Do turtles fight each other?

Turtles are animals that become more and more popular as pets we keep in our tanks. No wonder – they do not require a lot of attention and if taken care of appropriately, can live quite a long time. However, if you ever wondered about buying two of them, then you should think twice. You see, turtles do fight each other, especially if they are locked in a pretty confined space. As a result of that, keeping a turtle close to another one is a risky thing to do.

However, what makes turtles fight each other? What is the reason for their aggressive behavior towards other representatives of the species? These are the questions I receive quite a lot. And the answer is not as straightforward as some of you wish. Luckily for you, I am a happy owner of more than just one turtle. As a result, I know a thing or two about aggressiveness of these reptiles.

In this article I will explain the reasons for turtles to be so aggressive to other turtles. Besides that, I will answer many other questions you usually ask, including whether a turtle can bite another one and what to do in order to stop the unwanted behavior from occurring. 

What are the reasons for turtles to fight each other?

Throughout my entire turtle owner career, I had to deal with many different behaviors that were unwanted “under my tank”. You see, scratching, biting, tackling, and other actions such as these are quite dangerous and can lead to serious injuries. That is why turtles fighting each other is a problem you should take seriously. Please look also why do turtles slap each other?

First of all, solitary

One of the reasons why turtles may fight each other is because they don’t like the company of other turtles. And by that I don’t mean they may be bad-tempered or anything like that. You see, turtles don’t need other turtles to eat, to live, and to be happy. There is no need for any social interaction to boost their happiness. 

Obviously, when met in the wild, we can see groups of turtles and these can be quite significant clusters of animals. Nonetheless, this is all due to the fact that a particular place is well-equipped in things they need to survive, namely food, appropriate temperature, amount of sun, and, also, limited number of predators and other dangers. That’s it. There is no scientific proof that these animals stay in groups just to feel less lonely.

Second of all, space  

Another reason for a turtle to attack another representative of its species is because of the space. In spite of what you may believe, turtles are the part of reptiles that can be territorial. It means that they don’t like when others live in the area where they hunt or forage for food. Moreover, turtles may try to show dominance over another male, so keeping the two together is not an ideal solution.

Territorial aggression can be noticed in the wild. Nonetheless, in such a situation, an inferior turtle would simply swim away. In the tank, this is not something the turtle can do. As a result, it will be attacked time and time again – as long as it is seen as a potential threat to the other turtle. 

Will one turtle bite another?

When attacking, turtles use a wide range of different “instruments” to hurt its opponent. Quite often they tackle each other. However, the most common way for a turtle to hurt another turtle is by biting. They will go for limbs, neck, and other elements that are not protected by the shell. Interestingly, they will also try to bite the enemy’s tail off, which may be seen as quite crucial, since tails are used by male turtles to reproduce. 

Still, turtles bite each other not only because they don’t like the company. You see, biting may be caused by a completely different reason. If you have a male and a female locked together, then don’t presume that they bite each other because of fighting. Sometimes mating behavior is confused with fighting. And in the case of turtles, biting while mating is quite a popular activity.

Each and every animal has its own courtship ritual. The same thing concerns turtles. A male will usually  go for a female’s neck and try to nip it. Besides that, they also do that with their feet and even with their tails. Such nipping is not dangerous and it will not injure the females. The males usually leave female turtles alone if they object. 

What can you do to stop turtle fights?

Keep them in separate tanks

The easiest way to deal with the problem is to keep your turtles in separate tanks. If you just purchased another turtle, then you can hold on with that plan for a little longer. You see, an adult, male turtle will not be interested in attacking a juvenile turtle. What is more, two young turtles will not be interested in territorial aggression – they may even have a good time for a while. 

Only if we deal with two adult turtles shall we look for separate tanks. This is the easiest and the best way as far as reducing the potential danger to turtle’s health is concerned. Obviously, it requires quite a lot of space and double the expenses we made with the first tank. As a result, it may not be the perfect solution for everyone. 

Expand turtles’ habitat

Another way to deal with turtle fighting is expanding the habitat they have. We can change the tank to a larger one. Just to make sure it accommodates both turtles. To specify the exact size of the tank, we can use math. You see, it is said that the absolute minimum for a turtle is 10 gallons of water for every inch of its carapace. It means that if we have two turtles with 6-inch carapace each, then we should be looking at a tank that can hold up to 120 gallons of water. 

Quite a lot? Well, this is the minimum to make sure that the turtles have as much space as they need to avoid or at least reduce the territorial disputes to minimum. While doing that, we should also make sure that this natural habitat offers a number of different attractions and places to hide or sun bask. One large stone will surely be a very bad idea. We should look at several stones, preferably distanced from each other.

Now you know if turtles fight each other! 

Thanks to today’s article, you know that turtles do fight each other and they can do it quite often and quite fearlessly. They are solitary animals that at the same time care about their territory. So, if there is another turtle that not only occupies its space, but also takes the food and disrupts the alpha’s free time, you will most likely see turtle fights.

Remember that sometimes what seems to be fighting, in reality is mating. Such a behavior can be distinguished by less aggressive behavior towards the female and nipping at the female’s neck, feet, or tail.