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Turtle moving its legs 1/3/19 Turtle query 8/11/16 Tilly the turtle; traveling about
7/21/16 My female and male turtles
4/20/16
Terrapin question; beh.; repro. poss.
11/1/15
Sleepy Turtle 10/19/15 I just cleaned my turtles tank and it started splashing around as if he wants to get out of the tank. Swimming back and forth trying to escape. Should I be worried about him? <Did you use dechlorinator in the water? While turtles aren't as sensitive as fish to untreated water, their eyes can still be irritated by the chlorine and Chloramine used to sterilise drinking water.> Is that normal? <Turtles are "prey" in the wild, and don't like being moved about or having their surroundings suddenly changed. So yes, it's normal for them to be a bit skittish at times. But if this always happens when you clean the vivarium, do think about things you could do to reduce stress.> Thank you, <Welcome. Neale.>
Turtles being turtles? 3/21/15
turtle question, beh. of Emydids
1/29/15 RES; beh. basking 1/25/15
Erratic Eastern Painted Turtle Behavior
6/22/14 Emydid repro./beh. 1/13/13 Turtle Turds! - 10/22/2012 Turtle Behavior 1/18/12 turtle behaviour 10/29/11
Turtle flapping her back legs 9/21/11 My Red Ear Slider Turtles...
Bruminating/"hibernating"
5/23/11 25 year old red eared slider, hibernation mostly
11/14/10 Turtle shows "frantic-stressed out"
behavior 10/13/10 SOS! YBS & SCRC MIA IN H2O!!!! 8/24/10 spastic behavior 8/3/10 Aquatic Turtles, repro. beh. 7/20/10 Asian Water Turtle behavior 6/1/10 Turtle mating ritual or dominance? 5/21/10 Biting normal or not? 5/11/10 Someone is clawing the carpet. Painted Turtle
beh. 4/8/10 Turtle blowing bubbles 3/9/10 help 02/14/10 Baby turtles together aggression or love?
1/19/10 My Turtle - gaping or coughing? 9/10/09 Destructive Slider. (Trachemys scripta troostii; destroying
plastic habitat) 07/28/09 Turtle question, beh./comp.
5/2/09 Yellow Bellied Slider, sys, fdg.
10/6/08 Lethargic Yellow Bellied Sliders 8/1/08 Hey Crew, <Hiya Mariana, Darrel here> So I have two yellow bellied sliders that I've had since March of 08. <Were they babies when you got them or adult? I'd like to know the sizes.> Recently they have been sleeping a lot, and when I put food in their tank, they don't eat. They no longer freak out to sounds or when I come in the room. Are they going through something? <Being tame is good, but this sounds like lethargic which is NOT good.> They are both male. <How are you judging this?> I recently cleaned their tank, and also put in a new light because I had the wrong light for them. <Recently cleaned their tank ?? I'm hoping you do that FREQUENTLY, Mariana. There's not a lot of information here, like the size of the tank, the size of the turtles or the type of filtration ... so all I can tell you is that most people underestimate how often to clean and they OVER estimate water quality. I'm sending you a link I'd like you to read & compare to your care standards> Am I doing something wrong or is this natural behavior? <My guess ... based on VERY little information, is that they are either not able to warm up enough under a basking lamp or they are sick from environmental reasons, like water quality. Read the link, check out how you're doing and then get back to us, OK?> -Mariana < http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm > Worried Turtle Not Growing 4/6/08 Okay, I am fourteen with a yellow bellied slider. He is my first turtle so I am very cautious about anything wrong with him/her. I will have had him for a year this summer and he has not grown. Unlike the rest of the problems I have read, he doesn't live and never has been in the same tank with another turtle. I first got him last summer when I found him trapped in my in ground pool and kept him. I decided to keep him because there is a pond in the back yard but it has an alligator in it, and vary large fish, other large turtles, etc. Do you think this is because he hasn't been with other turtles in so long? < The reason he hasn't grown is probably environmental. Wrong food, not enough heat or light and things like that.> He is still small enough to fit on the thumb muscle in the palm of my hand. Please help, You are very smart people from what I have read in your articles. Thank you. < Start off with the tank. He/she needs a place to come out of the water to bask. This basking site needs to be 85+ F. It should contain a good basking light to provide the proper amounts of UVA and UVB. This helps the turtle with proper vitamin development. Small turtles need a diet higher in protein than older turtles. Keep the water clean and don't let the water go below 65 F.-Chuck> Southern Painted Turtle -03/27/08 Please help... I have a southern painted turtle who is just the size of a silver dollar. I've only had him for a couple weeks now and am just getting to know his (her?) behaviors but the past couple nights/mornings I've noticed he/she is buying herself under the sand. Why is he/she doing this and is it normal? I'm a bit worried that I'm doing something wrong!!! Please help!!! Kristina <Kristina, assuming that the turtle is otherwise healthy (i.e., getting a balanced diet of green foods as well as meat and being kept warm and provided with UV-B light and clean water for swimming) then I shouldn't be too concerned about odd behaviours. Yes, turtles do sometimes burrow into sand. Usually this is because they are overheating, so check the air temperature above the sand (I'm assuming the sand is the land part of the vivarium). You may have the lights too close to the sand, so the poor turtle overheats. Do also remember that ventilation is important, so make sure there are at least a couple of gaps in the hood to let air circulate. Adult turtles of course will dig nests when ready to lay eggs, but yours is far too small for that to be an issue. Chrysemys picta dorsalis reaches sexual maturity at about 10 cm in length in the case of males, and a little larger for females. Cheers, Neale.> Turtle Habits 2-05-08 Hi, <Hey, Mike with ya this evening> Was wondering if you could help. <Will try> I have 2 18 month old yellow bellied turtles(1 male, 1 female) recently the Mertyl (our female turtle) has been basking a lot and not eating much. I took her to the vet for a check over as was worried and he said she was fine, Henry (our male turtle) is eating fine, basking and being pretty normal except for a high pitch noise, he is not gasping for air. Do turtles communicate through sound vibrations? <Turtles don't really audibly communicate at all as far as I know, but can and do detect sound via vibrations. You may want to perform some further research regarding the vocalizations, I've never heard of this> It is not all the time mainly the evening. <Make sure you have an incandescent bulb that produces UVB, and preferably bring them out for some sun several times a week> Also when Mertyl is in the water Henry is getting quite frisky with her could this be why she's out a lot, he's not being aggressive or biting (think he's trying to mate but Merts' not interested). <Could definitely be a cause/factor. Reptiles don't need a whole lot to survive, and in the winter they naturally don't eat as much, even when kept indoors. As long as she's eating something, even if it's only once or twice a week, I wouldn't worry about it. Just make sure they're getting their UVB and sunlight, and a varied diet, possibly with some vitamin additives> Would much appreciate some advice. <Hope I've helped> Many Thanks <Anytime> Carly (Mertyl & Henry) <M. Maddox> Painted Turtle - behavior question 1/27/08 My wife and I are the proud caretakers of Sam, a painted turtle that my brother and I found about 25 yrs ago. Over the years I've seen much varying behavior and tend to not worry too much if Sam continues to eat and appears to be healthy. Our turtle thrashes when she sees us, occasionally we take her out and hold her for a while which she used to enjoy for a varying periods of time, even closing her eyes and going to sleep or resting. For the last couple of months, this has all changed and holding is not tolerated. In addition, she has gone into a feeding frenzy, almost nipping my fingers when I feed her food sticks. Why the spastic behavior when she used to be mellow? Is there any reason to be concerned? Great website by the way, glad I found you. Matt <Hi Matt. Simply sounds as if your turtle is getting old and cranky. Happens with most animals and indeed people. Of course, do inspect the animal and look for any possible sources of pain, such as abnormal swellings, signs of infection, etc. It would also be a good idea to inspect the faeces for any signs of worms or an unusual texture. Turtle sticks by themselves aren't a great diet, so I hope you've been varying that. A bit more fibre might help clear out the system, relieving any constipation. Chrysemys picta lives a long time, and compared to wild specimens (which live for over 50 years) yours is middle aged. Of course, wild turtles spend many months close to dormant, whereas indoor specimens are kept warm and active all year round. So there are differences, and yours may indeed be simply getting old. Cheers, Neale.> Putting my turtles to hibernation 11/19/07 Hi <Hiya! Darrel here> I have a Three Toed Box Turtle (about 6 or 7 inches long) that I have had for 6 or 7 months. I keep him in a large outdoor 5x8 cage built out of cinder blocks 2 high and lined with bricks sunk in the ground inside to keep him from digging out. There is a small shallow pond in it and I also have a chain link cover over the top. Our dirt is mostly clay so I mixed up a patch of it with lots of sand for him to dig in but he never digs. <Box turtles seldom dig actual holes. They're more likely to just find a natural depression at the base of some plant and hunker down for the evening or the season that way.