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Hannibal is a Giant Asian Pond Turtle (Heosemys grandis), roughly 10 years old (I've had him for 6), weighs about 9 lbs, lives outdoors during the summer, and always has free access to water (for swimming & drinking), basking, burrowing, and plenty of roaming space (though he often finds the coldest, darkest corner he can and stays there)
One major problem is that he won't eat if he is not hand-fed. He's gone several weeks without food to prove this point, only to readily eat from my hand. Until recently. Now it takes half an hour or more of me coaxing him to eat before he takes a bite. Its stressful for him and time-consuming for me. My brother occasionally takes Hannibal for a week or two, during which time he turns into a completely different turtle who immediately eats (still only from the hand) and shows interest in other turtle activities. My brother lives three hours away, doesn't have an ideal turtle set-up, and cannot keep Hannibal for longer amounts of time. I don't know if getting to spend time with a person he really likes is worth the stress of a 3 hour car ride.
I generally leave Hannibal alone while attending to his needs as best I can, but I'm growing increasingly concerned about the eating issue. I'd give him to a turtle sanctuary, but I'm very worried that he doesn't know how to adequately care for himself (eating when not hand-fed, regulating his body temp, etc. he seems to lack some necessary instincts).
I have no idea what caused these problems, whether its something I did, the fault of a previous owner/breeder, or just the nature of the turtle. Any thoughts or recommendations on the matter will be greatly appreciated.
that's the remnants of a banana all over H's face
June 3 2006, 02:49:50 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 03:20:37 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 03:22:23 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 03:24:31 UTC 5 years ago
Except the whole face-eating thing. That... not so much....
June 3 2006, 20:23:29 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 03:30:36 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 03:32:22 UTC 5 years ago
My two female sliders were once upon a time called Burt and Ernie.
June 3 2006, 06:55:34 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 09:42:39 UTC 5 years ago
Tarantino characters, see? I'm a dork.
June 3 2006, 03:34:08 UTC 5 years ago
ps
sometimes I call him Hanny. Or Scribbles.June 3 2006, 04:12:16 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 05:04:13 UTC 5 years ago
It doesn't seem to be a medical problem so much as a personality disorder. He really acts like a totally different turtle whenever my brother is around (I really wish my brother could just take him in, sigh) I'm wondering if another vet would be useful...
June 3 2006, 05:26:30 UTC 5 years ago
Maybe, for some reason, he just doesn't feel comfortable with the environment that he's in. That would explain why he demands to be hand fed and probably why he runs off into the dark corners. What would the solution be? Beats me.
June 3 2006, 06:54:24 UTC 5 years ago
I know that reptiles can be physiologically depressed. Can they be psychologically depressed? I like to attribute all manner of charming personalities to my turtles, but their brains are tiny and primitive so I assume a lot of it is personification on my part. That doesn't mean I don't love to indulge them though.
Oddly enough, two years ago Hanny crapped out 14 cents that I'm 100% certain I didn't hand feed him. X-rays don't show anything else in there that's not supposed to be...
June 3 2006, 13:14:43 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 14:22:29 UTC 5 years ago
it's part of their overall charm. I'm not sure there's a single thing any of my boxies could do that * wouldn't* melt my heart. Ok, maybe if they killed my mother, or something. :P
June 3 2006, 14:48:29 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 13:15:59 UTC 5 years ago
You said he demands to be handfed and will only act happy with your brother who does not have adequet housing for him. Is it possiable that his original owners imprinted on him improper living conditions so he's simply more comfortable with your brother. Like, he enjoys living indoors or in a small area because that's what he knows best and feels best. Try to find out how your brother keeps him and mimic that and see how your turtle responds.
June 3 2006, 13:20:11 UTC 5 years ago
June 3 2006, 13:36:56 UTC 5 years ago
Either way it'll probably take some time for your turtle to warm up to the new situation since they're not the best with change.
5 years ago
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June 3 2006, 15:21:48 UTC 5 years ago
well
Maybe it could be because you named him hannibal. LOL just kidding.June 3 2006, 17:07:11 UTC 5 years ago
Re: well
ookJune 3 2006, 23:37:28 UTC 5 years ago
But about recently being even more hesitant to eat than usual... it sounded like you've taken him to the vet recently, but if you haven't, I'd sure recommend it. Could be he's got an infection coming up, or something.
Anyhow. Good luck!
June 5 2006, 03:23:06 UTC 5 years ago
latest news
We've arranged it such that Hannibal can stay with my brother until August, at which time we will re-evaluate the situation. I think it'll be better for Hannibal, even if it wouldn't be ideal for another turtle of the same species.meanwhile, my box turtles are going to *love* screwing around in Hanny's outdoor enclosure (bigger than theirs, and new terrain for them!)
June 5 2006, 16:35:41 UTC 5 years ago
Does your turtle seem to favor male strangers? Maybe hannibal just doesnt like girls? Could it also be a matter of scent? Your brother smokes, could the tobacco smell be what peaks his appetite? Try and recreate things as much as possible, and see what works. Also, you could try confining hannibal to a small space when you feed him, so that he cannot avoid the food. It's worth a shot. Try introducing a new food to him that he has not previously tried. Perhaps that might get him to eat it.