At what age do turtles mate? Will older turtles try to mate with babies? 10/16/08
Hi,
<Hiya -- Darrel here tonight>
Here's my story.
<It's sad, but true - you met a girl named Runaround Sue?>
I have a 30 gallon tank with 3 turtles, one is a soft shell turtle about the size of a sand dollar or around 3 inches long from head to tail
<I like Softshells. When fed and otherwise cared for I find Trionyx to be fairly good citizens>
I also have 2 painted turtles; one is a hatchling barely bigger than a quarter but around 7 months old and the other is around 4 - 4 1/2 inches long head to tail.
<I like the Chrysemys too! (btw: in case you were wondering, no real reason to mention the softshell's or the painted's scientific names .... I'm just showing off!)>
I have seen the larger painted turtle act aggressively toward the hatchling, but after upping the amount of food it seemed to stop, but lately the larger turtle seems to be exhibiting mating behavior or what I think is similar to mating behavior according to what I've read. The larger turtle will chase it and go face to face with it and clap it's front feet together in front of the baby, really close to it. I've been trying to watch it closely to make sure it isn't biting it's face, but so far I haven't seen that.
<What you are saying is indeed mating behavior and the problem is that the turtles you have mature by SIZE .... not age.... so even if the Painted were the same age, the male would become interested in the female years before she could return his affection. The entire family of Emydids (there I go AGAIN - showing off!!!) are pretty much social and get along great in groups, but that is a generalization. If your particular male happens to have an aggressive attitude, then one bite is all it would take to kill the little one. Depending on the size and shape of your tank you could perhaps make a partition for the little one -- or get it it's own tank ... which opens the door to get 2 or 3 more to join it and that leads to a place that looks like mine (http://www.xupstart.com/wwm ) -- it's fun!>
Also, most of the stuff I've read says to feed turtles around 3-4 times per week, we've been feeding ours 2-3 times per day and they always seem hungry. They aren't growing very rapidly however, from what I've observed.
<Reptiles metabolize food relative to the amount of food, light and heat they have. You're feeding them WAY too much and at best they'll become obese and have health problems. 3-4 times week is MORE than enough. Really.>
There are a few minnows in the tank with them that the larger painted turtle will eat if I don't feed him daily.
<I feel your pain. I once tossed some feeder goldfish into my outside turtle pond and 6 years later they were so big they were picking on the adult turtles so they had to be put into the Koi pond. Fish and turtles just DON'T mix.>
The water is kept fairly warm, but I'm not using a heater and I only have a normal aquarium florescent light on the tank, but they seem very healthy and active.
<They need basking heat -- a 60 to 100 watt incandescent will do ... but the florescent needs to be a full spectrum bulb. Aquarium lights for fish aren't quite the same>
They have reptile sand, aquarium rocks, a filter, a bubbler and a floating dock in the tank.
<read this: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm >
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this and respond!
<No problem, Shannon - just put me in your will!>
Shannon

2 part question about turtles and identification   8/26/08 Dear Crew, <Hiya -- Darrel here> Ok, so this is a two part question, first what kind of turtle is this?? <Oh dear .. if I'd known there was going to be a test I'd have studied!!> <When I first looked at the pictures my sense was that it was a Rhinoclemys (a South American Wood Turtle). When young their carapace (top shell) is fairly flat and somewhat resembling an Pseudemys (the slider families) and as they mature it becomes more domed like a Box Turtle (Terrapene). In this case, Google is your friend. Try Rhinoclemys T  Terrapene and reeves turtle and see what you think> I got him from a lady who was not taking care of her and she gave her to me. After cleaning her up I put her in my 100gal tank with my RES who is a male (very long claws) who I have had for about a year, and is just a little smaller then the new turtle. <Not sure the new kid on the block is an aquatic turtle though -- from most aspects it appears to be semi-aquatic at best and needs more dry land. Your identification from more comparison photos will tell all.> The other day I noticed my RES vibrating his legs in her face, so he wants to mate with her, so if you know what kind of turtle this is, are they close enough for them to mate or is he barking up the wrong tree? <Yes, in this case my guess is that you're shaving the wrong beard, to make a different metaphor> thanks for your help! <I'm also passing your pictures along to a more learned colleague for his opinion. Neale?>

2 part question... Turtle ID, cross-breeding?   -08/27/08 Ok, so this is a two part question, first what kind of turtle is this?? <I have absolutely no idea. The fact the shell is domed rather than flat implies its either an amphibious or fully terrestrial species rather than a truly aquatic species. The front feet appear to lack webbing, but the back feed are webbed, so again, I'd tend to go with some type of amphibious rather than truly aquatic species. I would be keeping this species in an enclosure with equal amounts of water and land, and I'd also make sure the water wasn't too deep. But I really think you need to get in touch with a dedicated Chelonian support/rehoming site such as Turtle Homes: http://www.turtlehomes.org/ They have contacts and resources for identifying "mystery" Chelonians.> I got him from a lady who was not taking care of her and she gave her to me. After cleaning her up I put her in my 100gal tank with my RES who is a male (very long claws) who I have had for about a year, and is just a little smaller then the new turtle. the other day I noticed my RES vibrating his legs in her face, so he wants to mate with her, so if you know what kind of turtle this is, are they close enough for them to mate or is he barking up the wrong tree? thanks for your help! <They are absolutely not the same species! Male Red-ear Sliders will attempt to mate with anything. So long as he isn't harassing her, I wouldn't worry too much. Cheers, Neale.>

