Since adding a couple of red ears in with my musks, I’ve noticed some curious behavior. I hope someone can shed some light on it for me.
When it was just the two musks in the pond, they did not tolerate each other at all. They both had their own territories and boundaries and if one crossed the other, someone would get nipped. I had four to begin with, but due to the fighting, I had to remove the other two. Now with the sliders, it’s a totally different story. They follow the sliders around like shadows and all of them, sliders and musks, will climb all over each other, the musks even bask out of the water with the sliders, all piled up together. In past the musks would on bask in shallow water. They rarely left the water and even then, it was only at night. Has anyone ever seen musks socialize like this?
The two sliders also do this strange thing where they will get face to face and each will extend their front arms, palms outwards, and shake them violently. I have never seen this before. They are both males, 5yrs old. The musks are 2 and 15yrs old (1.1). I am assuming the sliders do this because it is some sort of male aggression thing, to show who is tougher. This is the first time I have housed more then one male slider this old, in the same enclosure, so maybe that is why I haven’t seen it. Not sure if it is common or not. Any input would be appreciated, thanks.
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Curious behavior...............
Replies (4)
The thing with the sliders, the shaking, I have witnessed that between my Mississippi Map Turtle, my Western Painted and my Red-eared Slider, I never did understand the point of it. I think the musks look upto the slider(s) as god(s).
Michael
Michael's Place
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http://www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
I don't know what to tell you about your musk turtles, but I can tell you why your male sliders are shaking their fingernails at each other. It is a mating dance, the males will do it to the females to "impress them" and they are just doing that to each other because of the lack of girls. Don't worry, it is natural.
You don't happen to live in MA, do you????? 
nope, I'm in dallas texas. and thanks to all of ya'll for the replies.
