ok well im scared to death to touch the thing cuz of its like nails or wut ever they are so how do i get use to it without actually picking it up right now and holding./......i wanna get use to it slowy becuz i cant take care of it if i wont even carry it ya kno....so help me please people......its a slider turtle by the way.....so idk how to get use to it and hold it....my older sister jus picked it up like nothing.....so i was like dammit lol.......and please guys dont be assholes about this...jus answer the question....with some actual stuff that i can work with!!
2007-02-20 12:03:46 · 8 answers · asked by my skittles are green >.< 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
If you put your thumb and forefinger (pointer finger) on opposite sides of the shell in the middle of the body you can pick it up without the turtle being able to bite or scratch you.
2007-02-20 13:04:53 · answer #1 · answered by iluvmyfrenchbulldogs 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Holding them will not harm you. Are you afraid of the scraches from the nails? And if its a male the front claws will be very long as apposed to a female. It is better to start holding them as soon as you get them so they get used to you. Otherwise they will not be used to being touched and may hiss at you and possibly even attempted to nip. (i have a friend that had 2 RES and they dont like being held because she neglected them. They always hide in their shell when you pick them and hiss) I have a slider and I held it all the time when I got it. I let it run around outside supervised and so forth. It always follows in the tank and loves it when I give him attention and hold him. He eats from my fingers too. So the more you socialize with it the better.
Otherwise it sounds like this may not be the best type of reptile for you. Was it an impulse buy or did you do research on it before deciding to buy it? They will get to be upto 13", in the end needing something bigger than a 100 gal tank, usualy an outdoor set up.
2007-02-20 14:20:59 · answer #2 · answered by summers_angel_84 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are two basic ways to pick up a turtle: like a bird that was going to eat it does, or the right way.
Turtles are eaten by birds of prey in the wild, and they struggle to make the bird drop them. Birds would grab the turtles from above, gripping the sides of the shell or the top and bottom of the shell.
The RIGHT way to pick up a turtle is to support its legs. Approach it from the front so it can see you coming (as opposed to a 'sneak attack' from above), then pick it up by the edges with one hand and quickly slip the other hand underneath it.
Most of the time, a turtle that is well-supported will not struggle. That does not mean they won't try to walk away, but they won't fight as hard.
2007-02-20 16:35:44 · answer #3 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, like the first girl said, put your thumb under it's belly, and the rest of your fingers on top of it's shell, this will allow you to hold it without it being able to scratch you..
My sister had a hard time getting used to my turtle when I first got him, mine was a slider, but I swear he thought he was a snapper, because after the first time he got a hold of her finger she was scared to death, but I let him bite my finger, and it didn't even hurt honestly, and their claws they won't do any damage really..
But mine was pretty awesome, our neighbor kids were amazed by him, and little girls were afraid, but they got used to him..
They are pretty cool pets, also you could use a wash cloth ( wash rag ) and cover his claws, to get used to holding him, that's how I got my sister to hold him..
Good Luck..
2007-02-20 14:30:31 · answer #4 · answered by *♥short~sh!t♥* 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok, not being rude, but.. those nails might look nasty but they don't really do much, soooo
JUST PICK IT UP.
Seriously. If you just sit and worry about it, you'll never do it, so close your eyes, take a deep breath and pick it up, and when nothing bad happens you'll feel silly that you didn't just pick it up sooner. Anything else is just going to make it last longer and make you more nervous...
So, best of luck
2007-02-20 19:11:52 · answer #5 · answered by Theresa A 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well if it is big put your thumb on top of it and your other fingers on the bottom of the shell
if it is a small baby turtle put your thumb between front and back legs on one side and your index finger between its front and back legs on the other side
2007-02-20 16:43:23 · answer #6 · answered by dom-da-bom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you are one million times bigger then it and your s cared of a little scratch!!! come on grow up !!! its completely dependant on you to live you think its going to hurt you!!! they are not stupid you know they know who feeds them!!
2007-02-23 07:58:10 · answer #7 · answered by CRISTIE C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OOOO!!! you said a bad word!You said"*******"!Anyway,ya like you said,HOLD IT RIGHT NOW!!!!
2007-02-20 13:04:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