i.e. about a million years ago. Although such a journey (almost 1000 kilometers) seems incredible, it is reliably known that giant tortoises can safely be in salt water. Now scientists even “dare” to name the first island of the archipelago on which the ancestor of this species came and from where it gradually spread to other islands of San Cristobal. Uruguay.

Turtles spend most of the year on the high, damp slopes of hills and volcanoes, where it is quite cool at night. From time to time they descend into the lowlands. On some islands, giant reptiles look for places where the rainy season is more favorable. warm weather and remain there until the dry season. During migrations, they live in groups of 20-30 individuals. different ages. In such a group, each turtle exists independently, without even trying to interact with each other, except during the breeding season.

IN daytime animals usually explore the surroundings in search of food. Stretching their necks up or lowering their heads to the ground, they eat any plants, be it grass or shrubs, but they prefer manchineella and prickly pear cactus, from whose thickened shoots they still get moisture. Holding the plant with a movable thick tongue, they cut it off with the jagged edges of their jaws. Turtles, slowly, with dignity. roam the paths trodden by generations of their predecessors, stopping from time to time to eat. These trails, laid out by heavy reptiles, are an integral part of the island's landscapes. Elephant turtles drink a lot and greedily; sometimes this procedure lasts up to 45 minutes.

At night, animals settle down to sleep on common rookeries, which are either a hole dug in loose earth, or where there are puddles or marshy lowlands, preferring to plunge into liquid mud, but not forgetting to stretch their legs. If such comfortable conditions no, they just climb deep into the thorny bushes.

Previously, it was believed that the mating season coincides in its terms with the rainy season, which begins in January. However, in the southwest of Isabel Island, mating takes place in July-October, and at a distance of more than 100 km on Santa Cruz Island, from November to April. Fertilization is preceded by ritual fights between males for females, and males of one subspecies have a sequence of movements that does not coincide with that of males of another, which makes it possible to avoid crossing between different subspecies. The male sniffs, catch the smell of a sexually mature female. Having discovered her, he begins the process of obsessive courtship, accompanied by intimidation of his girlfriend. First, he rams her with the front of his shell, and then, literally, immobilizes her by biting the female's unprotected legs until she pulls them into the shell. Then mating takes place, during which the males emit very loud, hoarse cries that can be heard at a great distance.

Before laying eggs, females dig with their hind legs a pitcher-shaped hole 20 to 40 cm deep in the muddy night in areas that serve many generations of females for this purpose. They choose places well warmed by the sun. An average of nine (2-12) spherical eggs up to about 70 mm in diameter and weighing about 100 grams each are laid in the pit. The female buries the nest and seals it with a cork made of mud soaked in turtle urine. Then she levels the surface with a plastron (the lower part of the shell). After 6-7 months, and adverse conditions eight months later, completely black turtles weighing 70-100 grams come out of the eggs, breaking through the shell with a pointed growth at the end of the muzzle (the so-called egg tooth). During one season, the female can make 4 5 clutches.

Turtles reach sexual maturity by 20-25 years. Their life span is over 100 years. At the age of fifty, in young males, the carapace can reach one meter in length, and the weight of the animals themselves can reach up to 70 kg.

Having mastered different islands and having no serious natural enemies, turtles were very numerous until the beginning of the 16th century and felt very at ease. However, with the mass appearance of people (fishermen, whalers and pirates) on the archipelago, who used turtles as "live canned food" during their wanderings in the Pacific Ocean (and harvested turtle liver and rendered fat on the spot - until 1959), the number of reptiles became rapidly decline. In addition, turtles were constantly taken out for zoos and private collections, and eggs and juveniles were destroyed by dogs, cats, pigs brought to the islands, and rats that got here from ships.

Goats still trample nesting sites and are serious food competitors for turtles. Certain populations may have been wiped out by ongoing volcanic activity. Thus, some subspecies have completely disappeared from at least four islands. To date, after the emergency conservation measures have been taken, the number of all subspecies of the elephant tortoise is about 13,000 adults, of which about 8,000 are accounted for by five subspecies from Isabella Island.

Back in 1935, the government of Ecuador declared the five large islands a national park. But only in 1959, after the creation International Foundation Galapagos for the protection of the flora and fauna of the islands. Charles Darwin, active environmental work. UNESCO and IUCN sent a number of international scientific expeditions here, and all subspecies of turtles were listed in the International Red Book as endangered. In 1965, the Research Station. Charles Darwin organized the Center for the Restoration of Galapagos Reptile Populations on the Santa Cruz Island, in which famous scientists conduct research. In particular, methods of artificial insemination of female elephant tortoises are being developed here. Laying layings are subject to special protection. Now there successfully exists a breeding colony of the subspecies G. n. hoodensis from the island of Hispaniola, which at the time of the organization of the Center was represented by only 14 individuals. The population was so small and scattered around the island that representatives of this subspecies could not reproduce in natural conditions. All of them were transported to the Center, where the first newborn baby turtle appeared in 1971, and at the end of January 2000, the Center's employees sent 1,000 individuals of this subspecies to their native island. In addition to the breeding colony of G. a. hoodensis, the Center successfully incubates eggs and keeps young turtles of a number of other subspecies: G. p. elephantopus, G. p. darwini, G. n. epippium. Their offspring are again returned to those islands where they come from, and only after reaching a certain size.

