How Do Soft-Shelled Turtles Reproduce? Understanding the Whole Breeding Process in One Article

The soft-shelled turtle, also known as tuanyu or shuiyu, is the common name for the soft-shelled turtle (Trionyx sinensis); it is not only a delicious dish on the table but can also be used as a traditional Chinese medicinal material. Besides wild varieties, artificial farming is also fairly common in China today. So, how do soft-shelled turtles reproduce?

I. How do soft-shelled turtles reproduce?

Under natural temperature conditions, sexually mature soft-shelled turtles begin to become aroused and mate when the water temperature is above 20°C. One mating leads to multiple clutches of eggs. In the north, they lay eggs 2 to 3 times a year, and in the south 4 to 5 times. The egg-laying period is from May to August, with the peak from June to July. Soft-shelled turtles prefer a quiet environment, and egg-laying generally occurs in the second half of the night. The soft-shelled turtle lays eggs by digging a hole, then covering it with sand after laying, so a sand egg-laying site must be built around the pond.

II. What are the artificial farming techniques for soft-shelled turtles?

1. Building the feeding platform

It is best placed on the edge around the breeding pond, at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees to the water surface, which helps the soft-shelled turtles find food and avoid disturbance. Before each feeding, use a mild disinfectant and a disinfected brush to clean the feeding platform and its surroundings, disinfecting once every 3 days.

2. Preparation and placement of bait

The amount of fresh bait added is generally 10% to 40%. When using fresh bait, it must be disinfected and washed, and mixed and used immediately to avoid spoilage. When feeding, it should be placed in the form of scattered feed, with the bait 2 to 3 cm above the water surface. Soft-shelled turtles are timid, so disturbance should be minimized when feeding. The amount of feed should be based on the standard of being eaten within 1 to 1.5 hours; leftover bait should be collected promptly for other uses. In the high-temperature season, it is best to finish feeding before sunrise and start feeding at sunset.

3. Water quality regulation

The breeding water body should be regularly changed and drained; each water change should not exceed 1/3, and if conditions permit, micro-flow water farming will be more effective. During the breeding process, regularly use chlorine dioxide preparation at 0.5 to 1 ppm, bleaching powder at 2 to 3 ppm, strong chlorine essence at 1 to 2 ppm, and quicklime at 15 to 40 ppm to splash the whole pond for disinfection; 2 to 3 days after application, splash about 5 ppm of photosynthetic bacteria preparation over the whole pond, which can help regulate the water; once or twice a month is sufficient.

4. Building a basking platform

In the pond, about 1 m away from the feeding platform, enclose a frame 1.5 m long and wide and plant water hyacinth. Water hyacinth has a well-developed root system and can absorb harmful substances in the water, thereby helping to regulate the water, and it also helps the soft-shelled turtles hide, bask, and cool off. Breeding ponds with less sloped bank land should have a basking platform built in the pond.

5. Regular pond patrols

Promptly remove dead and diseased soft-shelled turtles. Pond patrols are for promptly understanding the soft-shelled turtles' feeding, growth activity, diseases, and the pond's water quality and facilities. Dead soft-shelled turtles in the pond should be promptly retrieved and buried deep or incinerated, and diseased ones should also be isolated and treated promptly.

At present, the market value of soft-shelled turtles has been recognized by consumers; as long as the breeding conditions are available and the farming techniques are truly mastered, farming soft-shelled turtles still has a good market.