Feeding and Nutrition :: biting

[freehes]

My little guy gets a rub down of Vita Shell once a week and when I take him out, he usually lets me rub him under his head but lately he has opened his mouth and it seems like he is trying to bite!! Is this just because he may be hungry???

[TheComputerGremlin]

Vita Shell = bad.

Vita Shell is basically a wax that goes on the shell which causes the shell to not be able to breathe like it needs to. Over time, it will cause the shell to rot, increase the chances of fungal infections, and lead to a soft shell. I highly recommend that you discontinue it immediately.

To a turtle, your finger looks like a nice, juicy worm. Turtles aren't soft, cuddly animals, and I'd guess that at least 90% of them don't want anything to do with humans beyond being fed. My turtle has never been petted and she's happy that way. You can continue trying to rub him, he may just be going through a spell, but be prepared for a nip or two. And just to warn you, I hear turtle bites can hurt a lot.

[Lilsaint]

Haha i got bitten when i hand fed my turtle. It's like being pinched with fingernails. My turtle loves petting though. She fell asleep once on my chair when i petted her

[gwennie]

Vitashell is more for land torts than aquatic turtles, isn't it? I'd stop using it like Jax suggests.

With little turts, their bites may feel like pinches, but I've seen turtle bites (RES) that have drawn blood with bigger ones - nothing to play around with.

[bradmeisel]

i handle my turtles mostly where i hold them half in and half out of the water. over time they have become used to this and actually seem to like it somewhat. I would agree with gremlin that turtles aren't soft cuddly creatures and prolly would rather just be left alone (from other turtles as well). It seems they like their own space and basking areas as opposed to liking being with others.