Animal depression?

[Guyb93]

Last August I randomly bought a razorback musk turtle which at the time I had to put fish my fish in a 500l tank where it’s been ever since , a few weeks ago I started worry about it’s food intake my fish being so much faster and even when direct feeding they are so much stronger and just take the food from Bundy ( the turtle ) so I decided he shall go into his own turtle tank which I bought a while ago just never bothered to set it up and didn’t feel the need to do so. A week into the move Bundy stopes eating stops doing anything really just basks for 10 mins then back to his cave not even a foot away , I gave in and put him back with my fish and he’s instantly running around the tank eating algae waffers .. strange I offer a prawn he eats it and buried himself in the sand . Was he depressed, a human trait I know but the way he acts in with the fish is just far more enjoyable than anything n his own , fish tank is a 5x2x2 the turtle tank is a 2.5x1.5x 1
Too small maybe ?

 

[Colin_T]

Stressed from being put into a new unfamiliar home.
Stressed from being put into a smaller enclosure.

 

[Guyb93]

Stressed from being put into a new unfamiliar home.
Stressed from being put into a smaller enclosure.

I did think that but he was still the same after a week of being in there had just had no life he lacked energy and his usual charisma but soon as he returned the fish tank he was just back to his normal self , so I just leave him now ? Or just put less human emotions into a turtle and give him his own tank

 

[Fishmanic]

Put him back in his own tank. Just give him a recliner, a tv (playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and a remote control and he'll be happy. It works for humans.

 

[Guyb93]

Put him back in his own tank. Just give him a recliner, a tv and a remote control and he'll be happy. Works for humans.

To be fair his tank was cushty had a good old basking area better than what I can offer in my fish tank just I moved him because I was worried about his nutrition and his shell health but he’s eating less basking less I was thinking about getting another one to keep company but I don’t know if Bundy is male or female and they arent easy to come by in the uk from what iv noticed

 

[GaryE]

We know depression is a biochemical disease, and that other mammals respond to anti-depressive medications. So we aren't the only creatures that can suffer from depression or depressive episodes. My turtle has never requested a Joy Division playlist, and I don't know if they can develop depression as an illness. It's biochemical, so probably, depending on when or how many times in evolution it has popped up.

We can see stress though - I think every aquarist has noticed that one.

 

[Colin_T]

If the turtle isn't trying to eat the fish and the fish aren't stressed by the turtle being in the tank with them, leave them together.

 

[Guyb93]

If the turtle isn't trying to eat the fish and the fish aren't stressed by the turtle being in the tank with them, leave them together.

He’s far happier in the fish tank

We know depression is a biochemical disease, and that other mammals respond to anti-depressive medications. So we aren't the only creatures that can suffer from depression or depressive episodes. My turtle has never requested a Joy Division playlist, and I don't know if they can develop depression as an illness. It's biochemical, so probably, depending on when or how many times in evolution it has popped up.

We can see stress though - I think every aquarist has noticed that one.

i assumed that all animals suffer with depression in ways that we as humans don’t acknowledge, like birds they will get depressed to the point they self harm

 

[itiwhetu]

He’s far happier in the fish tank

i assumed that all animals suffer with depression in ways that we as humans don’t acknowledge, like birds they will get depressed to the point they self harm

If you keep birds in a cage, are you at all surprised? Humans' self-harm too when kept in cages.

 

[Colin_T]

i assumed that all animals suffer with depression in ways that we as humans don’t acknowledge, like birds they will get depressed to the point they self harm

that is separation anxiety

 

[Rocky998]

I personally lobe birds and think it would be cool to have one, but I really don't know if I could. They clip their wings so they cant fly away... If I ever owned one, I would have a nice sized room specially for the bird(s)... It just doesn't make sense to keep something that's meant to fly in a cage all its life... At least fish can swim and snakes can slither and lizards can crawl when kept in captivity, but birds... They can't do the one thing they are specialized for in captivity.

 

[Guyb93]

that is separation anxiety

But isn’t that depression , maybe I’m thinking about it too much

If you keep birds in a cage, are you at all surprised? Humans' self-harm too when kept in cages.

some mammals are conditioned to love the cage and fear what’s outside it and just can’t function , I wonder why other animals always appear to retain some ambition to be free

 

[itiwhetu]

But isn’t that depression , maybe I’m thinking about it too much

some mammals are conditioned to love the cage and fear what’s outside it and just can’t function , I wonder why other animals always appear to retain some ambition to be free

Which animal loves a cage opposed to living in freedom?

 

[Colin_T]

But isn’t that depression , maybe I’m thinking about it too much

some mammals are conditioned to love the cage and fear what’s outside it and just can’t function , I wonder why other animals always appear to retain some ambition to be free

Depression and anxiety/ separation anxiety are both mental illness but are different.

Depression is where you can't be bothered doing anything, feeling down and unhappy, no longer caring about anything, and simply want everything bad to stop.

Anxiety is being nervous, anxious and stressed about certain things.
Separation anxiety is being nervous and stressed about being separated from someone or something you are attached to.

 

[Guyb93]

Which animal loves a cage opposed to living in freedom?

Humans are prime example , some humans Spend so much time locked away that they can’t cope once released back into society, some lions , and bears are kept so long with humans in cages that they would just die if released