Yellow Bellied Slider Aggressive and Biting RES

Status
Not open for further replies.

eggknawg

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
9
I have 2 aquatic turtles, a yellow bellied slider and a RES. The yellow bellied slider is more of an aggressive eater, (he bites fingers, hands, anytime you put them in the tank because he thinks it is food) On the other hand the RES is alot more gentle and a little smaller than the YBS (both still baby turtles). I just caught my Yellow Bellied slider biting my RES in attempt to get food, and he does this alot and im wondering if it is hurting my RES or if they do this normally. Another thing, the yellow bellied slider always gets on top of my RES and basks on top of it (literally gets on top and doesnt move) so the BIGGER turtle is getting on the small turtle, what's up with that?

-eggknawg
 

ascott

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
16,138
Location (City and/or State)
Apple Valley, California
Yes, one turtle can certainly cause grave damage to another turtle..if you find that there is a feeding frenzy that occurs when you offer food and you feed in their primary living tank/enclosure...then I suggest you drop food at the same time after you have their attention on each end so that they are not slamming, leaping and biting in the same space, you know what I mean?

The turtle pile up is not that unusual...perhaps you can offer on your basking location a place that increases the platform a bit towards the light or if your set up allows it you can lower the light closer to the basking platform so that they are not trying to get up closer...?

If the only time the one bites the other is feeding time and the separate food drop thing does not work...you can of course feed each in its own container and/or feed the aggressive one in a container away from the other turtle...
 

srod

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Messages
166
Location (City and/or State)
New Orleans
Feed them separately in separate containers. If the fighting/biting continues between them even without food involved, you should consider separating them permanently as it can lead to injury (or death) of one or both.
 

eggknawg

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
9
Thanks guys, usually the smaller one doesn't even notice when i am giving food, he stays at the bottom of the tank when the fatty is always at the top waiting, so i think ill just feed the one floating and wait for the other to come up and feed him by hand.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top