Golden Coin Turtle

The head of the Golden Coin Turtle is slender, with a smooth and scaleless top. The snout is blunt, with a slightly curved upper beak. The throat and neck are a light orange-red color. There are angular brown spots on both sides of the head behind the eye.

The Golden Coin Turtle is mainly distributed in provinces and regions of China such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Fujian, and Hong Kong, as well as Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Laos. It is a second-level protected animal in China. The Golden Coin Turtle is a precious animal resource and is considered valuable in medicine, ornamental purposes, crafts, food, and modern scientific research. The demand for Golden Coin Turtles continues to increase, but in nature, their population is declining due to low reproductive numbers and over-hunting by humans, making them increasingly rare in the wild.

The Golden Coin Turtle is suitable for people who have large turtle farms. The Golden Coin Turtle is a second-class protected animal in our country. If you want to keep it, you must obtain a "Permit for Domestication and Breeding of Aquatic Wildlife" from the local fishery administrative department (such as the Fisheries Bureau) or operate in partnership with a large turtle farm; otherwise, it is considered illegal. The Golden Coin Turtle has a gentle temperament and symbolizes wealth and longevity. It is also easy to care for, making it a good choice for a family pet.

1. Keratin Peeling Disease

Symptoms: White and yellow spots appear on the limbs, head, and tail, usually accompanied by a foul odor; severe swelling, bleeding, and shedding of nails on the limbs, or even exposed flesh due to tail breakage.

Treatment: For mild keratin peeling, apply iodine or tetracycline ointment. Exposing to sunlight can promote self-healing. For severe cases, apply iodine twice a day, followed by the application of tetracycline ointment. Dry the affected area for half an hour and place a damp towel or tissue underneath to prevent dehydration. Soak the turtle in water three times a day, each time for 30 minutes. Soak in diluted potassium permanganate for 15 minutes (diluted to a pale purple color).

Causes: Using non-sundried water; large temperature differences; excessive water changes; insufficient removal of food residues and feces resulting in water pollution; bacterial infection due to injury.

Prevention: Reduce the frequency of water changes; promptly remove food residues and feces; use water that has been exposed to sunlight for a day; isolate injured turtles for feeding.

Differences between keratin peeling and molting: Molting is a normal growth phenomenon that does not affect the turtle's condition. Molting is transparent and fluffy with no odor, while keratin peeling covers the turtle's skin and has a foul smell.

2. Shell Rot and Infection

Symptoms: External or internal ulceration of the turtle shell, accompanied by a foul odor.

Treatment: For mild cases, disinfect with iodine and expose to sunlight for self-healing. For severe cases, remove the rotten flesh, disinfect with iodine, and apply tetracycline ointment for dry healing.

Causes: Using non-sundried water; large temperature differences; excessive water changes; insufficient removal of food residues and feces resulting in water pollution; bacterial infection due to turtles biting and fighting each other.

Prevention: Reduce the frequency of water changes; promptly remove food residues and feces; use water that has been exposed to sunlight for a day; isolate injured turtles for feeding.

3. White and Red Eye Disease

Symptoms: Sleeping all day, rubbing eyes with claws; red and swollen eyes with white film covering the corners; severe cases unable to open eyes, similar to goldfish eyes; loss of appetite and refusal to enter water.

Treatment: In the early stage, use hydrochloric acid eye drops twice a day and dry the eyes for half an hour. In the middle to late stage, let the drops penetrate into the closed eyes, then apply tetracycline eye ointment and dry for half an hour.

Causes: Using non-sundried water; large temperature differences; excessive water changes; insufficient removal of food residues and feces resulting in water pollution; feeding raw pork.

Prevention: Reduce the frequency of water changes; promptly remove food residues and feces; use water that has been exposed to sunlight for a day; do not feed pork (Brazilian turtle is particularly prone to white eye disease).

4. Scabby Skin Disease

Symptoms: Small white or yellow protruding spots on the head and limbs, hard when touched, similar to human acne.

Treatment: For mild cases, expose to sunlight for self-healing. For severe cases, puncture the scabs, squeeze and clean them, then apply iodine and tetracycline ointment for dry healing.

