General Care Discussion :: A couple of questions...

[mikeandmurdock]

I've had my RES for about a month. He's doing great, but i noticed that no matter how much tuna water i put on fruits or veggies he still wont eat them. He loves tuna and his reptomin, but I'm trying to get him to eat different foods. Also Im nut sure if he is male as i originally thought. He's probably only over a month and a half old. From what i gather online is that the smaller the claws eludes to that he is a she, but is that so even if they are this young? My friend says if they males and females have different color eyes, but she has a box turtle. Does that also work for RES?

[jenaero]

That's not even that accurate for box turtles but it works sometimes.

Your res is still too small to tell. Usually around the 4 or 5inch mark you'll notice longer front claws on males and longer/thicker tails.

Ditch the tuna and the tuna water. Keep offering veggies and he'll take to them eventually. Some just take a little longer.

[missibsu]

Don't give up on the veggies. If you offer and he doesn't eat them, then you turn around and give the tuna or pellets, you are reinforcing the behavior you don't want. Offer the veggies, leave them in the tank, and withhold the pellets or any other snacks. Replace the veggies as needed to keep them fresh. It may take him a few days, but he'll eat them. It won't hurt for him to do without the pellets that long either.