Since 1970, the export of elephant tortoises has been completely banned from Ecuador. However, despite all efforts, the position of the Galapagos tortoise continues to be unstable. In 1995, local fishermen, "disappointed" by the new law restricting fishing sea ​​cucumbers, began to kill turtles on Isabella Island and in the vicinity of the Darwin station on Santa Cruz. They threatened that if their demands were not met, they could kill Lonely George, the famous male patriarch who is today a kind of living symbol of conservation in the Galapagos. Turtle population of Alisdo Volcano (Isabella Island), for a long time regarded as the most prosperous, was devastated by wild goats. Now Alzedo is closed to visitors, and the staff of the Center and research station campaign against goats.

TODAY the presence of most Galapagos tortoises in zoos and aquariums North America and a number of other countries is associated with the efforts of one man, Charles Huskshza Townsend, director of the Aquarium Division of the New York Zoological Society (New York Zoological Society), and now the Wildlife Conservation Society - in the first half of the 20th century.

It was Townsend who organized and led the expedition, which brought together almost 200 Galapagos tortoises. Townsend's main goal was to protect the species from possible extinction by breeding reptiles outside the Galapagos Islands: in zoos and botanical gardens of the corresponding climate zone predominantly in the southern and western states of the United States. Taking into account the fact of the catastrophic decrease in the number of the Galapagos tortoise in its natural environment habitats, the management of the Society authorized Townsend to lead an expedition to collect and deliver animals.
In March 1928, the ship "Albatros II" left America with the members of the expedition on board). First, the Albatross made a stop at Pinzon, one of the smaller Galapagos Islands. There, an eight-man search party spent two days scouring the steep, bushy slopes looking for turtles. However, there were no signs of living reptiles on the island. The Albatross left Pinzon with nothing and headed towards Isabella. The ship anchored off the southern tip of the island, near Villamil, a small, dusty village of Ecuadorian colonists.

Members of the expedition soon discovered that the turtles had been "eaten away" in coastal areas near Villamille. However, in exchange for some food and money, the exhausted colonists willingly agreed to help in the search for young turtles.

The search for reptiles in the mountainous areas of Isabella was successful. Over 160 juvenile Galápagos tortoises were taken in one week, belonging to the subspecies G. nigra vicina and G. nigra guentheri (the latter now considered G. nigra vicina). The specimens collected by the search parties varied considerably in size, with the smallest weighing only 106 grams and the largest weighing 40 kilograms. Later, several more turtles were bought from local residents and, possibly, mined on several more islands of the archipelago. IN total, 180 healthy Galapagos tortoises were shipped to the United States.

On the return of the Albatross to New York, Townsend, speaking before the members of the Society, confirmed that none of the turtles should be sold; the main task is to place turtles in the best zoos and botanical gardens for the purpose of breeding; however, all of them shall remain the property of the Company. A list of relevant organizations was compiled, and the animals were sent to the zoos of San Diego (California), San Aitonio, Houston (Texas), Pew Orleans (Louisiana), in the Southwestern Botanical Garden Superiore (Arizona), to the Bermuda Aquarium and Botanical Station in Balboa (Panama Canal Region). The turtles shipped to Panama were subsequently moved to the Capiolan Ornithological Park (now the Honolulu Zoo) in Hawaii and the Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

The first offspring were obtained in the 50s, and by the end of the 60s, young turtles began to hatch regularly in the zoos of Honolulu, San Diego and in the Bermuda Aquarium. The primacy of the first two institutions in the success of breeding Galapagos is partly due to an informal rivalry between Jack Trope, director of the Honolulu Zoo, and Chuck Shaw, curator of the department of reptiles and assistant director of the San Diego Zoo. Each of them used their own method. Both stirred the animals in open, grassy enclosures, but Trope arranged a large pool in the enclosure, and Shaw, on the contrary, covered most of the enclosure with sand. In both zoos, the laid eggs were dug up and incubated under artificial conditions. Jack Troy was the first to discover the most optimum temperature incubation - 26'C, at which the birth rate is the highest.

In the 1980s, offspring of turtles brought by Townsend were transferred to a number of new institutions. Today, elephant turtles are safely kept in zoos in cities such as Zurich and Sydney, Chicago and Moscow, Honolulu and Berlin.

