Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all!

Just wondering if this claw flattering/mating courtship behavior is safe?! One initiates it and the other looks scared, hides in its shell and closes its eyes. I worry that the claws from the turtle fluttering them will cause some sort of damage to the eyelids? These guys are about 12 years old. One is the size of a large mango halve and the other is a little smaller than a ping pong paddle (no handle). They live in a 50 gallon tank and were best friends when they were hatchlings...and now I notice the little one has begun to provoke the big one by fluttering its claws. Can someone tell me more about this behavior? I also noticed what looked to be a wound on the bigger turtles throat area..I've since cleaned it with a q-tip and betadine solution...I suppose the only thing to do is to quarantine one of them...this is frustrating! Would love to hear suggestions and experiences! Thanks!!

They are in a tank that is too small and behaving territorial as a result of being cramped up. If they are hurting eachother as you described, you need to separate them IMMEDIATELY. Missing chunks of flesh is a huge red flag.

If I were you, I would upgrade my tank to something much larger. The rule of thumb when dealing with turtle tanks is 10 gallons of H2O per 1 sq. in. of turtle. It sounds like your turtles are much bigger than five inches, and if you keep them together it will only get worse.

Good luck!