Hi,i have previously owned various different kinds of turtles but just recently i purchased my first hatchling alligator snapping turtle.I ordered him on the classifieds and there was some sort of mix up and he got lost in the mail for 3 days and when i finally received him he was very cold and not moving at all....I thought he was dead.I imediately put him in his enclosure andleft him alone and he finally started to liven up a bit(moving his head...ect.)For the first two weeks i had him a didnt handle him at all so he could get used to his cage and all and he finally started eating.Anyways....my question is how do most baby allys act when you pick them up out of the water?Everytime i pick him up he just freezes and acts dead and even if i put him on the floor he will not move no matter how long he is there.Once i put him back in his water he stays still for a while then he finally starts to move and goes to hide under his plants.Is this behavior normal?i always thought they would be a little more active then this but like i said....this is my first ally snapper.Sorry for such a long post and any help would be appreciated.Thanks
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Alligator snapper acting strange....or is he?
Replies (2)
Sounds pretty normal to me... if it recovered from the whole shipping mixup, you should be ok. Alligator snappers are like that - they are very inactive compared to other turtles. In a natural setting, they sit on the bottom of a bayou and lure, or just walk along the bottom and eat anything they encounter. Unless there are obvious sores, wounds, or other physical problems, or unless the turtle stops eating or is doing the backstroke in your tank, it should be ok.
Personally, I weigh my turtles once a week to see what kind of growth they have. As long as the turtle gains weight steadily (and without massize gains), it oughta be ok.
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That's not just a woman; it's a way of life!
-Roland T. Flakfizer
Not strange at all.
Shipping can be a stressful and shocking thing.
I wouldn't handle.
Leave him a alone and let him get used to things for a while
Keep the water nice and warm. Keep things quiet for a while. Let him get used to it.
The behavior is not strange at all. They don't like to be held.
They get still when they are little.
They are pretty hardy, but can be a little fragile when really small..
