Snapping turtles

We know that we also raise pet turtles, and some people can raise turtles very well. It is very prosperous, but the turtles raised by some people are very thin. It seems that different environments and different raising methods have a certain effect on the growth of pet turtles. Let’s take a look at the factors that affect the growth of snapping turtles.

1. Important factors for growth

Temperature is an important factor for the growth of snapping turtles. The optimal growth temperature for snapping turtles is around 30°C, when food intake is strongest and growth is fastest. When the temperature is higher than 33°C and lower than 25°C, growth is suppressed, so the time suitable for snapping turtles to grow is very short in a year. Under natural conditions, the Yangtze River Basin in China does not exceed about 3 months a year. Therefore, juvenile snapping turtles and young snapping turtles grow very slowly. And because different places have different advantages and disadvantages when they are at their optimum growth, the growth rate of snapping turtles has regional differences.

2. Growth characteristics

Individual snapping turtles have the following growth characteristics.

1. There are obvious differences in the growth rate of snapping turtles at different age stages. In the past, snapping turtles in the Yangtze River Basin could weigh 50-100 grams, with 500-1,250 grams at the second age and 1,500-2,500 grams at the third age. Their growth rate has slowed down significantly since their fourth age. This is because the gonads mature from the age of 4 and a large amount of nutrients are converted into sex cell development.

2. Under similar breeding conditions, the growth rates of snapping turtles with no common characteristics are significantly different. When the body weight is between 1-1.5 kg, female snapping turtles grow about 40% faster than male snapping turtles; when the body weight is between 1.5-2 kg, male snapping turtles grow faster than female snapping turtles.

3. Under the same feeding conditions, the growth rates of juvenile snapping turtles are also significantly different. This is closely related to factors such as the size of the eggs, the individual weight of the juvenile snapping turtle, and the strength of its ability to compete for food. Its body weight can sometimes vary by 1-4 times. Therefore, during artificial growth, individual large brood snapping turtles must be used for intensive breeding to ensure the production of large eggs and lay the conditions for the breeding and development of juvenile snapping turtles. During the artificial breeding process, snapping turtles must be raised in separate ponds according to individual size, that is, time grade. Maintaining uniform specifications is a key method to promote the growth of snapping turtles.

Snapping turtles grow slowly from hatchlings to hatchlings weighing more than 50 grams. However, in the hatchling stage, as long as the temperature and feed are consistent, the adult snapping turtles will grow slowly.Grows very quickly. In our country, if intensively raised under temperature control conditions, the annual weight gain can reach more than 2.5 kilograms, while the annual weight gain of giant snapping turtles can reach more than 5 kilograms, and the general annual weight gain is 1-1.5 kilograms. The body weight of adults is generally 2.5-5 kg. The largest snapping turtle weighs 33.75 kilograms, and the average weight is about 13.5 kilograms. Snapping turtles weighing 18-27 kilograms are rare. According to statistics, the life span of snapping turtles living in nature is 30-40 years, and the life span of snapping turtles in northeastern North America is longer.

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