Feeding and Nutrition :: Kaya wants my finger more than the food!

[Tokapeli]

I always feed her by hand, sometimes it seems like shes trying to get past the food and chomp my finger! this is even when i offer her something really tasty like a thawed out fish stick or something (i take the breading off) She had gotten a hold of it once or twice, it doesnt hurt that bad and she lets go right away but is this normal? Also recently when i let her out of the tank to walk around the house, if i wiggle my finger in front of her face she starts chasing it around! Its pretty funny, does this happen to anybody else?

[Kurtni]

Totally normal. Red Eared Sliders are predators; if it moves it's potential food. It's instinctual. It's cute now, but when she's a foot long and doesn't let go anymore it won't be xD

[Tokapeli]

lol, shes pretty big, id say 8-9 inches. might have to get some thick rubber feeding gloves

[Kurtni]

lol, shes pretty big, id say 8-9 inches. might have to get some thick rubber feeding gloves

OH MY GOSH
I assumed when you said she bit you it was a baby, my turtle is about that size and on the rare occasion when she bites me she always draws blood.

[steve]

You should be extremely careful when feeding an adult RES by hand.

[sflemin2]

I dont think they mean to bite .. I just think they don't know your finger isnt food. I use tongs to feed mine..they a lot of times they miss and bite the tongs lol. And you are lucky she dont bite hard..they usually will bite a chunk of flesh off when they are that size!

[Tokapeli]

wow i didnt think she would bite that hard! I'll be more careful in the future and consider myself lucky, i guess shes been pretty forgiving so far.

[sflemin2]

You are very lucky! I just bought tongs from the BBQ section at Lowes to "hand feed" with. I made the mistake of not socializing mine