General Care Discussion :: Whats This Face Shaking???

[Ncf2222]

So i walk in slowly and quietly on my 2 turtles Crush and Squirt and I see them like shaking claws in front of each others face LMFAO, im like [!!!], then it looked like they KISSED!, Idk what the Sexes are on them but Squirt is darker and smaller and Crush is bigger and lighter, Is this mating? Is this Normal? I got them both March 9th and they were the size of quarters so their not that old.

[xfallwithmexo]

Could be a sign of aggression, keep an eye on them! or a mating thing, but they seem kinda young lol

[Ncf2222]

This is what they were doing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I47YXmNCRhM

And thats not my video lol.

[xfallwithmexo]

I think you have your answer

[Ncf2222]

Mating lol, i wonder if anything is going to happen.

[xfallwithmexo]

Highly doubt it, and i think mating is called fluttering btw

[Ncf2222]

Ahh yes, that sounds more correct lol, thank you, idk what i would do without this site. (probably walk to petco and ask them).

[xfallwithmexo]

no problem

[Love of Animals]

Keep a close eye on them fluttering could mean aggression or mating. Even while mating there could be aggression if the male won't leave the female alone and she's had enough. How big are your turtles and how old? How big of a tank are they in?

[Ncf2222]

Well they both do it, ones not bothering each other more than the other, and its a 29 gallon tank and their ones about 3-4inches the others is 1-2 inches. Also do they flutter ONLY if they are female and male?

[Love of Animals]

Your turtles are to young to mate so the fluttering is aggression. Be very watchful the bigger turtle can seriously hurt the smaller turtle. Try to put more sight breaks (decorations, logs, anything that will break their sight of each other). Do you have the tank filled all the way with an ATBA. If you don't look into doing that to give them more room. Your already due for an upgrade with the size of your turtles and the size of your current tank. With more room the aggression may get better. With two growing turtles in that size tank it will probably get worse. And no it doesn't only have to be female and male any turtle may flutter for aggression, dominance and territory.

[Ncf2222]

Well i watch them and they never like snap or bite each other, but just put more decorations in the tank? and whats ATBA?

[Love of Animals]

An ATBA is Above Tank Basking Area. This way your turtles have the tank filled all the way up. Take a look at the Habitat section and the Photo Gallery.

[sflemin2]

I have two females who have been doing it for 10 years. Please be careful..my larger female bit the smaller females tail off when they were babies! Now, the larger one does it and the smaller one just ignores her and they are fine. However, when the smaller one is laying eggs, she will take over the tank dominance. When she is done..another few days of fluttering .. and they are back to normal. My tank has a system.. but it didnt happen without blood when they were tiny! I would get a temporary backup tank just in case if I were you but this is normal when you have more than one turtle in a tank

[Ncf2222]

Yea i have a ATBA but i really dont think their agressive, the bigger ones try to bite me tho when i pull him out of the water, but i think its just he thinks im food.