growing up

Question
i cant seem to find any pics of older RES. mine is only about 6-7 weeks old and she's developing a rose tinge on the outer aspects of her belly. is this normal? and also, can turtles have "off" days? my RES was really quiet today and didnt eat anything...this is the first time she's been like this so im not sure if i should play with her or just leave her be. thanks for your help...
Heidi

Answer
There is a lot of color variation in Red-ears, so I would not worry about the rose tint as long as the basic cares are solid.

As for 'off' days- certainly. It can be tied to light quality, barometric pressure, temps fluctuations, stresses, something they ate or did not eat, and much much more.

The comment about 'play with her' troubles me a bit- as a rule of thumb, turtles do not usually particularly like being held too much and are not really into being played with. Some holding (with legs supported), head stroking, letting them explore new areas, etc. is certainly OK, but too much can stress the turtle.

Good luckj, and you may find the website www.tortoise.com helpful!