The Moscow Zoo received two pairs from the Brookfield Zoo (Chicago), hatched in 1992 in the zoo's incubator. Their parents were different origin: one of them was once taken from a distant archipelago, the other saw the light already in a zoo. Now they are ten years old and their weight ranges from 70 to 100 kg. In summer, they are kept in a large, grassed enclosure with a shallow pool. There is a shelter with artificial lighting and heating. In winter, the turtles are not displayed to the public and live in a utility room in a large wooden enclosure lined with wood shavings and heated from above by powerful 200 watt lamps and illuminated by halogen lamps that maintain the air temperature within 25'C.

The feed mixture contains, first of all, fruit and vegetable mass, where branches (in summer), brooms (in winter), fresh grass (in summer) are added. In addition, protein (animal) feed is used, which includes meat, eggs and fish (about 1 kg) and vitamin and mineral supplements. In summer, giants receive up to 16 kg per individual at one time, and up to 12 kg in winter.

Text by Elena GODLEVSKY (Kyiv) and Solomon PERSECHKOLNIK (Moscow)

The black elephant (Galapagos) tortoise lives on Galapagos Islands. This is the largest of all modern turtles: its huge shell reaches 110 cm in length and 60 cm in height. The weight of adult specimens is about 100 kg, and individual giants can weigh 400 kg. Interestingly, the elephant turtle got its name not only for its size, but also for its peculiar appearance. To support a heavy and massive body, this reptile has powerful columnar legs, indeed, reminiscent of elephants. Yes, and her skin on the limbs and neck protruding from under the shell is very similar to that of an elephant. The upper shield of the shell of an elephant tortoise has a special saddle shape - from behind it falls low and slightly bends upwards, and in front, on the contrary, it is raised high, so that the front legs and the long thin neck of the reptile remain practically unprotected. Galapagos tortoises are diurnal and feed various plants, including poisonous ones. Since their living conditions are not the most favorable, they are quite unpretentious in nutrition. The largest part of the diet consists of leaves of shrubs and grass on volcanic slopes, succulent cacti that replace water for turtles, tree lichens and leaves, low-hanging berries and fruits, aquatic vegetation, algae. Among the plants that elephant tortoises eat with pleasure are stinging nettles and various thorny bushes that do not cause them any harm. Turtles do not refuse carrion either. The time not taken up by eating, they spend in liquid mud, escaping from the heat and blood-sucking insects. At night, turtles dig shallow holes in which they hide the back of the body. Elephant turtles can also be found in tropical deciduous forests, on scrub plains and savannas, as well as in the lowlands of the Galapagos Islands, covered with solidified lava. In search of fresh water and available vegetation, these reptiles are able to climb winding paths leading to volcanic highlands. Female elephant tortoises prefer the sandy lowlands of the coast, because there it is most convenient for them to lay their eggs, but male elephants climb high on the mountain slopes, because the vegetation there is lush and the air is humid. Living in arid areas, this reptile can do without water and food for a long time. However, if the elephant tortoise finds a source of fresh water, then it will drink it little by little for a long time, burrowing into the silt aground.

Elephant turtles are, undoubtedly, the most striking attraction of the Galapagos Islands. They were discovered by Spanish sailors in the 17th century. In those days, turtles lived there in innumerable numbers. Such an abundance of readily available provisions attracted whalers and pirates to these islands. Before a long journey, they filled the holds of their ships with hundreds of turtles, which provided them with fresh and tasty meat, relieved hunger and scurvy. The extermination of turtles took on gigantic proportions - according to ship logs, it is estimated that only 79 whaling ships took 10,373 turtles from the islands in 36 years in the middle of the last century. According to a rough estimate, over three centuries, sailors destroyed about 10 million of these animals. But, unfortunately, the troubles of the Galapagos tortoises did not end there. Ecuadorian settlers brought dogs, cats, pigs, goats and horses to the islands, some of them became feral and settled on the slopes of the mountains. Dogs, cats and pigs took to eating turtle eggs and juveniles, and goats, cows and horses, destroying vegetation, deprived adult turtles of available food. Zoologists have described as many as 16 subspecies of Galapagos tortoises, many of which lived on one of the islands, but now some of the subspecies have been completely exterminated, and the rest are listed in the IUCN Red List. The population of the black elephant tortoise lives in the glades of Santa Cruz Island and is considered the most numerous among all subspecies.

In order for the mating of elephant tortoises to be successful, the males have a small indentation on the bottom of the shell, allowing them to climb onto the female's shell and stay on it. During the breeding season, males behave extremely aggressively: hit each other with shells, bite. Females lay their eggs every year in the same pre-selected warm and safe place. The number of eggs in the clutch of an elephant turtle is from 2 to 20 pieces, and it lays them very carefully in the prepared nest, insuring them with a special enveloping liquid, and then just as carefully sprinkles them with earth. In the nest, turtle eggs mature for 6-7 months, and the hatched elephant turtles, weighing only 70 g, tear the ground and get to the surface on their own.

The largest land tortoise in the world is elephant turtle. She is also called Galapagos tortoise, as it is endemic to the Galapagos Islands. This is a volcanic archipelago located in the eastern equatorial part Pacific Ocean 970 km from the coast of Ecuador. Consists of 13 big islands. But huge turtles live only on 7. In Europe, they learned about them in the 16th century, when the islands were discovered by the Spanish conquistadors.

Description

Modern Galapagos tortoises weigh up to 417 kg with a shell length of 1.87 meters. The usual weight for males ranges from 272 to 317 kg, and for females from 136 to 181 kg. At the same time, the sizes vary by island. So on Pinzon Island, the maximum weight is 76 kg with a shell length of 61 cm. And on Santa Cruz Island, the shell length reaches 75-150 cm. Dimensions largely depend on the level of humidity environment. On islands with a dry climate, the sizes are smaller than on islands with humid climate conditions.

The bodies of these reptiles are covered with a powerful bone shell (carapace). This bony sheath has a dull brown or grey colour. The shell consists of plates connected to the ribs and fused into a single protective structure. That is, the plates are part of the skeleton. Since the animals are slow, lichens often grow on the shells.

On the plates, new growth rings (shell segment) are formed annually. But it is impossible to determine the life span of elephant turtles from them, since the outer layers are erased over the years. The paws of these reptiles are powerful, clumsy with dry and hard scaly skin. There are 5 claws on the front limbs, and 4 on the hind limbs. These turtles are able to retract the neck, head and forelimbs into the shell, which serves as reliable protection in times of danger.

Reproduction and lifespan

The breeding process takes place throughout the year, but it has seasonal peaks that occur in February - June and coincide with the rainy season. During the mating season, males arrange ritual fights. They collide with each other, stand on their hind legs, stretch their necks, open their mouths. At the same time, the male with smaller sizes retreats and concedes the right to mate to the larger one.

Nesting sites are located on a dry sandy coast. Females prepare nests for eggs by digging sand with their hind legs. Within a few days they dig round holes with a diameter of 30 cm. Eggs are laid in such nests. There are usually 16 eggs in a clutch. They have spherical shape, and in size the egg corresponds to a billiard ball. On top of the eggs, the female throws sand moistened with her own urine. After that, leaves the masonry to incubate. During the season, the female can lay from 1 to 4 clutches.

The temperature has great importance during incubation. If it is low, then more males hatch, and if it is high, then mostly females are born. Young turtles leave their nests after 4-8 months. They weigh 50 g with a body length of 6 cm. The hatched cubs must crawl to the surface. They succeed if the ground is moist. But if it is dry and hardened, then young elephant turtles die.

Surviving young develop within 10-15 years. Sexually mature becomes in 20-25 years. IN wild nature The elephant tortoise lives for over 100 years. But in captivity, life expectancy can reach 150 years. The most famous long-lived tortoise was named Harriet. She died in 2006 at the Australian Zoo. At the time of her death, her age was 170 years.

These reptiles are herbivores. They eat cacti, grass, leaves, lichens, berries, fruits. Young Galapagos tortoises eat a day of food, the amount of which corresponds to 17% of their own weight. They get their moisture mainly from dew and vegetation. They can go without water for 6 months. Up to a year they can live without food, consuming their fat reserves.

conservation status

This species according to the IUCN classification ( international union Conservation Area) is classified as vulnerable. In the 16th century, when the Spaniards appeared on the Galapagos Islands, the number of huge reptiles reached 250 thousand. In the middle of the 20th century, only 3 thousand remained. The reasons for the decline in the unique population were the shooting of animals for meat and oil, the destruction of natural habitats for agricultural needs, islands of pigs, goats, rats.

In the second half of the 20th century, people realized it, and today the elephant tortoise has noticeably increased in numbers. Now 19 thousand huge reptiles live on distant islands, and their number is kept at a stable level.

As a rule, when it comes to this animal, it means the giant Galapagos tortoise, or, as it is also called, the elephant tortoise.

The very word "galapago" in translation from Spanish means turtle. The Galapagos Islands got their name once because of the abundance of these animals, which literally covered sandbanks and beaches with an even carpet.

Who is the elephant turtle?

This animal is endemic to the islands. The term "endemic" means that a particular species of animal has a strictly limited, small habitat and is not found anywhere else in the world in natural conditions. For example, Baikal seals are endemic to the lake.

Galapagos tortoises got their second name "elephant" because of their huge size. They are the largest of all species of land turtles living on the planet. In addition to size, the long neck also played a role, resembling an elephant's trunk much more than the body of a reptile.

Since the discovery of the islands by the Spaniards in the middle of the sixteenth century, the number of "shelled elephants" began to decline steadily. Sailors were interested in these animals exclusively in the role of food "canned" by nature itself, because the turtles remained alive for a long time in the holds without water, food and light. That is, they were the ideal food.

