Exactly.Originally Posted by bab-ush-niik
Also, if you have a female, keep an eye on her. If she needs to lay and can't find a place to dig in the dirt and make a nest, she'll become eggbound and die.
Trust me, I'm home all day watching them...there's no aggression. I didn't show how they do the "mating dance" but they do do it. The camera is low quality which is why it is dark, plus it was the middle of the night and only one of their lights was on. They have a 150 gallon tank that they love. We rescued them from my aunt who didn't have a clue what to do with them resulting in their growth being severely stunted. They love each other and spend lots of time "kissing" and doing the arm wavey thing...LOL. Trust me, our turtles are fine..when me and my bf rescue animals we do our research about maintaining a good environment as close to the natural thing as possible. We would not be that irresponsible.Originally Posted by strange_wings
Exactly.
Read up on gravid turtle/breeding turtles so that you're prepared for future eggs.
How old are the turtles? RES and many other aquatic turtles reach sexual maturity around 4-6 years old.
I'm going to guess by size that they're only 2-3 years old (unless growth has been stunted). As for being 'buddies', turtles and other reptiles do not have friends, buddies, or companions. They have competition and potential mates. So what you're seeing could very well be aggression, with the mounting turtle attempting to bite the other turtle's head. Left alone the bullied turtle may stop eating or even end up injured.
There's only two solutions for this, separate them or provide them with a very large enclosure that allows them to both have separate basking spots and plenty of room to avoid each other if need be.
Also the video is rather dark. Do the turtles have proper UVB lighting? Without it they can get very sick. (If you turned the lights off for the night or to keep the glare out of the video, forgive me jumping to conclusions.)
Yeah, I didn't think they were doing it either but I just thought it would be an entertaining video. The male also has been uhm...I guess you could say "smelling her butt" (LOL) underwater. They do do the mating dance, I just didn't capture it on that few minutes. I wasn't trying to make a documentary. We would never give hatchlings to a pet store as I know about the horrors that lie there for turtles and I sure as heck wouldn't send them loose in the wild to dive into the city's sewer system. The female also has plenty of places to dig and I am home all day on disability and would know if something was up. Yes, I am someone who actually does my research.Originally Posted by bab-ush-niik
I don't think they actually did anything there. Trust me, you would have known. He'll make all the guys here very jealous.It's rather large.
He might have been just climbing up for basking. Do you actually have a male and a female? I couldn't see their front feet to tell. Given that the other turtle was pretty chill, I think that they were just basking. There was also no mating dance. And a female will frequently attack a male admirer. I think you've just got two buddies, and one wanted to stack for a better sunning position.
If you do get any eggs, please destroy any eggs, regardless of whether they were fertilized (turtles are like chickens, they'll lay regardless). There is a very serious turtle overpopulation problem, even worse than with cats and dogs. RES are extremely invasive and are destroying habitats. Pet RES are usually kept under terrible conditions due to pet stores (like Petco and Petsmart) giving completely wrong advise.
Also, if you have a female, keep an eye on her. If she needs to lay and can't find a place to dig in the dirt and make a nest, she'll become eggbound and die.
Sorry I bugged you a bit.Originally Posted by Tink80
Yes, I am someone who actually does my research.
I've seen horrible treatment in several stores. From small stuff like improper food or food sizes for reptiles, dangerous substrate, to extremely overgrown claws and beak on a canary with a sore because of it. Often most people walking in do not know what care reptiles, birds, and even fish need, so they can not spot this and report these stores. Or as in the case in many states, there's no laws to protect these animals.Originally Posted by Tink80
I love reptiles and amphibians too and learned early on to never trust a large pet store chain's employees about proper care. Usually people come home and then find out everything they were told was wrong...which is why I don't buy from pet stores anymore unless they specialize in reptiles and amphibians only and I can tell they are being treated properly.
Selling undersized turtles (under 4") in the US is illegal, and probably one of the few things that would be checked on if reported to the state fish and game. However the store can just stick a sign on the tank saying "for educational sale only"Originally Posted by Tink80
... they were so severely small I don't even know how they legally sold them to her...GRRRRRR!!!!!
Employees don't know any betterOriginally Posted by Tink80
If you walk into any generic pet store, it is sad to see how they are treated and you are usually told by some 16 year old some lies to just make a sale.
I have 9 ornate box turtles, 5 golden geckos, and 3 leopard geckos.Originally Posted by Tink80
I'm curious as to what reptiles you own and if you have any pics? I LOVE frogs, and had some bearded dragons, toads, etc...and my bf had a wicked snake but it got so big it was dangerous to keep it with the dogs so he gave it to the zoo.