Red Eared Turtle behavior

Question
QUESTION: My male and female turtle who are about 4 to 5 years old (just adopted them this week) swim up to each other and swing their legs at each other. They nip at each others face but do not cause damage. They are not aggressive but do this often. Is this a mating dance or dominance?


ANSWER: IF they are male and female, AND if they have a lot of room (about 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length), THEN it is most likely a mating dance.

If the tank is smaller, the odds are about 50/50 either way. The smaller the tank, the more likely it is to be aggression.

http://www.redearslider.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I am being offered another 20 gallon long aquarium. I am planning on having each turtle in their own home so they will have more room. Should I wean them from each other so they are use to it? I will be feeding them together in their "Kitchen" tub together as well as they have run around time either outside in the grass on a sunny day or in my living room if they still have a lot of energy at night before bed time.

Should I be aware of any type of behavior that would show them as sad being separate?

Also, in the winter months how should I adjust their meal - skip a day  or more to mimic winter's lack of food?

Thanks,

Amy  

Answer
Separation- this does not cause a problem, turtles are only slightly social and are usually perfectly OK alone.

Winter feeding- you need to pretend like it is summer all year  round. If you let the tamps, etc. drop like winter time, the turtles will go into semi-hibernation and start to lose health.

The 20g tank is a bit small for 4 or 5 year old turtle, but better than nothing. Feeding them together is no big deal, but you should not have to sun them- they should be able to get all the artificial sun they need in their home.

Give the care guidelines at http://www.redearslider.com a look over. It is full of good ideas.