How to determine the age of turtles: by size and number of rings on the shell

Unless you know when a turtle was born, it is almost impossible to know its exact age.
Although you can count the rings on a turtle's belly, this method is usually better for determining when the turtle has eaten and when it has not. If your turtle is still small, you can compare it to the size of other turtles in its class to estimate its age. On a note! Determining age based on external characteristics (size, weight, number of growth lines) becomes increasingly inaccurate as a turtle ages and is highly unlikely in older animals. A turtle's appearance can say a lot about its life with its previous owners, but little about its age.

Height and growth rate of turtles

The growth of the turtles can be seen by the light seams between the carapace scutes. If the turtle grows quickly, the new horny layers along the periphery of the scutes become very light, then processes of pigment cells (dermal melanophores) grow there and pigment is transferred along them, usually in the form of thin rays or dark spots. When these growth rings “age”, the pigmented zones will not differ from the previous ones. This is the cost of accelerated growth in captivity. (c) D.B. Vasiliev.

As young turtles grow, their body shape and shell color change. The shell elongates and darkens. When the turtle grows and becomes sexually mature, if it is a male, then it may have a depression on the plastron, a thicker and longer tail, and long claws. Eye color and nose color may also change.

Parameters of red-eared turtles born and living in nature:

Parameters of land turtles, turtles born and living in nature (using the example of Testudo hermanni):

At home, the growth of a turtle depends on the size of the aquarium/terrarium, frequency of feeding, diet, and the addition of calcium to the food.

Causes of premature death

The most common causes of death of pets are:

1. Improper conditions of detention. Small aquarium, dirty unfiltered water, untimely cleaning, inappropriate temperature conditions.
2. Infections. They can appear from aquarium plants, decorative elements, and live food.
3. Poor nutrition and lack of vitamins. In nature, a turtle can compensate for the deficiency of any element on its own; when kept at home, monitoring the diet is the owner’s task.
4. Lack of qualified veterinary specialists who can correctly and timely diagnose health problems and prescribe adequate treatment.

Red-eared turtles in nature

What makes determining the age of a turtle so difficult?

Size and weight are only conditionally acceptable for determining the age of Greek land tortoises. Forms of secondary sexual characteristics are also not suitable for determining age, since they are related to growth, which in turn is related to nutrition and maintenance. In some cases, a four-year-old animal raised in an apartment may already be a sexually mature animal, on par with the size of an adult animal taken from the wild.

How to determine the age of turtles: by size and number of rings on the shell.

Turtles are capable of reproducing into old age and regenerating this state. The color and pattern of the shell and plastron can change throughout a turtle's youth and adulthood and go hand in hand with growth as it ages. Wild animals have to deal with extreme weather conditions, thorny bushes and sharp rocks, predators and fires, so their carapace ages faster than those of neat animals in captivity. However, there are some external functions that can at least be used to determine the life phases of a turtle

What to avoid when keeping

Despite the apparent indifference to everything that surrounds it, the turtle can experience severe stress. If Central Asian land turtles live in captivity, they are sensitive to the attitude of their owners towards them. Loud sounds in the house and rude screams disturb the usual calm environment and can lead the animal to a nervous breakdown. Therefore, you should take the following postulates as a rule:

1. Be careful when handling the reptile, do not drop the animal or frighten it with sharp sounds. If children play with the pet, adults should supervise the process.
2. If you notice anything strange in your reptile's behavior or appearance, do not delay checking with a veterinarian. Refusal to eat, changes in the shape of the shell, lethargy, the appearance of tumors and ulcers are serious signals of illness.
3. When purchasing new armored reptiles, quarantine them for a month. At this time, the future neighbor must live separately.
4. Do not keep reptiles of different species in the same terrarium.
5. If the reptile escaped from the aquarium and cannot be found, place a bowl of water and your pet's favorite food indoors. Turtles have good eyesight and will respond quickly to treats and water.
6. Remember that the depth of the reservoir should allow the animal to easily stick its head out and keep it on the surface.
7. Install two thermometers in the aquarium: one for water, the other for air.

What are turtle growth rings

Turtles that grow in their natural environment regularly alternate between growth and pause phases each year. Therefore, every spring/summer a new growth ring is formed along the growth plates. (photo 1)

Thus, the better the turtle keeper is able to recreate the natural annual rhythm, the more uniformly the growth rings/stripes appear, and the easier it becomes to determine the age of the animal under human care.

Turtle growth rings (photo 1).

Turtle growth rings (photo 2).

Turtle growth rings (photo 3).

