Other Turtle Discussion :: Turtles biting [killing] their young

Non-care related topics here.

Post Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:04 pm   Turtles biting [killing] their young

Doesn't happen all the time,but has happened.
What I do is put the babies in a Home Depot plastic cement mixing tub.
They come in two sizes,get the big one.
Have rocks in the middle,they cannot get out,and drill a couple holes for water overflow in case it rains hard.
I leave them in there for a while till the get a little bigger and smarter.
Anyone know why this happens?
Holiday Rambler
 
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Post Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 12:02 am   

RES turtles can be voracious hunters and killers. It's hard to think of our cute little guys being that way, but in the wild that's what they do. Like most reptiles, once the eggs have been laid the adults have nothing to do with the raising of their offspring (with the exception of gators and possibly a few others). The males certainly have no involvement with the offspring once their mating duties have been fulfilled.

I watched a Nature video recently that showed a dozen or so full grown aquatic turtles (some looked like sliders too) grabbing hold of a wading bird and ripping it apart like a school of pirhannas in slow motion. Kind of disturbing, but that's what they do. It kind of gives me a whole new perspective when i see my big female trying to bite my finger through the glass. :shock:

I like your idea of the plastic housing for raising the babies in, especially the overflow drainage holes. That way they don't escape during heavy rain. Good thinking. :)
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DavidY
 
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Post Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 1:01 pm   

Is the container in full sun? If so, what do they have for shade?

How long does it take for them to become "bigger and smarter?" Where do they go from the tub? How many are there?
"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." -Antoine de Saint Exupery-
marisa
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Post Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:49 pm   

No, the Home Depot can't be in the full sun cause it is black and I only have about 3 inches of water in it.
it would get too hot.
I am not using it now,gave away 7 turtles and the rest are in the big pond now,a few with bites out of the edge of their shell but healed up OK.
One day [speaking of birds] I come home to find a mess of feathers and all that was left was two wings,everthing else was gone.
Must of came down on a rock for a drink.
Holiday Rambler
 
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Post Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:51 pm   

Don't use a filter in the Home Depot cement mixing tub,so have to change the water every 4 or 5 days.
Holiday Rambler
 
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Post Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:58 pm   

Holiday Rambler wrote:One day [speaking of birds] I come home to find a mess of feathers and all that was left was two wings,everthing else was gone.
Must of came down on a rock for a drink.


:shock: Man, I never would've believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself on that Nature show! I never would have thought these cute looking turtles could be so bloodthirsty. :o
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