eastern painter biting

Question
I have a 3 yr old eastern painter turtle.  has never bitten before, but now when you pick her up, she gets fiesty.  she claws like a normal painter turtle, but she started something new.  she now bites your finger when it gets near her head.  is this adolescents??

Answer
At 3, she is almost an adult. The biting could be the result of stress, fear, hunger, or simple self-defense. Turtles just plain do not like to be picked up.

Check out the cares and diets outlined in http://www.austinsturtlepage.com and see if anything in her habitat can be improved. If she still bites and the cares and diet are rock-solid, then there is not a lot more you can do.

On the plus side, most biters stop once the habitat and diet are cool.