Red Ear Sliders what are they doing?

Okay i have three red ear sliders all in the same tank together, they are a little over a year old, today i was sitting down watching them when i noticed them doing something i hadnt seen before, two of them were face to face with there hands/claws (whatever u call them) at the side of there faces kinda shaking and just staring at eachother when the third one would try to join the ingnored or swam away, does anyone know what they are doing, if not please dont bother answering

Red Ear Sliders what are they doing?
they are playing "house" although they need to be 5 inches in length before they can mate. The courtship and mating activities usually occur between March and July, and take place underwater. The male swims toward the female and begins to flutter or vibrate his long claws on and around her face and head. The female will continue to swim toward the male and if she is receptive she will sink to the bottom for mating. If the female is not receptive, she might start a fight with the male. The courtship can take up to 45 minute, but the mating itself usually takes 15 minutes.





Sometimes a male will appear to be courting another male. This is actually a sign of dominance and the males may begin to fight. Juveniles may display the courtship dance, but until the turtles are five years of age (around 6 cm) they are not mature and unable to mate.





After mating, the female will spend extra time basking in order to keep her eggs warm. She may also have a change of diet, eating only certain foods or not eating as much as she normally would. This is normal and the female should be offered food throughout pregnancy. The average gestation period is two months, but if the female cannot find a suitable place for laying her eggs it may last longer. A female might lay anywhere from two to twenty eggs. One female can lay multiple clutches of eggs during one mating season. Depending on several factors, the clutches will be spaced two to four weeks apart.





The eggs will hatch 80-85 days after they have been laid. The hatchling will cut open the egg with an "egg tooth" which falls out an hour after hatching and never grows back. If the turtle don't feel secure, they will remain inside their shell after hatching for another day or two. If they are removed from the shell before they are ready, they will return to the shell if possible. When they decide to leave their shells, they will have a small sac hanging from their bellies. This is the remains of the yolk sac and should not be removed. Removing it could be fatal to the hatchling. The sac will fall off by itself, at which point you may notice a split in the turtle's plastron. This will heal on its own as well and does not need to be treated.








i just let my two red eared sliders go-we rehab them as my husband picks them out of swimming pools that have gone green.
Reply:it depends on the sex of the turtles... if they are female and male than it has to do with mating...if you have all males, it's a sign of aggression. RES turtles are very territorial.



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