hyper red eared slider turtle

Question
HI-I have a two year old red eared slider turtle that is in a 40 gallon tank. she is swimming around like crazy and trying to climb out of the tank especially when we are in the room. Any ideas why?

Answer
Hi Kathy,

Check your temperatures just to make sure things aren't too hot or too cold.  Restlessness can also be due to the need to lay eggs, but if she's only two she's still immature so that's unlikely to be the issue.
     
Otherwise, my guess is that she's begging for food.  Sliders are notorious for being pigs and begging.  It's important to be careful not to overfeed them, though.  At her age, she doesn't need to be fed every day (or if daily, in limited amounts) and she should be getting increasing amounts of greens.  You should also be thinking about upgrading her tank size.  An adult slider needs a minimum 50 gallon tank, and an adult female more than that.  The bigger, the better--the more exercise she can get, the healthier she'll be.  An alternative is a secure outdoor pond.

If you notice any other symptoms, post back and we'll see if we can figure out what the problem is.