Turtles 'holding hands'?

Question

ok so i've got these 2 turtles and sometimes they'll just face each other underwater and flap their front feet at each other and it looks like they're trying to hold hands. what are they really doing?

Answer 1

Sounds like the mating dance of a red eared slider.

If they are both males then it doesn't matter, there probably isn't a female in the tank.

Answer 2

if they are a male and a female and they are old enough to mate, then it's a mating ritual. If they are not old enough to mate (i.e. 5 or more inches apiece) or are not a male and female, then it's a dominance thing. They are being territorial and flexing their lil turtle muscles at each other trying to scare the other one off. If this is the case then you can try giving them more space to avoid future conflicts. Or you could separate them totally.

Answer 3

It IS the courtship ritual- which is fine if they are both over about 5" long, and a male and a female. Otherwise the courtship display is more of a sign of aggression or stress.

Often, we see this in turtles that are overcrowded.

Try http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for info.

Answer 4

Ya it is a mating dance that red eared sliders do. It's really cute. We used to have some and they did the same thing.