I hope someone can help me with my turtle mystery...

I have had a female painted turtle for 12 years and added a male red-eared slider to her 55 gallon tank a few years ago. They have coexisted with no major problems, but this Spring/Summer she has been very aggressive towards him and bites the front lips of his shell, his knuckles, his neck and most recently his eye, which I think she may have taken out.

Does anyone have any idea why this happened? I currently have a plexiglass divider between them while I figure out what to do, but neither can climb out now to dry their shell so I don't want to leave it that way too long, but I don't want her to kill him.

Is this because 55 gallons is too small a volume? The tank is 7/8 full, and they can climb out on a shelf I glued in. Is a F. painted not compatible with a M. red ear? They've coexisted for several years with no problem.

She seems to do it most when feeding, but she's done it for no apparent reason too. She's been laying egs in the water all spring/summer, which she does every year. Could she be under some kind of stress because she can't bury them? But this happens eery year, and never any biting...

-Pete in NY

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