Turtle Age - Shell Color, Ring Counting and Other Helpfull Tips

Turtle age梛ust how old is my turtle anyway? Perhaps you have asked yourself this question, and wondered if there is a way to determine the exact age of your beloved pet.

Turtles have been called living fossils. This is a very fitting name for these astonishing animals, as they have been around for centuries! In fact, studies show that the first turtles appeared on the planet two million years ago. Turtles can have lifespans that are longer than their human owners, and in many families, a pet turtle will be passed from one generation to the nextThe average lifespan of domesticated turtles ranges from fifty to a hundred years, depending on the species or class to which they belong. However, if you have purchased a pet turtle from a store, or if you have acquired it as an adult, its exact age may be difficult, or even impossible to determine.

Nonetheless, there are reliable methods for determining the age of your turtle. Perhaps the oldest method is to count the rings on the back of a turtle抯 shell. This may not prove to be a precise method, however, since these rings may dull over time. However, if you can combine this technique with additional information, you can come fairly close to determining your turtle抯 age.

In order to use this method of counting rings, you must first know if your turtle is a hard-shelled type, as soft-shelled turtles do not form these lines. Once you have determined that your turtle is of the hard-shelled variety, look closely at the scale-like segments or scutes that make up its carapace. Turtles produce a layer of these lines as they grow and mature. It is important to add that turtles kept in a good environment during captivity, with a sufficient supply of healthy food, may grow faster and therefore show more than one ring per year.

In some class or species, turtle age can also be determined by the darkness of the turtle抯 shell. Red-Eared Turtles and Reeves Turtles, for instance, have shells that darken as they mature. Another point to consider when determining turtle age is that younger turtles would normally have more distinct or pronounced lines on their shells. The scutes of older turtles may seem faint or dissipated, due to daily wear-and-tear, and their shells may look stressed, with scratches and pits, and may even be chipped off.

Finding out the size or weight of a turtle is another step to help determine its age. Compare your turtle抯 statistics with the species norm. If your turtle is small, chances are it is a young one. Female turtles are normally larger than male turtles no matter what their age may be. Turtle age can be estimated by pooling these vital facts together.

Although these animals can live for over a century, the dangers to which they are exposed have placed many of them on worldwide endangered species lists, with many varieties near extinction. For so many of these amazing creatures, their life expectancy is now greatly influenced by man. It is the pet owner抯 responsibility to make sure that the turtle抯 food, shelter, and other demands are met, so that it can live up to its maximum life expectancy.