River Cooter... eggs, ethics... beh.  - 6/20/08
Hello,
I found a turtle laying eggs on my property in Floral City, Florida. I guess it was some type of river Cooter. I did not want to get to close and scare it away. I noticed that there were other nests with eggs shells around and I believe that something is eating them as this is a mostly uninhabited acre of land. In an effort to save the eggs I covered the nest with a open milk crate. I don't want to leave it too long. I don't know how long it will take for them to hatch. Do you have any suggestions for protecting them but still allowing them to get free once hatched. Thanks Melissa
<Hi Melissa. There's two ways to handle this. You could either take a "big picture" approach, and let evolution handle things. Female turtles that aren't able to make good choice about nest site and nest depth need to have their genes removed from the gene pool. So protecting the eggs isn't doing the species any good in the long term. The other approach is to find out if the species in endangered, in which the loss of even a few clutches of eggs is a very bad thing. Your local Fish & Wildlife agency will be able to help here (being British, I can't admit to knowing anything useful about the freshwater turtle fauna of North America!). On the whole, turtles produce a lot of eggs because the eggs and juveniles are subject to high levels of predation; it's only the luck few turtles that get big enough to have a thick shell that live for decades, even 100+ years. Often collecting turtle eggs is prohibited (again, check with your Fish & Wildlife bureau) so removing a few and rearing them yourself isn't really an option. But if this species isn't so protected, as is likely the case with common freshwater turtles, then do read this excellent article at the World Chelonian Trust specific to the precise situation you're in:
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Emergency%20Incubation%20Techniques.htm
Good luck, Neale.>

Re: river Cooter   6/23/08
Neale,
Thanks for your input. I guess I will just let nature take its course. I never really thought about it the way you explained the gene pool only about the poor cute little babies being eaten. But, I think its a good theory so I'll just watch the nest and see if she was smart enough. Thanks again Melissa
<Often the safest and best approach where a species isn't endangered. But you may care to identify the turtle and figure out if it needs a bit of help from humanity. Or maybe even collect a couple of eggs to rear yourself as a pet project. Cheers, Neale.>

Sliders mating - 6/20/08 I have a pair of yellow belly sliders and they have started the mating ritual, please can you tell me what happens now and how to raise a successful clutch, I live in North Wales, U.K., Kind regards, Angie x <Hiya Angie, Darrel here today> <In response to your inquiry I wrote a web page this morning and hooked it onto my site. I'll try to get it linked to WWM soon with pictures, but in the mean time ... go here http://www.xupstart.com/wwm/  and the third line down Help! My turtle just laid eggs! should answer most of your questions. If not, please write back> Re: Sliders Mating   6/23/08 hi, sorry to bother you again would an airing cupboard be ok? Kind regards, Angie <Hi Angie. The average UK airing cupboard won't be warm enough to rear the eggs of tropical/subtropical reptiles. (For everyone outside these fair islands, an airing cupboard is a closet built around the hot water storage tank, and is used to keep linen warm and dry.) You can of course test the maximum/minimum temperature of your airing cupboard using a standard max/min thermometer of the type used by many gardeners in their greenhouses. If it stays steadily warm, then fine. But chances are it won't be steady enough unless you have hot water 24/7, and even then you need quite a narrow temperature range for success. For Red-ear Sliders, you need to keep the eggs warm, at precisely 27 C if you want a mix of males and females, for anything up to 4 months. The only practical approach is to use an incubator, either purpose built or fabricated using a glass tank, undertank heater, and Vermiculite. Periodically you will need to spray the eggs so they stay moist but not wet. The eggs must never, EVER be turned over, and preferably hardly moved at all. Typically reptile breeders use a permanent marker to put an "x" on the top of the egg as laid by the female, and ensure that end is always upwards. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Sliders Mating – 06/23/08 Thank you for getting back to me so quickly but how do you make an incubator and where can i buy vermiculite? Kind regards, Angie <Angie, a basic incubator needn't be big -- a 5-10 gallon tank would be ample. You'd put a heating mat underneath the thing (you buy these from pet reptile stores, small ones cost about the same as an aquarium heater). The guy in the reptile store should be able to advise on what model will work well for your needs; in a centrally heated home, only a low wattage unit is likely to be required for this purpose. Fill the glass tank with coarse Vermiculite (bought at a garden centre, very cheap) to a depth sufficient to hold the eggs securely. Get a house plant sprayer from somewhere (again, cheap). Put a sticky plastic thermometer on the tank so you can check it stays at the right temperature. Too warm or too cold and you'll either get all of one sex, or worse, no turtles at all. That's it! Warm it up, pop in the eggs carefully, use the Vermiculite to stops the eggs rolling about, but don't cover them. Spray them periodically so the vermiculite stays moist but not wet. Put on a lid if you're worried they're drying out/cooling down too easily. Make sure there's good ventilation though -- fungus is very bad in humid, still air containers. Dead eggs will begin to smell quickly, and they should be removed as you go along. Minimum hatching time is about 2.5 months, maximum about 4 months, so in between that you should check them periodically for signs of movement. Hope this helps, Neale.>

