General Care Discussion :: 2 Turtles: one growing one isnt

[ohmygosh_22]

So i have two turtles that i got from lakes. both are red ear sliders both recieve the same amount of food (most of the time if they dont fight..Mostly Lettice, Pellets & Carrots) and they bask almost all day.

so i'm sure one is older than the other and btw they're both males..

my question is Al, seems to be growing a lot more than Fred it

Al is 4 3/4 inches
Fred is 3 3/4 inches

Gracias!

[Caphits]

You REALLY shouldn't take turtles from lakes. ...It is probably illegal anyway.

One turtle is most likely eating all of the food, before the other can get any.

[blackforces get you]

either one of them is eating more than the other. but its hard to tell. theres a number of reasons why

[SpotsMama]

For young growing turtles a one inch difference in size isn't huge. Genetics plays a role, and maybe one is simply a faster grower than the other.

That said, be sure and monitor their eating and be sure one isn't hogging more than his fair share. If he is, you can take him out of the tank and feed him in a separate container and let the little one eat his fill in peace in the tank.

Another thing to do is have stool samples checked for parasites. Could be one has an infestation that the other hasn't picked up yet, or else it's more advanced in the little one. A check for parasites isn't difficult for a vet to do - shouldn't cost much. In fact, it doesn't strictly speaking even have to be a herp vet that does it. Just take your regular vet some samples and see wht he/she has to say.

One more thing - watch to see if the big one is intimidating the little one. Stress from being bullied can cause a turtle to eat less and generally not thrive.