tortoise biting and getting on ones back

[ZEROPILOT]

How much do they cost in England?

$8 here

 

[hingeback]

$8 here

Quite expensive... Here it's about RM10.

 

[Berkeley]

Both of your turtles are male redeared sliders, Happy&Joy. They need deeper water to be able to submerge completely and swim, as well as a place to get out of the water and dry off.

GeorgeUK, that screenshot is of a redeared slider as well.

Hope that helps!
--Berkeley

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Both of your turtles are male redeared sliders, Happy&Joy. They need deeper water to be able to submerge completely and swim, as well as a place to get out of the water and dry off.

GeorgeUK, that screenshot is of a redeared slider as well.

Hope that helps!
--Berkeley

Only one is a red-eared slider, but both are aquatic and need to be housed as such.

 

[Berkeley]

Only one is a red-eared slider, but both are aquatic and need to be housed as such.

No, both of the turtles are red eared sliders. It is not a Golden Thread Turtle (or whatever it was) like had been suggested. The odd looking one is a red ear that is losing it's color as a function of age and/or genetics. I see long nails on the forefeet of each turtle.

Happy&Joy, will you please post a picture of the bottom shell (plastron) of both of your turtles, please?

--Berkeley

 

[Yvonne G]

So you're saying that the supposed stripe neck turtle is actually a melanistic red ear?

 

[Berkeley]

So you're saying that the supposed stripe neck turtle is actually a melanistic red ear?

Yes, that is correct, Yvonne. It is not fully melanistic, yet, but it has started the pattern-losing transition.
--Berkeley

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Yes, that is correct, Yvonne. It is not fully melanistic, yet, but it has started the pattern-losing transition.
--Berkeley

Fascinating. I've not seen a melanistic slider look like this one before. The face shape looks odd to me.

 

[Markw84]

Agreed, Berkeley - a melanistic red ear male. The other does look like male based on tail size but hard to be 100% from that photo. Can't see the front claws - long front claws are a real giveaway with sliders. The melanistic one is quite deformed - look likes a long term lack of UV and poor diet. It's great you are taking steps now to give it the proper care.

Red ears will do fine in cold weather if they are healthy as they will hibernate. With the current condition of these, I would not recommend you try to hibernate them at this time of year.

Unlike most tortoises, most aquatic basking turtles do live in groups and do better together if ample room. However, red-ears are one of the most aggressive N American turtles, and part of their courting behavior is biting onto the back of the neck of the female and holding on until she slows down for him. So nipping and biting at other turtles becomes more common with male red-ears.

A setup like Team Gomberg shows is great and inexpensive for you. Keep their water temps as close to the 70's F, or above 21C and you must provide them a basking light where they can raise their body temps to close to 30C to properly digest their food. Sliders do great on pellets like Mazuri Aquatic Turtle pellets if you can get that there. I'm sure you can get it online. You may have to get them used to it over time if you have not offered them pellet food before.

Good luck and again, congratulations on your efforts to get them properly set up now.

 

[Markw84]

Also, keep in mind aquatic turtles have to be in the water to eat. They do not have movable tongues. They have to use the force created by sucking in water to swallow food. If they cannot submerge their heads - they cannot eat.

 

[hingeback]

Agreed, Berkeley - a melanistic red ear male. The other does look like male based on tail size but hard to be 100% from that photo. Can't see the front claws - long front claws are a real giveaway with sliders. The melanistic one is quite deformed - look likes a long term lack of UV and poor diet. It's great you are taking steps now to give it the proper care.

Red ears will do fine in cold weather if they are healthy as they will hibernate. With the current condition of these, I would not recommend you try to hibernate them at this time of year.

Unlike most tortoises, most aquatic basking turtles do live in groups and do better together if ample room. However, red-ears are one of the most aggressive N American turtles, and part of their courting behavior is biting onto the back of the neck of the female and holding on until she slows down for him. So nipping and biting at other turtles becomes more common with male red-ears.

