My two (male and female) red-eared slider turtles have been showing awkward behavior. They would go up to each other, put their front legs up to the sides of their heads and wiggle their "hands". I'm pretty sure they're too young to mate. What's going on? They won't tell me...XD
2006-12-31 15:47:10 · 6 answers · asked by well. 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Are you sure they're male and female, and not two males? Males have long front nails, and will waive those in front of the female's face as a sort of mating dance (consider it like a male peacock displaying his fan of tail feathers). Male sliders reach sexual maturity at around 4" but can grow from 4"- 8" or so as adults. Females can start to lay eggs at around 6-7", and can grow to 8-12". Males also have a longer, thicker tail. Some males start the "flutter" before they are sexually mature - sort of practice dancing.
Feel free to join www.turtleforum.com to chat with lots of other keepers, or consider joining a local turtle & tortoise society or herpetological society to meet with other keepers and keep up on local concerns. www.anapsid.org has a list of some of the societies and clubs out there.
2006-12-31 17:39:30 · answer #1 · answered by beautifuljoe1313 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is either a mating ritual or a domination ritual. They will be of mating age about about 3-4" long (age is not as important as size).
Aggression is worsened by close quarters. The rule of thumb is that there should be at least 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle length and at least one basking spot per turtle.
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com
2007-01-01 15:38:49 · answer #2 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aquatic turtles are very adverse, in the event that they'd flow it, elevate it, knock it over, they're going to! not something to agonize approximately as long as you're making confident they don't get caught under it.
2016-12-11 20:15:10 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont think they are mating i think they are more on the side of fighting..i have 2 turtles of myself and they do it every time i drop food in there tank
2007-01-01 15:24:31 · answer #4 · answered by healedwounds31490 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is mating ritual..I saw and learned about it at Virginia beach aquarium
2006-12-31 15:59:15 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
that's the courting ritual, are you sure that you have a pair?
2006-12-31 19:23:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