What are the points to note when keeping the yellow-margined box turtle?
The yellow-margined box turtle is being kept over an increasingly wide area. Although it is a nationally protected animal, captive breeding is permitted; only catching wild turtles in the wild is prohibited. The yellow-margined box turtle has strong adaptability, is relatively easy to keep, and is also fairly easy to manage. But precisely for this reason, many people do not pay much attention when keeping it. In fact, there are many points to note in the process of keeping the yellow-margined box turtle. Below I will introduce the points to note when keeping the yellow-margined box turtle.
1. Water quality
The water quality in which the yellow-margined box turtle lives is very important. The water must be tap water that has been exposed to the sun for more than two days, and only after the chlorine in the water has been removed can it be used for changing the water. During the sunning process, it is best to prepare two buckets, so that the need when changing the water can be met. The water should be changed every day, but not completely; drain off part of the old water and add a little new water. If the water and the area around the turtle pond are found to be very dirty, then the water needs to be changed completely. When changing the water, a hose can be used to drain the dirty water, and then an equal amount of new water is added. This can effectively prevent and control white eye disease and shell rot.
2. Food
The food of the yellow-margined box turtle is generally some kinds of meat, mostly pork, beef and fish liver, etc. When feeding, all these foods should be chopped up. Turtle feed is not very attractive to turtles; the turtle's food is very wide-ranging, so there is no need to specially buy turtle feed, as it is of little significance. However, when feeding small fish and small shrimp, be careful not to pierce the turtle's throat. Frozen food needs to be thawed to the same temperature as the water before it can be fed. Feeding does not need to be too frequent; once a day or once every two days is fine, because turtles are animals with a very slow metabolism and are very tolerant of hunger. Moreover, when autumn comes, they basically stop eating, eating once every 4-5 days, and in winter they hibernate and stop eating.
3. Environment
The environment for keeping turtles is also relatively important. The water depth in the turtle pond only needs to be 2-3cm higher than the turtle's shell, and enough stones that rise above the water surface should be provided in the turtle pond. The turtles can climb up to bask in the sun, sunning their backs and shells. Because the yellow-margined box turtle needs sunlight, if it is kept indoors, all the turtles should often be allowed to bask in the sun more, at least 10 minutes every day, but they must not be sunned too long; too long may cause the turtles to suffer heatstroke. Place some water hyacinths on the water surface, in order to let the plants absorb the sun's heat and lower the water temperature in the pond.
4. Hibernation
Turtles are all hibernating animals. When winter comes and the temperature drops below 10 degrees, the turtles feel the temperature and begin to hibernate, and they do not end hibernation until the temperature rises back to around 20 degrees in spring. During hibernation, the turtles do not eat or move. After they enter hibernation, move the turtles indoors to a dark and quiet place, with the water depth just covering the turtle's back. It is not advisable to change the water frequently; during hibernation, changing the water once a month is enough. However, the water temperature should not be too low; it is best to keep it at ordinary room temperature, and the surrounding temperature should be controlled above 6 degrees. Below 6 degrees will threaten the turtles' life safety.
The above are the points to note when keeping the yellow-margined box turtle. During the keeping process, pay attention to the period when the turtles hibernate. Turtles are at their most fragile when hibernating, so pay attention to the water temperature and the surrounding air temperature. Although the yellow-margined box turtle is very easy to keep, management should still be strengthened. The invasive power of pathogens is extremely strong, and I hope everyone will take it seriously. To learn more related content, please continue to follow Qinnong Web!