Turtle Eggs in our Garden 6/16/08
hi this is Jessica
<Hiya - this is Darrel>
A little over two weeks ago I found a large turtle laying eggs in our garden.
<Now how cool is THAT?????>
I don't know what kind of turtle she was but she did leave behind two nests. She definitely left eggs in one of them but not sure about the other one it was covered when we found her.
<Jessica -- take a look at this list and see if any of these turtles look familiar. Doesn't have to be an exact match, but see if you can pick something that looks close.>
<http://www.lantera.com/wwm>
I would like to know how long until the eggs will hatch?
<It all depends, Jessica. When I collect a clutch of turtle or tortoise eggs, it's usually "90 degrees for 90 days" and most turtle or tortoise eggs will hatch -- IF they are fertile (not all eggs laid are fertile) and IF the ground is properly moist (but not wet) and depending on a lot of other things, too. Temperature dictates time. If a clutch that will hatch in 90 days at 90 degrees is incubated at only 87 degrees, barely 3 degrees lower, that 90 days becomes 118-125 days. In the wild (or in your garden) temperatures will be lower and will go up & down on different days, so there's no way to tell how long.>
Is there anything to that I could do when they're hatched? I plan to let nature take it's course on if they all hatch or not but I would like to know a little about keeping one or more of the little guys?
<See if you have go to the hardware store or building supply store and get what they call "hardware cloth." It's like screen only the squares are larger and it's a much stiffer material. Make a circle about two feet in diameter and about a foot or so tall. Dig a small trench around where each nest is and put the hardware cloth around it. Then take another piece and cover the top. You might need to devise some way to hold it into the ground. Sometimes I take a couple of long thin wooden dowels and place them through the sides of the cylinder like an 'X' laying on the ground and then put bricks on the outside ends of the dowels. This is to keep any nosey pets or wild animals from digging and it also will keep anything that hatches from wandering out.>
<This is really all I have to tell you right now if you're going to leave the eggs in the ground. They might hatch this season, or next spring -- we'll just have to wait & see. If for some reason you decide to try to dig the eggs up and hatch them in the house or garage, that's a delicate & complicated thing and you'll have to write back and we'll talk about it>
if you would like to have more information on what I know of them I will answer as best to my knowledge as I can.
<Please keep us posted!>
Thank you for your time!
<you're MORE than welcome, Jessica, good luck!>

Yellow Belly-laying eggs 5/18/08
Hi,
My female yellow belly has laid eggs for a few years now. However, she always lays them in the water. Does this mean that the eggs are infertile?
<Well, they're dead anyway. To remain viable, they need to be laid on land, in warm, dry sand. Whether or not they were fertilized depends on the presence of a male of the species in your vivarium.>
If I take them out as soon as I see them will this save them if in fact they a fertile?
<Moving reptile eggs almost always kills them. If you want to rear hatchling turtles, you need to create a place the female can dig and lay her eggs, and then very carefully remove them to an incubator. The egg must not be rocked, rolled, or otherwise disturbed because this invariably kills the embryo.>
and what can I do to get her to lay eggs on land?
<She will look for a deep bed of warm, dry sand before laying them anywhere else. So provide that.>
Thanks
Michele
<Good luck! Neale.>

Turtle Eggs  - 04/19/06
Hello!  My house mates and I recently acquired 3 turtles.  To the best of my knowledge we have a map turtle, a painted turtle and a red belly slider.  They're all still pretty small.  (The painted is the smallest.)  I have seen the map turtle do the "mating dance" towards the RBS but have seen no interest on her part.  What is the likelihood that the two of them will reproduce?
< Not likely but not impossible.>
Also, the tank they are all in does not have any sand or soft soil.  There are a lot of small rocks that stay dry, would that work as an area for egg laying?
< No, the eggs require soft sand/substrate to provide a consistent damp and uniform temperature.>
And finally, what do you know about Map turtle reproductive organs?  A few weeks ago while cleaning the tank I thought I saw the maps "thingy". However, I was sitting by the tank this weekend and saw the map on the bottom of the tank, head pulled in, with the most gigantic, black, spiky thing poking out of his tail.  Please, tell me what in god's name that was.  Thanks for what ever information you can give me. Sarah
< It could be the hemipene of a male map turtle.-Chuck>

Crossing Turtles  - 04/02/06
My boyfriend and I have 3 turtles, a Red Ear Slider, Mississippi Map, and Western Painted. We have been noticing that the RES seems to be doing the "courtship jive" thing you discussed to the Mississippi Map turtle. Do you think that they are courting each other? I guess I am  
just wondering if turtles that aren't the same type court and mate?
< It is spring and love is in the air. Male red eared sliders will court anything, rocks logs and other turtles. It is highly unlikely that they will mate, but in an enclosed set up any thing can happen.-Chuck>
  
Baby Turtles With Problems   1/7/06
Hi, I have 4 baby turtles (RES) and two of them have eye infections. I wasn't sure if I should separate the sick ones from the other
two. One of the sick turtles aren't eating for over 2 weeks and I am very concerned. How can I make him eat ? :(   Thank you.
Please help .
<Keep the turtle's water clean. Make sure the basking spot gets up to at least 85 F. Use the proper lighting for vitamin development. Use Zoo Med Repti Turtle Eye Drops and  feed Zoo Med Hatchling Aquatic Turtle Food. They may have a vitamin A deficiency too. Chuck>

Wood Turtle Laying eggs  12/5/05
My wood turtle finally laid eggs. Years ago I was in contact with a breeder in Port St Lucie FL. He gave me instructions to purchase some type of medium used in potting soil and place it in a Tupperware container with the eggs. I don't remember the specific instructions. Do you have any advice or who I can contact. We have had the pair for many years but this is the first time she has laid eggs. Thank you Janet
< You need the advice from an experienced turtle breeder. Go to tortoise.org and I think they will help you. The Calif. Turtle and Tortoise Club has been around for a very long time.-Chuck> 

Box Turtle Babies  8/16/05
I am getting Eastern Box Turtle Hatchlings from a friend.  A clutch of three eggs have hatched and one more clutch of 5 eggs should hatch in the next week or so. His adults are 4 females, one male, one unknown, so I don't know if my turtles will be siblings, half siblings, etc.  I have requested two hatchlings, he suggested I take three (the babies are too small to sell and he knows I will take good care of them).  I am concerned that if I get three and end up with two males and a female, they will fight when they mature in five years or so.  Should I be concerned? 
< Worry about it in 5 years.>
He thinks most will be females because they were incubated at 88 degrees Fahrenheit.  If I get a male and a female, will their offspring have problems if they are related?
< Probably not.>
Also, he is going to keep them until they absorb their yolk sacs and begin eating.  After that point, is there a large mortality rate if I take proper care of them?
< Absorbing the egg sac is the critical time. After that they need to be feed well to build up fat reserves.>
(if you tell me "yes" I am more likely to take three)  My friend had really good luck with last years babies. Also, at what temperature should their basking spot and the cool side of the cage be?
< 70 to 84 F>
I have heard conflicting temperatures, my book says 75-82, but I don't know if they mean the basking spot should be 82 F and the cool side should be 75???
< Box turtles are found over a wide geographical area that varies in temperature. Keeping the temps in this ball park will be fine.>
My friend keeps his outside, so they thermoregulate naturally.  Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.
< Follow your friends advice. He is doing very well with his turtles and you should try a copy his success.-Chuck>

