Aggression in Box turtles...or play???

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Maggie3fan

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A friend asked me if I would take a couple of pictures of my quick and easy winter box turtle indoor habitat for her...while I was taking said pix, I noticed the Eastern (Ginger) was seriously pushing and biting at a deformed 3 toed. All of my box turtles are rescues...the deformed 3-toed came from a turtle conservancy in Texas, there are 3 of them...the Eastern was sent to me by a rescue in the Midwest somewhere...Ginger is about 20 yrs and the others035.JPG037.JPG040.JPG052.JPG054.JPG058.JPG059.JPG are 5 to 7 yrs old...So while Ginger picks on one 3-toed, the other is safely climbing his half log to get away from the fighting...so I took this photo of the habitat...the wooden frame the lights are hung from was made by my sister from scrap wood...I think I have 5 or 6 of them and...oh my...look what is happening with these box turtles...the 3-toed that was being bitten by Ginger has climbed the log to play king of the hill with Little Buddy...This is not a set-up...I just wish I could figure out how to video because I was right there to see this...any way...the bigger of the 3-toed climbed the log, knocked Little Buddy off the log...but in doing so she lost her balance and fell backward landing under a heat bulb...sort of karma...but had I not been watching she'd be toast...the turtles are all going outside most days now...
 

Yvonne G

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You're substrate is mighty dry for box turtles. Pour a pitcher of water over it and mix it up.

I think it's time for Sweet Ginger to live by herself if she can't play nice with others.
 

Maggie3fan

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I have been keeping box turtles for 15 or 20 years...the substrate is not dry...those pictures were taken first thing in the morning, before feed and water...the soil is moist under the top layer...
 

Maggie3fan

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Aggression. Remove her from the group. I agree- Box turtles need moist bedding. They are turtles, not tortoises.
I didn't ask for a smarta** remark...just a comment...if you can't give a decent reply...don't bother. Believe me I know the difference between a turtle and a tortoise
 

MichaelL

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You probably know how to handle this better than I, but I would just watch and if it happens again, separate. Also, since your last comment just reminded me, it is still bugging me how in a thread I made, I called your box turtles tortoises. I promise I know the difference too, ? ? I felt like you thought I'm a newbie who doesn't know the difference, there are so many people here that actually don't know the difference. Idk why I had responded "Beautiful tortoises" in the other thread, just one of those days, but I definitely know the difference between box turtles and tortoises too!????Lol
 

Sa Ga

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Oh, Mags! I'm sure she meant no harm!

And hey, someone else reading (like me), can learn something from it.
 

ColleenT

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I didn't ask for a smarta** remark...just a comment...if you can't give a decent reply...don't bother. Believe me I know the difference between a turtle and a tortoise
Was not a smart *** remark, it was a remark to help you to understand that boxies are turtles and not tortoises. Don't be so defensive. people are trying to help your turtles. i don't know you from Adam, and i have no clue about what you do or do not know.
 

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I once had a large male gulf coast box turtle that had been given to me by his previous owner who could no longer keep him. He was the most aggressive cuss I ever met. He bullied every other box turtle he came in contact with - male or female. I even named him after a local city council person who could not get along with anyone. I eventually had to remove him from the turtle pen and give him the backyard as his kingdom of terror. They don't always play nice, despite their happy faces...
 

Maggie3fan

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Was not a smart *** remark, it was a remark to help you to understand that boxies are turtles and not tortoises. Don't be so defensive. people are trying to help your turtles. i don't know you from Adam, and i have no clue about what you do or do not know.
Sorry...I find it hard to believe that you 'don't know me from Adam'...I have been on this forum and an active member since 2008...Yvonne is my sister...with the exception when Josh installed the new software...I probably have made at least one comment everyday, for years...I operate a small special needs turtle and tortoise rescue...really, I don't need any help with my chelonia...I am an experienced keeper, Sulcata being my species, I have only 2 right now and desert tortoises. I only have 18 box turtles at this time. I was bored with all the virus talk and thought I would make a thread about something different than... all virus, all the time...
One question...how is the comment "turtles are not tortoises" helpful in any way? Really? It was a sarcastic remark and not the first you have made to me...
 

Maggie3fan

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You probably know how to handle this better than I, but I would just watch and if it happens again, separate. Also, since your last comment just reminded me, it is still bugging me how in a thread I made, I called your box turtles tortoises. I promise I know the difference too, ? ? I felt like you thought I'm a newbie who doesn't know the difference, there are so many people here that actually don't know the difference. Idk why I had responded "Beautiful tortoises" in the other thread, just one of those da. but I definitely know the difference between box turtles and tortoises too!????Lol
Sorry...I AM tho, kinda laughing at you. You have made several nice comments about my chelonia...I did not take any offense at your tortoise comment...I said..."turtles not tortoises'...I also say 'species, not breeds' in the same manner...btw...before I even made that thread, I had moved the turtles around. They are only inside at night now anyway...they spend the day in a converted Sulcata pen with a knee deep pool.
 

Maggie3fan

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I once had a large male gulf coast box turtle that had been given to me by his previous owner who could no longer keep him. He was the most aggressive cuss I ever met. He bullied every other box turtle he came in contact with - male or female. I even named him after a local city council person who could not get along with anyone. I eventually had to remove him from the turtle pen and give him the backyard as his kingdom of terror. They don't always play nice, despite their happy faces...
I had the same kind of thing with a Gulf Coast that I had...found him a forever home quick...lol
 

Tom

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I didn't ask for a smarta** remark...just a comment...if you can't give a decent reply...don't bother. Believe me I know the difference between a turtle and a tortoise
Lighten up Bad Mamma Jamma! You asked for opinions. Don't get mad at the people who answered you. You are reading too much into a few typed sentences.

