Breeding Methods and Feeding Techniques for the Ganoderma Turtle

The Ganoderma turtle, also called the twelve-ridged turtle, is small in size, reaching a maximum of only 200-250 grams. It is a Class II nationally protected animal and a specialty of China.

The Ganoderma turtle resembles the Ganoderma herb in shape, hence its name. Its mouth is hook-shaped and curved. Its eyes are large and protruding, with light yellow longitudinal stripes running from the side of the snout along the eye to the side of the neck. The Ganoderma turtle has strong adaptability, tolerates hunger, has strong vitality, and a long lifespan. Its meat is tender, has no off-flavor, and is rich in nutrients, making it an ideal nourishing food. The Ganoderma turtle has effects such as replenishing yin and blood, boosting essence and qi, and helping with weakness. Therefore, the Ganoderma turtle is extremely valuable and deeply welcomed and loved by people. However, the current number of Ganoderma turtles is still very small, far from meeting the needs of the vast number of consumers; raising Ganoderma turtles will be a good path for the vast number of farming friends and @#@168@#@ workers to escape poverty, become prosperous, and move toward a moderately prosperous life. To facilitate everyone in introducing and raising them, the artificial breeding technology for Ganoderma turtles summarized by Chen Xiaobao, a female farmer from Longlian Village, Yuanhua Town, Haining City, Zhejiang Province, is introduced as follows:

Sex identification of the Ganoderma turtle: Generally, among turtles of the same age, the female is larger than the male, with a small and slender tail, and a flat or slightly convex belly; while the male has a long and thick tail, with an inward-sunken, concave belly. Newly hatched juveniles are difficult to identify. The Ganoderma turtle reproduces by laying eggs. Generally, the mating period is from May to August, the egg-laying period is from June to September, and the peak egg-laying period is around the summer solstice. It lays 3-4 times a year, about 10 eggs in total. The eggs can hatch on their own at natural ambient temperatures. To increase the hatching rate, artificial incubation is best. The artificial incubation method is: place the eggs in an air-permeable, water-leaking wooden box lined with wet sand, with the wet sand 2-3 cm thick; arrange the eggs in the sand with a distance of more than 3 cm between eggs; cover the eggs with 2-3 cm of wet sand; cover with a wooden board; check frequently, and if the fine sand dries out, sprinkle water to keep the fine sand moist. At a temperature of 24°C-35°C, the juveniles generally break out of their shells after 50-70 days.

Feed feeding: (1) Fixed time: feed at the same time every day according to the season, and develop a habit. (2) Fixed amount: when the temperature is 20°C-25°C, the amount fed each time is about 5%-10% of the turtle's body weight. To increase feed sources and save costs, various insects can also be lured into the pond for them to catch and eat freely. When the temperature is high, the feeding amount should be increased somewhat. (3) Fixed location: that is, fix one or several feeding platforms, and once fixed, they must not be changed casually. (4) Fixed quality: that is, the feed should be diverse, fed alternately, and not rotten or spoiled.