Turtle Taming

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TheOneThatGotAway

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2007
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NJ, USA
i need help taming a baby EPT. He's young and snappy and pites when i pick him up. it doesnt hurt now, but im worried about when he gets older. i know its because he was wild-caught, too. anybody have tips on taming him?
 
If you briefly hold him for a minute or so everyday he should get use to you and not bite as much. By nature painted turtles are hyper/nervous animals but they can get accustomed to your presence.
 
Do what vicious said. Try hand feeding too, very carefully.
 
i second vicous if you can extend the time and as he gets used to you let him get used to being out of the tank and you moving around and eventually he will feel so comfortable by your presents that he may not even retreat to his shell when you put your foot down next to him when he is on the floor...
 
Thanks. I'll do that. Thing is, Death Pony, he is hand fed. And very comfortable with my hand being in there next to him. It's just when I pick him up that he freaks out. And as for why I want to tame him, well, would you want to get bitten every time he has to go to the vet, or whenever I move, or everytime I take him out to do a water change? I don't think so.
 
The hand feeding is good. You could attempt to try a method I've seen with monitor lizards. You sit down in a bath tub with the animal for a few minutes every day until he gets used to human contact. Not quite sure if that will work.
 
hm. i'll try that, but i think a bathtub is a little big. he's ony about 2 in from head to tail.
 
i hand feed my RES slices of zuchinni pretty often. She pretty much expects that I am there to feed her everytime I walk by the tank. I spend some time just looking at her when she is basking and she has gotten used to humans. She still doesnt like to be handled all that much. She'll hiss and open her mouth up, but she wont bite anymore. She used to "p" when i picked her up, but luckily that has stopped too.
 
I hope you mean 'tame' as in 'not aggressive around me' rather than 'I want to be able to hold him.' Fair enough, it is important to have the animal be calm around humans, especially if veterinary treatment is needed, but turtles are a 'look but dont touch' animal, and if you want a pet to handle, get a hamster. Frequent handling, especially of a WC specimen, will just cause unneccesary stress.

Paul
 
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