Turtle aligator: characteristics and photos

There are certainly many ways to enjoy animals, and why not observing one of the fiercest animals in nature.Yes, the alligator turtle is also known as caiman turtle for its scaly skin, similar to that of a crocodile, and its powerful bite With more and more followers like us, this turtle is one of the most curious and fierce specimens on planet earth.

Origin

The aligator turtle comes from the US , lives in the Misissipi and is known for being one of the largest water turtles in the area.We can also find it in the Suwanee rivers or tributaries of Texas and Florida.It is these areas that have the best conditions for the development of our exotic friend.

Reaches sexual maturity between the ages of 11 or 13 in both sexes, and practically does not present diformism sexual.At the time of reproduction build a nest in the sand or mix with peat and litter both at the edge of the water and on the mainland. Lays eggs only once a year and usually appear between 10 and 50 eggs that will take about 100 and even 140 days of incubation to hatch.As a curiosity we will add that according to the incubation temperature being able to be high, it will result in the birth of females and in case of being lower, males.

They can have a very long life, thus reaching 70 to in captivity , something that does not happen in all species, although if their development is different, they tend to be smaller.

Daily coexistence between males and females is impossible, because it generates a lot aggressiveness among them.On the other hand, although coexistence between females is not common, it can happen if both are well fed.

It is present on earth for more than 10 million years , for this reason the alligator turtle is a real dinosaur.It is currently in a state of threat from the poaching of man and the destruction of its habitat.

Physical appearance

Turtles are usually slow, peaceful and hide in their shell in fear of becoming prey.The turtle aligator , belonging to the family Chelydridae , although not an aggressive turtle, stands out for the ferocity of its bite much more powerful than in the other species.

There are three different species , according to a recent study of National Geographic, and can live about a century.

It is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world , reaching an impressive size of up to about 80 kilos in approximately 75 centimeters in length.Measures that leave no one indifferent.The heaviest specimen reached 110 kilos in weight, which is a barbarity.It highlights its two limits, the big head, wide, robust and imposing and at the end of his body we find a tail that can become as long as his whole body together oe even more.

The strong point of this turtle's physiognomy is its vermiform tongue , bright red, similar to the shape of the worms and used as bait by the ability to attract fish.Its brown, gray and generally dark colors make it easier for you to camouflage with the environment and more easily catch its prey.

Â Why does the caiman turtle impose so much ?

It is not only its physical appearance or its great qualities as a predator, the alligator turtle has a fearsome physiognomy.Its shell is covered with three crests with different peaks, the face is full of spikes and with his mouth he could tear out a human hand without any problem.

Behavior

Alligator turtles are distant relatives of common snapping turtles although the former have less aggressiveness than the latter.Despite the fierce aspect of the turtle caiman the truth is that it has a very studied technique and does not launch with agitation to attack, rather it waits with its mouth open to have the chance to properly catch its prey so that it cannot flee.

It has certain customs that characterize it in their day to day, they are quite methodical turtles.For example, does not usually move through land , inhabits almost all the time in the water moving through the bottom, where it is easier to get food. It usually remains still , hidden between rocks, plants and shadows to catch clueless prey that they approach without knowing that they will serve as a link in the food chain of this exotic animal.

Feeding

At the beginning of its life, the aligator turtle is carnivore and over the years it becomes omnivore , thus accepting new foods.

In the wild it feeds on fish, amphibians, snakes, crustaceans and even carrona.On the other hand, in captivity it accepts any type of meat such as rodents, beef, chicken and pork.It is predatory.

Captivity

Fans of exotic pets have large aquariums with this wonderful species, even so because of their threat status in the free state as well as the risks involved, it is not recommended their possession in captivity .

It is a turtle that only experts must possess and should never be collected from its natural environment , since it is protected in many natural areas and natural parks such as in Venezuela.

You need plenty of space, both water and land because of the large size that reach adults.They are calm and live happily in environments where they find dense vegetation, rocks and live dams.As a minimum you must have an aquarium one meter deep to house this powerful species.

