The Turtle Lady Pet Blog

  • Home
  • The Turtle Lady Pet Blog

The Turtle Lady Pet Blog This is my personal blog to share my ideas and stories about my shelled friends.

The muscular system in turtles is very different than in other vertebrates. Muscles that are usually used to flex and tw...
12/01/2023

The muscular system in turtles is very different than in other vertebrates. Muscles that are usually used to flex and twist in the backbone, in most animals, are almost completely obsolete in turtles. This is due to their spine being rigid. However, they have well developed muscles in their necks which allows them to retract into their shell.

When we breathe, our chest expands and then retracts, pulling in air and then releasing it. A turtle’s chest can’t do this because of their hard plastron. Instead, their lungs inflate and take up room inside their shell. Turtles inhale less frequently than we do, this allows them to be able to hold their breath longer than other animals. This is due to the amount of C02 in their blood. When you startle a turtle, their first reaction is to retract into their shell, this releases the air from their lungs. They can remain in this state for quite some time. Since their lungs are on their back, it is important that you do not allow your turtle to be placed on their backs.

Turtles are cold blooded. This means that they rely on external heat to enable their vital organs.
Turtles do not thermoregulate on their, they rely on external heat to achieve optimum metabolic efficiency. Turtles also need UVB. UVB has a direct effect upon the immune system in skin and also stimulates production of beta endorphins, giving sunlight its feel-good factor. This range of the light spectrum is crucial for its role in skin synthesis of vitamin D3. For this to occur, sunlight must contain UVB in a particular range.

The coloration “melanism” in their carapace varies according to their geographical area. Turtles from extremely hot places tend to be lighter while turtles from colder places tend to be darker.

Turtle shells have tiny pores which help trap in radiant heat, this is why nothing should be applied to the shell unless it’s for medical treatment.

A turtle’s heart pumps blood to all the vital organs and muscles, but a large amount is sent underneath the carapace, this helps them warm up before the blood continues to circulate.

Turtles have nerve endings on their shells. They are extremely sensitive, they can feel the slightest touch on their skin and shells.

Turtles have extremely good color vision, they have a fourth cone which responds to UVA. UVA light helps regulate behaviors such as feeding (appetite), diurnal movement, mating and similar activities.

Since turtles don’t have external ears, skin flaps allow vibrations and low-frequency sound in the ear canal. Turtle ears can sense air displaced, such as a large predator is near, or detect vibrations coming off the ground, such as footsteps. They use their ears in conjunction with more powerful senses, such as smell, to find prey and dodge predators. It is believed that captive turtles can sense their owners approaching using this combination.

Turtle’s primary sense is their sense of smell, it is more acute than one may realize. They rely heavily on scent for daily activities like, finding food, mates, nesting areas, and avoiding predators.

23/07/2022
23/07/2022
27/12/2021
22/06/2021

It could save your shelled ones life.

Home remedies for swollen eyes not related to RI
15/01/2021

Home remedies for swollen eyes not related to RI

Make sure to add that extra vitamin A to your omnivorous😉 turtle's diet.
15/01/2021

Make sure to add that extra vitamin A to your omnivorous😉 turtle's diet.

Many people recommend wheat germ pellets as a shedding aid. We also recommend it but want our audience to be aware that ...
15/01/2021

Many people recommend wheat germ pellets as a shedding aid.
We also recommend it but want our audience to be aware that HIkari contains garlic which is toxic to reptiles.

Laguna has a higher % of Vitamin E and does not contain garlic.

Turtles shed their scutes as a natural part of their growing process. Their growth is dependent on genetics as well as c...
15/01/2021

Turtles shed their scutes as a natural part of their growing process.
Their growth is dependent on genetics as well as care and diet.

If your turtle has the correct husbandry and diet, he or she should able to shed those scutes normally. But if they are over feed, fed the incorrect diet and/or have incorrect lighting, they will retain their scutes.

It is important to know what their species requirements are in order to provide the appropriate husbandry and diet.

Great soaking pans for tortoises and land turtles. :)
08/12/2019

Great soaking pans for tortoises and land turtles. :)

Scored some cuttlebone with on backing
08/12/2019

Scored some cuttlebone with on backing

cool!
08/12/2019

cool!

These covers are great for providing red foots and sulcata with adequate humidity levels.
08/12/2019

These covers are great for providing red foots and sulcata with adequate humidity levels.

These Iris containers are the best for small tortoises.
08/12/2019

These Iris containers are the best for small tortoises.

Home-made food for my picky box turtles.
08/12/2019

Home-made food for my picky box turtles.

Making some home-made food for my picky eaters. Gotta love it!
08/12/2019

Making some home-made food for my picky eaters.
Gotta love it!

Tank maintenance day! Wet Vac to the rescue! :) I change 25% of their water every week and add fresh water that has been...
08/12/2019

Tank maintenance day!

Wet Vac to the rescue! :)

I change 25% of their water every week and add fresh water that has been sitting over night.

My turtles love the new fresh water. How do I do this? They show me by depositing their waste. lol

Address


Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Turtle Lady Pet Blog posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

  • Address
  • Alerts
  • Claim ownership or report listing
  • Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service?

Share