Later, they also became a profitable commodity. Everything was in demand - shells, meat, skin. In addition, the Galapagos began to be actively settled at the end of the century before last. People brought cattle, horses with them, began to practice agriculture, which adversely affected the unique ecological system islands.

All this led to the fact that by 1970, about three thousand elephant turtles remained in nature. It was then that their protection began. There are many more "shelled elephants" now than in the last century, but they are still vulnerable and close to extinction, according to the Red Book.

Paradoxically, but the Galapagos tortoises are still completely not afraid of people. You can approach them and pet them. Such videos are often posted on the Internet by travelers who were lucky enough to visit the turtle islands.

How big is it?

The elephant turtle is really huge. The average length of her shell is 1.2 meters. A average weight- 300 kilograms. However, not one main species of elephant tortoises lives on the islands, but two. They differ from each other in appearance and have their own subspecies.

On the small, empty and hot arid islets of the Galapagos, long-legged and compact turtles live, weighing very little. Females do not reach the weight of 30 kilograms. And the average weight of a male is about 50-54 kilograms. Their shell is similar in shape to a saddle. It is elongated and flat. A child may well sit on such a turtle and feel completely comfortable in such a “saddle”.

Living in a humid climate covered tropical forest large islands are completely different in appearance. These are real giants with the importance of wearing a huge convex shell, resembling an egg or a dome. To compare such a majestic animal with a pie, or to sit on it and try to ride, will not occur even to the most mischievous child. The largest of these "elephants in shells", according to scientists, weigh about 400 kilograms, and their length reaches 185 centimeters.

How long does such a turtle live?

It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of how long these animals are able to live. The only thing scientists know for sure is that the Galapagos tortoise has not lived for less than a hundred years. The life expectancy of caught adults in zoos was not less than 170 years. But how long the animal lived before it got into artificial conditions has always remained unknown.

Although the shell of turtles is covered with a pattern that is replenished annually with a new circle, it is impossible to determine the age from it. Part of the ornament constantly disappears, wears out under the influence of the environment and the mechanical influence of other turtles, especially during mating games.

How do they reproduce?

Galapagos tortoises are very loving. They do not have a clearly defined mating season, you can watch turtle love all year round. Although they also do not refuse seasonal exacerbations.

The result of such an active life position“Elephants in shells” becomes a clutch of up to 22 eggs, each of which weighs an average of 70 grams.

What are they eating?

Galapagos which always include a clause that the animal can live for several months without water and food, in fact they love to eat. This is what makes them so big.

Elephants in shells feed exclusively on plant foods, but they are omnivorous vegetarians. They eat everything - shoots, roots, berries, herbs and so on. Curiously enough, Galapagos tortoises quite calmly eat and digest local poisonous plants that are deadly to all other inhabitants of the islands.

One of the most interesting squads The tortoise is considered to be a reptile. Scientists who studied the ancient remains in order to find out how many years she lives on the planet, found that their existence on Earth lasts more than 220 million years. These are rare animals that can live on land and in water. The turtle is a reptile that has 328 species grouped into 14 families.

Name origin

If we consider the Slavic and Latin origin of the name of the reptile, then it is easy to see the common. Both languages ​​show in the word a response to the appearance: translated from Latin “tile”, “clay vessel”, “brick”; from Slavic - "shard".

Indeed, many turtles resemble the stone for which the people who gave this name took them. Despite this etymology of the name, there is also an indication of the unique shape and coloring of hard shells.

What do turtles look like?

In the diversity of turtle species, there are signs common to all that unite them into one order.

chief hallmark the detachment is the shell, which absolutely all representatives have. It consists of a carapace (dorsal) and a plastron (abdominal), interconnected. This durable device serves, first of all, to protect the animal from enemies. By necessity, the tortoise is fully capable of hiding its body and head into it, lowering its upper part and remaining protected from any attack on it.

The shells are covered with hard horny scutes, which vary in color and shape depending on the species. There are holes in which the paws, head, tail go out and are drawn in as needed.

The strength of the shell, as studies have shown, is so great that it can withstand a weight exceeding the weight of an animal by 200 times.

Reptiles periodically molt: old skin comes off their shell with scales, while the color becomes brighter.

How much does a turtle weigh? Turtle sizes

The turtle is a unique reptile. Some species can reach giant size- up to 2 meters, and weigh up to a ton. But there are also tiny representatives, whose weight does not exceed 120 grams, and the size is 10 cm.

Each type of turtle has its own parameters, which we will describe, characterizing them separately.

Paws

All species have four paws, which, if necessary, can be hidden in the shell.

The structure depends on the lifestyle, species. Terrestrial are distinguished by thickened front legs, suitable for digging soil, and powerful hind legs, which help to move on the surface. The river turtle, which lives in fresh water, has membranes between its fingers. The sea turtle, evolving, acquired fins instead of legs, and the front ones are much larger than the back ones.

