People that hold their turtles...

[tylrhadn111]

I was just wondering if anyone has any aquatic turtles that are comfortable enough to be held and "played with"? I am a firm believer in turtle being able to be held and treated like a pet and not just a painting to be observed. I want to get my RES slider to be people friendly and i was hoping that someone that has taught their turtle to be handled would give me some advice on how they went about it. Like, when did you start handling them? How did you start? By holding them regaurdles of them being fearful or hairdressing them until they seem comfortable enough to be held? How often do you hold them? Do you like them walk around you and/or your house? Answering skme questions like that would help me out a lot and it would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if you have any pictures or videos of you holding, petting, or handling your aquatic turtles then, please post them because I would love to see first hand how you do it. Thank you for your time.

 

[mike taylor]

I have two sliders and two snappers . They do not like being handled at all . But they will eat out of my hand . Every red ear slider I have ean across did not like to be held .

 

[bouaboua]

We have a 11 years old RES and he don't like to be pick-up and always hissing at me when we do.

That is why we have only one slider and 13 tortoises.

 

[Elohi]

Aquatic turtles actually scare me a little. I just get the feeling that they want to bite me LOL. And I handle my boxie with caution because I also get a sense sometimes that if gets a chance, he may bite me. I've only had him since August.

 

[HerpMS]

I rescued a 13" cooter that had been run over by a car at Thanksgiving, and she's learned to be pretty sociable in the time I've had her. I didn't have a choice but to handle her in order to clean her wounds and help her survive, so that may have had something to do with it.

I started off my spending a lot of time sitting next to her in the tank and talking to her and just sitting there so she learned to recognize me and know that I wouldn't hurt her.

Then I made sure that she could see me when I put her food in, so she'd associate me with yummy stuff. I can never resist taking pictures of all my critters either, so she saw me lean over and hold my iPhone in there frequently.

Once she started realizing I wasn't a bad thing and didn't pull her head in every time I was near her I started letting her walk around in the house (she's really big and needs all the room she can get to stretch) and she seems to enjoy that quite a bit. She'll march around the living room and plant herself right in the middle of the floor and do her "Super Turt" basking pose.

Hope some of those ideas help you out!!

 

[promisetolove]

Hi!
I seem to be commenting on a lot of your posts with my opinions (hope you don't mind)!! I also have 2 RES and 1 Mississippi map.

I hold my turtles all the time. Obviously sometimes/ probably most of the time they don't actually enjoy being held but the more you do it the more they get used to it. !

As little babies they will probably be more shy, hiding out in their shell. I take mine out to hold and check them out and let them roam around my room sometimes and in the summer I let them roam around the backyard in the grass

Now that my RES are a bit bigger they try and nip me when I take them out... They've gotten me a few times.. The little buggers have a big bite so watch out !! my map has never ever tried to bite me he is such a little sweetheart.

You should start holding your turtles every so often just hold their plastron (tummy) and shell lightly. If your close to their head their neck can stretch out and bite u!

 

[tylrhadn111]

Awe your turtles are adorable & I don't mind that you comment on most of my posts. I actually enjoy it because you tend to tell me alot of useful information and since, I'm kind of new to the turtle owning world, nice and knowledgeable people like yourself are the reason why I use this forum. I've been handling my RES some but not a lot due to the fact that I got him a week ago and didn't want hin to hate but after what you told me, I'm going to start handling him more so, he'll start getting use to it from a young age.

 

[promisetolove]

Thank You!!
I'm glad I could be of some help I'm sure everyone will give different opinions as all turtles have their own personality. Everyone should be able to enjoy and hold their turtles
After some time you will build trust and a relationship with them

 

[tylrhadn111]

That's very reassuring. Thank you. You have given me hope that my turtle will one day love me.

 

[Anthony P]

I personally enjoy when my turtles want to run from me or kill me. They are not domesticated animals. I believe that we should provide them with the most naturalistic accommodations possible, hoping to see the most naturalistic behavior possible. A turtle that tolerates the presence of people may actually be stressed. Just my thoughts and views related to this topic. It's always a favorite of mine to comment on, so thanks for this thread. Good luck.

 

[rebakahrose]

I personally hold my RES. When I first got her, she hissed every time. Now she's starting to get used to me, and she just looks at me. She'll sit in my lap and walk around the room with no problems, but she hisses at my mom and dog. When I pull her out of her tank she'll hiss until she sees it's me. I've had her for about 5 months, and I've held her from the start. I did not get her as a baby. I got her from petco, and she was 4 inches at the time.