More difficult is determining the age based on the growth rings of turtles, which begin to hibernate in a warm terrarium, then hibernate outdoors or in an incubator, and in April wake up again in a heated house. There are several growth phases per year, as is the case with this 5-year-old Testudo Hermanni Boettgeri. (photo 2)

It is almost impossible to determine age based on rings on turtles that did not hibernate from their youth, during their period of greatest growth. In this case, their growth lines are irregular and barely outlined with each other, as is the case with the animal shown in the photo, which spent its youth in the living room without hibernating. (photo 3)

The first years of a turtle's life

Already in the egg, the first growth ring is laid on the vertebral and rib plates of the shell. Growth rings are not yet visible on the plastron. (photo 4). The same animal a year later: (photo 5).

Turtle annual rings (photo 4).

Turtle annual rings (photo 5).

In the first year of life, a second ring is formed on the carapace and plastron. If the fry are kept warm, receive more food and their hibernation takes place in a shorter period than that of older animals, then already in the first year of life the animals can observe the formation of 2 - 3 growth rings. If turtles are in their natural habitat and often burrow into the ground in the fall, where they barely grow in their first winter, only one growth ring can be observed in such individuals in the first year of life.

Turtle annual rings (photo 6).

Turtle annual rings (photo 7).

Until about 12 years of age, you can get a fairly clear estimate of age by counting growth lines for turtles that have been in their natural habitat. (photo 6, 7).

At the age of 5 years, the structure of the growth lines, on the so-called baby plates, begins to disappear and is barely visible after 8 years of the turtle's life. In the harsh conditions of life in the wild, this is certainly likely to take longer than for turtles living in terrariums. Thus, the existing clear structure of the growth line of the children's plates indicates the young age of the turtle, even if the animal is already very large.

What difficulties may arise

Turtles are considered long-lived. These amphibians can live almost 120 years. And if all maintenance measures are followed when keeping them at home, then reptiles can outlive not only their owners, but also their children and even grandchildren.

In captivity, this amphibian animal can be kept in simple conditions; they do not require special care. But you definitely need to equip an aquarium with a large volume, about 150-200 liters. It must maintain a temperature of at least 25-30 degrees.

It is worth noting! Until a certain age, it is almost impossible to determine the sex and age of a land turtle. Full puberty begins at about 6-8 years of age, but visible signs may appear even later than this time.

Middle aged turtle

With age, the growing new growth rings shrink and are so close to each other that their boundaries can only be seen through a magnifying glass. The approximate age of such individuals is about 15 years. The animal has almost reached its final size. (photo 8).

Turtle annual rings (photo 8).

Turtle annual rings (photo 9).

The growth rings on the carapace and plastron begin to gradually level out when the turtle is 30 years old. The horny plates become smoother. This process takes place over several decades. (photo 9).

Third way

Another evidence of the years the turtle has lived is the intensity of the color of the shell and the structure of its body. The younger the turtle, the lighter and brighter its color.

Only at four years old does the animal’s shell begin to darken. During this period, the age rings that appear on the shell are the same color as the previous ones, but the old ones become increasingly darker. Over time, they almost turn black, which is why older reptiles also become almost black.

In addition, in mature turtles, the shell acquires a regular oval shape over the years, loses its surface roughness, becoming almost smooth with grooves barely perceptible to the touch.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the age of any animal is indicated primarily by its behavior - young individuals of all types of earthly fauna are curious, active, and have a large supply of energy; mature age reminds itself of its poise, sometimes fatigue and a sedentary lifestyle. Turtles are no exception in this regard.

Old turtles 50+

Greek tortoises can live longer than humans. In the photo there are 2 females over 100 years old. (photo 10, 11).

Turtle annual rings (photo 10).

Turtle annual rings (photo 11).

The following external signs may indicate an old turtle:

• absolutely smooth plates without growth rings;
• worn claws;
• artificial irregularities (chips) of the shell and plastron.

In a natural habitat, the aging process of the bone plate and limbs naturally develops faster than in a protected environment in a terrarium.

• "monolithic shell";
• completely healed injuries;
• jagged plastron, more often in males than in females; changing the original color of the carapace to a lighter one;
• erasure and final disappearance of the black pattern on the carapace and plastron.

Turtle annual rings (photo 12).

Turtle annual rings (photo 13).

Turtle annual rings (photo 14).

How to count the rings on a turtle's shell

Select a shield to count. To determine age, you can count the number of rings on the turtle's shield. The scute is the shell that covers the turtle's shell. Keep in mind that the ring usually grows when the turtle is feeding and hungry, so this method should only be used as a rough estimate. In other words, turtles develop rings when they are very hungry or have enough food, not just in winter and summer.

