RES aggression

by Joseph Esmaeili
(Huntington,WV,USA)

My larger RES turtle keeps getting in the face of my smaller RES and when it does the smaller one places her head inside her shell and places her claws in front and makes them shiver and shake. They are in a 55 gallon aquarium with plenty of room I feed them in separate aquariums and they have their own basking platforms so i dont know why there is this sudden bullying of the smaller turtle by the larger one. They aren't but maybe centimeters apart in size, i just refer to them as the larger and smaller one because there use to be a big difference in their size.

Comments for RES aggression

Click here to add your own comments

Jan 12, 2011
 not really
by: Anonymous

It has nothing to do with aggression, its called turtle foreplay :P if the other turtle gives a proper response they begin with the funny moves and then the eggs come out fertile and if kept at the right conditions you may obtain some hatchlings :)
Dec 08, 2010
 It Happens
by: Tara B

My larger turtle does the same thing to the little one, he never actually hurts him though. I am not saying it will stop, just watch them to see if it progresses.
Dec 08, 2010
 red eared
by: Anonymous

Mine do it to occasionally, I think its either a defense thing and mine usually stop it before long. If you think the little one is in danger, you may have to take it out of the tank into its own for a few days. That usually works, at least for mine.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Ask Your Turtle or Tortoise Question.