 

[tortoisetime565]

I hold my hatchlings. They like to walk around on my lap. My jeuvs I only hold when I move them from a soaking tub or from their hide or if I'm cleaning them or their cage. I never touch my water turtles. Unless I'm cleaning their water. They don't like being touched..

 

[ascott]

You have given me hope that my turtle will one day love me.

A turtle will likely tolerate a person, "love" that is a human emotion, so please do not be upset if you don't feel the love....lol...and remember, no matter how use to you the turtle becomes...it will bite you if ever it feels like it....

 

[lisa127]

While I don't believe that reptiles feel love, I do not believe it is an emotion that is exclusive to humans.

To the OP, I don't own water turtles at all and never will. But if I did, my pick would be the muds and/or musks. So as you see I like a little feistiness.

 

[ascott]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love



I do not believe animals perform this type of feeling....I believe what we see is behavior and not a feeling---we as humans interpret a behavior by putting a label/word on that behavior...not saying I am CORRECT, just sharing my opinion based on what this word represents to humans...

 

[sibi]

Well, I have a Reeves turtle for 26 years now, and for years she always feared my getting too close to her. She hides when I have to pick her up. I agree that animals or reptiles don't feel love in the human way, BUT they do feel something. They certainly feel pain, fear, and loneliness. In recent years, odd behaviors have been observed by me and others. For instance, my sister came to stay with me. After a couple of weeks, my sister observed my turtle flip out for a couple of minutes everyday around the time my husband walked through the door from work. We all concluded that the turtle sensed when my husband was about to enter the door at which time, the turtle would get excited upon seeing him come home. This female turtle liked men and would do all kinds of acrobatics in the tank when men paid attention to her. On the other hand, she only hid when females would do the same.

Then, one day, I took her out of the tank because she had been looking kind of frail in her old age. I warmed her with my hands, and she didn't try to fight me. I put her close to my chest and he snuggled me all over my neck. She actually put her nose at the pulse of my neck and couldn't press harder so that she could be near my warm, live body. She had never snuggled next to me or anyone...never, until then. I believe she was lonely, and sensed that I wasn't gonna harm her. I believe that was as close as a reptile could show affection, perhaps as her guardian, care keeper or food master. Whatever that was, it was real and we finally made a connection of sorts. Of course, I had 26 years at it. So, keep trying

 

[lisa127]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love



I do not believe animals perform this type of feeling....I believe what we see is behavior and not a feeling---we as humans interpret a behavior by putting a label/word on that behavior...not saying I am CORRECT, just sharing my opinion based on what this word represents to humans...

Definition: a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person

I certainly believe there are certain animals that feel this. Animals of higher intelligence and that have a social structure similar to humans certainly do. (canines, other primates, etc.)

 

[Elohi]

I have slight hesitation in stating that no reptile has emotion, that they are all instant and no feelings kind of creatures. One reason for that is they obviously feel fear. And after learning about behavior and observing behavior in other animals who are thought to be without certain emotions is what makes me most hesitant.
Turkey's are an example of an animal that is highly underestimated. We see emotion in certain birds and what seems like none in others. But when observed and studied, they do in fact have emotion, and even forms of language that are easily overlooked. Pairs of chickens observed working in a sophisticated manner to break up fighting rabbits for instance.
It's also possible that animals that seem to have no audible communication, do actually make sounds that are either overlooked or inaudible to the human ear.
I mentioned a while back in the post about our user names and why we chose them, that I have a deep love and deep connection with animals. Many people in my dad's side of the family have this as well. Possible seen as a gift, passed down to me in my genes. I've met other who are the same way. Lots of people love animals and seem to have a heightened ability to understand them or connect with them.
So while one part of me wants to say a reptile is a reptile is a reptile and they are highly instinctual mostly emotionless animals, another part of me, tells me I am incorrect and all reptiles are not the same. And it varies by species as to what they are capable of.
But it may also I'm just a crazy animal lover and am too full of dreams and ideas lol. [GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

 

[lisa127]

All animals feel emotions such as fear, they wouldn't survive if they didn't. So I'm not saying reptiles or other animals have no emotion. However, love is an emotion that IMO is felt by higher intelligence animals that also have a pack type social structure. One similar to ours. I really don't believe my box turtles feel the emotion of love. I do believe my dogs do, however.

 

[tort_luv_5055]

I used to have a painted turtle who was fine with being held. She was wild and we released her back into the wild after a few weeks of having her