> It is starting to get colder so I figure he should go into hibernation soon. The thing is he doesn't dig so I don't know if he will just go sit somewhere and hibernate. That would be bad for him right? <"Bad" is a relative term, Amanda. Winter causes their systems to shut down to a minimum for the season, but you have to remember that in nature, not all of our animal friends survive each winter. When possible or practical, I arrange for my animals to be spared the entire process> I also considered putting a box stuffed with hay for him to dig into in his cage so he wouldn't have to go underground. <Two course of action here. You could find a bigger box of cardboard or wood, put some straw or hay in the bottom and bring him inside, maybe to your room, and spare him the whole hibernation process. Two, you could get a smaller box, fill it with straw as you suggest and place him in a safe place on your porch or in your garage and let him shut down for the season. You don't say where you live, so I'm not sure just how cold or dangerous your winters are. More on this in a moment> Should I stop feeding him yet so his food won't rot in his stomach? <As fall approaches their appetites should start to shrink and yes, you should slowly reduce their feedings, both in amount and frequency> I also have a Map Turtle (about 4 or 5 inches long) I keep in an outdoor aquarium. Last year I just put him in a smaller container and put him in our glassed in porch (its unheated) and he hibernated on the bottom of the tank. Is this an okay way for him to hibernate this year? <A lot of the same advice applies, Amanda. For my inside animals and individual specimens, I bring them inside the house or porch and add a little heat and avoid hibernation, but for my outdoor ponds I have no choice but to let nature take it's course. The worry is that the pond is deep enough and the body of water large enough to maintain some temperature balance (cold or hot) and here's the reason: Most of our reptile and fish friends from temperate climates can hibernate over winter without problem, but what I call "almost winter" can be lethal to them. "Almost Winter" is where it is clearly winter and their metabolisms shut down according to plan, but it's not cold ENOUGH to shut down all the way .... or it has too many warm periods where they reheat and become semi-active only to be hit by another cold snap .. these transitions can be lethal to them.> <Here's an example: Yes, you could put your Map turtle in a large enough tank and allow him to over-winter, or you could keep the water warm to around 65-70 and a basking area warm to 88-90 and avoid winter altogether. BUT .... if you were to let the water become 50 or 55 and still have the basking area active, his only choices would be TOO HOT (for winter) and TOO COLD (for summer). Personally, I'd rather see the Map Turtle in a tank on top of the dresser in your room all year 'round than outside.> I would appreciate any reply to this. Thanks. -Amanda <You're welcome & best of luck to you!> Turtle care question: fighting or playing? I have two turtles living in a 55 gal. tank. I got one of them about 5 years ago, when it was only about 1". The other one I 'adopted' some months ago, and after a few months in quarantine, I decided to put them together in a larger tank. They are between 5-6" in size. I've noticed though that one of them chases the other one around and would not leave it alone. I caught them yesterday 'fighting' and one was biting the other one's back leg. Should I be worried? Are they just playing or are they really fighting? This is the second time I've seen them like this, and I'm afraid one of them is going to get hurt. Should I separate them? Does a turtle bite can really cause harm considering they have no teeth? Both turtles are in good health and well fed. Pls help! Tks in advance Yenelli <Turtles (and reptiles in general) don't exhibit play behaviour. What you're describing is aggression. Turtles can and will do serious harm with their bites: they may lack teeth but their beaks are very sharp and their jaw muscles very strong. Big turtles can do serious harm to humans if handled carelessly, and have been known to bite the feet off other turtles. Males tend to be the most aggressive, both to each other and to unresponsive females. But in any event if yours are fighting, they're fighting! Separation is a good idea. Alternatively, make sure their enclosure allows them to sit apart from each other. Most fighting is on land. So if you have TWO islands in the tank, each one under its own lamp (or both under one big lamp) then the two turtles can bask separately. This should cool down their tempers a bit. Plastic plants can be used to create underwater hiding places too. Red-ear Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) -- the most common pet turtle -- are not social and can be kept singly without problems. Good luck, Neale> Question regarding shell color on our baby turtles 10/29/07 Dear Crew, <Hiya! Darrel here this morning> They are both about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, one turtle has a dark green shell and the other has a light green shell. Is this normal? <Yes, that's perfectly OK! Usually as they age the shell colors will turn a bit darker but I've seen them hang on to brighter colors well into their adulthood. Now ... if the colors start turning plaid or paisley or the turtle appears to look like a Peter Max Poster from the 1960's ... it means you're not well and should see a doctor. Or at least ... cut back a little! Other than that ... look for spots or patches that change color and THAT might possibly be something of concern.> I just want to make sure they are both healthy! <And we appreciate your concern. Turtles are easy to keep as long as you do a really good job of providing them the few things that they need. Here's a link to help you: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm and also remember that the Google Search Bar at the bottom of our main page is a great way to access all kinds of articles and information. Finally, we always welcome questions AND pictures if you're seeing something that you don't feel you can describe> Thank you... Cheryl <Yer most welcome!> Turtle behavior question... 10/12/07 This is my first time asking a website a question. Pardon me if I did not post it properly. I am not web savvy, but my curiosity about a turtle is killing me. <Hiya Kath & welcome. You're doing JUST FINE so far. Although I DO have to admit that about 7 or 8 jokes ran through my mind about people claiming to have never been on the web before, but since this IS your first time here -- the first of many, we all hope ... I'm going to behave myself> I was at a small outdoor pond in Oct 2007 at Brookside's Gardens in Wheaton, MD. I saw two turtles whose behavior amazed me. I was hoping your group could explain it to me. <I hope so too. I've given up trying to explain my kid's behavior, so maybe I can manage a turtle or two> Two turtles, one bigger (shell, maybe 7 inches across), one smaller (shell, maybe 5 inches across), were swimming slowly with heads out of the water. Both turtles had a yellow stripe and a smaller red mark on their faces. <Red Eared Sliders. Some of the nicest water turtles you'll ever meet> The small turtle swam directly in front of the big turtle, until they were head to head in a straight line. The small turtle stuck its front legs straight out, claws extended forward, and gently laid its claws on either side of the big turtle's head. The small turtle then did this weird gesture - it softly fanned or vibrated its claws on either side of the head of the big turtle for about 5-10 seconds. The big turtle sort of tolerated/accepted this gesture, but continued to swim forward. The little turtle swam like hell to catch up to the big one, cautiously got it front it and repeated the gesture. This went on at least 10 times until the people with me got bored and I had to leave with them. The little turtle seemed very motivated to do this behavior. Any ideas? <Yes Ma'am. I know it well. In fact, I tried that VERY SAME BEHAVIOR on a woman I met at a party last night. And, oddly enough, she also tolerated it for a while and then got bored and moved on.> <What you saw was courting behavior. It's the turtle equivalent of a young man turning his car stereo up to ear drum destroying decibels and then cruising past the young lady of his desire under some hope that she'll be so impressed with the vibration that she'll run after the car until she can leap in the side window.> <The males, which are smaller than the females, grow very long front claws so that they can wave them in front of the potential mates, apparently saying "Hey Baby, look at these long claws, we should get together some time!" and usually, just as you observed, the female looks and him and his claws, mulls over the possibilities and them swims on. Personally, I think she looks around and then thinks "Typical MALE! I've been trying for 7 years now to grow my nails out just past the end of my fingers and every time I try they break off -- even sometimes in my sleep-- and here he grows those ridiculously long nails WITHOUT EVEN TRYING and what does he do??? He FLAUNTS them in my face! Typical male!> <But then .... that's just what *I* think.... somewhere along the line, the right male flutters the right claws in just the right way and the next thing you know they're mating and then she digs a hole in the sand and lays eggs and then 90 to 120 days later 6 or 8 little green babies pop out.> <So there you have it. Courting behavior.> <On behalf of everyone here at Wet Web Media ... I hope you enjoyed your first time and hope that it will encourage you to do it again!> Kath <Darrel> Turtle question, beh. 9/27/07 Dear Crew <Hiya Janis> How long can a turtle be on his back if he can't right himself? <There are several issues related to him being on his back but they're all pretty much immediate. That is to say that if you don't see evidence of the problem right away, then there probably is no problem. In their excitement and effort to right themselves, they can regurgitate (a nice way to say "throw up", isn't it?) and then choke on that. Obviously didn't happen. When upside down they are exposed (no pun intended) to predators (not a problem, we hope) and the elements -- which is to say that they can't move in and out of the heat. A turtle upside down under a basking lamp or the hot sun can literally die from the heat. This didn't happen, which leaves us only with heat stroke causing brain damage, which is a problem with turtles because ... after all ... how can you tell a "normal" one from a "weird" one? It's not like my brother-in-law who is just obviously damaged.> I found my turtle that way after a day away and now I'm worried. I have no idea how long he was like this. <I understand the worry. I have several herds of adult tortoise that are outside animals and if I travel more than a day trip, I either have to have someone check on them ... or I worry the whole time I'm gone. It goes with the territory of being a responsible "parent". Just observe him for a while. If he is eating, pooping and active and doesn't act like my weird brother in law ... just put it out of your mind.> <Two things though -- check his habitat to make sure that you haven't accidentally created a condition or a location that would cause this to happen ... and then have a stern talk with him about the dangers of unsupervised playing.> <Everything will be fine> Thanks, Janis <Yer welcome! Darrel>