Tail

Almost everyone has a tail, the length of which depends on the species and lifestyle. If necessary, the tail can be retracted into the shell.

For swimming reptiles, it performs the function of a kind of rudder that helps to maneuver in the water, and is more developed than that of land-based counterparts.

Head and neck

All turtles have a medium-sized head with a streamlined shape. When danger arises, many representatives of this class hide their heads in their shells. But there are turtles that have enough big size head and cannot pull it in.

Depending on the species, the front part of the head is elongated or flat, but it always ends with nostrils.

The eyes are also located differently: in reptiles living on the ground, they are directed downwards, while in swimming they are much higher. Animals have excellent eyesight and see this world in color.

Some turtles have enough long necks. In other representatives, they are of medium size and are perfectly retracted into the shell if necessary.

Sometimes these animals sticking their heads out of the water are mistaken for huge snakes.

In many representatives of the species, the oral part begins with a hard beak-shaped process, with which they easily bite off even the most solid food and able to catch prey. The edges of these processes can be either sharp or jagged.

But they don't have teeth. The chewing movements that reptiles produce are needed to move food down the throat. The language also helps them in this.

Despite the lack of teeth, the jaws of turtles are powerful, able to cope with almost any food.

Sexual characteristics of the turtle

The sex of turtles is determined by appearance and in behavior, since these animals do not have clear genital differences, and it is almost impossible to understand the sex at a glance. However, males differ from females:

• in the shape of the shell (more elongated in females);
• the lower part of the shell in males is slightly concave, in females it is flat;
• the tail of males is longer, wider and thicker, it is more bent down;
• according to the shape of the anus;
• in males, the claws of the front paws are somewhat longer;
• a small notch in the shell in the tail area is present only in males;
• the behavior of males is active.

In some species, sex other than indicated signs, expressed by the color or shape of the head.

In nature, these reptiles are completely herbivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous. Most eat both plant and animal foods.

Lifespan

On average, in the wild, turtles live about 20-30 years. But it depends on the type of reptile. There are centenarians who can reach 200 years of age. As a rule, turtles live longer in captivity, but this also depends on the species and conditions of detention.

Turtle species

The long stay of representatives of this detachment on the planet made it possible to divide into 328 species that differ in external features, size, habitat, diet and lifestyle.

The classification involves the division of reptiles, depending on how they hide their heads in the shell, into crypto-cervical and side-necked. The first group presses the head into the shell by contracting the neck muscles. The second is folded to the side, under one of the front paws.

Another classification is based on the habitat of these reptiles:

• sea ​​turtle - lives in the salty waters of the seas and oceans;
• terrestrial - able to live both on the surface of the earth and in fresh waters; this variety, in turn, is divided into freshwater and land.

This sea turtle has chosen for its life the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and even Indian oceans.

There are two subspecies of these reptiles: the Atlantic and the Eastern Pacific. Its elongated-oblong shell can be not only green, but also dark brown with yellow and white stripes or spots.

The reptiles got their name not for the external color, but for the color of the meat that was eaten.

The green turtle is one of the most large species. The length of its shell can reach up to 2 m, and weight up to 400 kg.

Young individuals live exclusively in the water, where they feed on small fish, mollusks, and jellyfish. Adult reptiles come ashore, where they begin to eat plant foods, which eventually become their main diet.

The tasty meat of these animals was traditionally used for food (they are even called soup), which led to a reduction in the population. Hunting them is currently prohibited in many countries.

The onset of puberty occurs after 10 years, sometimes much later. Reptiles mate in the water, but they make their clutches on the shore, in the same places where their predecessors laid their eggs. They dig very large holes in which up to 200 eggs are placed. Baby turtles, hatching, run towards the water. If they manage to get there, they will spend many years in the ocean, until the moment comes when they themselves have to go ashore to give birth.

If your pet has become a sea turtle, keep in mind that caring for it at home is much more difficult than for terrestrial ones, since you need to have spacious aquariums with water adapted for the reptile.

Another name for this species is Chinese trionyx, or chinese turtle. The Far Eastern tortoise prefers to live on the mud-covered bottom of large lakes and rivers with gentle overgrown banks. Their habitat is Primorye, the southern part of the Amur in Russia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The Far Eastern tortoise is green-brown or green-gray in color with pale yellowish spots. Its usual size is about 30 cm, but there were individuals up to 40 cm with a weight of more than 4 kilograms. They have fleshy lips covering strong jaws.

The shell of these animals in young individuals has a rounded shape. It becomes flatter with age. hallmark young individuals is a bright orange abdomen, the color of which becomes pale over time.

The Chinese turtle is able to hunt both in water and on land, where it gets out to bask in the sun. These reptiles hibernate by burrowing into the mud.

The food of these predatory reptiles consists of fish, mollusks, amphibians and insects. The Far Eastern tortoise can guard its prey for a long time, burrowing into the silt.

