Red Eared Sliders bite, and the bite can be quite painful. ... But it's highly unlikely because these reptiles don't bite “just because.” Instead, these reptiles bite if you push them too hard. Thankfully, you can prevent this behavior.
Do red-eared sliders like to be petted?
Turtles are arguably the cutest of all of the reptiles. Because of this, they are often desirable pets. However, turtles don't really enjoy being handled and petted the same way other domestic animals do. This makes petting them a little trickier.
Do red-eared sliders bite their owners?
To recap, red eared sliders are a semi-aggressive specie of turtles and will occasionally bite. They will bite at humans if they feel threatened or mistake your fingers for food. ... Commonly once a turtle become the most dominant, they will stay aggressive towards the others.