Turtle Laying Eggs? 8/11/05
I have a red eared slider, its about 4 inches big. First I know a male has
long claws and a female has short claws, should I be able to tell what my turtle
is now?
< Yes>
Second it moves the rocks in his tank around, if it is a female does
this mean she's trying to lay an infertile egg, its also moving rocks from its
basking area into the tank with its mouth, what does this mean?
<The female will use her hind legs to dig a hole for her eggs. Moving gravel with her front legs is probably searching for food.-Chuck>

Turtle Eggs 8/5/05
Hi! Recently my turtle, who I've had for eight years, has laid four eggs.
The problem is that she does not have a mate, and she has not been in
contact with any since she was about a month old. Is it normal for a
turtle to do this? Is it possible for the eggs to hatch? Thank you!
< Females turtles that are in good shape and well taken care of occasionally lay infertile eggs. They will not hatch and should be discarded.-Chuck>

Turtles Breeding 8/4/05
I have a female yellow belly turtle who I am pretty sure is pregnant by our painted turtle.  Today my daughter noticed the male turtle eating something coming from the rear-end of the female turtle.  She got the male turtle off and the black stuff went back into the female.  I am not sure what is going on except that I told her to put the female turtle in a tank by herself and watch her.  I know for a fact that they did mate. I saw it.  How long are they pregnant before they hatch and then how long till the eggs hatch and how do I preserve them.  I have had these turtles for 12 and 9 years so they are very well taken care of.  Please help Thanks Yvonne
< If the female has eggs then she should be laying them within a couple of weeks after mating. The eggs are laid in a sandy burrow that the female excavates. Once the eggs are laid they can be moved to an incubator within 24 hours. After that they should not be moved or they will die. Water turtles take up to 6-8 weeks. Sometimes they go on for a very long time before they hatch. Keep them humid and around 80 degrees F. Keep the eggs in the same orientation in which they were laid. Keep the same side up.-Chuck>

Slider Sexing
Hello,
We are Child Development Center in Weston and we do have a red ear slider turtle who's name is Chocolate she is about 10 years old.  We were actually wondering if there is a way to tell if a turtle is male or female.  If you can provide us with this information we would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you,
Beginnings' kids
<Hi,  the easiest way to tell is to look at the claws on their front feet, the males will have much longer claws than the females, the underside of the males will also be slightly concave.  The females will usually grow larger than the males.  Good luck, keep those little hands washed.  Best Regards, Gage>

Red Eared Slider
My turtle has been acting up lately. When I let her out of the tank she goes to a rug and seems to be enjoying herself. Is it possible she is masturbating? Her tank has become real sudsy also? Please help!
<Hmm, I am not familiar with this behavior in turtles, you might post your question on some of the turtle discussion forums to see if anyone else has experienced something similar.  Best Regards, Gage
http://forums.kingsnake.com/forum.php?catid=32
http://www.turtletimes.com/Forums/default.asp >

Red Eared Slider Eggs Under Water 
hi there- I've read a lot about turtles laying eggs, and now it's happened to me. well, not me, but my turtles. She laid two eggs. what I'm concerned about is the fact that they're underwater. is that safe? also, I found them trying to clean out the tank, and I'm afraid I jostled one a little bit. 
1. can they still hatch underwater (safely) 
2. can they be moved around at all? how delicate are they? thank you thank you thank you thank you. -nick 
<Hey Nick, sorry it took me so long to get back to you, I do not have much experience breeding sliders, but am fairly certain the eggs should be moved to an area where they can be properly incubated. Check out the link below for some more information. 
http://petshub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10729  
Best Regards, Gage >

Red Eared Slider Aggression
<Hi, MikeD here>
I have three red eared slider turtles and noticed that the two of them have been showing what I think are signs of aggression.  They take both of their front feet and vibrate them in front of their face while at the same time, aim for one another.  A friend of mine was wondering if this was a sign of courtship?<It sure is! Males have very long claws/toenails on the front feet and they "flirt" with females by placing their paws in front of their face and doing just exactly what you are describing.  Males MAY do this as a sort of "hand jive" with other males as a stylized form of a dance in lieu of real and possibly fatal attacks. You might also want to consider giving the female access to some dry ground for egg laying, where they dig a pit similar to those excavated by their larger, more famous marine relatives!>
Thanks!
<You're welcome>
Slider Fanatic

Red Eared Slider Turtles
<Hi, MikeD here>
First of all, thanks for the speedy reply!<You're welcome>  If it is a female and male and they are courting one another, than what do I do if I do not have a space for them so that she can lay her eggs?<That's a tough question that only you can answer. If she HAS to she may lay them on the rocks or even in the water, but there's an equal chance that she'll retain them and become egg-bound, which can be fatal. My solution, of course, is to get a larger container where you can build a dry land section to the terrarium>  They are all in a 20 long tank with about eight inches of water with about 10 inches of rocks piled up so that they can get out of the water and "bask" in the heat lamp.<Nowhere near large enough. They will grow to about 10"-12" long each>  Also, one of the sliders got out of the tank and fell to the floor!<Might I suggest a screen top as well?>  It's shell is cracked a little bit but its been eating and swimming fine.  Someone had recommended to put baby oil on the shell to promote growth.<I'd use a good antibiotic ointment for a day or so, then superglue along the crack, depending on the size of course>  The other two have been digging in the rocks quite a bit.<They'll likely injure themselves soon if you don't fix this situation as well>  I don't know if they are looking for a place to build their nest, but I don't know what I will do if I have turtle eggs!<I'd be more concerned with your turtles surviving than about any eggs, which certainly won't. They can be hatched and the babies raised quite easily, but not without a well designed enclosure, which you do not have. My honest suggestion is to do some reading and consider building a terrarium for your charges where they can be healthy and you will then truly enjoy them>
Thanks!
Slider Fanatic

