The Alabama red-bellied turtle is one of the better-raised aquatic turtles. They are robust and hardy to cold. They have gradually replaced the most common spotted turtle in the homeland and become a very common turtle. kind. The price is also very cheap. The Alabama red-bellied tortoise is primarily inhabited by slow-flowing rivers or swampy areas. Except for basking and laying eggs, they spend most of their time in water. Because of their fierce nature, they are more likely to be injured by fighting. Omnivorous, the main food are snails, insects, crayfish, tadpoles, small fish, carrion, algae and aquatic plants. Young turtles are carnivorous, but tend to be more vegetative as they age.
1. Appearance characteristics of the Alabama red-bellied turtle
The Alabama red-bellied turtle is a small water turtle with a carapace length of 35—45cm, The regular weight is 6-12 pounds. The Alabama red-bellied tortoise is very bright in color when it is a child, but when it grows up, it will become dull and no bright color. The overall color is gray and black. Delicate and smooth, flat oval in shape, carapace coloration varies from green to black, with green markings changing to yellow or red under certain circumstances. The plastron is generally orange-red to yellow, sometimes with black patterns, which vary in size and shape. The head, neck, limbs and tail have fluorescent green to fluorescent yellow or green to yellow stripes. Male tortoises have long front claws and thick, long tails. Female turtles are generally larger in size, with shorter front claws and shorter tails.
2. Habit characteristics of Alabama red-bellied tortoise
The habitat of Alabama red-bellied tortoise varies according to different species. Many map turtles seem to prefer living in rivers to ponds and lakes. In fact, the distribution of some species is limited to the water system of a certain river. In addition to living in slow-moving rivers, it also inhabits ponds and swamps. Among these turtles, places with dense aquatic vegetation seem to be more popular. Other species live in moderate or even fast-moving streams with sand and clay bottoms, although they are found in limestone, silt water bodies. Regardless of the type of habitat, adequate sunbathing space is an essential element.
Under natural conditions, most species within the genus Alabama red-bellied tortoises are omnivorous. However, the percentages of various food components in their diets varied by turtle species, and in some cases even between males and females of the same species. The Alabama red-bellied turtle eats aquatic clams and snails as its staple food, so its teeth are very hard and can crush the carapace. It is also important to note that they will bite the tail or neck of other gentle turtles in polyculture. It is more suitable for mixing with North American turtles. In the artificial environment, any food is eaten and the appetite is large, and it grows rapidly.
3. Alabama red-bellied tortoise feeding environment
For a single adult male, it is recommended that you use at least 30 gallons (40 gallons or larger, better), and at least a 75-gallon (90-gallon or larger, better) tank for adult females. This allows for ample swimming space and also helps the filtration system maintain better water quality. If you want to raise a few more, it is recommended that you add 20 gallons of tank space for each additional male turtle, and 50 gallons of tank space for each additional female turtle. Alabama red-bellied turtles love to bask, so they need a basking spot. There needs to be UVB tubes and heating bulbs above the tanning point. If the water temperature is lower than the recommended temperature, then it is recommended that you use a submersible heater. They are good swimmers, so keep the water as deep as possible. The substrate can be sand or selected to coarse-grained gravel, either. It is also recommended that you arrange lush plants, artificial or real.
??Daily??
Because Alabama red-bellied turtles are more neurotic than other turtles, care should also be taken in choosing a breeding site. In high-traffic locations, turtles can become stressed by constant mental stress. This can also lead to carapace damage: out of panic, turtles frequently jump into the water from where they bask, causing pressure injuries to the edges of the carapace, which can lead to infection and possibly death. Therefore, when starting to build a turtle breeding ground, whether it is indoors or outdoors, it is necessary to pay attention to this neurotic personality tendency of the Alabama red-bellied turtle.
??Breeding??
The Alabama red-bellied turtle lays 7 to 14 eggs at a time, with an incubation period of 42 to 49 days. Their nesting behavior is very different from other turtles. The tortoises climbed to land early and wandered among the grass for two weeks until they found a suitable place to lay their eggs. In contrast, the Alabama red-bellied tortoise crawls onto land once or twice??usually at night or early in the morning??and then quickly digs a shallow nest, often in the grass, allowing the eggs Difficult to be discovered. The female turtle buries the nest very roughly, and does not use the plastron to compress the soil. Turtle nests can usually be found by means of soil that was dug up during the nesting process and not filled back in.
