Other Turtle Discussion :: Strong believer in NOT picking up turtles!

[imderanged]

I'll echo imderanged on this---turtleman, please site some specific studies (or at least one) to back up your statement that RES are very social animals and enjoy being held.

SURE!, I dont know where in the world this girl got it from, but so she wrote;My Red Ear Slider Turtles From ChinatownI have 2 turtles actually. 2 red-ear slider turtles. ... Studies have shown that turtles actually ENJOY being handled by their human – as long as it is with care. RES are very social creatures. Do to risk of bacterial infection proper hygiene ..... i h8 mistreating animals and omgomgomgomgomg i think my turtles are ...
www.myfishtank.net/.../my-red-ear-slide ... chinatown/ - Cached - Simila

That's ...not a study...
I could make a website claiming my turtle has a perfect understanding of the English language, that's doesn't mean I've conducted a scientific study proving that fact.

[CaseFam]

That's ...not a study...
I could make a website claiming my turtle has a perfect understanding of the English language, that's doesn't mean I've conducted a scientific study proving that fact.

it is if enough people agree with you, apparently.

[turtle man]

I'll echo imderanged on this---turtleman, please site some specific studies (or at least one) to back up your statement that RES are very social animals and enjoy being held.

SURE!, I dont know where in the world this girl got it from, but so she wrote;My Red Ear Slider Turtles From ChinatownI have 2 turtles actually. 2 red-ear slider turtles. ... Studies have shown that turtles actually ENJOY being handled by their human – as long as it is with care. RES are very social creatures. Do to risk of bacterial infection proper hygiene ..... i h8 mistreating animals and omgomgomgomgomg i think my turtles are ...
www.myfishtank.net/.../my-red-ear-slide ... chinatown/ - Cached - Simila

That's ...not a study...
I could make a website claiming my turtle has a perfect understanding of the English language, that's doesn't mean I've conducted a scientific study proving that fact.

lol!thats true, I've yet to find these "studies", but I did find another site in agreeance:"Red-eared sliders naturally reside in areas having calm, fresh warm water resources which include ponds, lakes, marshes, creeks and streams. These turtles are more active during the day. They tend to congregate in basking areas, usually on exposed rocks or logs caught along the shoreline. These turtles are social and will often pile up on one another to get the best basking spot. They are almost entirely aquatic and tend to be shy when approached by people, frantically sliding off their basking spot when approached - hence the name." Its not a study, but it still proves my point.

[turtle man]

oh, by the way its on www.criterology.com

[imderanged]

oh, by the way its on www.criterology.com

That suggests that the RES is social with others of it's species, not it's human handler. Also, that particular source suggests in that article that a 20 gallon tank may be an appropriate enclosure for RES and that under gravel filters are the best available filtration option available, so I have my doubts about the claims made in the article.

[novroz]

I agree with The Artbook..picking them up will depend on the turtle it self. They will try to run away or try to get down from your hand if they don't want to be handle...But they will stay still if they want to be handle.

That's what Hurricane started doing. She will let me pet her in the water still. Let's my mother hold her and stays still for her.

Sadie is getting funny. She holds still for my mother and lets my mom hug her. She likes to be near me, and petting her shell is okay, but no holding. This is making applying the eye drops a battle of wits and patience. She was so mad at me earlier, I gave her a piece of krill after the drops so it would be more positive. The redness is almost completely gone now, the puffiness has gone down a lot.

Novroz- I've seen your youtube videos, like when Kroten walks right into your hands, willingly.

Tha't my dad's hand she was chasing my dad everywhere (I think she is in love with him) and ignored me completly fortunately she is back in chasing me again now

Different turtles have different behaviour is something unquestionable...You've seemed to know your turtles completely.

I've found out that they learn from each other...Kame will lift her body and one of her hand if she wants to be picked up...Kroten learns the same way a year later

Not many people know this...but turtles are jealous creature. I was playing with Kroten and Kame was in her tank, you know what she did? she went up and down her basking area, splashing everywhere, looking at me and then jump....hahaha I couldn't help not to laugh

[roseK]

^ i believe the jealousy. when ive seen sea turtles i would give them headrubs and other turtles would push through to get a headrub as well lol.

[novroz]

@roseK hey this is something new to me...I thought only pet turtle will be jelous with the others, it turns out wild turtles are jealous too

[roseK]

well they were at conservation and used to people being around. but it is cute

[theartbook35]

Novroz, I wonder if the way Typhoon "freaks" when I take Hurricane from the tank is some jealous behavior. She does hide for a few minutes, and then when she sees me holding Hurricane, she tries to escape. I've put Hurricane close to the tank wall, and Typhoon will instantly calm down. I really can't tell if it's attachment or jealousy...

[turtle man]

oh, by the way its on www.criterology.com

That suggests that the RES is social with others of it's species, not it's human handler. Also, that particular source suggests in that article that a 20 gallon tank may be an appropriate enclosure for RES and that under gravel filters are the best available filtration option available, so I have my doubts about the claims made in the article.

OK, OK i'm convinced.For every 1 site I find that says turtles are social I find 10 others saying that their not social or semi-social.However my opinion remains that you SHOULD hold your RES at least 1 time a day, as another person person in Turtle Talk wrote, if you dont hold them enough they will act how they act in the wild, meaning they will bite you everytime you take them out to change the water etc.

[novroz]

well they were at conservation and used to people being around. but it is cute

Ah! you got your point there

Novroz, I wonder if the way Typhoon "freaks" when I take Hurricane from the tank is some jealous behavior. She does hide for a few minutes, and then when she sees me holding Hurricane, she tries to escape. I've put Hurricane close to the tank wall, and Typhoon will instantly calm down. I really can't tell if it's attachment or jealousy...

They way you describe it sounds like Typhoon wants huricane only for himself

My Kame/Kroten's jealousy is toward me. If I hold Kame, Kroten acts weird and wants to be hold too, If I let Kame climb on my lap, Krtoen will do the same on the other lap...and it also goes the other way around

[CassieJade]

When my turtles are active, I stick my hand in the tank just above the water. My tutles are always curious. Plus, food comes from a "hand". So they come over to check it out. Baby Jade, the little one, has no time for games and gets bored easily so Jade looses interest in my hand. Jack Johnson, might hang out for a min. then looses interest. The big dogg, Josiah, hangs out under my hand. So I put my hand in the water, he kind of lays in the palm of my hand. Like "Okay I'm ready to go play". I then take him out and "play" with him. We go outside and walk around!

[theartbook35]

well they were at conservation and used to people being around. but it is cute

Ah! you got your point there

Novroz, I wonder if the way Typhoon "freaks" when I take Hurricane from the tank is some jealous behavior. She does hide for a few minutes, and then when she sees me holding Hurricane, she tries to escape. I've put Hurricane close to the tank wall, and Typhoon will instantly calm down. I really can't tell if it's attachment or jealousy...

They way you describe it sounds like Typhoon wants huricane only for himself

My Kame/Kroten's jealousy is toward me. If I hold Kame, Kroten acts weird and wants to be hold too, If I let Kame climb on my lap, Krtoen will do the same on the other lap...and it also goes the other way around

Yeah, Typhoon seems freakishly attached. Hurricane doesn't give a crap either way...

[color-me-envious]

I try not to handle Enbi in excess right now because I know he's under a lot of stress currently due to a recent rehoming and a less-than-thrilling current habitat, but I plan to handle him fairly often once he gets settled, and take him out of his tank even now a few times a day for short two-to-five minute intervals. He doesn't get defensive, though he does scurry a bit across my hands; he seems to like it if I put him on my legs and let him climb around. I don't think it bothers him much and if he gets too restless I put him away.

I want him to be at least used to handling, and I don't see that big a deal in handling turtles as long as you're mindful of their nerves. My mother used to own turtles which I would handle as a child and nothing ill ever seemed to befall them for it. I think that, like with any pet, you can handle them in excess, but by the standards of not handling them because it's not natural, I think it's silly. It's not really natural for any animal to be handled, but you never see people reprimanding cat, dog, hampster, ferret, etc owners for it. As long as it's within the individual animal's comfort zone, I have no qualms.

One thing I DON'T like to do though is pull him out of the water if the ambient air is too cool because I'm afraid he'll get cold.