Injuries

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Most injuries to water turtles result from aggressive encounters

with other turtles or household pets.  Many water turtles are

territorial, and fighting between them (especially between

individuals of the same species) often results in serious wounds.

Water turtles of widely varying sizes should not be housed

together.  Housing similarly sized turtles together helps reduce

the number of injuries from fighting.



Injuries may also occur during mating.  Males may become overly

aggressive during copulation and inflict bite wounds on the

female.  The male's rapid and sometimes premature withdrawal of

an engorged penis also may injure the female's reproductive

tract.  Household pets, especially dogs, sometimes inflict

serious wounds to the shells or soft tissues of water turtles.



An injured turtle should be examined by an experienced

veterinarian as soon as possible.  Prompt attention to the wounds

and early antibiotic therapy are vital to the favorable outcome

of these cases.  Usually, these injured turtles must be kept out

of water or allowed only limited access to the water so that

wound healing is not delayed.  Veterinarians often employ epoxy

resins or acrylic glues to repair shell injuries.