Why is my turtle biting my other one?

Question

My male red ear slider is biting my MALE painted. They have been in the same tank together for over a year now. We also have a female soft shell and a female african side neck. They are all great together.... BUT Ozzie (the r.e.s.) keeps on trying to mate with my Monet (painted) and today I found bites on Monet's shell. Why do I do? Ozzie is CONSTANTLY doing the nails to the face thing to try and mate but for obvious reasons, Monet trys to get away from him. Is this really bad?

Answer 1

they are uncomftable together, the other one is bulling it or standing its ground. you should sperate them if not possible, wtach them closley, feed one at a time, because one will hog the food. make sure the other one is not getting on top of it, or bit his face.

and waving (waving the nails in front of the face) is not a mating call, it is bullying, again i stroungy advise you to seperate them, or at least the female, they are fighting over her.

Answer 2

Turtles are not social animals. In the wild, they are rarely found together unless sharing a basking site or courting/fighting for females. This especially applies to male Red-ears.

If you plan on having them share a tank, understand that their WILL be conflicts... for example:

- Red-ears are aggressive, territorial animals that attack other turtles.

- Softshells want sandy bottomed shallow tanks, need HUGE spaces (an adult female wants about 400 gallons!) and get fungal infections easily that they pass to other turtles.

- Turtles carry germs that turtles from other countries are not resistant to.

Your best bet would be to house each turtle separately in the proper habitat- try http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for details.

Answer 3

you must get rid of one in that tank..or they will fight till someone gets hurt and sick and spreads thier sickness and you lose all.

They need much more room and probably fish to amuze themselves.

Answer 4

Because it is very unnatural for reptiles to be housed so closely together, even in a large tank.  They are becoming mature and territorial.  It would be best to separate them all.  

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/