General Care Discussion :: Do turtles need a companion?

[eventHorizon]

That may be a dumb question. I know wild RES usually sunbathe in groups, but they have a ton of space. Does it depend on turtle? My RES is pretty food aggressive (he will go after anything that is alive), so I'd worry about getting a smaller turtle. Do turtles do better with a companion?

[steve]

For captive RES, especially males, you should keep alone unless you want to have separate tanks.

[devilduck]

In the wild the bask in groups to for safety in numbers. When they are not basking or mating they typically try to stay away from each other's territory. You can get away from the other turtle while trapped in a tank, which is typically why most forum members would not recommend adding more turtles.

If you want to entertain your turtle buy some feeder minnows and provide them plenty of hiding spots in the take. Your turtle will be entertained for hours hunting/stalking the fish.

[eventHorizon]

Thanks guys!