Slider Stuck
First of all, thanks for the speedy reply!  If it is a female and male and they are courting one another, than what do I do if I do not have a space for them so that she can lay her eggs?  They are all in a 20 long tank with about eight inches of water with about 10 inches of rocks piled up so that they can get out of the water and "bask" in the heat lamp.  Also, one of the sliders got out of the tank and fell to the floor!  It's shell is cracked a little bit but its been eating and swimming fine.  Someone had recommended to put baby oil on the shell to promote growth.  The other two have been digging in the rocks quite a bit.  I don't know if they are looking for a place to build their nest, but I don't know what I will do if I have turtle eggs!
<I hate to say it, but if you cannot make room for them, it is in the best interest of the turtles for you to find an appropriate home for them.  It is all too common for a pet store to sell young sliders with a 20long setup.  Great for them, they made the sale, but what about the turtle?  They need a lot more room than this.  Climbing out of the tank just emphasizes the point.  A cracked shell should be looked at by a vet, it is hard for us to see the extent of the damage.  I recently had to find a new home for my Mexican musk "honey".  Heartbreaking yes, but it was in her best interest, which is what we have to consider.  We may be attached to them emotionally, but they are going to die.
If they are courting and breeding is not the plan they should be separated, there is a chance that she could become egg bound and die.  There is no chance for a successful clutch without the proper conditions.  Best of luck, and please consult with a quality reptile Vet for the best way to handle your current situation- Gage>
Thanks!
Slider Fanatic

Gay Turtles?  11/29/04
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I have 2 male red ear slider turtles in a 75 gallon aquarium. One is about 5 inches long the other slightly smaller. Every once in a while they stroke each other with their front claws. But lately the smaller one has been trying to bite bigger one. They sit together on basking platform eat well like to float on weeds together but the little one seems more aggressive. The bigger one does not seemed to concerned about the little one. However I thought he might be getting stressed out with this little turtle bugging him all the time so I separated them. Well the big one started swimming back and forth along wall would not bask. Then after a week I put them together again. The big one stopped pacing wall and basked again. They got along fine then 2 weeks later I noticed little one being obnoxious to big one again. What should I do? They miss each
other when gone but bite each other when together. They are both males they have the long front claws. Thanks
<As far as I know, the claws are not how turtles are sexed.  It is by their tail.  The males have short, stubby tails & the females have long, fat tails.  It doesn't seem that they are hurting each other.  It seems more stressful to keep them separated, as the larger one stopped basking, when the smaller one was gone.  There has also many instances of homosexuality in the animal world.  ~PP>

Question about baby red -eared sliders
Hello,
    Hello my name is mike, I have 2 red eared sliders that I bought in may,
and they have gotten bigger since. One is about 4-5 inches and the other 4
inches.  And just recently I bought two more babies (red eared sliders).  I was
wondering if it is ok to put them with the bigger ones.  thank you for taking my
question.
< Turtles should all be close to the same size. They are incredible eaters and the larger ones would eventually pick on the smaller ones as food items when they got hungry and you weren't around. They may not be able to kill the smaller ones but the could bite off a leg and then you will be taking care of a imperfect turtle for the next 15+ years.-Chuck>                                                                            
              greatly appreciated,                                                                              
                      Mike D

Red eared slider baby hatchlings
I had 4 new red eared turtles and 2 of them died I
keep the water clean I have a 20 gal long
aquarium, basking ramp, light. filter .... I have well
water do turtles water need to be tested like the
water of fish and if so what are the levels I need to keep
< Water chemistry is not as critical for turtles as it is for fish. If the turtle shells are soft and mushy then the lighting is wrong. They need a bright warm full spectrum light to bask. These little turtles are usually pretty hardy under the right conditions. Hopefully you are giving them a varied diet.-Chuck>

Sexing Turtles
Hi. I have two red-eared sliders. One of them I just got, and it's bigger than the other one. I don't know what sex either of them are, but I think the smaller one is a girl, and the larger one is a male. The big one that we just got, I noticed, has recently started blowing bubbles a lot. What does that mean? Write back as soon as possible!! ~BY
<Red eared sliders are usually very easy to sex. Males are usually smaller than the females, have longer front claws and a much longer tail. The bubbles thing is normal. If they are blowing bubbles at the surface like they have a mucus then it might be signs of a respiratory infection. Simply blowing bubbles under water is not a problem.-Chuck>

Sexing Red Eared Sliders
Hi. I have two red eared slider turtles and I was wondering what age I
can tell what sex they are?- Sean age 9 me , not the turtles
< Red eared sliders sex can usually be determined when they are around four inches long. At that time the males should be developing longer front claws and have a longer tail. Females of the same age should be larger than the males. -Chuck>

