Other Turtle Discussion :: turtle starts nipping at me :(

[ninjaturtles]

recently my turtle started to try to eat my hand/fingers when i hold him/her in my hand. It never used to do this until recently. maybe it got comfortable or maybe it just thinks im food

[Tenodera]

When turtles get used to you they get more bold and more "openly" express their feelings...lol

[xsavingsaturdayx]

To turtles we are nothing but a way to get food, they are dumb and cant think like us or other animals (dogs/cats/birds). If you were small enough it'll probably try to eat you..

[Tenodera]

dumb?! aww you hurt their feelings...lol
That's thinking scientifically, but I'd like to think turtles have SOME intelligence.

Serra learns my habits real fast, knowing what time I'm gonna take her out or feed her.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

They do..I mean, they are capable of learning to a certain point, and there is one species of turtle (cant remember which) which actually HUNTS in packs, and take down birds...scary huh? Matamata's have been known to 'herd' fish in the shallower areas of water so they can have more success at catching them.

Maybe dumb was too mean, but they arent that intelligent.

[Threepwood]

Yeah, I was pretty surprised the first time my RES tried to take a bite out of my finger. And he still does, too.

As for the intelligence of turtles...yeah, maybe not so much, but when it comes to food they know a thing or two.

[rockstar]

ha, i kind of agree with the fact that turtles arent the smartest animals out there =p they learn feeding habits because they love food.. or so im told..


so im guessing thats where they use most of their brain power... food.

hey, if i was a turtle thats where my head would be to!


and nimrod hasnt attempted to bite me yet.. but thats also because my finger is a tad bit bigger than his mouth!!

[turboturtle8]

Don't worry my turtles snip at me all the time and they some times even hiss.

I always tell them "Never bite the hand that feeds you" but they still never listen

[steve]

Perhaps he does not like to be handled and you can take it as a warning.

[scripta_elegans]

Turtles do recognize faces, and they are capable of learning to trust their caretaker. They aren't emotional animals, but I don't know if that means they're stupid. They're capable of problem solving (generally toward the problem of being held captive), and make rather amazing escape attempts. They also have a better sense for survival than most animals, certainly better than many humans I know.

[steve]

I think Daredevilgirl has a RES who is constantly bitey, regardless of who was around.

[scripta_elegans]

Greygoose has a bitey one too. Beaker the Biter.

[turboturtle8]

Yeah some turtles are like that

I rarely ever pick up my turtles just when it is cleaning time but I just let them swim on there own

[SpotsMama]

I think turtles are more intelligent than they are common given credit for. They're not quick but they definitely learn things. People who meet Spot are always surprised at how interactive he is and how aware of his surroundings he is. You can see him making decisions about which way to go, whether to trust this person/situation or not, how to escape whatever container he's in.

[ninjaturtles]

i rarely handle him, its just i have to pick him up to put him in the feeding bowl. atleast he can't hurt me yet!