The TOP 5 list of grudge-holding turtles in the turtle world is out! These little guys may look adorably silly (meaning they look foolish but cute), but in reality, they are all “petty” (meaning narrow-minded and prone to holding grudges)! Come and check if your little turtle made the list.
TOP 5 Grudge-Holding Turtles
Flame Turtle
A fiery temper in the sun. Disturbed while sunbathing? They’ll go straight into cold shoulder mode! They’ll retreat to a corner for days, even turning their head away from their favorite dried shrimp—after all, they are the dignified “Child of the Sun”!
Painted Turtle
Experts in hunger strike protests. Did you skip their meal? Or startle them suddenly? They’ll put on a performance of “going blind on the spot” in minutes! They clearly see the food swim by but will deliberately bump it away: This turtle is going to starve itself to death today just to make you feel guilty!
Map Turtle
An autistic-style protest. Disturb it frequently, and it will hide in a corner and frantically ram the tank walls—not trying to escape, but purely cursing you with its actions: “Don’t touch me (meaning ‘don’t touch me’, said with an impatient tone)!”
Snapping Turtle
The “perpetual motion machine of combat mode.” Once they feel threatened, they immediately enter a lifelong alert mode! From then on, they’ll try to bite you every time they see you. Even if they can’t reach, they’ll give you the “death stare (meaning a look full of hostility or displeasure)”: I’ve got my eye on you!
Musk Turtle
The avenger of the turtle world. Just touched it while cleaning the tank? Congratulations, you’ve received a “permanent enemy card (meaning you’ve become a permanent enemy)”! Next time you reach in, you’re guaranteed a “lightning strike”! They’ll even chase and try to bite your finger through the glass!
Musk Turtle: A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years!
Science Tidbits
Turtles’ memories can actually last for over 6 months! They hold grudges through dual-coding (meaning encoding information in two different ways to enhance memory) using both smell and sight, and their memory for the scent of fingers, in particular, is beyond imagination.
Quick Tips to Resolve a Grudge
- Offer high-lure foods (like bloodworms / shrimp meat)
- Avoid reaching in suddenly; use long tweezers for interaction instead
- Maintain a regular feeding schedule to build trust
- For particularly grudge-holding turtles, you can reset their environment to erase memories
Original article by 搬运工, if reproduced, please cite the source: https://www.kaipet.com/en/turtles-hold-grudges-revealing-top-5-petty-turtles-make-list
Comments(2)
I found this TOP 5 list fascinating! Do owners of these turtles agree with their ‘grudge-holding’ descriptions?
@CriticX：We’re glad you found the list fascinating, CriticX! It’s a great question. We’d love to hear from other turtle owners in the comments – do you agree with these ‘grudge-holding’ descriptions?