kitt3nfangs
New Member
I have a box turtle, I'm guessing eastern but not entirely sure, who I estimate is about 5 years old and I think is female. We got her 2nd-hand from a friend who rescued her from a garage sale. We've had her for a little over a year now, and she's finally getting used to my SO and I handling her, and she shows signs of wanting attention, etc.
In the past couple of days she's started showing some different behavior, especially when it comes to our feet. I often sit on the ground with her when I take her out of her tank to walk around for "turtle time". Now after a while, she will come over to my feet (especially the toes) and keep nudging them with her head, trying to climb on them or dig at them with her claws. She's also done this to my legs if they are on the floor. When she does climb on me, or I lift her up to sit on me, she climbs off and repeats the nudging/digging things. What I've also found odd is that sometimes she pees(?) a little when her bum is close to me and she's doing this. This peeing sometimes happens several times over a few minutes, leaving tiny little pee spots here there.
I thought perhaps she's attempting to do something related to mating, but searching the internet has not been helpful lol. This has also made me wonder if I've gendered her incorrectly, but it's hard to tell since she's so small and some of her shell characteristics are confusing - I don't think she had what she needed for proper shell growth before we got her, and her shell is a little misshapen. Otherwise, she seems happy and healthy, and has had shell growth since living with us. We have not yet taken her to a vet, as finances were tight when we first got her, and now the pandemic is a thing and unless she seems ill or unhealthy, we are minimizing leaving home to crucial trips only.
Has anyone experienced this behavior with box turtles? Is this some kind of affection, or an attempt to mate? She used to be afraid of our hands and feet, but apparently not anymore! Should I allow this behavior, is there something she needs from us? Is she a he?
In the past couple of days she's started showing some different behavior, especially when it comes to our feet. I often sit on the ground with her when I take her out of her tank to walk around for "turtle time". Now after a while, she will come over to my feet (especially the toes) and keep nudging them with her head, trying to climb on them or dig at them with her claws. She's also done this to my legs if they are on the floor. When she does climb on me, or I lift her up to sit on me, she climbs off and repeats the nudging/digging things. What I've also found odd is that sometimes she pees(?) a little when her bum is close to me and she's doing this. This peeing sometimes happens several times over a few minutes, leaving tiny little pee spots here there.
I thought perhaps she's attempting to do something related to mating, but searching the internet has not been helpful lol. This has also made me wonder if I've gendered her incorrectly, but it's hard to tell since she's so small and some of her shell characteristics are confusing - I don't think she had what she needed for proper shell growth before we got her, and her shell is a little misshapen. Otherwise, she seems happy and healthy, and has had shell growth since living with us. We have not yet taken her to a vet, as finances were tight when we first got her, and now the pandemic is a thing and unless she seems ill or unhealthy, we are minimizing leaving home to crucial trips only.
Has anyone experienced this behavior with box turtles? Is this some kind of affection, or an attempt to mate? She used to be afraid of our hands and feet, but apparently not anymore! Should I allow this behavior, is there something she needs from us? Is she a he?