Nobody can tell how damp your substrate is in the lower levels in your pictures, nobody knows you were about to add water after these pics were taken, and it does look a little dry in the pictures. The comment about them being turtles, not tortoises, was simply to explain why more moisture is needed. Its not an attack on your chelonian knowledge.

I remember a time when I posted pics of my box turtle and "her" enclosure. You jumped all over me saying it was too dry and that box turtles needed a larger water source than tortoises. You remember my response? Posts number 9 and 10: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/millie.15346/

Followed by this thread two days later: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/millies-new-and-improved-enclosures.15416/

Its too bad all those pictures are gone...

You are among friends here. You can relax.
 

Maggie3fan

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Lighten up Bad Mamma Jamma! You asked for opinions. Don't get mad at the people who answered you. You are reading too much into a few typed sentences.

Nobody can tell how damp your substrate is in the lower levels in your pictures, nobody knows you were about to add water after these pics were taken, and it does look a little dry in the pictures. The comment about them being turtles, not tortoises, was simply to explain why more moisture is needed. Its not an attack on your chelonian knowledge.

I remember a time when I posted pics of my box turtle and "her" enclosure. You jumped all over me saying it was too dry and that box turtles needed a larger water source than tortoises. You remember my response? Posts number 9 and 10: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/millie.15346/

Followed by this thread two days later: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/millies-new-and-improved-enclosures.15416/

Its too bad all those pictures are gone...

You are among friends here. You can relax.

Tom...how in the hell did you remember such an innocuous comment from back that far? Unless I just read the wrong thing, I don't see or hear any sarcasm in my comments...You know, I do admit to taking some comments wrong...I also admit to making nasty sarcastic remarks on my own...hell, Tom, I caused a whole faction to leave and create another group that I was banned from joining, remember?
And I don't always feel I am among friends here...but I don't think that everybody likes everybody all the time. I realize that I have an abrasive personality...so I do expect comments that I might act defensive against from time to time...just sayin...
 

MichaelL

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Sorry...I AM tho, kinda laughing at you. You have made several nice comments about my chelonia...I did not take any offense at your tortoise comment...I said..."turtles not tortoises'...I also say 'species, not breeds' in the same manner...btw...before I even made that thread, I had moved the turtles around. They are only inside at night now anyway...they spend the day in a converted Sulcata pen with a knee deep pool.
Hahah that's awesome and we're definitely good, you're all good and thanks for apologizing even though you didn't need to ?
 

Tom

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Tom...how in the hell did you remember such an innocuous comment from back that far? Unless I just read the wrong thing, I don't see or hear any sarcasm in my comments...You know, I do admit to taking some comments wrong...I also admit to making nasty sarcastic remarks on my own...hell, Tom, I caused a whole faction to leave and create another group that I was banned from joining, remember?
And I don't always feel I am among friends here...but I don't think that everybody likes everybody all the time. I realize that I have an abrasive personality...so I do expect comments that I might act defensive against from time to time...just sayin...
There was nothing wrong with your comments back then at all. I asked, you saw a way to improve, and you made suggestions. I said thanks, and followed your advice. My turtle got a better enclosure for it. That is all anybody did here on your thread. No drama. No insult. No harm intended.

I think my point is: This is all in how things are perceived. When you corrected me in years past, I didn't take it as an attack or a challenge to my turtle and tortoise knowledge. I took it as you trying to help my animals have a better life by informing me of something I might no know. For some reason, here in this thread, you felt attacked and insulted. I don't think anyone intended any such thing, and they've said they didn't. I didn't perceive an insult, but you did. Why? That is the question.
 

ColleenT

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Sorry...I find it hard to believe that you 'don't know me from Adam'...I have been on this forum and an active member since 2008...Yvonne is my sister...with the exception when Josh installed the new software...I probably have made at least one comment everyday, for years...I operate a small special needs turtle and tortoise rescue...really, I don't need any help with my chelonia...I am an experienced keeper, Sulcata being my species, I have only 2 right now and desert tortoises. I only have 18 box turtles at this time. I was bored with all the virus talk and thought I would make a thread about something different than... all virus, all the time...
One question...how is the comment "turtles are not tortoises" helpful in any way? Really? It was a sarcastic remark and not the first you have made to me...

Well for number one, i am not studying everyone on here, and i really don't know you. I don't even read who is commenting most of the time, so there's that. For another thing, you might be shocked at how many people keep Box turtles in conditions meant for tortoises. They think they need to be dry all the time. So that is how the comment is meant to be helpful. I am sorry you are taking my comments as personal attacks, but they were not, and there was no sarcasm implied by me.
 

Sue Ann

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Sorry...I find it hard to believe that you 'don't know me from Adam'...I have been on this forum and an active member since 2008...Yvonne is my sister...with the exception when Josh installed the new software...I probably have made at least one comment everyday, for years...I operate a small special needs turtle and tortoise rescue...really, I don't need any help with my chelonia...I am an experienced keeper, Sulcata being my species, I have only 2 right now and desert tortoises. I only have 18 box turtles at this time. I was bored with all the virus talk and thought I would make a thread about something different than... all virus, all the time...
One question...how is the comment "turtles are not tortoises" helpful in any way? Really? It was a sarcastic remark and not the first you have made to me...
Maggie why are you so up in arms? The remark was not made viciously but yours are. I’m relatively new to the forum but I’m appalled by the way you are reacting. Your sister Yvonne is kind and helpful.
I’m new but I was going to say your turtle is a bully and needs to be separated.
Enough going on in the world now I like the sanctuary of the tortoiseforum. Please play nice everyone.
 
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