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First, should i be concerned that my RES hasn't basked much today? Normally everytime I walk in the room throughout the day s/he's basking, but not today! is it normal that random days they won't bask as much?

Second, the temperatures have just dropped DRASTICALLY in our area (Memphis, TN) and over the past 3 days i've been trying to adjust my heater to keep up with the house tempertures which have changed since the air has been turned off and the chill from the outside seems to be creeping in a bit, so finally I have it 80 degrees and steady but i'm worried for the fact that over the past few days the temperature has been fluctuating so much am I just worrying too much?

Thirdly, the little one begs sooo much! And I start feeling bad if I don't give him/her food because obviously s/he's begging because s/he's hungry- I always have romaine lettuce and carrots available! there's no problem with eatting- the second the food hits the water s/he's chompin away but does begging too much mean anything?

I feel so over concerned but your advice is always so helpful when i'm feeling doubtful or concerned! Thanks everyone!

don't worry they will beg and beg.........and beg all the time all of turtles do the same thing but my painters do it the most the little piggies my turtles bask pretty regular but just see if it becomes a pattern, if this is a isolated incident don't worry about it. Turtles are pretty hardy as long as you keep the temp relatively the same most of the time they will be fine.

one thing that fixes the begging is cuttlebone. buy cuttlebone(you can find it in the bird section of the petstore) and drop it in the tank. it keeps your turtle busy as well as a good source of calcium.

if i drop in food and i sit in front of the tank they will still beg, thinking im gonna give then somthing better but if i wlk away and come back and their eating nothing will distract them!

*laughs* I had to comment regarding what you said about how they beg even when you feed them. My little guys...one of them goes straight for the food, but the other will NOT eat if I stand there--he just treads water and watches me. I'm not sure that he's actually begging so much as being social! Like you said though, once he's gotten into it, nothing could drag him away. (And of course, I say he like I know the sex or something, but they just feel like he's and can't call 'em it!)

When I feed Tanner, I have to "lead" him to the food because he just keeps right on begging until he finally sees it. But even after he has eaten his fill, he keeps right on begging. It's hard to ignore it but I drop in several small leaves of romaine or red leaf lettuce and when he sees that I am not giving into his cute little begging face, he eats the lettuce and then goes on to redecorate his tank.