Other Turtle Discussion :: Aggressive common musk turtle

[mythicalpet]

My common musk turtle is very aggressive. He has never attacked any of my other turtles before but he is extremely vicious towards me. I had just picked up his shell and his head would whip around and bite me. Any advice for the owner attacked by the owner?

[steve]

You need to keep him separate. Musks are pretty strong, and if you have an aggressive one, you will need to isolate him. Keep handling to a minimum.

[Jeremiah]

Musks get pretty upset when they feel vulnerable. In addition to getting a new tank, I also recommend getting lots of fake plant decorations (try to get some that are both tall and bushy). Musks are generally shy creatures in the wild, and their daily goal is to avoid being eaten. A few well-placed hiding spots will go a long way in calming your turtle down. It may also be that your turtle is getting an aggressive streak due to unforeseen natural tendencies, or sexual maturation. Either way, what I said about cage furniture helping still applies.