The temperature of the terrarium should be around 22ÂºC and 29ÂºC approximately, so while in summer you can enjoy live in a large pond, in winter we must locate rla inside the house with the corresponding heater to maintain the temperature.

As we said before this turtle, even as a defense mechanism, can be really aggressive so you should have a lot Caution and consult an expert if you want to buy one.

Comments

Why are flamingos pink?

Flamingos are birds belonging to the genus Phoenicopterus , of which three living species are known, Phoenicopterus chilensis (Chilean flamingo), Phoenicopterus roseus (common flamingo) and Phoenicopterus ruber (pink flamingo) , all of them pink when they are adults. This unique bird of great size and peculiar appearance, is able to travel long distances during the time of migration.They live in wetlands, where they feed and raise their chicks , only one per couple.At birth, the chickens are white-gray with certain black areas of the body but, when they reach adulthood, they acquire a marvel and characteristic pink color. In this article of Animals and Pets Online We will discover how this bird acquires this emblematic bird and solve your doubt about because the flamingos are pink , don't miss it! The color of the birds The color of birds is the result of the accumulation of pigments in intergumentary structures (skin or, mainly, feathers).Birds do not produce a...

Malt for cats - Different uses and how often to offer it

Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours grooming.lick ingest a lot of hair.If you live with a cat, you've sure seen it seen coughing and even vomiting hairballs. That's when some people turn to cat malt , a very useful product of natural origin that improves digestion and intestinal transit of our cat. Discover in Animals and Pets Online everything related to malt for cats, including the necessary doses, at what age It should be offered or information about vomiting.All the benefits of this product below: What is malt? Cat malt is a paste of color similar to honey and denser texture .It consists of vegetable oils and fats, malt extract, fiber, dairy products and yeast mainly.It also often contains dyes, preservatives and vitamins. There are numerous brands in the market with different formats.The most frequent is in the form of a tube of toothpaste.The composition varies slightly according to the brand but the basis is malt extract.Some cats show a prefe...

My lovebird has diarrhea - Causes and treatment

Lovebird has become one of the most frequently birds they find in our homes.Their color, their beauty, and that nickname of "inseparable" that we like so much, makes them as appreciated as the canaries were once. But the arrival of any bird, exotic or not , puts us in front of new situations that sometimes we are not accustomed to face.Animals and Pets Online will try to help distinguish pathological situations from those that are not, and to handle us in the event that our lovebird has diarrhea , In the following article we explain the possible causes that cause it . It is not always diarrhea, even if it seems We may notice that there are more liquid stools than usual in our lovebird on the floor of the cage and identify it as diarrhea, even if it is not. Evacuations Sewers in birds are made up of a greenish part (they can vary in color if they take feed, they are real feces), a white part (urates, mineral salts), and a liquid part (urine).Everything goes out...

Frugivoros Animals - Characteristics and +20 Examples

Frugivorous animals are those that base their diet on the consumption of fruits , or much of what they consume is made up of this type of food.In the animal kingdom, many species are frugivorous, from insects to large mammals. The plants that produce fruits are the angiosperms .In this group, the flowers of the female plants or the female parts of a hermaphrodite plant have an ovary with several ovules that, when fertilized by a sperm, thickens and changes color, acquiring very attractive nutritional qualities for animals. 20% of the known species of Mammals are frugivorous animals, so this type of diet is very significant and important among animals. At first glance, frugivorous animals do not seem to possess distinctive features of animals not frugivoros, even less if they are omnivorous animals that, although they can be feed on many products, its main food is fruit. The main qualities appear along the digestive tract , starting with the mouth or beak.In mammals or o...

What do my dog's barks mean

As we know, dogs communicate in many different ways both with each other and with the rest of living beings and some do it so clearly that humans often say that "if you do not need to speak, you already know what you want to tell me and how to do it." It is important to know that Dogs communicate in many ways for example with their smell, their body, with vocalizations and looks, etc.In the case of voice communication, barking is perhaps the most recognizable form of communication in dogs, but they are not the only form since they also shout, snort or snort, grunt and groan. In this new article of Animals and Pets Online we are going to focus on a single aspect of the communication of the canids, the barking.Certainly there are very varied barks but all they have their reason for being.If you want to know what your dog's barking means read on and then you will see the different types and meanings of their barking. Continuous, fast and medium tone barks Dogs use...

