red-eared slider mating with map turtle

Question
We have a redeared slider and a map turtle. Tonight I found them copulating. Both are young (less than 1 year old). Can they reproduce? If so, do we need to do anything special?

Answer
Both species generally do not become sexually mature until about 4 years old, nor can they cross-breed- so no problems there.

However, this sort of behavior can also indicate that the turtles are stressed- most often overcrowded, or that one is bullying the other (usually the Red-ear is the bully).

The quick fix is to make sure they have a tank that allows 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length- the more the better.

Give http://www.austinsturtlepage.com a try for other care ideas.