New Turtle laying Eggs 6/31/05
Hi, We found a turtle about 6 weeks ago and now it has started laying eggs. It has been exposed to another turtle-the sex I am not sure of yet- What do I do? She has backed her bottom literally into a pile of dirt and will not move. Earlier today, she laid an egg out in the open. Do I remove her from her eggs after she lays them or keep her in the same aquarium? I'm trying to get in touch with a turtle rescue team near me for answers but have not heard back from them yet. I really want someone to be able to help these eggs survive if in fact they are fertile. I do not have a basking lamp. Should I get one and put it shining on the eggs? Help please. I'm very uneducated about turtles and hope to put her in safe hands after all of this. Thanks
< If this was a wild native turtle then you probably caught her moving between bodies of water and should have released her. The eggs are probably fertile. If this is a red eared slider then it is probably an escapee and the eggs may or may not be fertile. Either way, if you really want to try and hatch these eggs then here is what you need to do. Within 24 hours after the eggs are laid they can be gently transferred to an incubator. This can be any device that keeps the temperature between 75 and 80 degrees with keeping the humidity relatively high. Keep the eggs in the same position they were in when you picked them up. The embryos attach to the side of the egg shell within 24 hours. Twisting or turning the eggs can sometimes shear the embryo from the shell and kill the embryo. Direct heat from a basking light will dry the eggs out and kill them. In the wild turtles bury their eggs in the warm sand were the temperature varies little and there is always some moisture so the eggs don't dry out. I use to fill a 10 gallon aquarium with about 4 inches of water and place a submersible heater set at 78 degrees in the bottom. I would then place a brick in the center of the tank and place a Tupperware square bowl on the brick. In the bowl I would put about an inch of coarse sand place the eggs on top of the sand. In 8 to 10 weeks some would hatch. Leave her alone until she has laid all her eggs then make your move.-Chuck>

Red Ear Slider
Need info on how to distinguish a red ear slider is male or female...thanks. Jeff
<Please read here: http://www.kingsnake.com/forum/res/
Bob Fenner>

Re: eggs
wow I have 6 eggs . I have them in a small fish tank with a heat lamp the temp is between 80 and 90 I mist it about 3 times a ay to keep some moisture there . the eggs are in peat moss that I got at the pet store . I'm doing what they said but I just want to make sure I'm doing this rite. and how long are they pregnant for before they lay there eggs
<Nowhere in this email or subject line have you mentioned what kind of eggs you have. -Steven Pro>  sorry  about that . we have red ear sliders. and marry xmas and happy new years
<Hello, I do not have any experience breeding/incubating red eared sliders, I did find the following link which looks like it has some useful information.  Best Regards, Gage
http://www.tortoise.org/archives/elegans.html>

Pregnant Turtle?
Hi a month ago a turtle wandered into our flower bed in our front yard. she's a red ear slider, and her shell length is approx. 12 ". since this is the first time I've ever had a turtle I have been on the internet almost everyday since looking for information about how I should care for her, etc. The only problem is that many of the websites say one thing, and another says something completely different.
<Everyone has their opinions, and there is more than one way to keep a turtle.>
I got a kiddie pool, left it outside next to my house, and put some bricks in so they just peeked out of the water in order for her to bask. there's no filter at this time, so I change the water every 2 or 3 days.
<I would do partial water changes, and look into getting a filter.  Also, depending upon where you live, she will need to be housed indoors for the winter.>
I read that red ear sliders mate in the spring and lay their eggs in the summer. is this true?
<From what I read, the breeding season is March-July.>
also, how do I know if she is pregnant?
<I do not have much experience in the breeding department.  As far as I know, the female will start to eat less, and become very active looking for a nesting spot.  I cannot find my turtle book right now.>  
she's obviously mature enough to have mated in the spring. the nearest body of water to my house is 100 yards away, so she may have come to land in search of a nesting ground. if she is pregnant, I read that you should put the eggs in a container half buried in moist vermiculite. why is this?
<First you need to put in some soil for her to dig a nest and lay her eggs.  Then excavate them and move them to a separate container for incubation.  The moist vermiculite helps to insulate the eggs and keep them moist.>
cant I just use moist, shredded newspaper or paper towels instead?
<I am not sure, I would just go with the vermiculite.>
and what temperature do the eggs have to be in?
<High 70s to mid 80s.>
none of the websites have said the same thing. It would be really really awesome if there were eggs.
<Better yet, babies.  I strongly recommend a good book on slider husbandry, if she is pregnant, you have to worry about her laying the eggs and not becoming egg-bound, then if she does lay them you will have to incubate them, and if they hatch successfully, you will need to raise them.  ugh, I get tired just thinking about it.  I would also find a good reptile vet in the area.  The link below is to a care sheet on Melissa Kaplan's site, she knows her stuff.  Best of Luck, Gage http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html >
Please help!
thank you!
-new turtle owner

Is my turtle pregnant?
ok I promise this will be the last time I ask anymore questions lol... first of all, my res has been acting very strangely over the past two days. since yesterday, she kept trying to get out of her kiddie pool. I mean, very very frantically trying to get out, like she was going to dye if she didn't. after watching her all morning, after lunch I went to a small area of my lawn that's behind my house where the grass had all died and was replaced by
dollar weeds and moss. I spent about half an hour clearing the weeds and stuff away and put them in a pile. next, I dug a few inches into the 'deweeded' area and thoroughly turned the dirt around. the dirt was mostly sand with chunks of clay mingled in. I crushed the clay, fenced off the area with some wood and bricks and whatever I could find, then put my turtle in the area. the deweeded area is 4'x5', with a few inches of weeds surrounding. I spent the whole afternoon sitting by a window overlooking the
area, but in vain, because the turtle did nothing but try to escape. of course the fence stopped her, and she flipped over on her back a few times (then got upright again by digging her head into the sand and pushing), but NO NEST DIGGING. I don't understand. the sand is moist enough to dig in, the clay is no problem at all since I crumbled it up, but no digging! so I put the turtle back in the pool after 4 hours of waiting, but then she started to frantically try to get out again. this morning I put her back in the area, misting it slightly first, but after all these hours she has done nothing but try to escape. what am I supposed to do?????? if I leave her in the kiddie pool, she tries to get out like a dog is going to maul her, but when I put her in a nesting spot, all she does is try to get away. its getting a bit frustrating, and I will be glad for ANY help or advice whatsoever.
I have tried palpating her in the area right in front of her hind legs, but feel nothing by the way, her shell isn't 12 inches long, sorry. its about 8 or 9 inches long
thank you
<Hmm.  It sounds like she is either not pregnant and just acting crazy, or maybe she is not ready yet.  I would try incorporate both the land and the water in her enclosure maybe with a sort of A Frame or something going over the side of the kiddy pool so the turtle can come and go as she pleases.  The land area will need to be fenced in of course. Best Regards, Gage>

Slider Love
Hello I have two red-eared sliders--a male and female who have co-habited in a 75 gallon aquarium for three years with no problems. HOWEVER in the last few weeks they have become very hostile to each other--he often tries to engage her in mating but she will respond by attacking him and then he attacks her (biting mostly) to the point where I have had to pry them apart--no serious injuries have occurred and I have tried to take them each out of the tank for several hours to give them alone time....will this end? is this normal behavior? what can I do to stop it? Is buying a separate tank my only option? Thanks for your help
Louise
<Hi Louise, I have never tried breeding sliders, so I am not familiar with their breeding behavior.  From what I have read it sounds like he is feeling frisky and she does not want any part of it, and this is when the aggression starts.  The link below is to the first site I found that mentions breeding, the sites I check out after that all seem to have identical information.
http://reslider.free.fr/breeding.html
I would see if I could find a good discussion forum to see if anyone else has had a similar experience, chances are that many have.  I found a forum on turtletimes.com
http://www.turtletimes.com/
I would start there.  If the aggression gets too bad or one gets seriously wounded, I would definitely separate them.  Best of luck, let us know how it turns out or if we can be of further assistance. -Gage>

Turtle Eggs
I have a question about freshwater turtle eggs.  How can
you tell if the eggs the turtle lays are good or bad? And how long before the hatch? Thanks for your time.
<It depends on the turtle, I am going to assume a pond slider of sorts.  If you have a male and a female who performed the mating rituals (as opposed to a lone female), chances are you have good eggs.  Fuzzy eggs are bad.  You will want to keep the eggs moist and warm, mid to upper 80s.  Best of luck, Gage>

Side Neck Turtle Incubation
We have a side neck turtle that has laid eggs and we have put them in a Tupperware bowl with Vermiculite with a little warm water, we are going to put a light over them, but we don't know anything else......PLEASE help us, give us any source of info we can use
Thanks Kristi
<Hey Kristi,  I have never incubated turtle eggs myself, I would start with the articles at the link below and see if you can pick up a book specific to Side Neck Turtles for specific information on temperature and what not.  Best Regards, Gage
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/articles.html#breeding  >

How Do I Know if my Turtles Babies are Still Alive
my turtle just laid eggs and I don't know if there is some thing in there or not or if she is going to have more babies help
< Take the eggs out of the water and bury them in a potting soil vermiculite mixture and incubate them at a constant 80 degrees if you can. You will be able to tell in a couple of weeks if the eggs are good or not. Keep the soil moist but not wet and you may have baby turtles in a couple of months. -Chuck>

Determining Sex of Juvenile Turtles
Hi!<Hi, MikeD here>  Today I purchased two adorable turtles, the size of a quarter<Those are newly hatched and often quite delicate>.  I figure
they are Painted Turtles, because of their colors<Many little turtles offered for sale are quite colorful, with the most common being the Red-eared Slider, which is green with yellow striping on the neck and one red stripe in the middle. True Painted turtles have red edging around the shell and no "red ear", but in either case, determining the sex is done the same way.>, but how can I tell whether
they are male of female?<For now this is nearly impossible. As they get larger males will develop very long "fingernails" on the front feet, while the females will remain short, the same as on the rear feet. The males "court" underwater by placing their feet in front of their face and waving these long front claws. Another method is by "probing" to locate the hemipenises (they have two each), but this again ought to be done when they are larger and by a professional, as it entails risk of serious injury if done incorrectly>  I would really like to know, please answer back.  
Thank you,<You're very welcome>
Melissa C.R.

Sexing a Painted Turtle  11/22/04
Hi,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I have a 21 year old painted turtle that I adopted from I friend about a year ago.  
<Now that's an old reptile!>
My friend claims that some time ago should found a small egg in the turtle's aquarium and so she assumed that the turtle must be female.
<Very good guess.>
But when I held one of my female box turtles up next to the glass of the aquarium to say hi to the water turtle, the water turtle started doing that weird hand swishing mating ritual, which would suggest the turtle is a male turtle, right?
<I think the egg was the giveaway on this one.  It must be a female turtle.  You can also tell by it's tail.  Males have tiny short tails & females have longer fat tails.  My turtles do happy dances whenever I go near their tank, thinking they might be fed.>
Assuming my friend wasn't hallucinating or lying,  where could an egg possibly come from? Strange question, I know.
<Unless there was another critter in the tank to lay an egg, it had to come from the turtle.  ~PP>
-LG

Turtle Questions
Hi, My name is Ben I am 12 years old and I have some questions that I would please like you to help me with. I got two yellow bellied turtles for Christmas. They are now nearly 5 months old and already are showing signs of mating. The male is maneuvering in front of the female and flapping his front legs franticly. No biting occurred so maybe they were just playing. I don't know. Could you please help me?
< Five months is pretty early for mating behavior in turtle. If they are really older and you have had them for only five months then it could be a mating behavior. Females are usually larger and have shorted tails. Males are usually smaller and have longer claws and a much longer tail.>
Also I have a large enough tank to last them a while but when they grow I know you're supposed to move them out side into a pond (which I have the resources for) but I live in cold and wet Ireland and even in the summer it's not great so what should I do when the problem arises?
< There a number of things you could do. For long term housing you could get a very big aquarium, large plastic tub or any other large clean vessel that would hold water. You then need to set up and area where they can get out of the water to bask themselves. This could be a log a pile of bricks or anything else. Over the basking spot you need to give them a light source that provides heat, UVA and UVB light for up to 12 hours a day. The water can be heated to 65 degrees F using a titanium submersible aquarium heater. You really should go with the metal heater so the turtles don't break like they would a glass one. A large siphon hose could be used to change the water in the tub. Look at pond filters to keep the water clean. Basically you are making an indoor pond. Natural sunlight through a window will help but I would still recommend these other things to be sure.-Chuck>
Yours sincerely Ben P.S. I think your site

Turtle Laying Eggs
Hi, My name is Jamie. I am in need of some help. I have not been able to find anything close to my problem. My turtle came from the wild as a young turtle. I have had her (I now know she is a she) for about 7 years. We have no other turtles. She is in a 55 gal tank that has fish, snails, and a crayfish. The problem is that we have found eggs in the tank. There has never been another turtle for her to mate with. She never laid eggs in the past. I don't know if this is something that can happen or if I am mistaken all the way. I read the listed information on your site and found it very detailed on many topics. I hope that you can shed some light on this for me. Thank you in advance for your time and help. Thanks, Jamie
< Sexually mature female turtles in good shape often lay eggs in the springtime. The eggs are infertile and should be thrown away. She will need a little extra care. She will be hungry and probably need some vitamins too to regain her strength. You have been doing a good job caring for her.-Chuck>

Murtle Laid an Egg
Dear Crew: We have a 25-26 year old female painted turtle, by the name of Murtle.  Murtle is healthy and happy and lives in a (3/4 full) 75 gallon aquarium complete with a heater, a dry platform, an underwater cave, a UV basking light, etc., and she has her own school of guppies to keep her tank clean. Murtle has never been ill except an ear infection when she was around 10 years old, the vet gave her antibiotic shots and she recovered rapidly. 
Murtle has not been exposed to another turtle in about 10 years as she killed both of the males that we tried to acquaint her with. Every spring Murtle seems to go thru a cycle, she suddenly eats all of her guppies constantly begs for additional food and is very cantankerous for a few weeks. Then everything suddenly goes back to normal. 
We have joking referred to it as her annual turtle "heat" cycle. This year was no exception, the guppies disappeared a couple of weeks ago, but today we had a surprise. Murtle laid an egg. Is this  just her body trying to reproduce without a mate?
<This is an infertile egg that is occasionally laid by female turtles in captivity.>
Is she wanting to reproduce?
< This is probably less a function of what she wants and more so a function of her reproductive cycle responding to being well taken care of and spring time.> 
Can this activity hurt her?
< It doesn't hurt per say but it will deplete her of vitamins and minerals. I would make sure she has a well balanced diet and include some vitamins.>
Is there any way to stop this type of activity?
< Not really, it is caused by her hormones.>
Is there anything special we should be feeding her in addition to her ReptoMin turtle floating sticks, occasional geckos, bugs and fruits?
< I would add some washed earthworms, crickets dusted with calcium powder and kingworms that have been gut loaded with a good reptile additive.-Chuck>

Keeping and Breeding Sideneck Turtles
Hi there. I tried finding an answer for this on the other questioners'
queries, but their answers either weren't specific enough or didn't
exist. I am the proud owner of an African Side Neck turtle, named Elijah, whom
I've hesitantly labeled a male. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure of
my turtle's gender or age. When I bought him he was in a tank at Petco
with other ASN's and some RES's. However, I was not informed of his age
or gender by the shopkeeper. Is sexing in ASN's similar to sexing in RES? With long claws and long thin tails meaning it's a male (I read that that only applies after five
years old)? Or does that not apply?
< In general male turtles tend to be smaller than females of the same age and some species do have longer front claws. Look at the belly of the turtle. Males usually have and indented belly area to mount the female during mating. Females usually have a very flat belly area.>
And how might I tell my turtle's age by looking at him? He's about six and a half inches long, if that helps.
< Very difficult to determine an exact age.>
I'm asking all this, because I'm intending to breed him/her when he/she
reaches sexual maturity, so perhaps you might be able to tell me when
that might be for this breed, as well. Thanks a bunch! Stephanie
< Breeding herps is usually not too easy to do. I would recommend that you go to Kingsnake.com and get in contact with some serious turtle and tortoise clubs to see if you really want to get into this area.-Chuck>

Turtle Eggs 6.12.05
We found a turtle in our driveway that we expected was pregnant because of the season and the size. It was heading towards construction and was not
very colorful. So we put it in our old turtle tank because we didn't want it to
get hurt. (Especially if it was pregnant.) We were feeding it our aquarium
turtles` mushed worms and it was eating. While we were gone it laid eggs and we did not have time to put a nest in for them. Now she keeps running over them and we don't know if she'll try to bite us if we try to take the eggs or the mother  out of the tank. Will she bite us? Do the eggs need their mother? Do you think we should  put them in a butter container full of moist soil/dirt? How long till the eggs hatch? THANK-YOU!
<So far as I know a turtle will build a nest deposit the eggs and be done with it, no tending to the eggs.  I am not sure where she deposited the eggs but if it is not a safe, warm, moist place they probably do not have much of a chance.   The  time it will take to hatch will depend on the species of turtle.  Try to determine the type of turtle you have and do a search on incubating turtle eggs there is a lot of good info out there on the web.  You have to be pretty slow to get bit by a turtle, when you put your hand in the tank the turtle will either run/swim the other way, ignore you, or try to sample your fingers as a possible food source (if she gets a hold of your finger pain will vary depending on species).  Best Regards, Gage (who has been bitten once by a Mexican Musk Turtle)>      

Breeding Turtles
Hi there.. Quite a few years ago I was young and decided I wanted 2 pet turtles, so my dad brought home 2 baby yellow belly sliders, and I'm guessing about a year ago [I was living with dad, the turtles were with mom] one of them laid eggs. We're not sure which one we still don't know if ones female, ones male, or they're both female or what], mom tr