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I'm new to the turtle thing and I really enjoy watching her do everything, eat, bask, swim around. However I cant be near the tank to watch, I have seem like I am not interested and go to the other end of the room. Like when I feed her she will not eat until I walk away. Also if she is basking and sees someone(not a dog tho) she will go crazy and get in the water and swim around to go hide. I was wondering if this will go away with time? I am wondering if the people at the pet store scared her or something. Other than that she looks and behaves normal. Just to let you know she is 4 inches in a 20 gallon tank, and she will be getting an upgrade soon(didnt know what I shouldve when I bought everything, but thanks to this site I do now).

most new turtles will be shy at first but give her time and I'm sure she will be fine with your face right up to her tank. Mine took about a week or so to get used to me watching them. =)

I have had my turts since Aug and they still run and hide when I walk in the room. I can even be outside and if they see me they jump. A lot of it depends on the turt. Some warm up quick, some never do. It's funny about the pets though, the cats can walk through the room and they don't notice. My dad attributes it to shadows. I can walk closer to the tank at night when it's darker, and in the day time if I walk through the path of the light from a window in the other room, they see me. I think because the cats are so low to the ground that they don't notice them.

Something else, I have noticed that I sit in the room for a long time and just watch without moving much, the turts will climb out and bask with me there. Depends on how much time you have to sit and just watch!

My RES, who's really mellow most of the time and will let me come right up to him while he's basking, will still slide off his basking area if I approach with something "new" in my hands or if he hasn't had time to see me approaching him. The "flight" behavior is instinctive and I don't think will every completely disappear. Time, however, will make most turtles more tolerant of having others in their surroundings, especially as they become more familiar with them (but never completely).