Turtle Growth 4/16/07 Hello, My name is Cindy and I have two pet turtles, Todd and Chelsy, but I don't know if there a boy or girl and on most websites they say that turtles at that age are too young. So my question is, do they grow fast? < Most young turtles seem to grow quickly when they are young. As they get older their diet changes from a meaty high protein diet to more of a vegetarian diet with less protein. At first they should grow and inch or two a year up until they get around four inches, then it may be around a inch or less. > How big do they grow to? 7 inches? < You did not mention the species of the turtles, so I am forced to guess that you have red eared sliders, the most common turtle in the trade. Males are smaller than females and can probably get up to 7 inches over many years. Females sometimes get up to 12 inches.> I'm curios, and I love them, please tell me the best way to make it love me like I love them. thank you!!!!!!!! < Turtles really don't form an affection for people like a puppy dog. What they will do instead is identify with the person that feeds them. Every time you walk by they will follow you around begging for food. Your biggest challenge will be not to over feed them. If they eat too much they can die. Turtle's stomachs can't expand because of the shell restricting them. The food will displace and squeeze their internal organs and cause problems.-Chuck> Wild Turtle Coming out Of Hibernation - 04/04/2007 Hello, guys and girls. Earlier today my father-in-law found a turtle sunning itself in the middle of the road. He picked it up and decided to bring it home for the night, our weather is predicted to get below freezing for the next couple of days. He brought the turtle over to me. I myself own a turtle, I think he may of thought I would put the wild turtle with my pet turtle for the night. I of course had to refuse. Anyway, I looked the turtle over and discovered that I could not see the turtles eyes. He could open and close the lids, but the eyes themselves are totally covered over with a crusty, caked on substance. I assume it to be puss, it is rather quite discussing to look at. Also there was a white, watery liquid dripping from the cloaca. It reminded me of watered down milk. I thought at first maybe a vitamin deficiency, but now I'm not sure. Could this be some form of disease? My father-in-law plans to release the turtle back into the wild within the next couple of days, when the weather is again warm. What do you suppose the turtles chances of surviving will be? Is there anything we can do to increase those chances? Thank you for any help you can give this little turtle. Casey < Springtime plays havoc with wild turtles in cold areas. Sound like a turtle typically coming out of hibernation. They come out as soon as a few warm days show up ,only then to get hit by a cold front that they cannot handle. I would recommend that you keep the turtle in a container with warm (70's) water just covering the shell. The eyes may be covered with a silt/clay crust that should dissolve in the water in a day or two. If they are still pussy then some vitamin A drops could be added to the eyes to clean them up. Once the turtle can see you could offer some food. Check the weather report for your area and release the turtle when there is at least a week of decent weather to give him a chance.-Chuck> Turtle With Bubbles 1/28/07 Hey WWM Crew-I have been reading a lot of things on your website about how turtles and bubbles are bad. I have a painted turtle that is probably only 3 1/2-4". He's been great, but I noticed yesterday that he was coming to a certain part of the tank, sticking his head up, snapping at the top of the water, bringing his head back down and then blowing the bubbles out of his mouth once his head got under. I didn't know if I should be concerned or if he was just bored and amusing himself. Thanks so much! Beth < The problem is when turtles get breathing problems and liquids, foams and bubbles are being exhaled when the turtle is on dry land. This is a sign of liquids being in the lungs. Your turtle sounds bored but it may be trying to obtain some fats and oils floating on the top of the water from the food.-Chuck> Turtle Sitting Like A Bump On A Log 1/21/07 Well, my turtles don't seem to want to do anything except lay under the basking lamp when it is on and off. They do not swim, eat, or wake up. When they open their eyes one of the turtles has a problem opening one all the way, and the other turtle is doing just fine, but yet he just sits there like a bump on a log and when they do get in the water they do not seem to dive at all. They just float at the top and they do not kick very much. I have not seen them eat in a couple of days and the bait fish are still all there. Thank you once again, Samantha < Turtles that are overfed tend to just sit under the basking light until their food is digested. Check the temp. of the basking site. It should be at least 85 F. If not hen get a bigger heat lamp or move the source of the light closer. Take out all the food items and clean the tank. When your turtle starts to move again, you should only feed him three times a week. Watch him eat and when he starts to get full and slow down you should stop feeding. Overfeeding can be very dangerous to a turtle. The food may site in his stomach and rot causing all kinds of intestinal problems.-Chuck> Turtle Eating Gravel 1/3/07 Hello-I have a 7 month old eastern painted turtle and I just witnessed her eating some of the small pebbles on the bottom of her aquarium. Is this normal and ok????Thanks! Kelley < Your turtle is needing some additional vitamins and minerals. Try adding some green vegetables like spinach and kale to the diet as well as offer some liquid reptile vitamins weekly.-Chuck> Yellowed Belly Hatchling Basks With His Eyes Closed 12/31/06 Hi, I have bought a hatchling Yellow-Bellied Slider, and before buying I researched a lot. I have had him for a day, and I'm feeding him on ReptoMin food sticks. He ate yesterday, which seems okay. I have noticed that when he comes out of the water onto his basking area (which is at 85 F), he tends to close his eyes. He keeps them open in the water and when he's sleeping (he sleeps at the top of the water), but when he gets up onto land and basks, he closes his eyes (his eyelids are like a clear-ish film). I just wanted to know if this is normal, or should I be worried? Thanks. < Basking lights are very bright and the eyelids are there to protect your turtles young eyes from too much light. If the eyes get puffy or do not open then there is a vitamin A deficiency and ZooMed Turtle Eye Drops are needed.-Chuck> Turtle chasing with claws out 12/10/06 I have had a red-eared slider living with 2 goldfish for about 2 years now. All have gotten quite big and are in a 10 gal tank. <Need much more room. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/ressysfaqs.htm and the linked files above> Lately turtle has been following fish constantly. Often, it swims after them with its front legs extended straight out along the sides of its head. It has very long claws and they stick straight out. <A sexual characteristic... as you'll find from reading> Do you know is turtle trying to spear them and eat them or what? Melbourne, FL <Mostly the eat them part. Bob Fenner> Turtle Wants Out 12/3/06 Ok Hi, well I have a turtle. and its tail is getting very large, I have never had a turtle before and I'm just wondering if maybe that is a sign of pregnancy??? Also it has been digging a lot and its made many attempts to escape its tank. It has every thing a turtle needs rocks to crawl on and a lamp. But am worried that if it isn't a pregnancy then it may be a disease??. <Turtles lay their eggs in damp sand. Provide an area where she can get out and dig a shallow depression to lay her eggs. Red eared sliders lay their eggs at almost any time of year.-Chuck> Turtle nipping other turtle feet, Turtles Trying To Mate 12/3/06 Okay, here is the scenario, we have 4 turtles in a 125 gal. tank with all the proper set up, (i.e. UV basking lamp & dock, Fluval 404,heater,etc.).1 musk or mud turtle,1 yellow belly NW pond turtle, 1 painted, and 1 Red-eared slider who is presumably female and larger than all the others. They are all healthy, eat well, etc. until recently the painted and NW pond have begun relentlessly pursuing the RES and nipping at her rear feet. They have even made some bite marks and the RES is trying to swim around with her rear legs tucked in. She is larger than both of them, why doesn't she fight back? Is this a seasonal thing? Like maybe she is in season and they are nasty little boys looking for action? What can I do about this behavior? There is no dirt or nesting material in this set-up, so if she is in season will she need an area to lay eggs? We don't need her to reproduce, but does she need to? Do I have to separate her? If so, for how long? Should I treat the small nip wound on her, and with what? I hope that this too shall pass as this set-up is nicely done and we have hopes of building an indoor pond for them, and our hatchling size turtles when they are larger, to cohabitate with each other. < In the wild turtles view each other as competition. They stay away from each other and only come together to mate. In the aquarium they are all forced to get along. If their is only one female then the other males in the tank will mate with whatever female is available. Try cooling the water temp down to the low to mid 60's. You may have it too warm for them. Cooling it down will slow their metabolic rate and take them out of the breeding temps.-Chuck> Hibernating Turtles - 10/11/06 Dear Turtle Expert, I have a Yellow-bellied Slider that last year I hibernated in my unheated garage. I was told that I was lucky she survived. Should this species not be hibernated? A heat lamp was applied during the very cold months so the water didn't freeze. If it can be, what would be the optimal temperature. Thanks! Brian < Last year was a very difficult year for hibernating turtles. Early warm spring temperatures brought turtles out of hibernation early. Then cold spells left them out in the open with nothing to eat any many got sick and died. Make sure that your turtle is in good health and has good body fat to carry him over the winter. Place him in an aquarium with a heater set at 45 to 50 F. Don't feed him for awhile so the gut is empty and will not foul the water. When the nighttime lows are in this range you can bring him out of hibernation.-Chuck> Floating Soft Shell Turtle 10/6/06 Hello, My Florida Soft Shell is buoyant. He can't seem to stay down no matter how hard he tries... He keeps floating up to the top of his tank. Usually he acts starving when I feed him and is very vigorous and tonight at dinner time he didn't even budge. Finally I got him to eat 2 brine shrimp cubes (he normally eats 3), but he is just floating at the top of his tank. Could he be dying? Also, our power went out the other day and I had to add water to the filter area to get the pump to stat pumping again.... when I did this, it added the pump debris in to his water. Could he have gotten sick from this if he ate it? Please help answer my questions if you can. < Could be sick from something he ate, but the problem is the water is too cold. Put a quality water heater in the aquarium and turn it up to 80 F. Soft shells really don't bask so the water needs to be warm all the time for them.-Chuck> Re: Burping Turtle 10/5/06
Thanks. Any reason for the big air bubbles (burping)?
<Gas is usually a associated with food being decomposed
by microbes as opposed to being digested by the stomach
juices.-Chuck> Turtles Appetite Slowing Down 9/30/06 Hello, I have a painted turtle, which I rescued from an abandoned apartment four months ago. I took her to the vet for a full inspection and received a clean bill of health. She is 7-inches long and is kept in a 30-gallon tank with proper heating, lighting, basking area with lamp, and a significant filter. Water is changed once/week and she is fed twice per day (pellets and leafy greens.) The question: it is now late September and she is eating less and slowing down. She is spending a lot of time basking and sometimes I see her sleeping underwater during the day. While eating she will chomp down on a pellet and spit most of it out. She used to love these pellets and eat as many as I'd put in the tank. Now she'll just eat a few per day. I tried buying a variety of pellets, but she won't touch the others. She no longer has much interest in the leafy greens, either. Further, she seems to be burping large air bubbles underwater more than before. Other than that she seems to be normal. I put her in boarding for a month while traveling, where she got a little fat (the pet shop that took her said she had quite an appetite.) I know the Fall season beings a change in turtle behavior, but this is my first season with her and I'm not sure if this is normal. Please advise. Thanks, Matt < During the fall turtles appetite normally slows down. This is in anticipation of hibernation. Food should be stored as fat. Food left in the stomach will rot if the temperatures are not right for digestion. If your turtle already has a good weight then she is probably OK. If she was thin then there would be a need for concern.-Chuck> Small Soft Shell Turtle 8/30/06 Hi I have a soft shell turtle I have had it for nearly a year now and its still about 5cm long is this normal? < Soft shell turtle actually require some warmth. Your turtle should be close to twice that size. Get a heater for the tank and set at 75 to 80 F. Feed foods that are high in protein like fish, insects and worms.-Chuck> Lost Turtle - 08/25/06 Thank you. I need to ask you one more question. My friend has a turtle and it escaped from the kiddie pool he had it in and we cannot find it. Where are some places he could hide and how long could he survive away from the water. Also will he come back to the water even though he cannot get back in. Thank you very much. <With elevated summer temps reptiles get a little extra boost from the heat and light and sometimes find new energy to escape from their enclosures. Start by looking under boards and rock. Then look in piles of leaves or any loose soil in flower gardens etc.. If they start to dry out then they seek shelter in shaded moist areas. If you lived in the Arizona desert then he wouldn't last too long. If you lived in an area that is fairly warm and gets summer rain then he could last outdoors for months.-Chuck> New Yellow Bellied Slider Turtle - 08/12/06 Hi. I found a turtle in my front yard the other day and I have some questions. I read the FAQ's and found a lot of useful info, but I need to know if I put Reptisafe in along with the little turtle-shape blocks? Or just one at a time? < The Reptisafe is a water conditioner that removes chlorine and some harmful minerals. The Dr Turtle Sulpha Block adds sulfur to the water to inhibit bacteria and acidify the water.> <<Can be mixed. RMF>> Also, she swims and swims against the glass. Is this normal? Is she freaking out? She was in a pond at one time as there is algae on her shell. I only have a 10 gal tank for now. < Your new turtle is accustomed to being out in the open with lots of swimming room. Now he is confined to a little 10 gallon tank and needs time to slowly get use to his smaller tank.> Thanks for the help and I do enjoy your site. Are you guys veterinarians or just have a lot of experience? Sara < I am a long time amateur aquarist/herpetologist with some experience and lots of good books to look things up.-Chuck> Hibernating Turtles 8/12/06 Hello. I have 2 red eared sliders and I have them outside in a pond. They have plenty of basking space and shady places. I have been keeping them in the pond for a few summers now and have been bringing them inside during the winter. I was wondering if it is possible to keep them outside during the winter and if so do I need mud in the bottom or what should I do. Thank you <Hibernating turtles can be somewhat challenging. First your turtles must be in good health. Sick turtles do not usually survive a season of hibernation. Secondly, is make sure they are well fed. They must have enough fat reserves to last them through the winter. Do not feed them in the late fall when things have already cooled off. The food will rot in their gut and cause problems. Depending on where you live the pond needs to be fairly deep so that it doesn't freeze solid. In the south a couple of feet may be fine. Deeper the farther north you go. They need mud to bury themselves and to help insolate them. This year many turtles came out of hibernation early because of an unusually warm winter and early spring. Sudden cold fronts caught them already out and many turtles got sick with respiratory infections.-Chuck> African Sideneck Turtle In the Corner 7/14/06 I got my African Sideneck Turtle 3 days ago and all it has done is sit in the corner of the tank near the water filter. My parents say that it likes the flowing water, but I am not sure. He also has not eaten in 2 days. My friends say that he is lonely, but I don't know. Should I be concerned? < Check the water temp. It should be up around 80 F. He will be more active at higher temps if everything else ids OK.>-Chuck> Turtle Not Eating, was African Sideneck Turtle In the Corner 7/15/06 What do I do if the water gets to cold? Why is He not eating? < You have a tropical turtle that needs to be warm to increase his metabolism and properly digest his food. If he is too cold then the food sits in his stomach and rots. Get an aquarium thermometer and set it for 80 F and see if he gets more active. The other problem could be parasites. You will need to take a fecal sample to a vet to have it checked out.-Chuck>Turtles Nipping At Each Other 6/27/06 Okay, here is the scenario, we have 4 turtles in a 125 gal. tank with all the proper set up, (i.e. UV basking lamp & dock, Fluval 404,heater,etc.).1 musk or mud turtle,1yellow belly NW pond turtle,1 painted, and 1 Red-eared slider who is presumably female and larger than all the others. They are all healthy, eat well, etc. until recently the painted and NW pond have begun relentlessly pursuing the RES and nipping at her rear feet. They have even made some bite marks and the RES is trying to swim around with her rear legs tucked in. She is larger than both of them, why doesn't she fight back? < Two against one are difficult odds to overcome.> Is this a seasonal thing? < Could be. Time will tell.> Like maybe she is in season and they are nasty little boys looking for action? <It is early summer and the timing is right for males to be courting females.> What can I do about this behavior? <Pull the heater to the tank and cool them down. This may slow down their metabolism enough so they won't feel like breeding.> There is no dirt or nesting material in this set-up, so if she is in season will she need an area to lay eggs? < If there is no where to lay her eggs she will abort them in the water where they will be eaten by the other turtles.> We don't need her to reproduce, but does she need to? < Well conditioned mature female turtles may still produce eggs.> Do I have to separate her? If so, for how long? <I would separate her if the cooling down idea doesn't work. Reintroduce her once every couple of weeks and see how the others react. When they leave her alone then you can try to put her back.> Should I treat the small nip wound on her, and with what? <Keep the water clean, add a Dr Turtle Sulpha Block by Zoo Med and treat the wounds with Repti Wound Healing Aid by Zoo Med.> I hope that this too shall pass as this set-up is nicely done and we have hopes of building an indoor pond for them, and our hatchling size turtles when they are larger, to cohabitate with each other. < Keeping groups of turtles can present problems as you have found out.-Chuck> Turtle Sleeps on Back 6/23/06 Dear Bob, <Nope, Pufferpunk here to answer your turtle Qs> I have 3 red eared sliders. <Boy, I hope you have lots of room! Eventually, they'll need at least 30g each.> The one that's smallest of them all is sleeping upside down!!!!! I was wondering if this is normal and if not what can I do to help it? I'm absolutely sure its not dead and absolutely sure it sleeps that way, since my mom saw it do it several times. <Just turn it over, as some turtles have trouble turning over after being on it's back & can suffocate.> Another thing is that one of my turtles scales are falling off. I'm not sure which one, or why... I was wondering if perhaps they may be fighting? <That is how they grow. You should see nice, bright shiny scutes underneath. Check out this site for turtles: http://www.turtletimes.com/ (Please try to use proper punctuation when writing us, as I have to correct, before posting to our FAQs.) ~PP> Thanks, Dianna Begging Turtle Driving Owner Crazy 6/14/06 I've had my turtle for almost a year now and in the past couple months he has been crazily flapping around in the front of the tank when he sees me. I thought he might be hungry but sometimes the food ends up just sitting there. Eventually he stops once put my face really close to the tank or put my hand there. I was wondering if this was normal behavior or if it could mean something else. I love my turtle but it gets real annoying sometimes when I hear him kicking in the rocks all day long. I've tried putting something in front of the tank so he could stare at it which makes him stop but I feel bad sometimes. But its either that or trying to stay real still in my room because once I move, he swims to the front and goes crazy again. Thank you for your time! < As your turtle grows he has different dietary requirements. When young, they like a more meaty diet. As they grow they need some vegetable matter in their diet. Try to vary the diet with some live insects, washed earthworms and add some vegetable matter like kale and spinach. These new items may take care of his requirements for additional vitamins and minerals.-Chuck> Sulfa Block for Turtle 6/6/06 I have a beautiful two year old male RES. About a year ago I put a sulfa block in his water to help keep him healthy. The block was in the shape of a turtle. After it had dissolved to a smaller size (maybe the size of a lima bean), my turtle ate it! For about five days afterwards he had the worst diarrhea imaginable. I haven't tried a sulfa block since then. Is there any way I can keep sulfa in the water without tempting my turtle? Also, are there any vitamins or other antibiotics I can put in his water to help keep him healthy? Elizabeth Walley < When a turtle eats a Sulpha block it is a sign that the turtle needs additional minerals in its diet. Add some green leafy vegetables like spinach and Kale. They are a good source of calcium. Offer some other item like insects and worms.-Chuck> Frantic African Mud Turtle - 06/07/2006 Hello. I have an African Mud Turtle, given to me 1 year ago in July. Twice now, he has acted very unusual. He has been running up his ramp, jumping into the water, all the while looking frantic! Then he proceeds to try to climb out of the tank by way of the heater, filter, or from the top of the ramp. He has actually flipped himself over attempting this. I have seen what I assume is his sex organ, and it seems to coincide with this crazy behavior. We have him in a 40 gallon tank with a ramp and basking light. We keep the water temp at 80 degrees, he eats turtle sticks, and about once a month we give him a few fish to eat. He does not eat while this behavior is being displayed. What is going on with him? Do you think his living conditions are adequate? We have gravel in the tank, which he digs in and tries to bury himself at the bottom of the ramp. This is something he has always done, so I'm assuming this is normal. I have never had a turtle before, so I don't know much about them. He is a cool pet, we want to make sure he is healthy and happy! Thanks for your help. <Sometimes turtle get stressed out by being in captivity and need a place to hide. I would recommend a cave-like structure be placed in the tank so he can hide when he wants to stay out of site. The area should be big enough to allow him and his shell full movement with no danger of being stuck, but be able to provide some cover. Covering half the tank with plastic or paper may help too. The other reason may be a desire to find a mate to breed. Cool the tank down a few degrees and this should calm his hormones down.-Chuck> Turtle Toys - 05/17/2006 I was wondering if you guys have any ideas for turtle toys. Our 2 turtles (Tank and Diesel) get bored. I was wondering if there were any toys made for turtles or any thing that could be turned into a toy. Thanks, Lisa < Turtles are always interested in food. I would recommend that you vary their diet with live earthworms, crickets, mealworms and kingworms. If they are somewhat larger you could add vegetable matter like spinach and kale. Zoo Med has recently come out with a floating turtle log. It is a hollow floating log that turtles can climb out on as well as go inside to feed. I am confident they will love it.-Chuck> RES Hibernating - 05/17/2006 My sister has had a RES for years. She keeps hers in a tank. I just got one and put it in my pond. She keeps worrying about it going into hibernation. She says it will die if it does. Is this true? The coldest that it would get in the pond in the winter is the low 50s. < Hibernation is a normal process for many "Cold Blooded" animals to survive the winter. If you turtle is put out now it will slowly acclimate to being outside. As the fall comes and the air begins to chill your turtle will start to rely more on body fat than on actually eating. If your turtle has not accumulated enough body fat, then it will not make it through the winter. This year was a very difficult year for turtles being kept outside. Sporadic heat waves brought turtles out of hibernation. When the cold settled back in , many turtles could not find enough food to eat and got sick with respiratory infections and weak from hunger. Many turtle keepers resorted to bringing their turtles indoors until the outside air temps remained consistently warm.-Chuck> Sleeping Turtles and Shell Rot - 5/17/2006 Hi WWM, I just got two red eared sliders from a co-worker. She said she got them as a Christmas gift. I don't know how old they are though because I don't know if she got them from two years ago(2004) or last year(2005). Im guessing they're from the 2005 Christmas because they're both about five inches long. I've had them for almost a week now but something that bothers me is that she never had a UVB or UVA light or even a heat lamp. Anyway, I read about turtles closing their eyes being bad, both of my turtles keep their eyes closed for long periods of time underwater, they seem to be sleeping, This usually happens during the night. I thought all turtles sleep but I just wanted to make sure. < Sounds like they are sleeping.> And also, the smaller turtle's feces are more of a powder than a chunk (the larger turtle's feces look more normal). I feed them pellets (the amount that would fit into their head), and I toss in some chopped up carrots and green lettuce that they eat sometimes. The water temperature is usually near 80F during the day and 75F during the night. I keep a UVB headlamp on about 10 hours a day. I also have a water heater and a submerged water filter on all the time. I also change half of the water everyday and clean the tank twice a week. There is also little white specks and dark brown lines appearing on its shell. I think its shell rot, I was also wondering if you can send me some pictures of shell rot so I can see if it looks similar. Sorry for the long letter but I wanted to give you all the information I had in case it has anything to do with the problem and thanks for any information you can give me. < The shell rot looks like little soft cheese like spots on the shell. Over time they get bigger and need to be cleaned out and treated with antibiotics. Some mottling, like the dark streaks sounds normal. The white spots should be checked out and probed to see if they are soft or hard like the rest of the shell.-Chuck> Run Away Turtle 5/15/06 Hello, For a couple of months I have been letting my 2 yellow-bellied turtles roam the back yard each day for about an hour. I keep an eye on them and they usually go to the same places and sleep. The male is much more active, but follows the same path, where as the female finds a spot and digs in and sleeps. Well for the last week the female has been burying herself under bushes making it difficult to find her. And 2 days ago I lost her in the yard for good, I was working in the garden and turned for about 10 minutes and we can't find her anywhere. There's no access out of the back year since its all cement wall, so I'm thinking she's nesting. Is it that time of year? < She may be looking for somewhere to lay her eggs.> What I don't know is, is how long is the nesting process and will she come back? < If she has found a way out then she may not come back.> I have 2 pools in the backyard, all natural, no chlorine, and I figured she would head to the pool when done. If she doesn't come back, I would like to get another female for the male but I'm having a hard time locating a 3 year old female of the same size. Seems red sliders are more common. Is it okay to get a red slider female to put with the male? Or is the male better off alone? I assume they get attached to each other and he would like a companion, but I have no idea if turtles are "family-oriented".. Appreciate your help, Celeste < Turtles really don't get along except to breed. The rest of the time they are considered competition to each other. I would still give it a few months before I gave up. Look at Kingsnake.com to find a replacement turtle.-Chuck> Turtle Strikes Out At Everything 4/30/06 Hello, my name is Dianna. I have 5 red eared sliders in a tank, and I'm afraid that my turtle that is second from biggest to smallest is sick or something's wrong with it. It keeps biting everything. It bites the other turtles for food and it bites me, or tries to, when my finger is on the glass of the tank. It did not do this before, so am afraid something might be wrong.. and maybe if it keeps doing that its mouth will be too stretched out. do you know what's wrong with it? -Dianna < With 5 turtles in one tank you have a very competitive situation. I think your turtles are not getting enough to eat and they are fighting each other and snapping at anything that resembles food. Feed them a little more and maybe vary the diet a little bit with some earthworms and insects.-Chuck> Re: Lost Turtle Questions - 04/19/2006 Thanks for the positive action tips... Questions 1) How long can she go without eating or without being in the water? < In direct sun , not very long. In shady moist conditions probably a week or more.> Will she eat the vegetation in our yard or on the way to a pond? <She could try but most likely will wait until in a body of water.> 2) I read that turtles can walk up to 1.5 miles to find a new pond. How long would that take? <In the heat of the day she would probably rest in the shade. Below 65 F is probably too cold for any movement. Stop and go movement would probably take a week to get that far.> 3) Can a raccoon eat her? <Raccoons could probably eat smaller turtles. Larger turtles would put up more of a fight and may put off a young inexperienced raccoon. An adult raccoon is pretty smart and if hungry enough could probably take on a good sized turtle.> 4) Can an 8' alligator eat her? < No problem. In one gulp.-Chuck> Thanks again Re: Turtle That Came Home 4/21/06 You had a note about a run away turtle on your web site. Mine ran away for about two weeks, but came back on her (?) own and seems content. They may want to keep the kiddie pool set up, and make it easy for their turtle to get back in. <Will post on the site to aid others.-Chuck> Keeping Turtles Together - 04/19/2006 I had a slider named Titus who turned out to be female when she was 25. After she started laying eggs she got more wild. One day in June when I was cleaning my house she ran out the door & went to live in the pond next door. Even though it was mating season, I used to think she was lonely sometimes because she was alone with no one else in the house a lot. I got her a male, Trajan, about 12, who didn't seem to think the pond was his thing last year, but this year made a bee line for it on the first warm day. That was why I thought 2 turtles, either 2 females or a male & female might work better. Due to Titus' size I have an extra large kiddy pond (maybe 600 gallons) with a ramp so they can run around the house if they want to. What is the problem with more than 1 turtle? Thanks, Stephanie < Many times pet owners give human traits to animals. Turtles really don't require the companionship of fellow turtles unless they are ready to mate. As you have found out that the turtle's drive to mate can be very strong, but over a few weeks the drive will subside and the turtles will look at each other as competition. Over 90% of the turtle questions we get are dealing with younger turtles in a small aquarium condition. In this instance I still recommend a single turtle per container.-Chuck> Turtle Waving - 04/19/06 Hello! My friend has a female yellow-bellied slider. She has a certain ring that she will sit next to the tank and move it around in front of the turtle she will put both of her front "paws" above her head and wave them around. Why does she do this? Thank you for your help!-Beki < Males usually respond to objects that resemble other turtles in an attempt to mate. If the stone on the ring sticks out while forming a fist or closed hand then it loosely could be interpreted by the turtle as another turtle. See if he/she still does it later on in the year.-Chuck> Courting Male Turtle - 02/25/06 Have a ? for you all...I've had my turtle for about 14 months just recently he's started doing something kind of strange, he flips the rocks around a bit in the bottom of his tank and then puts his head down and his butt up in the air and turns his front legs (palm side out,) if you will and sort of taps on the certain rock he's chosen at the time. It's almost like he's in a daze while he's doing it. Just wondering if this is normal and what it is that he's doing? < If he has long front claws he is a boy and is courting the large rocks that resemble a female turtle.-Chuck> Turtles Biting Each Other - 2/21/2006 I have 2 turtles baby red eared sliders I had one for almost a year now and my GF recently gave me hers which is the same age since we bought them at the same time. I put them together and the first few days they were together my GF's turtle was biting mine and hers was slightly bigger, but after a couple of days they got along fine and they were swimming with each other. I was wondering if this was ok? < Red Eared Sliders are actually pretty aggressive as far as turtles go. When putting them together they are establishing a pecking order food and turf.> My other question is that my turtle is about 1.5 inches and my girlfriend's turtle is about 2 inches bigger and as I said they were bought at the same time. Do you know why my turtle is much more smaller than my girlfriend's turtle? < It could be she kept hers warmer and it had a higher metabolism or it could be a female. They get bigger then the males.-Chuck> answers will be greatly appreciated thanks in advance! Strange Protrusion From Turtle 2/17/06 My red-eared slider has just done something very peculiar. I'm almost positive he is a male and is about 2 yrs. old. He looked like he was going to the bathroom. He put his 2 back legs together and something black was coming out from underneath. When I tried to get a closer look, it was gone, like he just sucked it back in. Can you help me understand what this is? Thanks. Clifford Hetrick < Could be a fecal pellet but more likely extending his sex organs in anticipation of breeding in the spring.-Chuck> Strange Turtle Behaviour 2/17/06 Hello, I am writing to get some information. I have two RES and one is about one foot long from claw to tail, he is big. One RES is little and he is about 7 inches. They live in a pond in the back yard there is no heating element so they hibernate when it gets cold. They are hibernating now and have lots of caves and plants. I am writing to ask if it is normal for my RES to have their eyes swollen shut allot? When should I start feeding them? It has been really warm and the big one has came out to lay in the sun but the little one does not come out to much. Holly < The weather has not been normal for much of the U.S. It is warm in Feb and tricking many plants and animals out of hibernation, only to have it go cold again. I would not feed them unless I was absolutely sure the weather would be warm for at least two weeks. If you feed them and it gets cold then the food will rot in their gut and cause problems. If it stays warm then they will have used up all their fat reserves and be starving to death. To be sure you could bring them inside, feed, light and heat them and then use Zoo Med Repti Turtle Eye Drops to clear up the eyes. Bad eyes are usually associated with a lack of Vitamin A. Feed them Zoo Med Adult Aquatic Turtle Food. When it is definitely Spring you could put them back outside.-Chuck> Turtle Eating Sulfa Block 2/13/06 Hi, I tried to find an answer to my question everywhere else you suggested and am not having any luck. I have a black knobbed Sawback map turtle, female about 2 years old, approx. 5 inches long (shell). She is normally a very voracious eater, all of her living conditions are correct ( heat lamp, basking area, large filter, UV light, good varied diet, Reptisafe in water, etc...) anyways --- 2 days ago she decided to eat her Dr. Turtle sulfa block. Now she is not hungry and hiding under her dock, VERY unusual behavior for her! I have had her since she was little and she has never been with a male so I know she is not egg bound. Is that sulfa block that she ATE like a goof going to hurt her? Jessica < A turtles get older their dietary needs change. They need less meat and more vegetable matter in their diet. Your turtle needs minerals. Add some kale and spinach to the diet while feeding Zoo Med Adult Aquatic Turtle Food. It may take awhile for the turtle block in the stomach to dissolve.-Chuck> Turtles Not getting Along 2/1/06 I work at a museum where we have two Red-Ear Sliders with a Painted Turtle in a large pond that is indoors. Suddenly the Painted Turtle has started biting the Red-Ear Sliders. They have been together for over a year. We have created a caged area within the pond to separate the turtles. Now the Painted Turtle does not seem happy. Do we need to just permanently separate the turtles altogether? All the turtles are approximately the same size. Thank you, Tiffany Jackson, CVT < Large adult turtles can be very aggressive towards each other. They see the other turtles as competition for food and resources. To be on the safe side I would recommend permanently separating the turtles. If one gets a bite on the tail or leg then they really become very poor display animals.-Chuck> Turtle Eating Fecal Matter 1/25/06 I have had my turtle for about 3 weeks to a month and have never seen it poop. This morning my son noticed that it was little green balls in the tank (poop) and the turtle was eating it. Is this normal behavior? How often should they poop. This was his first time since I've had him. Also the little antibacterial thingy (shaped like a turtle) that you drop in the tank, he eats that too. Is this normal? Please help!! April Wilson < Your turtle is craving minerals and vitamins. Vary the diet with Zoo Med Hatchling Aquatic Turtle Food, Zoo Med Turtle Treat, washed earthworms, mealworms, kale and spinach.-Chuck.> Turtle "Shedding" Shell 1/21/06 <Hi, Pufferpunk here> I was given a turtle who is roughly 3 years old. The previous owner got him in FL at one of the many shops. He is a small turtle with a red spot on the side of his head so I am guessing that he is a red eared turtle. <That's red eared slider> Anyway, about 2 weeks ago, his plates on his back started coming off. Now it looks like the skin on the bottom of his shell is shedding. I am no idea what it is! I took him from her because she was not taking care of him. Please tell me what to do! He may be just a turtle, but he is still a pet! <Not just a turtle if God made it & you love it! Not to worry, shedding it's scutes, is how it grows. Be sure it has lots of swimming room & clean water. Add vitamins to it's food & a calcium block to it's water. It also needs a nice basking spot under a light. Good luck with your "flaky" friend! ~PP> Rebecca Turtle Looking For Something 1/17/06 Hello, I don't have any dirt in my tank I have a 25 gallon tank with a basking ramp and a fish tank light. One of my females has been staring at the bottom of the tank would that be a sign of something. < I suspect that she is either looking for food or looking at her reflection in the bottom glass thinking another turtle is down there.-Chuck> Determining A Turtles Age I was wondering how to tell how old my Red Ear Slider is they are pretty small only like 2 inches but I still don't know how old they are please help be very explanative I am kinda slow! Thank you .ML. < Turtle are "Cold Blooded". That means the warmer it is the faster they grow and the more they eat. Under normal captive conditions a little turtle can get up to 2 to 3 inches in a year. Wild turtles would hibernate and may only get to be 2 inches because they did not grow while hibernating.-Chuck>> How Old Is My Turtle? > I still don't understand how to tell how old they are please help! < I would guess almost two years old.-Chuck>
Hibernating Turtles 12/8/05 Okay, I have 2 red eared sliders (1 male and 1 female, I think) and I want to put them into hibernation this winter but I've been doing some reading and it says that I should have put them into hibernation 2 months ago and I was wondering if I should wait 'till next year or go ahead and do it this year, and if I could do it this year than what should I do??? <Lots of factors involved. Contact the real turtle experts at the Calif Turtle and Tortoise Club at tortoise.org for specific help.-Chuck> Turtle Eating Turtle Dock 12/8/05 I have a red eared slider that is about 5 inches. He has grown well ( from about the size of a half dollar to 5 inches since July). He eats well and seems very happy but he has started to bite on his turtle dock and actually eat it. Will this hurt him and if so what else can I use? < As your turtle grows it requires less protein and more vegetable matter in its diet. The Turtle Dock by Zoomed is made from urethane and is inert and will safely pass through your turtle. What your turtle is actually trying to do is eat the algae that is growing on the dock to meet its vitamin and mineral requirements. Give it some green spinach leaves or kale. Get some vitamins and follow the directions on the bottle. Cut back on the protein in the diet.-Chuck> Turtles and Their Behavior This Time of Year 12/08/05 Hi, I have a RES who was given to us just recently. He is about 5 inches long and was only in a five gallon tank. I have put him in a 20 gallon tank with a basking area - he never had one before. He has started digging frantically in the corner and has piled all the rocks up. He has also stopped eating. He won't stay on his basking area and insists on staying in that one corner that he has dug up. He also keeps trying to jam himself under the water filter pipe. I am pretty sure that I need to warm up his water so I will go and get a heater for him. He also seems to have a large lump on the underside of his throat. I don't know if this has always been there or if I am just now noticing it because I started to worry about him. Is this something that you know anything about? Is he just trying to hibernate and if so should we just allow him to follow his seasonal instincts or should we warm up his water and hope that helps? Thank you. <Hibernating turtles in captivity should be left up to more advanced hobbyist, I would definitely get a heater for the water. Warming up your water should also encourage him to start eating. Keep an eye on this lump, if it does not get any better you should take him to a vet. Turtles will often dash towards the back corners of a tank when startled. If your turtle is constantly trying to dig in the tank you might consider adding some more places for your turtle to hide. For more info on captive care of turtles check out the following link. -Gage http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/redearsliders.htm > Turtle Hides 12/03/05 I have a RES about 3 inches in diameter. It is December now and he is kept in a medium sized tank about 75*F. I bought it a row of fake plants and he is using it to cover himself. He dug a hole beneath a large rock I provided and dragged my mini aquarium heater into it. He hides himself beneath the rock with the heater on top of him so he is out of sight. Is this "normal" or should I be worried? < You turtle should spend a certain amount of time basking under a heat lamp and some time foraging for food. At night it would be OK to rest out of sight but not all the time.-Chuck> Ouroboros-type Female Turtle Bites Male's Tail Off (Or "Rectum? Heck, Coulda Killed 'em!) 11/7/05 Hello. My children have had 2 RESs for about 2 years now. There is a male and a female. The female has grown to be larger than the male, and I guess has grown tired of the male's constant "courtship" of her. Recently, the female bit the tip of the male's tail off! I have separated them, and am in the process of building them an outdoor pond. I give him 20 minute salt water baths and have been putting Neosporin on the "nub". What else can I be doing to help this poor turtle? Could she have damaged anything else in his tail? Thanks. Sam. < Luckily males have pretty long tails and as long as the bite was not as high as the rectum he should be OK. Watch for fungal infections. You may want to place a ZooMed Dr. Turtle Sulfa Bock in the tank to prevent infections.-Chuck> Sick Little Turtle May Just Be A Male - 10/24/05 I bought 4 Red Ear Sliders in May of 2005. 2 were around 1 1/2" in size an the other 2 were 2" in size. I bought a 40 gallon tank, finally figured out the Fluval 3 is the best filter. I have a 75watt basking light (use to have 100watt), a heater and the water is around 78 to 80 degrees always. I use turtle clean once a week to reduce the waste. Feed them daily or twice a day small amount. 3 have grown to about 4 inches the other remains the same size. The larger ones have gotten the cotton film on them several times but have cleared up by bathing in the sulfa dip in a separate bathing tub. I am assuming this was to my problem finding the right filter. My tank was constantly getting dirty, started to get algae. The little one never got this and all 4 have always eaten. I did notice the 3 big ones (even when they were all the same size) use to push him away but we always put food by the little guy for him to eat. Well I guess the other 3 received more food since they all grew to the same size. The l little guy has started to slow down on eating over the last month and now eats once a week from what we noticed. He does not swim much, just stays on the basking dock. He used to occasionally swim (not like the biggers but he did swim). The only thing I have done in the last month was take out the rocks. Constantly getting algae and trying to keep the waste from laying in the tank, finally last week just put in a small amount so they have something to dig in. The big turtles like to move things (my filter, my heater, my thermometer, the rocks) the little one never did. I have put algae destroyer in the water . I had the heater out for about a week because it broke while cleaning (my big turtles like to move it). Tried taking the little guy out of the tank and feed by himself. He moves more in the bathing dish with no water but does not eat or grow. What do you think? Should I separate him from the 3 big turtles or is he sick? I do not see anything unusual about his appearance. < I would set him up in his own tank for awhile as a precaution. Male turtles are smaller than females so this just may be related to sex and not his overall heath. In a separate tank I would set him up and keep him there until his appetite picks up and he starts acting more normal. If he is a he, the front nails will be very long and the tail will be longer than the others.-Chuck> Sexing Yellow Bellied Sliders 10/22/05 I got two yellow bellied sliders about a year ago. One is larger than the other and has longer nails. Which one is male or female? < Usually the female is larger with shorter nails and a shorter tail.> Also the smaller has seemed to be sleeping a lot is there an explanation for that? < Could be sick. The larger turtle is dominating the tank and the smaller one is not getting the nutrition and care it needs.> And last how can you tell if a yellow bellied slider is pregnant? < Females are large, fat and have an incredible appetite. Especially in the spring time when things warm up. Though this is not always certain, adult pairs will usually produce eggs.-Chuck> Weird Turtle - No, Early Winter Turtle 10/22/05 We have a red eared slider, we have had him about 5 years. Early winter, in late November his eating goes way down he gets less active. But this year he is already slowing down his eating, and it is still October. He seems active, swimming around, climbing out to bask. He appeared to be digging at the bottom of his cage this morning, and it looked like he was posturing to his reflection (put out his front legs, puffed out his neck, and swayed back and forth). He is also doing a turtle love dance to his floating food, our fingers, and a turtle statue by his tank. Do you think his appetite is down because he thinks it is mating season? He usually does his love dance a lot in spring. He has a lot of character. He splashes to get attention, watches TV, and listens to you talk. Thanks or any thoughts, Katie < As the air temp cools down for winter their appetite slows down. If they are caught with a full belly of food it may rot in their stomach over the winter and kill them. They store fat not food. With the strange weather we seem to be having this year, an Indian Summer type of weather pattern may be tricking him into thinking it is spring.-Chuck> Bigger Turtle Picking On The Smaller One - Watch Your Toes! 10/22/05 Hi. I have 2 red eared sliders, I am unsure of their sex. 1 is bigger than the other and I believe it is responsible for gnawing and tearing the nails off the other turtle. I noticed the smaller ones' nails were missing and has wounds on it's back feet. I started to watch them closely and noticed the big one was very aggressive towards the smaller one, it kept trying to bite it. I have now separated them but I am concerned about the wounds. What can I do to help with the healing and to prevent infection? I keep the tank very clean (Changing water every 1-2 weeks). Any recommendations will be helpful and appreciated. Thank You Janette < Add a Dr. Turtle Sulpha Block by Zoomed to the water. It will help prevent infections. Keeping the water clean is a major step in preventing infections. Bigger turtles often pick on smaller tank mates. Separating them is a good idea.-Chuck> Little Turtle Can't See 10/10/05 Hello, We have 2 Red Ear Sliders. Don't know the sex yet, though. The larger turtle has about 3 in. carapace by bites the other turtle's, whose carapace is about 1.5 inches, back feet. The smaller turtle remains mostly on the turtle dock while the other turtle swims most of the time but comes out and basks. The larger turtle is more active and eats just about all of their collective food. How do I help this little guy out? < Separate him from the big turtle. At least during feeding so he gets some food.> He seems to bask with his eyes closed for a good part of the day. We have only had these guys for a few days. The smaller one seems more friendly and will allow me to pick him up. I have also tried "soaking" him on one occasion to see if that would help. He seemed more active but as soon as I put him back into the collective tank, he took to basking again with his eyes closed. Is he just too little and not active or is something else wrong? Thanks for any of your help. I've tried reading the postings on your forum but couldn't find one that matched this situation. Kathy Z <Probably been sick for awhile and that may explain the differences in sizes. I would keep them separated and make sure the basking spot is at least 90 F. The eye thing may be caused by a vitamin deficiency. Get some Reti Turtle Eye Drops from ZooMed. Once his eyes clear up he may start eating more normally.-Chuck> Gassy Turtles 10/3/05 Ok I know this may sound like a very dumb question, but I truly want to know the answer to it. When turtles crawl into there shells and hide, can they pass gas in there shells and if they do, do they smell it? <There are no cavities within the shell for any gasses to migrate from the back half of the turtle to the front of the turtle. Once it leaves the turtle then it depends on which way the wind is blowing.-Chuck> Turtle Needs Nails Trimmed 8/2/05 Hi, I have 3 red eared sliders, 2 males and 1 female...one of the males nails are very long, I was just wondering if they can be cut like other animals? He doesn't have rough rocks or anything like that to "dull" them except when we let them play on the concrete floor in the basement. I look at them and I can see the "quick" like other animals have. Any suggestions would be great. You all have a really cool web site too. Thanks, Barb R.E.S; Buddi ; Scooby; & Button < The turtles claws are naturally long and really should not be clipped. If they really are a problem then I suggest you start slow and clip only one off a short distance from the end. Clipping may actually make them sharper and create more of a problem. Nail file?-Chuck> Red Eared Slider My turtle has been acting up lately. When I let her out of the tank she goes to a rug and seems to be enjoying herself. Is it possible she is masturbating? Her tank has become real sudsy also? Please help! <Hmm, I am not familiar with this behavior in turtles, you might post your question on some of the turtle discussion forums to see if anyone else has experienced something similar. Best Regards, Gage http://forums.kingsnake.com/forum.php?catid=32 http://www.turtletimes.com/Forums/default.asp > Turtle Behavior I have a red-eared slider, I've had him for a few years. But whenever someone enters the room he gets scared and runs into the water. and if someone touches him, he hides in his shell. he also seems depressed. what's a good way to make him happier? Would getting another turtle work? Or what? <This is really just their natural behavior, I am not sure if there is a way to train it out of them, you could start hand feeding some yummy treats like night crawlers, after a while it will probably beg for food every time it sees you, which can get annoying. My old slider would splash in her tank to wake me up to feed her. I would not add another turtle unless your system can handle it. Gage> Red Eared Slider Aggression <Hi, MikeD here> I have three red eared slider turtles and noticed that the two of them have been showing what I think are signs of aggression. They take both of their front feet and vibrate them in front of their face while at the same time, aim for one another. A friend of mine was wondering if this was a sign of courtship?<It sure is! Males have very long claws/toenails on the front feet and they "flirt" with females by placing their paws in front of their face and doing just exactly what you are describing. Males MAY do this as a sort of "hand jive" with other males as a stylized form of a dance in lieu of real and possibly fatal attacks. You might also want to consider giving the female access to some dry ground for egg laying, where they dig a pit similar to those excavated by their larger, more famous marine relatives!> Thanks! <You're welcome> Slider Fanatic Red Eared Slider Turtles <Hi, MikeD here> First of all, thanks for the speedy reply!<You're welcome> If it is a female and male and they are courting one another, than what do I do if I do not have a space for them so that she can lay her eggs?<That's a tough question that only you can answer. If she HAS to she may lay them on the rocks or even in the water, but there's an equal chance that she'll retain them and become egg-bound, which can be fatal. My solution, of course, is to get a larger container where you can build a dry land section to the terrarium> They are all in a 20 long tank with about eight inches of water with about 10 inches of rocks piled up so that they can get out of the water and "bask" in the heat lamp.<Nowhere near large enough. They will grow to about 10"-12" long each> Also, one of the sliders got out of the tank and fell to the floor!<Might I suggest a screen top as well?> It's shell is cracked a little bit but its been eating and swimming fine. Someone had recommended to put baby oil on the shell to promote growth.<I'd use a good antibiotic ointment for a day or so, then superglue along the crack, depending on the size of course> The other two have been digging in the rocks quite a bit.<They'll likely injure themselves soon if you don't fix this situation as well> I don't know if they are looking for a place to build their nest, but I don't know what I will do if I have turtle eggs!<I'd be more concerned with your turtles surviving than about any eggs, which certainly won't. They can be hatched and the babies raised quite easily, but not without a well designed enclosure, which you do not have. My honest suggestion is to do some reading and consider building a terrarium for your charges where they can be healthy and you will then truly enjoy them> Thanks! Slider Fanatic Red Eared Turtles How long can a red ear slider survive outside of water? < They don't need to be wet all the time. They can survive a couple of days in a cool damp environment, like when they are being shipped. They re-hydrate rather quickly. In warm weather I would not let them go more than a day without letting them soak in water for awhile.-Chuck> Turtle Fun Yata-HEY! I read a lot and gain very good info from here. Much appreciated. Here is one to make you smile. My Red Eared Slider was a road-rescue, Friend of mine found it several months ago on a neighborhood street and knowing I'd kept turtles brought it to me. She was the size of a silver dollar and has doubled in 7 months. At any rate. I'd tried not necessarily to tame her but I didn't want her afraid of me either. She hides in her shell and sits and stares when I take her out of her tank but she 'chases' me thru the glass. Paddling furiously over to the glass and following anything I might be doing outside the tank. Just found out she has no inhibitions playing in her element as she followed my hand around the inside of the tank as I was pulling moss from the filter intake. She let's me grab her by her tail or leg and drag her gently thru the water and will boost herself on my hand to get air. Also noticed she loves the heck out of the little waterfall and bubbles coming from the filter and will park herself under it at the surface and take a Jacuzzi break, ;) Satanta the WhiteBear < These little turtles have a personality you just gotta love.-Chuck> Self-Abusing Turtle Bites Himself in Japan Dear WWM , I have a male red eared slider that is about 2 -3 years old in his own tank. Recently (last few weeks) he has started to bite his left front hand/claw keratin bits. One of the pieces of keratin is starting to look a bit inflamed and pale pinkish, not like a normal white keratin piece - like he has had a good gnaw at it. Is this self-biting normal and do you think he has potentially infected his claw/hand by biting it? If it is a potential problem, what can I do to fix it? Thank you for your time. Regards, Farah < At one point in time there was probably some food stuck on his claw and as he attempted to get to it he mistakenly bit himself. Now he probably thinks the reddish coloration is still food. I would clean the tank and keep it that way to help prevent the infection from getting worse. I would add a Dr Turtle sulfa block to treat the bacterial infection. I would then feed the turtle several times a day to prevent him from getting so hungry he will prefer the food instead of his claw. When the claw starts to grow back and turn back to a more normal color I would make sure he is well fed so he doesn't go back to his old bad habits.-Chuck> Aggressive Turtle I have two Red Ear Slider
turtles. One has red markings and the other has yellow
markings. I have raised them for approximately 3 1/2 years,
since they were babies, both probably the size of a silver dollar when
I got them. They started in a 10-gallon tank with a wooden
stand to sun themselves on. As they grew, I slowly upgraded
the tanks, and now have a 60-gallon tank with a custom built 6 x 6 inch
platform. The yellow ear has grown to approx 5
inches long and the red ear has grown to approx 4 1/2
inches. For as long as I have raised them they have been
healthy and happy and cohabitated beautifully. I have over
time vacillated about their sex, however I believe them both to be
males. They both have very long front nails, and long
tails. Additionally, over the last couple years they both
have performed what your site refers to as the male mating ritual, i.e.
the wiggling of the nails in front of the other's
face. From my reading, it appears only male turtles do
that....I think? < Yes> Anyway, now that you have sufficient
background of my turtles and their setup, I am hoping you will be able
to diagnose the problem. Specifically, the red ear (slightly
larger turtle) has in the last 6 months become extremely
aggressive. He will approach the yellow ear as if he were
about to do his mating routine and then bite the back of the yellow
ear's neck and hold on to the point that I must physically separate
them. Over time he actually drew blood. Thus, I
bought a separator and kept them apart for about two months thinking he
would grow out of it and allowing the yellow ear to heal
completely. Unfortunately, although the yellow ear has
completely healed, the red ear has not grown out of the behavior, and
the second I take down the barricade, he immediately goes after the
yellow ear. It is odd, both are very friendly to
me. I feed them by hand often and they are very gentle, and
the red ear even pretty much leaves the fish in the tank
alone. Nonetheless, I can not leave the tank separated
permanently and am now pondering giving the red ear
away. Please advise. Is there something else I
can do? Is there something wrong with the red
ear? If they are both males, is that the
problem? Any help would be very much
appreciated. Thank you. < You are treating you turtle
well and they are indeed displaying a breeding behavior. It is
springtime and males are looking to court females and drive other males
away. You could separate them for a few months and then try and put
them back together again but I am afraid you will have the same problem
every spring. For a long term solution I would cut back to one
turtle.-Chuck> Hiding Turtles I have a big pond and water fall. It is 15 feet by 16 feet 4.5 feet deep. A friend gave me two slider turtles for the pond one is a baby. Then I bought one. For the first day or so I could see them swimming on the top of the water. But when I open my sliding glass door to get a better view they went to the bottom. I have not seen any of them for a few days. How long can they hold their breath? < Up to a couple of hours depending on the water temp and their activity level. During the summer months it is up to about 20 minutes.> I have a bunch of feeder fish in there too. I have a UV sterilizer that I just add and it is clearing up the water. I still can't see them. I have rocks and gravel at the bottom of the pond. Do they dig in to hide? < They do some digging but not to the extent you are suggesting.> Do the walk away for the pond? < It is totally possible for your turtles top walk away.> It's in my back yard and there is really no where for them to go. My pond has not a lot of shade I am waiting for the trees to grow. How do I get them to come out if they are still there? < When turtles get hungry they leave the pond to find food. I would put one of the turtles in a small kiddy wadding pool with some water, a brick to create a basking spot and some cover over the pool for shade. Leave the turtle in there for a few days. Walk up once a day and throw a turtle food stick in right in front of his face. After awhile your turtle will not be afraid and will learn that you are the source of food and actually come out to see you and be fed. Once one turtle does it then the others catch on pretty quick and they will all be out wanting food.-Chuck> Red Eared Slider hibernation Hello, my name is Kristen, <Hi Kristen, Gage here.> my concern with my turtle "Baby Ben Franklin" is that he has something over his eyes. Now I got the turtle from my b/f's aunt and she said she has raised turtle's all her life and what it is is a protective cover because he is in hibernation she says. Now whatever is over the turtles eye does not look infected or swollen or anything but I have not found a place that has said anything about when turtles go into hibernation that they should get a protective shield over their eyes. Now is this something normal, have you ever heard of something like this, or is there something wrong w/ my RES eye's? <hmm..., I am not familiar with this, but I also have never had a hibernating RES.> Also, if in hibernation when do they come out, do they sleep in water while in hibernation? <In captivity hibernation can be controlled by the temperature. In the wild they spend winters in the mud at the bottom of ponds and rivers. I would recommend a good book on slider care. The link below has some good information on taking care of RES http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/res.html Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. <The pleasure is mine. BTW, the number of a good reptile vet is always a good thing to have when keeping turtles. Best Regards, Gage> Thanks, Kristen & "Baby Ben Franklin" Turtle Shedding Too Much <Hi, MikeD here> I have a Two and a half year old female red ear slider that is shedding a lot lately. I have made sure the temps of the water and basking area are adequate, being 78 degrees and 88-90 degrees respectively.<88-90 degrees F for basking...I assume this is under a full spectrum daylight bulb? I ask as they need some UV to keep fungal infections down> I feed her every other day with turtle pellets, some carrots or apples. Occasionally I'll give her mill worms and have some gold fish in her tank. Am I feeding her too much? Not enough variety?<It doesn't sound like too much, but I think I'd suggest leaning toward more meat/protein in the diet as these are primarily carnivorous> Her skin comes off in larger pieces than before, although they are still thin. Could it be too much chlorine and if so how do I solve that problem?<Any chlorine is too much chlorine, easily remedied by adding any one of several different dechlorination products to the water, available in the fish section of almost any pet shop. Is the water changed, filtered or otherwise cleaned? Use care as turtles were banned for sale as pets long ago due to the propensity to spread salmonella infections through their waste in the water.> Thanks for your help. David Snapping Turtle Shell Growths (continued) Bob, Mike ????<It's Mike D here again> I know that algae will grow on the shell but when I saw a white film on my snapper's head, I became concerned.<Aha! I would too, but not knowing it was white, I was at a disadvantage! **grin**> He has always eaten very well but seemed to not be interested anymore. Over the aquarium I have a Slimline Reptile Fixture with super 15 watt UV lamp (it produces 3%+ UVB and 7%+ UVA) and a Daylight Blue Reptile 60 watt bulb.<I thought you probably would have, as you didn't sound like a novice, but had to ask> I have put some Neosporin on his shell and rubbed it on his neck and legs.<Now there's some creative thinking, although it shouldn't have much effect if it's indeed a fungal growth, with Neosporin being for bacterial infections> Now that the weekend is here I will put him out in the sun for a few hours while I am at home.<Good idea, but use care as once his body temperature hits 92 degrees it could be all over. I'm assuming that you know NEVER to sit a terrarium/aquarium in the sun as the sun's rays are magnified by the glass creating a rudimentary Dutch Oven> He seems to be perking up a bit but still has some algae (fungus) hanging from his neck.<You might want to consider making up a fairly strong salt bath and soaking him in it for a few minutes at a time for several days. Many true funguses are extremely sensitive to salt and might die very easily. I'd suggest no longer than 20 minutes or so for the soaks as snappers have no regulatory mechanism for secreting excess salts> Thanks for your help.<Best of luck and keep us posted> -- SUE Sad Turtle 12/1/04 Hello, again. <Hi, it's Pufferpunk here again> We upgraded to a 20 gallon aquarium with mulch and a big bowl for swimming, etc., and she absolutely loves it, but she still won't eat. I did the mixture you said and she turned her nose up at it. <Have you tried warming her up in her bowl (with warm water) before offering her food? also, they seem to be attracts to red foods, especially earthworms). After two days of not eating I started to worry and gave her some apple which she gladly accepted, <Red foods, see?> but even the fruit she eats only bite sized amounts (to you or me) a day. I've tried feeding her 2 or 3 times a day-giving her a fresh piece of something different-but she barely eats. Are there any vitamin drops that I can drop on the food I give her to keep her healthy? Or should I consider carrying her to a vet? <I don't think a vet is necessary. Turtles will try to hibernate in the winter. Try to keep her warm & keep offering her lots of variety, to find out what her favorite foods are. You can buy good reptile vitamins form a pet shop. Also, adding cod-liver oil to her food & rubbing it on her shell & legs is very good for her. ~PP> Thanks for all your help. Jenni Female Bit Off Male's Claws? Turtle Stuff I apologize I am just now getting back to you. The email you wrote inexplicably went into my junk mail box so unfortunately I just saw your response. Thanks so much for answering ALL of my questions. It is so kind of you to take time out of your day to help others. I definitely try to take care of the turtles as best I can. (You should see how I care for my dogs!) The main reason I suspected it was her who caused the wounds was due to the simple fact he was really hot on her tail at that time and sometimes she gets really pissed and snaps at him. I did think it might have been too suspect t hat it happened on both claws though. I picked up some RidRot drops and Sulfa baths to treat him with he seems to be healing well (but of course I still would love to know what happened to him). I have been watching them closer to be sure it doesn't get worse. I am positive it was not caught on anything since their recent tank set up is stripped down and there is actual wounds where several of the claws are missing so a trim is probably out of the question too. But again I learn everyday so I wouldn't surprised if it was something I never considered. I have raised their temps. I don't plan to hibernate them. I have never done so in the past. If it is something you recommend please let me know. I will check out the site you mentioned. Wiggle Puppy is just my company's name. Named after my first dog, Bootsy, who would do what we called the wiggle puppy when he was happy to see us (paws down and butt in the air while shaking his tail). We do film and video work (some features but lately mostly band/concert films). Our last bigger release was a rockumentary for the band Phish entitled IT. Thanks again for the advice. Let me know if you ever need any multimedia work! < Make sure that you try and keep the water clean so the wounds don't get infected. Once again a warm dry area to bask is essential for their health.-Chuck> Social turtles? Hi I was wondering if you were the one that I talk about my turtle? if I have the right person I was wondering I have an ornate wooden turtle and I was wondering if they to have like other turtles in the cage with them? < They really don't care one way or another.-Chuck> FLOATING TURTLE I've had my turtle since November of 2004. I just cleaned the turtle's aquarium today and noticed that when I put him in the water he would float. Even if I tried to push him down to the bottom (not long at all) he just shot back up to the top. What should I do? What's wrong with him? Emily < Hopefully nothing. Check his diet and make sure that he is not getting too much protein and his shell is not growing too fast and out of proportion to the rest of his body. Make sure he has a good basking spot to help digest his food and hopefully pass any gas or air in the system. If you don't see any change in a week or so then I would consult a vet that hopefully specializes in reptiles.-Chuck> Turtle Talk I have searched the web for my answer, but was unable to find it. We have a painted turtle, who is around 4 years old. He is growing very quickly, and I have purchased a cream to keep his shell healthy as he sheds scales, feed him food pellets along with shrimp pellets bought from the local pet store where he was purchased, and keep his tank clean and filtered. He came to recognize us whenever we walked into his line of sight, and became very excited and would come to the glass and wait for us to come to the tank to feed him. Lately though, when he sees us, he rushes to the tank wall, splashes wildly, actually splashing water out of the tank onto the floor. At first, we thought it was just because he was hungry and was happy to see us. Now, he splashes like crazy and when we attempt to hand him a piece of food, he snaps so fast and hard that he has connected with fingers and literally brought himself out of the water attached to our hands. We feed him two to three sticks of food in the morning, and two or three at night, along with very small pieces of grapes or fresh fruit. I am not sure if this is a normal behavior, or if he feels the need to increase his food intake for some reason. He is growing rapidly and I am afraid of overfeeding him and making him obese. Can you please help me out with this? Thank you.........Sue Diesing <Some of the charm with little turtles is their ability to train their owners. They have obviously learned that you are the source of food and have learned that they're harder they beg the more you feed them. If they look like they are healthy and well fed then I would feed them a little heavier in the morning and maybe a little in the evening. Maybe they will learn that no matter when you walk by they will only be fed at certain times.-Chuck> Turtle Troubles Hello, We have had our turtles for a year now, we bought them at the same time. They were the same size at the time, now the RES (Red Eared Slider) is almost 3 times the size as the EPT (Eastern Painted Turtle). The RES is a female and the EPT is a male. I have done a considerable amount of research since having the turtles. Since when we bought them we had no idea what we were getting in to, (no thanks to the PetSmart people, another issue altogether). They have a great set up and are loved very much. So my main question, sometimes the RES will get in the EPT's face and put her hands out and shake them at him, one time I saw the EPT open his mouth at her. Is this a sign they are not getting along? One last thing, I have read that some males do this as a mating ritual. I am sure our RES is a female. Thanks so much- A <Turtles really like to be left alone , so when one turtle gets into the other turtles face it is to be noticed. I don't think your turtles are
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Both turtles here are exactly the same
age.