Re: Hind Feet Biting
My experience has been that once there is a wound (tail nip, foot bite, etc.), the tank companions will pick at it and make it worse until the injured is removed. I have even had problems with adults with tail nips drawing bites when reintroduced if the skin has not obtained normal coloring even though the wound is healed. Sort of like chickens in the barnyard flock pecking to death any individual showing blood or a deformity. I also think there are cases where the “runt” hatchling becomes picked on and will eventually be injured and starved. Perhaps in the wild, the runts don’t survive and/or they retreat to safety? In the captive environment, some just seem to become the target and isolation is necessary. I have had good luck transferring bitten terrapin hatchlings to tanks with no other terrapins but containing sliders, cooters, etc. As long as the tank mates are about the same size, it seems to be o.k. When this topic has come up before, suggestions have included providing plenty of “hiding” places in the tank (such as plastic vines and plants to climb in) and making sure the hatchlings are well fed with a high protein diet. Todd irnbru@… wrote: