Urgent Care :: RES hurting herself!!!

[Captain Hawk]

Hi, i'm new to the forums, I hope you guys can help somehow.

I have been having all sorts of problems with my turtles for the last months. First, I rescued them from a careless dad so I didn't make an informed pruchase and been trying to do my best with the means I have for those turtles. Here's the specs :

-5/6 filled 55 gallon aquarium filled.

-two turltes about 5 years, they grew together. One is a good 6 inches long the other is 4 inches. Smaller one always had a scared behavior so I think that's why she's so small. the other one is pretty calm and rational as far as fear vs her own good his concerned.

-Big above tank basking area, grottos, basking area with few inches of water, they have it all.

-3 reptiles lights totalizing 325 w of pure energy

Here it goes, my big turtle is restless, she desperatly tries to get out of the tank by any means necessary and hurts herself in the process. She has minor bloody scratches now from all the desperate climbing and falling in the tank.

She started a while ago and wasn't as bad. At the time I made a lot of research and found she was most likely to be pregant. I bought a plastic large bin and put sand into it with a light and put her there everyday for hours. She finally laid some eggs and went back to quiet behavior. That was a month ago.

Now she's at it again with twice the resolve and suicidal tendencies. I'm applying the same strategy but she keeps just trying to get out of whatever i put her in. She's hurting herself and she bleeds. I'm running out of ideas and patience. please help, I'll provide any missing info.

thanks

[steve]

She might try desperately to get out of the tank if she's being harassed/attacked. Separate her from the others and see if there is a change. She could also be gravid again, I would try to feel for eggs.

[Captain Hawk]

Actually she's the one harrassing. Can't really afford to separate them! Although i let her most of the time in the sand box now, where she is also restless, but at least she hurts herself less cause she falls in the sand

[Captain Hawk]

ok, here's an update,

So, I let my turtle walk around until everytime she goes to some carpet we have near the front door, it's the only place in my appartment where she tries to dig.Then, I grab her and put her in the sand box. As soon as I put her in the sandbox though, she tries to get out.

I've been thinking, is it possible that she remembers that she laid eggs there a month ago and doesn't want to dig there and unravel them? Do turtles have such a memory?

Anyway, I am really afraid that she'll hurt herself more seriously if she continues to behave like this. No matter what I do to secure her environnement she keeps pounding herself everywhere, and she found a way to get out this morning, she came this close to fall off 5 feet.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. What do you do when you need to have your turtles lay some eggs? If it's a recurring process, it seems I can hardly be the only one struggling with this? Do you all have nesting area in the tank?

thanks!

[steve]

Having male and female turtles will result in a frequently gravid female. Nesting areas in tanks usually do not work well and occupy too much space.

[Captain Hawk]

Hello Steve,

I am pretty sure both of them are females. The big one obviously as she has laid some eggs, and the smaller one has really short claws and a short tail, and i'm pretty sure they are not mating.