General Care Discussion :: Michelangelo thinks he's a snapper, constantly biting

[daredevilgirl013]

I took Michelangelo out today to show him to my grandpa (he was the one who bought him for me) and he constantly kept nipping at us. He gets feed twice a day, he has cuttlebone and anacharis along with the guppies, snails, and shrimp, so I can't really figure out why he's nipping at us. Unless shedding makes them want to bite but I didn't notice where he was shedding yet. Any ideas on this or how to make him stop nipping at people?

[sonyj]

It's his way of saying that he doesn't want to be held or picked up. He can't vocalize that he'd rather be in his tank, so he just let's you know the only way he can. Koopa does it when I clean his shell or measure him.

[daredevilgirl013]

Yeah I was just wondering if that was it as this was the first time he has ever tried to bite anyone and constantly go at it. I guess I'll have to watch him when tank and shell cleaning day come around....or give him something to bite on or munch on.

[fluffytheturtle]

My turtle would hiss everytime my dad or I picked her up. At first, she could not get in and out of the pond by herself, but of course now she can. So we would pick her up and put her in and take her out when she wanted out.

Is is true that female turtles his and male turtles snap?

[daredevilgirl013]

Well if that's true then I have a male for sure! Cause no hissing happened at all!

[sonyj]

...Is is true that female turtles his and male turtles snap?

I've never heard this before. I don't think that's a reliable way to tell their gender.

[buffyfan9005]

I've just started feeding Veronica by hand some and last night she took her first little nip at my finger thinking I was food. I really don't want to get that habit started because she's really a social little thing and swims up to my hands and me when I'm around her tank.

So I think I'm going to stop with the feeding my hand. Do you ever feed little Mikey by hand?

[mikedpirone]

I picked my bigger turtle up the other day and it bit my finger and wouldnt let go. I was suprised because it was the first time hes ever done that and it really freakin hurt. It was strange though because he hasnt dont it since and when i put my hand next to him he knows its usually because its feeding time. My dad said it was probably because he was scared that he was being handled which I dont do to them often.

[marisa]

Fluffytheturtle, any turtle, male or female, will hiss for one of two reasons. One, the turtle feels threatened. Two, the turtle retracts his head quickly into the shell (for whatever reason) and in doing so, air escapes from the lungs to make room for the head, resulting in a hissing sound. Sex has nothing to do with it.

If you're turtle is going for your fingers, he's just associating them with food (nothing personal intended).

[daredevilgirl013]

I never have fed Michelangelo by hand. Personally I think it's a bad habit because if anyone sticks their hand into the tank without knowing, he may bite them or think there is food and get tricked when there is none and become a little bit aggressive (kinda like a dog) So I prefer to just let him go at it and eat the pellets in the water. Plus I think he kinda likes it better that way as he'll wait till he thinks no one is around and then he'll go after the pellets. Again he kinda thinks like a dog, if there is someone else there, they might come after his food. So he waits till it's clear.

But hopefully this was only a one shot deal.

[ellman605]

i've taken hours letting them bite my finger, i got used to it easily, just let them bite you for a while, and they'll realize its not food, and after a while, it doesnt hurt.

[mikedpirone]

Well mine hasn't bit me since....he's just a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to being handled and he is used to being hand fed.

[daredevilgirl013]

I don't want to let him bite my fingers, and it doesn't matter if after a while it doesn't hurt for me, I just want him to realize that biting me or anyone else is not a good thing.

Also today I noticed him nipping at everything in his tank. He went after the big apple snail and bit it, then after one of the guppies and nipped at it, then it he went to one of my smaller apple snails and nipped at it, and then he started to attack the fake plants. What is up with this sudden ticked off aggressive turtle behavior all of a suden? I've never seen him do that before and he was just going awall!

[sonyj]

I wouldn't necessarily think this was a bad thing, he's behaving normally for him. Some RES are more aggressive in nature than other RES, and I've heard as a whole, that RES are more aggressive than some of the other aquatic species. This isn't something that you'll be able to take out of him say like scolding a puppy for chewing on a shoe. He is behaving naturally. It may just be that he is growing up and that's why it's just beginning to be noticed.

Koopa will do this to anything new in his tank, but then after a day or so he'll stop. All turtles are different so you'll just have to wait it out to see if he continues to do this or if it goes away to some extent.

[daredevilgirl013]

I hope it goes away a little bit. And I know I can't scold him for biting but I'll try my best to not put anything in front of him to bite. And the stuff in his tank isn't new, it's been there for a while. I was just amazed to see him do that all of a sudden and just go attacking everyone. But I do hope it fades a little bit. I hate to see everything getting nipped at in his tank like that even if they are meant for food.