General Care Discussion :: Do RES bite our hands ?

[aeo]

Hi all, I always put my RES in a small plastic tank in feeding time to keep the water clean. And I carry them in my bare hand. They are small ( nearly 11cm - 4' ) so there's nothing to worry. But I wonder that what happen when they grow up. If they're in big size ( 8' or more ), do they bite me ??

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Yes, they do bite (At whatever age/size).

[BullDog]

They *can* bite. Whether they decide to bite you when you move them depends on your turtle's personality and how they're feeling that day.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Yes, especially if they think your hand is food. You just dodge 'em the best you can....

[turtle_nz]

my friends who have turtles both bite (very hard!!)... my Geroge isn't too bad, but he had a go the other day...

but i think BullDog is right.. depends on personality etc

[pumpkinsherbet]

yes! john's a little one (1 3/4" like it says in my sig) but he won't hesitate to open his mouth wide and prep for a good chomp. i have to be very careful when i handle him.

[adam85491]

My little turtles bite, sometimes when im sucking out the nasties on the bottom and I forget they bite me. The smaller one thinks it is a game, I guess, but the larger one just wants food.

[kikicool]

Hee hee. Mine try, too. I hold them mid-shell, or if I need to pick them up, I do so around the shell--from behind. And I hold TIGHT.

[aeo]

Thanks for answering me so fast. So they can bite us and some love that >_<" . But how serious that they can harm our hand ? Can they cut out fingers ?

[pumpkinsherbet]

some are more defensive than others. some think it's food. some think it's a game. some are aggressive. turtles have their own little personalities

as far as much as it hurts... they don't have teeth, but they do have sharp beaks made of keratin, and heavy duty jaw pressure. i know they can break skin. i've managed to escape john's bites so i couldn't tell you first hand, but a friend of mine said his turtle did some damage to him.

[turtle_nz]

it hurt a little bit when my mates bit me.. but it was a 1 year old one.

as they get bigger i'd be more careful

[aeo]

I just make a test. I take a chopstick and put it in the water. My RESs are interested in it and bite the head of the chopstick. And they do bite so hard that even they are hold up and out of the water, they don't give up the chopstick. My god, I really don't know what happens if that's not a chopstick but my finger.
It must be the worst expeiment (",)

[KalinaBallerina]

Once, Turtle chomped on the tip of my finger while I was feeding her - I wasn't paying close enough attention, and her aim was a little off. She did draw blood - a "V" shaped chunk of skin about the size of a pencil eraser was missing off of my right index finger - ouch!

[SpotsMama]

Spot took a chunk out of my finger once - hurt like the dickens! He was mad at me from bringing him inside to an aquarium from outside in a pond. He doesn't usually try to bite me. But then I generally keep my fingers out of his reach.

[camee1991]

OUCH! My Tobi girl got my finger when she thought it was a worm a couple years back about 4"...and OMG! I couldnt shake her OFF! IT was aweful! I almost shook my hand over the ground HARD but feared my finger would fly off with it! So I clicked her back shell a few times and she let go. Whew. I had a v-shaped bloody finger also! Wasnt nice.

But she doesnt normally want to bite. Like others said, personality I think, and hungriness plays a part.

My turt will only stick her head out and turn to "try" to snap now when Im buggin her when I hold her. Like looking and holding her feet or if I put a towel in front of her SNAP! lol Dont wanna get bit now, 9 1/2 inch girl could take my finger off! lol Good LUCK! Just be careful and watch the mouth...

Camee