Terapin gone insane?

Question

My terapin isnt eating well and seems to be having the hump. He hides away from me now and keeps trying to escape(more than usual, terapin owners know howt hey act). I havnt done anything to him but he seems to be swimming around a little more in his tank. whats rong with him? :(

p.s. i think hes sexually mature, ive checked his legs.

well thats how i heard how to check lol. and hes 3 years old.

Answer 1

Checked the legs? I've been doing this a long time and I don't know how that would help other then determining the sex. Most water turtles are not sexually mature until about 4" long or 4 years old. Sexual maturity does not usually trigger 'insanity' in reptiles anyway.

Trying to dig out can be triggered by many things-

- Thinks it is time to look for good hibernation spots and not finding them. Try boosting temps a little and setting the daylight cycles to 12 hours of light.

- Tank is too small. Aim for about 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length. Crowding is a common cause of this kind of behavior.

- Confused by the glass. If there is a place it is trying to get through, try covering the area with a visual block of some sort.

- Something wrong with the basic cares- too hot, too cold, too little water, bad basking sites, hungry, etc. Review the basic cares at a good site like http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

I could try for more specific but you do not provide any helpful details- like species, size, habitat details, etc.

Answer 2

you answered your own question. After sexual maturity they tend to become less afraid and more forward & aggressive. Mine did the same thing, one day he suddenly wanted to eat my hand rather than run from me. Thats nature for you!