Types of canaries and their names

How many races of canaries are there? At present, more than 30 types of canaries are known , this being the most abundant species of domestic bird in the world with parakeets, although there are many classifications possible, the canary breeds are usually divided into three large groups: Singing canaries : here, we find the most coveted breeds in canariculture, thanks to their incredible ability to learn and play melodies complex and a great variety of sounds.In the next sections we will see the main races of singing canaries. Canaries by color : this, perhaps, is the most basic classification of canaries, based on the color of their feathers.It is divided into subgroups according to the predominant pigments in its plumage, the lipochromic canaries (shades of dominant and recessive white, yellow and red) and the melancholic canaries (colors black, agate, green, bromine, isabela, brown and tona corrugated qualities). The position or position canaries : also called a design or...

Should parrots' wings be cut?

Having parrots at home is very common.They are small pets , colorful and very funny to see in their day to day.However, with the popularity they gain as companions of human homes, the number of people who choose to cut their wings to prevent them from escaping also increases. This practice that may seem common, has its detractors when it comes to thinking about the most beneficial for the bird.Do you want to know if the wings of the parrots should be cut ? Keep reading This article from Animal Expert! How are parrot wings cut? Before telling you whether or not it is advisable to cut the wings of your parrot, it is necessary to explain a little about how the process is carried out and the modifications that it implies in these limbs of the birds. When we talk about cutting the wings, there are two main procedures and some levels in each.The first of these processes is the alectomy , which consists in removing the distal phalanges of the wing and removing the primary feathers ,...

How to scare stray cats? - 15 non-harmful remedies

The presence of stray cats In the home it is not always welcome, especially if they defecate, dig and break the decorative plants or the garden.In fact, it can be considered a risk situation if they are also wild cats, since they are not properly socialized and can be carriers of parasites and viral diseases, factors that can worry parents and animal owners. Therefore, although we consider ourselves animalistic, we can face a serious dilemma when we want to scare off street cats that appear in our garden or terrace.Is there a really effective repellent for cats? How to drive away cats without harming them? Is it possible to apply any method to drive away effective and lasting stray cats? Or worse: it may not even be street cats, but domestic cats that take advantage of your garden to do their needs.What should we do then? In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain How to drive away stray cats with basic and effective advice, we will propose some home remedie...

How to care for an epileptic cat

Epilepsy is not an exclusive disease of the human being, dogs and cats also suffer , being in these small felines much more common than we might initially think, which is due to numerous causes ranging from genetic inheritance to various physical problems. Symptoms of epilepsy in cats are very similar to which a human could experience, and although the most characteristic is the seizure, in the feline we can also observe other signals that prepare us to provide the necessary assistance. While it is true that a feline that presents This disease will necessarily require various veterinary care, there are also certain recommendations that we must adopt at home.In this article of Animal Expert we show you how to care for an epileptic cat in order to offer you the best quality of possible life. Recognizing the symptoms of epilepsy in cats Epilepsy in cats is a disease that becomes evident when our pet suffers a spontaneous seizure , however, to be prepared to provide all the necess...

8 gray cat breeds

Gray cat breeds with blue eyes Next, we talk about some of the gray cat breeds that have impressive blue eyes: Gray Persian cat There is a great variety in the world of Persian cats, of all colors and sizes, which makes this breed one of the most famous and desired.The gray Persian cat is descended from the Angora cat , a Turkish species that exists since Antiquity: Its appearance makes it look like an obese cat, however, this is because the breed is robust and muscular, also, the head is rounded by nature. The eyes are large and colorful Intense, which can range from blue to yellowish and greenish hues.Gray Persian cats are usually very affectionate and silent , they love being in company, so they always attract the attention of their human companions and look for caresses. Turkish Angora Although it is common to observe it with white fur, there are examples of Turkish angora whose fur is gray.As the name implies, this animal is originally from Turkey , it is a very h...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog