Does this seem stressful?

[tylrhadn111]

I got a baby RES like 4 days ago and yesterday my Map turtle keeps fluttering his claws at the RES and I was wondering if that's stressful? Considering, the RES is too small to stop the Map.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7POFxPsTlo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1VZ3pi-mNo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT2zw644wSE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[promisetolove]

It's normal. Mine do it all the time. It can be a mating dance, showing interest in the other turtle for mating reasons. But since they're babies it's probably leaning towards your Map trying to let your RES know this is his territory.

But this won't last long I'm sure.. Cus the RES will out grow the map.

My 2 red ears do it ALL the time. And they are male and female. My Map tries to do the "turtle dance" with the RES but they have no interest and just ignore him.

Just keep an eye on them and they should be okay. It's a normal thing.

How big is your tank with both of them in it?

 

[Moozillion]

Gosh, that map is really pestering that poor baby. Does the little RES ever get any rest? Will the map let him eat?

 

[promisetolove]

You should maybe also look into getting a temporary tank separator for the little baby if this continues because eventually yes it will be stressful I'm sure.

 

[mike taylor]

I Would move that little guy to his own tank .

 

[ascott]

That is too much stress on the much smaller turtle. The larger one is doing more that fluttering....he is handling the smaller turtle in a way that will cause injury and unnecessary stress....

 

[tylrhadn111]

I thought the same thing but I didn't seem the Map turtle do it at all yesterday and I've been putting lettuce in the tank so, they can munch on it whenever they get hungry. So, I was thinking maybe the Big turtle was only doing that because of the lesser amount of food that was in the tank. Like he was trying to show the little that he was hungryb and that was his food. I don't know yet though. I'm going to keep watching them and make sure the big turtle doesn't super stress the little one.