At the age of 6-7 years, the Far Eastern tortoise becomes sexually mature. Usually in July they lay their eggs a short distance from the water. During the season, the female makes several clutches, from which about 70 turtles appear. After 1.5 - 2 months, babies appear, whose size is not more than 3 cm. They quickly run to the water and lurk in coastal vegetation and between stones for a long time.

The Far Eastern tortoise has a rather aggressive character and can strongly bite the attacker on it.

If with early age this turtle lives in the house, it easily gets used to a person and can even eat from his hands.

Living in the southeast of Eurasia, this steppe loves humid terrain in river valleys, foothills, agricultural land, sandy and clay semi-deserts. Animals dig holes or occupy empty ones.

Observations shed light on how many years this turtle lives. It turns out that life expectancy depends on its activity. At home, in a closed terrarium, she will hardly overcome the 15-year milestone, when in the wild she can live for 30 years. Not in the natural environment, the Central Asian tortoise, even if care and nutrition are as close as possible to natural ones, lives much less.

The Central Asian tortoise does not grow more than 20 cm, while males are slightly smaller than females.

This steppe tortoise hibernates quite early: at the beginning of summer, right after it lays its eggs. This is due to the fact that it is this time in their habitat that is the most arid. The lack of food in sufficient quantities causes them to wait out in a state of sleep.

The Central Asian tortoise has a very beautiful shell - reddish-olive with dark spots of a rounded shape.

Reptiles of this species are dark brown, dark olive, almost black in color with small yellow strokes or spots. Distinctive feature is very a long tail and the absence of a beak.

The habitat of these animals is unusually wide: it can be found in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Bashkiria, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and even in northwest Africa. They prefer forest, forest-steppe and steppe areas, banks of slow-flowing rivers, wetlands.

These reptiles are found in mountainous regions up to 1500 meters above sea level.

It is impossible to say that this is an aquatic turtle. She prefers to get out on land quite often and moves relatively quickly on it.

The diet of representatives of this species is unusually wide: it eats worms, mollusks, small reptiles, fish, and waterfowl chicks. She does not disdain carrion.

Depending on the region, they become sexually mature at the age of 5-9 years. Egg laying is carried out near water bodies. The sex of the offspring depends on the temperature. At high, females are born, low - contribute to the appearance of males.

Unfortunately, the clutches are attacked by predators (foxes, raccoons, otters, crows), who are happy to eat both the eggs themselves and small turtles.

Another name for these reptiles is directly related to their habitat - the Seychelles giant tortoise. This land animal is endemic to the island of Aldabra.

The size of the shell of this large animal reaches a meter. It flaunts clearly defined shell segments, has rather large legs that help move on land, and a relatively small head.

For its size, the reptile is herbivorous. Everything a turtle eats grows around it. She happily eats all low-growing bushes and grass.

Currently, only 150,000 individuals remain in the wild, so the reptile is protected. On the island where they live, not only hunting is prohibited, but also any economic activity.

Reptiles lay eggs from May to September, and they are able to regulate the population size: if there was not enough food, there will be only 5-6 eggs in their clutches.

Is the most major representative of his squad. These reptiles live only on the Galapagos Islands and are not found anywhere else. Their weight sometimes exceeds 400 kg, and the length of the shell reaches 2 m. They have rather muscular paws, on which there are sharp claws (5 on the front and 4 on the back). In case of danger, they retract their head and limbs into the shell.

At the end of the 20th century, the population of these animals was reduced to 3,000 individuals, which became critical, so a decision was made to protect the reptiles.

Currently, there are two varieties of these reptiles, differing in habitat (relatively small individuals live in arid regions), size, color and shape of the shell.

Scientists actively studying the life of the Galapagos endemics have identified Interesting Facts about turtles of this species: for example, what they can eat poisonous plants that are not eaten by any animal. In some cases, they are able to live for several months without food and fresh water.

Mating and egg-laying of these giants occurs at any time of the year, but peaks of activity occur during certain seasons.

This reptile is also called or yellow-bellied. The water turtle received its original names solely for the bright accents in color: a red spot flaunts on its head, and its abdomen is yellow.

There are 15 subspecies of these reptiles belonging to the American freshwater family.

The size of the animal depends on the subspecies and sex - from 18 to 30 cm, while males are slightly smaller than females.

The main habitat is America, but its presence is also noted in Europe (Spain and England), in northern Africa, and Australia. They choose swampy areas with low banks for their life, as this river turtle loves to get ashore and bask in the sun.

In Australia, the water turtle is considered a pest, so its numbers are controlled.

The water turtle lays eggs on land, where it pulls out a spherical nest and places up to 20 eggs there. Reptiles of this species do not care about their offspring.

The water turtle feeds on insects, small fish, and worms. She chews her food, completely immersing her head in water. If a water turtle lives in your home, care and feeding should be in accordance with its natural needs.

