People that hold their turtles...

Val_d

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I have had sliders for coming on 19 years. I would say they 'love' me... to feed them. I think they can take you, or leave you. But that's okay with me. I still love mine and don't mind that mine hiss and snap at me when I take them out of the tank to either let run around the house or kennel when I clean their tanks. They are looking-at-pets, like fish, for the most part. In my opinion anyway. :)
 

Newo13

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I've had my RES for 5 years since he was a baby and I don't think he loves being held, but he doesn't mind it. When I pick him up to put him in his feeding tank or bring him outside he wraps his right hand around my finger like he's holding on and I love that! He'll let me pet that arm for a while, but then he wants to get down. I feel like he does love me. Whenever I go to the tank he'll come wherever I am and not begging for food or anything, just calming swims over and will stay floating by my side until I leave. He's never sure about strangers. My friend went by the tank and he swam to the back then I went to the other side and he stayed there floating next to me.
 

Mihailovic96

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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.

Hi! I have a 2 years old RES. He likes to be petted, on the head and shell. Also he likes to be held, sometimes he wants it. Then he swims to me. He likes touching and when I speak to him.
Just speak to your turtle and spend time with him/her. And hand feed them. My turtle doesn't want to eat food unless I hand feed him.
You just need to have a lot of patience. In the beginning he was so scared, hiding under the rock. It takes a months to learn them something.
Everything is possible. :)
 

Rutibegga

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Hi! I have a 2 years old RES. He likes to be petted, on the head and shell. Also he likes to be held, sometimes he wants it. Then he swims to me. He likes touching and when I speak to him.
Just speak to your turtle and spend time with him/her. And hand feed them. My turtle doesn't want to eat food unless I hand feed him.
You just need to have a lot of patience. In the beginning he was so scared, hiding under the rock. It takes a months to learn them something.
Everything is possible. :)

My neighbors have a RES who they bought as a hatchling and have had for about six years. He used to be extremely shy, but this past year, something just flipped. He now begs to be handled, and when allowed put, will follow his people around the house. When they're sitting on the couch, he will try to climb their legs to get in their laps. Strangest of all, when I knock on their door, I'm greeted by their geriatric dog AND their RES.

(I know the inadvisable to let a turtle free-roam, especially with other animals. This is NOT my pet, and frankly, his quality of life is greatly improved by this situation, so it's sort of a catch-22 situation.)
 

Kapidolo Farms

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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.


To ad to this in a not so redundant way ... Most chelonians are a fraction of our size, they may not know their own size, but they know we are much bigger. There are no benign predators, and when we pick them up we are predating them. That we set them back down unharmed only means to them that we are not very good at being predators. It's not a game, nature red tooth and claw. Buy a Barbie if you want to manipulate something.

If a loved one didn't like their ear tickled, but you like doing it would your like supersede theirs?
 

Mihailovic96

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Speaking of emotions of the turtles, I have a question. I spoke about my turtle, who likes being held and petted, and he's not afraid of people. I recently moved to other town to college. I couldn't bring him with me. My parents said that he's acting weird, and that he's scared. He won't let them touch him, and he bites. He never bites when I was home, even if I put mu finger in front of him, he will jus turn his head. I'm concernet about him.
 

turtlemanfla88

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All of turtles and tortises beg for food and will allowed to be pet some time. When I was younger I raised a FLA softshell to 6" and it loved its neck rubbed I was 14 years old one day it tried to bite me. We need to remember if these try to bite they are defending themselves like they would in the wild. My pop pop would always tell us grandkids if it has a mouth it can bite. My children pet some of my animals and name everyone of them. I do not pet or name very many of my animals.
 

dmmj

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30 plus years of slider ownership I found some that may tolerate handling but I don't think they like it. turtles and tortoises like food that's what you represent to them, food
 

Kapidolo Farms

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All of turtles and tortises beg for food and will allowed to be pet some time. When I was younger I raised a FLA softshell to 6" and it loved its neck rubbed I was 14 years old one day it tried to bite me. We need to remember if these try to bite they are defending themselves like they would in the wild. My pop pop would always tell us grandkids if it has a mouth it can bite. My children pet some of my animals and name everyone of them. I do not pet or name very many of my animals.
Smart pop pop.
 

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