Do Turtles Fight and Why?

Turtles are reptiles that live on land and in water depending on the species.

They fight to establish dominance, territory, or between males and females during mating season.

Fighting is done by biting, hitting with the shell, or head butting. Turtles will also bite back if they feel threatened by a human hand.

The turtle’s mouth is filled with sharp teeth that can inflict painful wounds so it should be handled carefully.

In this article, we will discuss how to prevent turtles from fighting each other and what to do if they do fight.

Do Turtles Fight Each Other?

Yes, they do fight especially during mating season.

Sometimes, they are just playing but it can be very hard to tell because turtles have sharp teeth that can cause serious injuries.

The fight can be very gentle or very aggressive where one of the turtles will get out unharmed while the other could have deep wounds that could cause serious injuries if not treated right away.

Fighting is also common between two males of the same species to establish dominance and mating rights with females.

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How Do Turtles Fight?

Fighting is done by biting, hitting with the shell, or head butting using their strong skulls that are made mostly of cartilage.

Turtles can also hit back if they feel threatened by a human hand.

When fighting, male turtles will use their forelimbs to hold on to the shell of their opponents, while using their hind feet to push themselves forward.

The turtle’s mouth is filled with sharp teeth that can inflict painful wounds so it should be handled carefully.

Fighting is a common behavior among turtles because they have a lot of natural enemies.

One of those enemies is humans who have been taking their natural habitat away from them to build houses, highways, and more.

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Aggressive Turtle Behavior

Turtles can be quite territorial and are likely to become aggressive when they feel their territory is being invaded.

There are a few ways to detect when a turtle is becoming agitated and may attack:

1. Look for signs of agitation, such as turtles swimming faster or circling each other repeatedly.
2. Watch for turtles that are hissing, biting, or scratching each other.
3. If you see any blood, that is a clear sign of an aggressive turtle fight.

How to Stop Turtles From Fighting and Prevent Injuries

There are several ways to prevent turtles from fighting which include: providing plenty of space for them; keeping their environment clean; not overfeeding them; giving them access to fresh, cool water at all times; making sure there are no other turtles around the same species as theirs (except mates); and lastly, make sure there aren’t any plants near their habitat for them to eat.

If you find two turtles fighting each other, take them to a safe space and separate them.

You also have the option of removing one by picking it up with a towel so the other won’t follow.

You can also get a turtle tank divider to separate two turtles or place a large, water-filled container that is deep enough to keep them from getting out if they do fight.

RELATED READ: How Big of a Tank Does a Turtle Need

The Severity of Turtle Injuries

The severe injuries that turtles sustain during fights are deep, open wounds that can lead to infection.

Severe injuries are common when turtles get hit with shells or sharp objects, usually during territorial disputes.

The most common types of injuries in turtles include:

• Bites and scrapes from other turtles
• Broken bones, especially when they get hit with brick, shells, or other objects
• Wounds that become infected because they are unable to clean their shell
• Loss of limbs if the turtle falls out of its habitat
• Internal bleeding

Turtles are amazing creatures that are not only beautiful but also intelligent.

They are wild animals though so they can get aggressive when fighting.

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Do Turtles Bully Each Other?

A reader recently brought to our attention a 2014 study by University of Queensland Ph.D. student Michael Kelly, in which he claims that some green sea turtles exhibit “collective aggression” against a member of their own species.

In other words, Kelly argues that the turtles work together to bully another turtle from their local area.

We are always interested when science seems to challenge turtle behavior, so we took a closer look at Kelly’s study to understand why they do it.

First things first, it is important to state upfront that Kelly’s study was done on captive turtles in a research facility, not wild turtles in the wild.

This is important to note because the study does not demonstrate or even claim that any of the turtles in question were “bullies”.

In fact, the study only states that the turtles might exhibit bullying behavior if they were in a different setting.

Kelly argues that it is the confined environment of a research facility that is causing the turtles to act as such.

Will Red Eared Sliders Attack Each Other? (And Other Turtles)

The answer in most cases is NO.

While it’s true that certain species can be aggressive with one another in some cases, turtles are relatively peaceful creatures who will not attack each other.

Do Snapping Turtles Fight Each Other?

It’s highly unlikely that two snapping turtles will fight each other.

Well, they might if you keep two males together in the same tank, but generally, they are solitary animals who only seek the company of others when it is time to breed.

RELATED READ: How Big do Red-Eared Slider Turtles Get?

Conclusion

Turtles are amazing creatures that are not only beautiful but also intelligent.

They can get aggressive when fighting, so it’s important to have a strategy in place for how you’ll prevent them from doing so.

The most common injuries they suffer include bites and scrapes from other turtles or broken bones if they bump into something hard like bricks or shells as part of territorial disputes.

If your turtle is injured, clean the wounds before applying an antibiotic ointment to protect against infection.

You may want to take your turtle to a veterinarian who specializes in wildlife care if a severe injury has occurred where there is open bleeding and/or bone fractures present on the skin surface of their shell and body.