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

Types of monkeys and their names

Monkeys are primates classified according to scientific jargon in the Platirrinos or monkeys of the new world and the Cercopitecoideos or monkeys of the old world.The hominoids, which would be primates that have no tail, where man enters. Animals such as orangutan, chimpance, gorilla or gibbons also do not enter the scientific classification of monkeys, since the latter, in addition to having a tail, have a more primitive skeleton and are small animals. Then you can see the scientific classification of monkeys in more detail, where you can distinguish two different parvordenes and a total of six families of monkeys, all this in this article of Animals and Pets Online.The different types of monkeys and their names you can see them below: Classification of the Simiiform infraorder To correctly understand everything about the types of monkeys we must detail that there are a total of 6 families of monkeys grouped in 2 different parvordenes. Parvorden Platyrrhini: This in...

The sand bath of the chinchillas

Why didn't you know that the chinchillas can't get wet or swim with water ? Well, this is because of their fur that is very fine and abundant, and it costs a lot to dry, so that if it stays a little wet, these rodents can suffer many skin problems. That is why they have a special way to clean and keep their fur in good condition, and it is bathing with a special sand.When they are wild, the chinchillas are kept clean with the volcanic ash that is in their natural habitat but, when they are Domestic, these rodents must have a specific bath sand for them. Want to know more? Then keep reading this article of Animals and Pets Online in which we are going to explain everything you need to know about the sand bath of the chinchillas and all the things that have to be taken into account to give it to you, because it does not only form part of their daily hygiene, but also is an activity that they love to do and with which they have fun and relax. How do chinchillas bathe? ...

How many times do you have to walk a dog?

There are many people who have doubts about how many Sometimes a dog must go for a walk and it is that there is no exact number of walks that can be considered the ideal, as well as a certain time.Each dog is different and has specific needs, for that reason, in this Animals and Pets Online article we will talk about the needs of walking in dogs, according to their age and characteristics. Do not forget that the walk is a very important routine for the dog, since It depends on her well-being and part of her daily socialization.Find out below how many times you have to walk a dog a day ! How many times should a puppy walk? After three months most puppies have already started on the vaccination schedule and, at that time, they are ready to start their first walks .This routine It is essential if we have a puppy dog, since we must teach him to urinate in the street, allow him to socialize with other dogs or people and make sure he enjoys this activity, as he will do it throug...

15 pollinating animals - Characteristics and examples

What is pollination? Reproduction of most plant species occurs sexually, that is, it requires the union of female and male cells for fertilization .Cells are found in pollen (male), so it needs to be transferred to the flower pistil (female), where fertilization occurs and, after this process, the flower becomes a fruit with seeds. So, when we talk about the reproduction of plants, the intervention of a third party is often required, which is known as " pollinator " to do it possible. These pollinating agents can be insects, other animals and even natural elements such as water and wind.In the case of animal species, they have found a balance with the flora and evolved together, so that plants have been able to produce flowers of different aromas, shapes and colors in order to attract pollinating agents to feed on the nectar. When animals feed on the nectar, transport pollen involuntarily on their legs, wings or another part of the body.When covered with polle...

How to massage a cat?

Although cats have the undeserved reputation of being little affectionate animals, the truth is that the vast majority of our feline companions will enjoy, enormously, the massages that we can dedicate to them.Especially if we want to improve our bond with him, the practice of massages is especially recommended. In this article from ExpertAnimal, to get the best results, we will explain how to give a cat a massage so that it relaxes in a complete step by step.We will see the benefits that this practice can bring us, as well as the precautions we have to take and some additional information about cat massage. Do cats like caresses? Before explaining how to give a cat a relaxing massage correctly, we must be clear that the vast majority of cats like and enjoy the caresses that we provide humans.Cats are animals that we have tamed and this has allowed them, even as adults, to maintain childish characteristics.For them their human caretakers are like their mothers and that is why...

My chinchilla doesn't drink water

If you have recently adopted a chinchilla as a pet you may have doubts about the behavior or the habits of this.The chinchilla is a somewhat reserved and scary rodent, especially the first few days. If you have observed that your chinchilla does not drink water , calm down, then we will explain some possible causes and what you should do to solve this problem. Keep reading this article from Animal Expert to answer your questions: Knowing the chinchillas To begin with, you should know that the chinchillas don't drink a lot of water , on the contrary they usually take small sips occasionally and especially at night.If you observe urine, your chinchilla is probably drinking. Animals and Pets Online advises you to mark with a marker the water line in the drinking fountain to find out if you are really drinking or not. Anyway, it is essential to explain that these animals They are especially suspicious when they arrive at our home.Stress and excessive noise will cause you to...

What does a baby rabbit eat?

Rabbits are animals that are increasingly earning popularity as pets.Therefore, whether you have just adopted a newborn or if you have rescued him to take care of him for a while, you should know that at each stage of their lives they require a series of specific care, among which the type of Feeding that suits them best. The correct feeding of a baby rabbit should be based on something more than a random selection of green foods or commercial feed, since this is its general health and life.Do you want to start raising your rabbit correctly from the beginning? Then keep reading this Animals and Pets Online article about that a baby rabbit eats and find out everything. Milk, the first food of the rabbit baby The only food for a baby rabbit during its first days of life is breast milk.It would be best to consume it from the moment of birth to the seventh week of life, but we know that in all cases this is not possible.Yes, if you have to take care of the feeding of a small new...

Most common diseases in horses

Horse colic Already addressing the corresponding article on the most common diseases in horses, colic is a set of diseases that lead to spasmodic pain in the abdomen .Remember that it may be due to multiple causes, and therefore its treatment is different depending on what it obeys, but in general the signs that we will find in a horse suffering from colic will be: Sweating Nerviosismo Uncontrolled movements, even self-harm: hitting the flanks with the hind legs... The animal can roll over itself to relieve pain, what can aggravate the picture Dehydration Constipation/diarrhea Anti-algae postures to avoid pain: seated animal if it is a colic whose origin is in a dilation of stomach by cumulus of gases. Although with the colic term we include too many pathologies to be able to generalize (since it impacts cion of the large intestine for not being able to eliminate fecal matter, even the presence of foreign bodies in the intestine), there are certain guidelines that c...

Mandarin duck reproduction

The mandarin duck ( Aix galericulata ) is a native bird of the Asian continent , extended especially in China and Japan, which can currently be found in certain regions of England and the United States, either at liberty or as wildlife in ornamental gardens.It is estimated that there are about 66,000 copies. This stationary species weighs almost half a kilo and is recognized for its beautiful colors, although very few people know that only males hold them.Would you like to know why? Then read this article on the reproduction of the mandarin duck . How to distinguish between male and female? Most of the year the female and the mandarin duck machol share a similar coloration , between ocher brown and brownish quite uniform, with some white areas, however, during the mating season the plumage of the male is dressed in bright colors, with the intention of attracting the female. Thus, the colors of the male become bright dark green and red in the area of the head, and in the...

How does the change of address affect dogs?

Domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, They are usually very sensitive to the changes that occur in their environment, stressing and even getting sick from things like the arrival of a baby or another pet or a move. It is because What we want to talk to you about How does the change of address affect dogs? , so you can have the necessary tools to help your dog overcome this change and that the process is not traumatic for him. Similarly, from Animal Expert we urge you to not abandon your pet before a change of address, however far away it may be: always you can get a place that is suitable for both of you, and the adaptation will be easier for both of you if you go through it together, with the love you have always had. Why does a move affect dogs? Dogs are not only animals of customs , but also are territorial , so a house change It implies for them to abandon what they have already marked as their territory, to enter a completely new one. It is perfectly norma...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog