Why does my red-eared slider bite itself?
Yep. Lexus nailed this one. If it is breaking the skin, or there's an odd lump/bump/rough patch, you might want to have it peeked out by your vet. If you don’t already know of a qualified exotics/reptile vet in your area, Google: “Herpetological Society” -or- http://www.herpvetconnection.com/ for the one closest to you. Reptiles are slow to show signs of illness, and by the time they do, it's usually pretty progressed. So, if in doubt - take it to the vet. Good luck. I hope this has been helpful.
Why are my red eared sliders biting?
I recently bought two red eared sliders--one boy, one girl. They are relatively small but not babies. I have attempted to interact with them but every time I even enter the room, let alone come near them, they dive away from me in complete panic. When i pick them up they hiss and try to bite me. I have looked up biting before, and people say it is because they are hungry, so I tried feeding them until they just stopped eating (more than recommended in books) The female will now sniff food i am holding if i put my hand in the tank, but still will not eat it; the male hides under a rock across the tank. Im fine with them being afraid of me, I've just heard that red eared sliders are relatively calm and usually bite when they are extremely scared or hungry. Is there anything I can do to make them more comfortable/calm/happy?
My Red eared slider bites?
Red Eared Sliders most commonly bite because they feel threatened. Sometimes, though less often, they might bite your finger if you put it in front of them because they confuse it with food. It can be seen as aggression once they bite, but this is only out of defense. What can you do about it? Make him feel less threatened for one - do not handle him if you do not need to. If you are trying to change food/water dishes, do it at appropriate times - when the turtle is relaxed and a good distance away from the dishes. Make sure that the terrarium or aquarium you are keeping him/her in is large enough for the turtle's size - red eared sliders will become stressed when they live in cramped quarters. Make sure the average temperature of his habitat is about 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit around the basking area that the heat lamp is warms. The habitat he/she lives in should include land and water (50/50 tanks) so that your red eared slider has the freedom to choose between environments - cool down in the water, or warm itself on land. The above will ease your turtle's stress and make him/her feel less threatened, decreasing the chances of any accidental bites. When you handle your turtle, make sure you hold on to the shell firmly, either with your thumb on the top of the shell and fingers underneath, or (less advised) grabbing him/her on the sides of the shell. Either way, make sure you use your other hand as a platform for the turtle's feet - not doing so will frighten (and increase the stress) of your red eared slider. As always, make sure you take the utmost care in not dropping your turtle, and wash your hands thoroughly after handling the red eared slider (salmonellosis ie salmonella is sometimes found on younger turtles, and is more rare in adults). There is no direct solution in stopping your turtle from biting you, but doing the above will decrease the chances greatly. Just make sure your turtle is happy and that you don't handle him/her too often, especially if it is just for fun. Of course, not putting your hand near him at all will prevent any bites, but doing so is up to you.
Why does my red eared slider turtle bite a lot?
Whenever I go to pick her up to clean the tank, she won't stop trying to bite me! I never got bit once, and I don't plan on it, but why is she doing this and how can I make her stop? I've had her for about four months and the temp. in her water is 75F and the air temp. is 85F. I feed her daily about 5-10 turtle pellets and 5 freeze dried shrimp. She eats them in a matter of seconds and on the turtle food instructions it says to give one teaspoon and wai tONE HOUR. My turtle eats them in FIVE SECONDS! Is this okay? Why is she biting and is her eating habits healthy for a red eared slider? What can I do to help her?
Why does my Red Eared Slider Turtle bite her Basking Dock?
Sammi had some good advice for you. I've also noticed that turtles that have gravel in their tanks are less likely to try to bite a bunch of other things. Some of them seem to crave gravel. A lot of people mistakenly believe that gravel is dangerous, but most turtles eat gravel in the wild. It might help them digest plants better. One caution though: if you use gravel, you must use an undergravel filter with it, or it will just gather gunk and dirty the tank. With an undergravel filter, it helps actively clean the tank. But like Sammi mentioned, start feeding a better variety of food. You don't need commercial turtle "food" at all. There's no real food in those.
Does a red eared slider turtle bite hurt?
I have 2 red eared sliders. As of 5 minutes ago, I can say definitively: YES. Of course, the pain of the bite is not a surprise. The answers here are correct: RES need strong jaws and their little razor teeth to eat what I'm sure you've fed them (other than the heel of a hand which one thought was a good distance away): carrots, fish etc. Both of mine are large. One loves to be rubbed and held, the other: not so much. Due to some algae issues I have altered their light schedule, thus I've been giving them a little vitamin cream in their usual fun petting time. The smaller one (6 inches long, 3-4 inches wide) grabbed hold and would not let go. I had to tear my hand off of his jaw. If you are nailed by your RES clean the area well, use and anti bac cream. RES *can* carry salmonella. Only a real risk to young, ill, or elderly. Always wash well. Keep RES away from food prep, bathing, bathroom sink.
I have a male red eared slider that keeps biting himself. Can someone please tell me why?
I don't know about vodka, but Ting Tong is on the right track. Your turtle has something irritating him, and it needs to be treated. My inclination would be to take him to the vet, instead of guessing. Since it started 6 months after you brought him home, it seems unlikely to be mites, unless you brought in another reptile two months ago. If you're feeding him the wrong diet, he could have gout, and we can't tell you what the correct diet would be because you didn't tell us what kind of turtle it is or where you live. People often feed turtles WAY too much protein, and that's really bad for them. If you've been feeding him dog food, cat food, turtle pellets, or any other souce of high protein, stop immediately and switch him to a diet of dark, leafy greens; cabbage, kale, spinach, etc. Variety is good. If you don't have a UV light for him, it could be related to that, as well. WIthout UV, they can't properly metabolize some of the nutrients they need, even if they're getting them. I think that's less likely to cause the biting behavior, but it's still important.
The two answers before mine are good, but I’ll attempt to explain exactly WHY the turtle swims repeatedly against the side of his tank: Even if conditions for them are ideal, they’re just not smart enough to “realize” that they can’t get through to the other side, so they will repeat this behavior over and over - especially if the side of the tank is clear. Mr Red Ear can see through the glass, therefore there is a world on the “other side”, and he wants to go there and explore.Even in my 500 gallon turtle pool, where my turtles are well fed and healthy, they will still attempt to climb out. When they see me (“Hey… it’s the creature that comes around and food magically appears!”), they will swim to the side of the pool that I am at, eagerly waiting for their goodies to be dropped in for them. I feed them right out of my hand frequently, and as often as not, they will mistake my finger for the piece of fish held there, and chomp on me instead! It doesn’t hurt (much) but they can bite pretty hard.** Caution: don’t attempt this with strong jawed turtles such as Snapping Turtles. They bite much harder!When I approach my pool, they see me as both:1) a potential danger - my turtle pile basking in the sun will rapidly scurry and plop into the water, swimming at top speed in search of a hiding place, and…2) the source of their food. Peeking out from under their rocks, they see that I have their tray of chopped fish and veggies. Then they come out, craning their necks like baby birds, eagerly waiting for their food.In the wild, all turtles will frequently leave their pond - sometimes at great peril - to find that “better pond” somewhere else. RESs are no exception. In a lake or a large pond, they tend to stay within that body of water, but will leave in search of a mate, or “just because” that’s what turtles do. They can - and will - travel a surprising distance in search of a new habitat.Sometimes I find fully aquatic turtles a mile or more from a body of water, just wandering about. If they look healthy and appear to be heading in the right direction, I leave them alone, but if there are hazards such as a road or a large farm, with no water that I’m aware of nearby, I’ll pick them up and put them back where they probably came from. If they are crossing the road, with water on both sides, I gently move them to where they appear to be heading.
Why does my female adult red eared slider attacking one of the hatchlings?
I have four red eared sliders in one tank. One is a female over ten years old and 9 inches in length. The other three are one inch babies. I recently just got all four of them two weeks ago. I got the three babies unexpectedly for my birthday. And the big one came a week later with a 20 gallon 2x2x1 ft. tank. I have changed setups a couple of times trying to find a suitable setup for all of them. With their first couple of setups, they acted perfectly friendly and normal to each other. In fact, they surprisingly got along very well. They would all bask together. And the babies would catch a ride on the big one's back. Recently, I took out the basking platform I bought because the big one kept falling off. Instead I bought a filter, a water heater, and a turtle bone to keep the big one from getting bored. I plan on making a custom platform tomorrow for her to bask on. The big one likes to follow the little ones and smell them. She usually just nudges them and watches. After that she would just leave them alone. I've been noticing her becoming more aggressive and hungry. She eats nonstop. Last night, I caught her trying to bite one of them. She's tried it once before but stopped immediately. But last night, she was at it. And the strange thing is, she only attacks one of them. She lets the others swim freely with her and on her. She even lets the other two on her head. I don't know what to do about this behavior. I know that pet stores wont take the babies. I've become too attached to give any of them up and I can't afford to have two separate set ups.
My new red eared slider?
Ok dude, im going to make this short and simple. DO RESEARCH ON YOUR NEW PET!!!! I can not stress this enough. I could sit here and list a hundred things about turtles and what your doing worng but that would be a complete waste of my time. Plus you cant keep the poor thing in a tiny box where the temp is low. It has to be put in at a tank, 30-40 gallons, uvb lamp that heats the place to the temp of 70-80F. Then if it heats the water thats great, if not it have to be 70-85F because they will spend more time in water. You also will need a water filter and so on, many more things that you have to find out in you research. I have not read any of your repsonses yet but you cant trust everything because half the time they countradict themselves. Always do your research before getting a pet. The environment it is in at the moment has to be changed as quick as possible. Learn more about these turtles to give it a good home/life. Once you do some good research and dont mind spending the money you will be set with an awesome pet. I hope this helps and good luck.