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When I take my larger res out it hisses at me with it's mouth open. It sounds more like a violent exhale than a respiratory problem but I was just wondering. My larger res also tries to bite me when I take it out, so yeah the fact that it's angry could make it hiss. This normal guys?

Btw I just fed them strawberry pieces and they liked it a lot!

Yeah i think its normal when i find turtles on the side of the road and try to move them to a safer place they do that sometimes.
Just defending them self

Turtles don't like to be picked up. Some more than others. Some will tolerate it more than others. It in unnatural and the only time they are picked up in the wild is when something is trying to eat it. If it will let you it is more comfortable to put your hand or fingers under tha plastron to give it some support.

Hissing is very normal. Just like when a cat hisses- it's just a way of letting predators know "don't mess with me." I think I read on here somewhere that the hissing sound is produced when they bring their head into their shell rapidly and the air is forced from their lungs.

A turtle will hiss at everyone. Especially when they're removed from their tank because 1) they're lifted into the air and 2) you're taking them out of their comfort zone.

Don't let it alarm you. I usually tell my turtles that they're being silly because they're getting taken out to get some sun outside or have their tank cleaned.

My mom fed Sid some strawberries from her garden and she loved 'em! My strawberry plants are past blooming and I gave all the fruit to the birds. Oh well.

my RES is 3" or so and it is alrdy starting to hiss when i take it out of the tank. its normal, im not happy about it but its normal

Melvira_Fox wrote:Hissing is very normal. Just like when a cat hisses- it's just a way of letting predators know "don't mess with me." I think I read on here somewhere that the hissing sound is produced when they bring their head into their shell rapidly and the air is forced from their lungs.
.

Ah! so thats why my turtle only hisses when he brings his head back into his shell fast.

I am very upset with George. She smiles when I take her out of her tank. I usually let her walk around the house while I clean her tank. Today I thought she might enjoy a shower in the sink. Well when I went to retrieve her, she hissed three times! That's a first!

Yes, her tank is too small, and the sink is even smaller.

She has hissed before, but never multiple times!

Did she snap too?

steve wrote:Did she snap too?

No, thank God!

That's why I was able to pick her up. I said to myself: she hissed, but she won't bite.

Was she enjoying her little shower too much?

steve wrote:Was she enjoying her little shower too much?

I prefer to think of it that way. I like that perspective!

Anyway, she's in a bigger tank, now, and happy as can be!

My RES tries to snap at my finger, if it is anywhere near its hands or face.

I'm not sure why she does that. I had her since she was 2 inches i think.

She was never like that at that age. But she grew once I got a bigger tank for her. She is about 3 and 1/2 inches about, now

She loves to swim around and bask in the natural sunlight.

But being held she doesn't like I used to like putting her near me to run around but now too scared she might bite me.

Over the summer she shed really thick scales where i could see. I took the tweezers and pulled them off

I know itching might have been uncomfortable for her but she bit me then when I was distracted. I know she could of bit me right through.

It was like a warning peck. "i know you feed me and i see you all the time but I don't like that"

Now I have to figure out when she goes gravid. I have put some little rocks near her basking area and when she is ready I hope she goes.

Because I cleaned her tank today and she was upside down in the container i put her in and I think I saw she was trying to push an egg out IDK!

She is only barely 4 inches and the only one.

Has she been gravid before? She's a bit small for being gravid. How old is she?

well when I bought her she was really small 2 inches. That was June 2015. During the summer she grew to 3 1/2 well I just found out it's a male.
Now I noticed she is a little moody when i pick her up, ? the crazy look and mouth wide open ready to bite . I tried to see online if this might mean she is going through changes and noticed that they can be gravid and thought she was starting that change. He noticed me putting rocks and i tried to put a bucket for some privacy with a cloth over it so she can get rid of those infertile eggs but I was doing something and the tank was right by me and i noticed something black and sort of big under him. But haven't ever read anywhere about this and i came upon a topic in this forum with pics and now I know he is a he! Those pictures helped so much especially for my little guy. LOL. So I took down that little nesting spot and I guess I don't have to worry now of those eggs. I was a little worried I didn't want "her" to get sick or worse.

All RES have different personalities but most don't like to be picked up or handled. The benefits of a male are that they stay smaller and no eggs