Count the rings. The ring in the scutellum usually consists of a wider ring of one color and a narrow ring of another color, which alternately grow. Theoretically, the wider range represents a period of adequate nutrition, especially during the warmer months. In contrast, the narrower circle represents a period of food shortage, usually in winter. Therefore, by counting the number of rings and dividing by 2, you can approximately estimate the age of the turtle.

• Look for the ring. The scutum does not reflect the age of the turtle, so there is no need to count the scutum. To be precise, you need to find the ring inside the shield.

Estimate age. After counting the rings, guess the age of the turtle. For example, let's say a turtle has 14 rings and every 2 rings represent a year, you can assume the turtle is 7 years old.

• Both farmed and wild turtles have rings.
• After the turtle reaches 15 years of age, the ring will be longer and denser, and at this time it is difficult to determine age.

Count the rings on the turtle's shell.

Measure the turtle's shell.

Boy or girl?

The sex of a reptile can be determined only after its shell reaches a length of 12-14 cm; at an early age it is impossible to distinguish between them. The best way to determine the sex of turtles is by comparing representatives of both sexes.

The male's claws will be longer and thicker. The ventral part of the shell, the plastron, is concave in males and flat in females. The eyes of females are brighter in color - this is their only decoration, and the only way to attract a partner.

The shape of the shell in boys is long and narrow, while in girls it is round and short.

The cloaca in males is in the form of a longitudinal line, and in females it is in the form of an asterisk. The tail of males is wide at the base and thick along its entire length. In females it is thin at the base and short.

The sex of reptiles is also determined by their behavior: males are more active, show more interest in females, flirt, nod their heads, bite the neck.

To correctly determine the sex and age for breeding turtles in captivity, it is better to seek advice from veterinarians who can more accurately answer these questions.

Measure the turtle's size

Measure the size of the turtle. A turtle's size can be used to determine its age, especially when it is very young. Measure it from start to finish and get a general idea of ​​its size. Try to get the turtle to stand still so you can measure it with a ruler. Place tasty food in front of the turtle so that it can poke its head out of its shell.

Find the typical size of turtles of this species. Find out your turtle's species growth chart. Be sure to find your turtle type, even turtles of the same name have different sizes. You can search online or go to the library to find out what kind of turtle you have.

• For example, a southern tortoise usually does not exceed 15 cm, while a large western tortoise can grow up to 20 cm.
• Farmed turtles grow faster than wild turtles. Please note that increasing size may give a misleading idea of ​​the turtle's age.

Compare the turtle with the size chart. Once you find the size chart, see how your turtle compares to the chart. If the turtle is not yet fully grown, you can estimate its age roughly.

On a note! A low quality shell can make a turtle appear older than it actually is. For example, if a turtle has been malnourished for several years, its shell may be rough and uneven, causing people to misunderstand its age. Therefore, when guessing the age, do not pay too much attention to the appearance of the turtle.

Lifespan of turtles

The loss of eggs due to nest predators is 40-95%. The survival rate of young animals is 10-55%; at the age of 10 to 15 years, 10-15% die per year. A complete change of generations occurs every 20 years, and animals aged 30 years are already rare. At home, turtles often die from infections and poor maintenance. But on average, small turtles live for 50 years, large ones for 80 years, and very large ones for 150-200 years.

Approximate data taken from observations of herpetologists in Zoos and private collections:

• Central Asian - 40-50 years; red-eared - 40-50 years;
• Indian roofing turtle (Kachuga tecta) - 37 years;
• box turtles - 50-100 years;
• Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) - 60 years; desert gopher (Gopherus agassizii), sea turtles - 80 years;
• radiant - 85 years;
• Balkan (Testudo hermanni) - 90 years;
• spur-bearing - 115 years;
• Galapagos, Seychelles - 150-180 years.

The lifespan of a turtle depends greatly on its care. Some people have turtles that are 20-30 years old or even 40-50 years old, but many of them, due to poor maintenance, have many senile diseases and do not live long.

Basic information about redears

Representatives of the breed are aquatic reptiles, but they require an island of land. Such requests can be satisfied by purchasing a special tank - an aquaterrarium, and equipping it properly. In addition, such a container can be selected to match the design of the room, making it a real decoration of the room, and without compromising the comfort of its inhabitants.

When purchasing a cute little turtle, you should take into account that the pet will grow to a very impressive size. Life expectancy (from 30 to 50 years) is related to the living conditions of the reptile; the closer they are to natural ones, the longer the pet will live. The owner should know the age of the “red ear” not out of idle curiosity, but for two important reasons:

• to provide her with the most comfortable conditions;
• determine the appropriate diet and feeding regimen.