Causes: Using non-sundried water; large temperature differences; excessive water changes; insufficient removal of food residues and feces resulting in water pollution.

Prevention: Reduce the frequency of water changes; promptly remove food residues and feces; use water that has been exposed to sunlight for a day.

5. Common Cold

Symptoms: Lethargy all day; bubbles and blackening at the tip of the nose; rotting of the nostrils; slight mouth opening and breathing.

Treatment: For mild cases, expose to sunlight for self-healing. For colds, raise the water temperature to 30 degrees and soak in cold medicine (commonly used ones include 999 Cold Tablets).

Causes: Living in an air-conditioned room; exposing to the balcony without covering; large temperature differences due to water changes.

Prevention: Pay attention to temperature differences during water changes; reduce the amount of water changed each time; avoid air-conditioned rooms.

6. Pneumonia

Symptoms: Floating on the side; opening the mouth, calling and breathing; refusing water and food; bubbles at the corners of the mouth.

Treatment: For turtles that can still eat, mix powdered amoxicillin capsules with food and feed. For turtles refusing food, soak amoxicillin in water for 30 minutes and give once a day.

Causes: Pneumonia is worsened by colds.

7. Gastroenteritis

Symptoms: Red, white, and green-colored feces; loose feces with blood streaks; floating feces; refusing water and food.

Treatment: For mild cases, raise the temperature and stop feeding for a week. For severe cases, bathe in Mami Love/Yellow Gentian Extract, soak for 30 minutes, once a day.

Causes: Feeding at low temperatures; feeding at temperature drops; excessive feeding.

Prevention: Reduce feeding when there is a large temperature difference; feed regularly; reduce feeding on rainy days.

8. Tail Breakage

Symptoms: Tail abrasion, bleeding, and rotting.

Treatment: Disinfect with iodine and isolate for breeding.

Causes: Overcrowding (especially in young turtles); biting and fighting each other; atrophy and shedding due to vitamin deficiency.

Prevention: Provide hiding places for young turtles; raise in green water; avoid mixing turtles with significant differences in size; ensure a balanced diet.

9. Middle Ear Infection

Symptoms: Swelling in the inner ear, feels like a large hard lump when touched.

Treatment: Prepare iodine, a small knife, and Yunnan Baiyao. Disinfect the knife, apply iodine to the affected area, make a cross-shaped wound, squeeze out the pus, apply iodine to the wound and sprinkle Yunnan Baiyao, then dry it.

Causes: Infection in the inner ear; feeding prickly food.

Prevention: Pay attention to water quality; do not feed prickly food.

10. Fungus

Symptoms: White fluffy substance tightly adhering to the turtle shell, cannot be washed off, covering the entire back.

Treatment: Apply tannic acid ointment and tetracycline ointment to the turtle shell, dry for 1 hour, then wash and put it in water once a day, paying attention to temperature differences.

Causes: Bacteria in the water.

Prevention: Keep the water clean.

There is a fundamental difference between water alkali and fungus. Water alkali is caused by excessive alkaline substances in the water. It adheres to the turtle's shell because the turtle lives in the water for a long time. It does not affect the turtle's health but only affects aesthetics. It can be brushed off with vinegar. What cannot be brushed off may be fungus or water mold.

The Golden Coin Turtle prefers a relatively clean water environment. Under artificial breeding conditions, the turtle lives in a closed small environment for a long time, and food residues and excrement can easily cause water pollution. If it is in an environment with deteriorating water quality for a long time, symptoms such as shedding, eye diseases, and decreased appetite may occur. The Golden Coin Turtle has strong adaptability to water quality. As long as a suitable filtration system is equipped, water is changed appropriately, and food is fed reasonably, the normal growth requirements can generally be met. The main water quality indicators include ammonia nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, pH value, hydrogen sulfide, suspended solids, etc. The turtle's water quality requirements are lower than that of fish. As long as the water meets the requirements of fish, it can be used to raise turtles. However, attention should be paid to the differences in water quality when breeding in different places, especially the pH value.