Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 2 juvenile western painted turtles. They are both about 3 inches in shell length and approx. 1 yr old. I have a male and a female. For a while now, I've noticed that my male will follow around the female in what I thought was harmless flirting. But now, he is biting her feet, tail, and shell multiple times per day. Now every time he follows her, she tucks her feet and tail in trying to avoid the bite. When he does bite her it looks painful. I read that the males will do this prior to mating, but mine are still young. Is this a normal action for their age? Could it harm my female?

I'm thinking he thinks of her legs are a food source...I have two baby males that get so excited for food they are biting and chomping at anything in their path, especially anything that moves. I've been giving mine little, live minnows and I think it helps curb some of their hunting instinct, give them some prey to work for and they get a good work out for what ever energy turtles have! I also throw in a few pieces of lettuce when they get wild and then they take their energy out on hogging that down...I think it is the wrong season for mating and they are too young, but I don't really know.

I do put live prey in the tank very often. minnows, goldfish, shrimp, and snails. I don't think he thinks her legs are food because he does the same thing with or without live prey in the enclosure. Any other ideas?

I guess maybe they just plain don't get along...how big is their tank? Are they crowded? My sister has two baby painteds, a male and female and the female is the aggressive one. She even grabbed the male by the neck one day, much to my sisters horror. If he keeps being ornery I'd take her out so she doesn't get hurt.

They are in a 30 gallon long. The water is about 13 inches deep. It seems like there is plenty of room for both animals. I have read ideal space is 10 gallons per inch of turtle. Problem is that my apartment complex has a 30 gallon maximum aquarium rule.. I plan on moving them into a 50 gallon long this summer.