A setup like Team Gomberg shows is great and inexpensive for you. Keep their water temps as close to the 70's F, or above 21C and you must provide them a basking light where they can raise their body temps to close to 30C to properly digest their food. Sliders do great on pellets like Mazuri Aquatic Turtle pellets if you can get that there. I'm sure you can get it online. You may have to get them used to it over time if you have not offered them pellet food before.

Good luck and again, congratulations on your efforts to get them properly set up now.

Malaysia and Singapore are just above the equator, therefore we don't have four seasons and the temps are usually quite warm. Is hibernation for tortoises and turtles important? How would it affect them? Here in Malaysia afternoons are almost always higher than 30. The pellets could be easily purchased in pet shops here, although I am not aware of the brand.

 

[hingeback]

Also, keep in mind aquatic turtles have to be in the water to eat. They do not have movable tongues. They have to use the force created by sucking in water to swallow food. If they cannot submerge their heads - they cannot eat.

I didn't know that sliders eat like that, thought it was only mata mata... Is sucking the food in common for many species?

 

[Markw84]

Red-ears are naturally found in some areas of the southern US where the winters do not get cold enough to truly hibernate. They will do fine for you without a need to hibernate. If you are trying to breed temperate turtles, however, it is beneficial to have some type of cool-down period of a few months at least to dramatically improve results.

Aquatic turtles use water forced down their throats as a mechanism to swallow. The mata mata uses an extreme example of this to actually capture prey. If you watch most other turtles eat, they will grab and tear up food with their beaks and front feet, but when they swallow you can see them forcing water down their throats to carry the bits of food with it. Bottom line - aquatic turtles must be kept in water to feed. My spotted turtles are somewhat semi aquatic and will actually grab a worm or bug they see on land, but then carry it to the water to swallow. Even my suwanne cooters will grabs mouthfuls of some creeping jenny growing around the pond, and carry it back to the water to eat it!!

 

[happy&joy]

Can you do something like this on your patio? 1 for each turtle...

I used a cement mixing tub 2ft x 3ft as a temporary pond for a turtle. See how it's full of water but the rocks stack up allowing the turtle to get out of the water? I kept a hardware cloth lid of top of this tub but removed it for the photos.

View attachment 159499

View attachment 159500

See how the turtle can get all the way out of the water?

View attachment 159501

View attachment 159502

I kept this in partial shade and partial sun...full sun could cook the little guy but they need access to it at times so they can sun themselves and warm up

Here is another turtle, kept inside an aquarium but still has the rock to climb out on (log, driftwood would work too)

View attachment 159503

Hope this helps you get started on a better set up for your turtles!

thank you !

 

[happy&joy]

Both of your turtles are male redeared sliders, Happy&Joy. They need deeper water to be able to submerge completely and swim, as well as a place to get out of the water and dry off.

GeorgeUK, that screenshot is of a redeared slider as well.

Hope that helps!
--Berkeley

what ? they are both red sliders ? one of them said it was an chinese striped-necked turtle.... so which ?

 

[happy&joy]

Only one is a red-eared slider, but both are aquatic and need to be housed as such.

do you know the species of the other one ?

 

[happy&joy]

No, both of the turtles are red eared sliders. It is not a Golden Thread Turtle (or whatever it was) like had been suggested. The odd looking one is a red ear that is losing it's color as a function of age and/or genetics. I see long nails on the forefeet of each turtle.

Happy&Joy, will you please post a picture of the bottom shell (plastron) of both of your turtles, please?

--Berkeley

that i will post it at night ..haha sorry

 

[happy&joy]

what ? they are both red sliders ? one of them said it was an chinese striped-necked turtle.... so which ?

both are male ? how do you know that ?

 

[hingeback]

both are male ? how do you know that ?

Because their front claws are long, females are short.

 

[happy&joy]

Because their front claws are long, females are short.

one of themis real long but the other is medium i think not as long as the other ...