Feeding and Nutrition :: hand feeding

[robind]

My turtle seems to prefer being hand fed. If I'm standing by the tank, and I put food in the water, she'll completely ignore that food and try to climb out of the tank towards me. I hold reptomin sticks between my thumb and index finger and she grabs them. I think she likes it better than eating out of the water because she's lazy, and can get 4 or 5 sticks in one bite from me while she can only get 1 or 2 out of the water because they float around too fast.

If I don't feel like hand feeding her I have to put the food in the tank and quickly hide out of sight (below water level) so she'll focus on the food in the tank.

[novroz]

My turtle seems to prefer being hand fed. If I'm standing by the tank, and I put food in the water, she'll completely ignore that food and try to climb out of the tank towards me. I hold reptomin sticks between my thumb and index finger and she grabs them. I think she likes it better than eating out of the water because she's lazy, and can get 4 or 5 sticks in one bite from me while she can only get 1 or 2 out of the water because they float around too fast.

If I don't feel like hand feeding her I have to put the food in the tank and quickly hide out of sight (below water level) so she'll focus on the food in the tank.

Hahaha that's so cute! turtles do have different attitude, don't they?

[rsour24]

i dont handle him too much, ive been waiting for a sunny day to take him outside
and im in the room he is in for hours almost everyday

[denvergrey]

My turtle seems to prefer being hand fed. If I'm standing by the tank, and I put food in the water, she'll completely ignore that food and try to climb out of the tank towards me.

Funny - my babies are the same way. They beg for their pellets and if I don't feed it to them by hand they just stare at me. It is almost as if they are saying "Mom, I'm not going to chase my food when I KNOW that you have more right there"!

[robind]

Exactly denvergrey! I couldn't have put it better myself. Only this is a big fat 10" turtle (think she'd be a little more independent).

[fanboy]

My experience with feeding by hand:

My hatchling, Frankie, used to be very scared of me, and wouldn't even eat in front of me in water, let alone by hand! After about 1 month, he started eating in front of me. My other turtle (Mr. Turtle) is much bigger, about 4 inches, and has always had a very healthy appetite - I take him out the tank to feed and he'll start chowing down on food before I've even let go of him into the feeding dish!

I started feeding them by hand a few weeks ago. If I pinch a turtle pellet between my thumb and finger Mr Turtle will happily grab it out. Frankie was always too scared to do this but I think he saw Mr Turtle doing it and now will.

HOWEVER - Mr Turtle will not try and chew my finger off and will just try and take the pellet. Even when Mr Turtle has accidentally got my finger he didn't latch on or properly bite. I thought Frankie would do the same...also because he is so small, I just stuck a pellet to my finger rather than pinching it between two fingers and.... the little bastard bit me and wouldn't let go (cue me frantically waving my finger around with this cute little 1 inch turtle latched on ). Its odd, I figured he was too small and timid to bite painfully but I was very wrong! Neither will bite if I don't have food stuck to my fingers though

[bigG]

When I first received my female RES, she was not very receptive of people. In fact, she didn't eat much if any either. Now that I've had her for almost three years, she definitely seeks attention. She is trying to get my attention as I type this reply. If she has been fed, she will usually frantically swim indicating that she wants out. I will take her out of the tank and let her walk around outside. When she's done with her walk, they she heads right to the sliding glass door and begs to go inside. The younger male RES has also learned this. They both can also be handfed.