Common Causes of Individual Fear Encountered in Turtle Farming
Many reptile friends for the breeding of turtles, sometimes encounter reptile pets in poor condition, similar to the fear of fear of emergency behavior, this situation requires targeted analysis and make corresponding measures to improve the state of the turtle.
I. the environmental problems may trigger the turtle's fear of stress.
New environment adaptation period, just change the feeding environment or introduce new turtles, temperature, water quality, light and other parameters change easily lead to nervousness of the turtle, manifested as shrinking shell, refuse to eat or hide. Therefore, we should minimize the frequency of water changes, keep the environment stable, and provide shelters (such as sunken wood and water plants) to relieve anxiety.
Extreme weather or sudden changes in temperature,sudden cooling, heavy rain or direct air conditioning can lead to metabolic disorders in turtles, triggering stressful stopping of food or slow movement. Our plan to cope with this is to use heating rods to maintain a constant water temperature (25-30°C) and avoid temperature differences of more than 3°C.
II.human disturbance and improper handling behavior.
Noise and physical stimulation, high decibel noise (e.g. electrical appliances, firecrackers) or direct water impact on the turtle body will cause panic fleeing or long-term shell shrinkage. Therefore, our keeping environment should be far away from noisy areas, and avoid high-pressure water gun impacting the turtle body when cleaning.
Frequent playing or inappropriate interaction, excessive grasping, throwing or mixing with turtles with big size difference will trigger the turtle to be continuously nervous or even self-mutilation. Therefore, we should minimize unnecessary touching and make sure that the tortoises are of similar size and provide sufficient space for activities when mixing.
III. Feeding management problems.
Water quality and feeding fluctuations, too big a temperature difference during water change or sudden change of feed will lead to indigestion, diarrhea or refusal to eat. Therefore, before changing water, let the water stand and adjust the temperature, and gradually transition to new feeds (mixing the old food in increasing proportion).
Light and water level discomfort, strong direct light or water level is too deep (especially juvenile turtles) will trigger restlessness, manifested as frequent impact on the tank wall. Reasonable UVB light is 30-40cm away from the basking platform, and the water level of juvenile turtles is controlled within 1 times of the height of the dorsal armor.
In addition, we should always observe the status of the turtles and make timely judgment on their health status.
Normal performance: active basking, regular feeding, feces molding, quickly shrinking the shell in case of danger.
Abnormal signals: long-term shell shrinkage, floating without sinking, eye swelling, skin ulceration or abnormal feces.