It has long been found out how many years a turtle lives at home. If the maintenance and care correspond to natural, it may well live for half a century. In nature, this age is somewhat less.

One of the subspecies is the yellow-eared tortoise. As the name implies, its main decoration is the bright color of the shell and yellow spot in the region of the auricle.

The yellow-eared tortoise differs from its red-eared counterparts only in coloring. Their habitat, diet and reproduction are identical.

The yellow-eared turtle perfectly exists at home. Maintenance and care do not require much time and do not cause much trouble to the owners.

Small in size (the maximum length of the shell is not more than 13.5 cm), the reptile has chosen the American continents.

Its dirty-brown shell has three longitudinal ridges, and light stripes are visible on the head.

It lives in small rivers with silty banks, where this river turtle hunts and lays eggs.

When the water temperature drops below 10 degrees, the reptile starts digging a hibernation hole. Unlike many species, musky can sleep in groups. The period of sleep itself does not depend on the season, but on the temperature: in the southern regions, where there are no low temperatures, this reptile is active throughout the year and does not hibernate.

If you have a musk turtle in your house, keeping it alone is undesirable. It is better to have several individuals at once. This will affect how many years the turtle lives at home.

In home aquariums, the Musk Turtle is quite common, keeping, feeding and caring for it does not require much effort.

Where do turtles live? Habitat

Reptiles of this order live on almost all continents of the world. The only exception is Antarctica and desert regions, the climate of which is completely unsuitable for these animals. Any coast - whether it be oceans or small rivers and lakes, can boast of its own view, or even more than one.

Almost everywhere they find their food: it can be insects, worms, small fish, crustaceans and vegetation. Unpretentiousness in food makes the reptile able to survive in almost any place.

Even in reservoirs located in major cities you can meet these animals. They come ashore to bask in the sun. During the breeding season, on deserted beaches, you can come across clutches of their eggs.

A turtle is a reptile that has long settled in homes, becoming a favorite pet. Home care for this reptile is negligible, so many choose them for the home.

How many years a turtle lives at home, first of all, depends on the species, age of the animal that came to you, and the conditions in which it will live. Comfortable, as close as possible to the conditions natural habitat existence and feeding will allow your pet to live long enough. If the turtle in the house feels good, and the maintenance and care are appropriate, then it can live up to 50 years.

Which turtle is best for home?

Usually river reptiles become pets. The river turtle, once at home, quickly adapts. It does not require a very spacious aquarium to keep it, but it is very important to properly equip it, creating a swimming area and land in it, on which your pet will get out if necessary.

• water (red-eared and yellow-eared);
• European (marsh);
• Central Asian (steppe);
• Far Eastern;
• musk turtle.

Keeping sea turtles in home aquariums is very problematic. Even young individuals require special water, reminiscent of the ocean. And for older ones, very spacious tanks are needed, since in limited spaces the animal will not be able to be active enough, and it also depends on this how many years the turtle lives at home.

Before you buy a pet, get to know useful information about him. Temperature regime, nutrition and care, activity and the ability to live alone or in pairs are very important for a reptile.

What does a turtle prefer to eat at home?

If you have a pet turtle, feeding, keeping and caring for it should resemble its natural way of life. Before you take a pet, study what it eats in nature, during what periods it is active.

Young individuals, as a rule, consume 70 percent of live food (feed worms, insects, small crustaceans). Growing up, they go almost completely to vegetable food. Suitable for feeding:

• vegetables and tops from them (tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, carrots, occasionally cucumbers);
• berries (strawberries, strawberries, watermelon);
• fruits (plums, peaches, apples, bananas).

Do not overfeed the animal! If you see that food remains after feeding, be sure to remove it, and subsequently reduce the portions.

If you have a turtle at home, caring for it must necessarily include cleaning the aquarium. Be especially attentive to food leftovers: stale foods can lead to intestinal upset, which will affect how many years the turtle lives at home.

• Representatives of this order of amphibians can boast that they left their mark on the history of astronautics. Two individuals of the Central Asian tortoise species were the first among animals to circle the Moon and return alive to Earth.
• The meat of these animals is a delicacy. But some species are not recommended for consumption. This happens because this turtle sometimes eats poisonous mushrooms or jellyfish. They do not eat the meat of box, leatherback and hawksbill turtles.
• Reptiles of this order are able to swim well and move on land. But european tortoise can also be called a jumper. She can jump into the water from three-meter mountain ledges.
• Turtles have their long-livers. So in 2006, the most old turtle Advaita, whose age, according to experts, was more than 150 years.
• Many are interested in how long a turtle can live without food. In the natural environment, it is quite difficult to determine this time. But for pets - this is a maximum of 3 weeks, given that the animal is in hibernation. In nature, the sleep period can last several months. It is believed that at this time the reptile does not eat at all.
• sea ​​turtles during the period of courtship and mating, they stick their heads out of the water and make lingering sounds similar to howling.