General Care Discussion :: all these years, still scared of me?

[kc]

i've had my turtle for 16 months now. how come it's still scared of me? whenever i walk over to the tank while he's taking a breath above the water, he always retrieves back in the water and look at me weird. is it because my turtle doesn't like me or does it happen to everyone else here?

[Hoooneylynn]

It all depends on the turtles personality. Ive had my turtle only a few months, and she isnt scared of me one bit. I talk to her while shes basking all the time, but a lot of people that had their turtles for years say that their turts wont let them watch them bask, let alone get close to the while basking.

[flutterby]

It could just be instinct. They would normally hide from predators in the same way.

[Boston_Zhao]

I don't think they have the ability to learn and progress. They follow their instinct and a genetic personality..... all their lives, they wont change unfortunately. My Curly (the big guy) is like that too

[SpotsMama]

I don't really agree that they don't change. My turtle used to be scared of me and leap off his platform when I came in the room and frantically swim away when I tried to pick him up. After three years though, he's not a bit afraid. He basks right in front of us and doesn't run away when I pick him up. In fact he follows me back and forth in the tank. It just took time. One of the other people on here has a turtle that she has trained to follow her around the house!

I do think, though, that different turtles have different personalities, some more shy than others.

[Boston_Zhao]

Hope you are right. Do you think they can recognize you? or differentiate their owner from other "homosepiens"?

[SpotsMama]

Yes I think he can tell people he's used to from strangers. When someone comes over, he acts shy if they get too close.

I have made an effort to condition Spot to being around people. I pick him up almost every day - very gently - to check his shell and look him over in general. Feeding helps! Some people feed their turtles by hand to condition them but I'm afraid Spot would bite me - he gets so excited!

[industrial_girl_2000]

Hope you are right. Do you think they can recognize you? or differentiate their owner from other "homosepiens"?

I know Sheba recognizes me from other people. There are some people she flat out doesn't like.

One time I went on vacation for a week & I had a neighbor lady ("Jo") feed her. Every time Jo would reach in to take Sheba out for her feeding (feed in separate dish), Sheba would retreat to the bottom of the tank & try to bite Jo! I have never seen her act so aggressively before, but Jo told me she eventually just had to feed Sheba in the tank!!!

And even people she likes, she won't follow them around the way she follows me around. My friend Amy took care of her for a week, and Sheba would not follow her! Amy told me she had to just feed Sheba in the tank when I was gone.

On the other hand, she loves when my parents come to visit. She tries to crawl up my dad's legs & gets super excited to see him!

I sometimes wonder if Sheba knows I am gone & gets depressed. I honestly don't know.

[Boston_Zhao]

another dumb question:-)
do you think they have different IQs? Some seem to be smarter than others.

[industrial_girl_2000]

I don't really agree that they don't change. My turtle used to be scared of me and leap off his platform when I came in the room and frantically swim away when I tried to pick him up. After three years though, he's not a bit afraid. He basks right in front of us and doesn't run away when I pick him up. In fact he follows me back and forth in the tank. It just took time. One of the other people on here has a turtle that she has trained to follow her around the house!

I do think, though, that different turtles have different personalities, some more shy than others.

LOL! Yes, it's true that Sheba follows me around the house. I have to really watch where I step!

It takes some turtles a long time to warm up to humans. The earlier they are "trained" the better.....I can't take all the credit for Sheba being so comfortable around humans. When I got her, she was already 6 inches long & very calm & happy. It was obvious to me that someone had worked with her a lot. That's what you have to do is just work with them a lot & give them lots of attention....make them really part of the family! Let them out, let them walk, crawl around on the floor with them, talk to them, & pet them occasionally too. Pick them up gently, put them down gently. Lots of interaction is the key. The boys can be harder to break than the girls. It can be done, it just might take a little longer for them.

And make sure their tank is in a public place, so they can see people as much as possible. They have to be trained that being around people is no big deal.

[megcornell]

Hope you are right. Do you think they can recognize you? or differentiate their owner from other "homosepiens"?

Leo only begs from me and my boyfriend, when other friends or family are over he's shy and "well behaved". But the second he sees either one of us, he has no problem swimming over and spending a good few minutes begging before I either give in with some lettuce or he gets bored

[marisa]

They absolutely can recognize people. If my RES is basking and I enter the room, I can walk right up to him and rub his chin. If someone else walks into the room, he usually slides right back into the water. I think this comes with time, but some turtles are just more timid than others, though. I have a eastern painted turtle named Shy Guy, and he flinches whenever I make a move near him.

I do think some turtles have more smarts than others. Some species (like box turtles) are also considered to be more intelligent than others.