Joyce I saw the shade bloomer and it's wonderful! Now all I need to do is drive down to Craig's place and sneak in during the night and . . . . . . .
Jerry - yes, they often do get less and less fearful as they gain size. Think about it - a hatchling has many more enemies than a 6" turtle. Even Bluejays will grab hatchlings, fly up in the air and drop them to crack them and then eat them. Once a turtle gets a bit bigger, it outgrows some of it's enemies so can be a little less fearful. Unfortunately, raccoons are always a threat . . . .as are fireants.