# What does your tortoise do all day?



## easyreiter (Sep 30, 2013)

Might sound like a weird question but, my desert tortoise eats, circles his enclosure for a way out, and naps. He has multiple houses and rocks and bricks to climb on, but I feel he might be bored- help? Ideas on activities?


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## erica anne (Sep 30, 2013)

This pretty much sums up a tortoises day. Mine wakes up around 10 am, yawns, and goes out to sun himself. From that point on it is napping and roaming for food until bedtime. Lately he has been coming up to the sliding glass door for a quick explore inside the house which we find adorable! Rough life right?


Does he get outside time for exercise?


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## thatrebecca (Sep 30, 2013)

Is he indoors or out? My DTs are way more active and exploratory when outside. But even there, it's an hour or so of roaming after breakfast and then they find a place to hide and nap till an hour or so before sundown.


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## rayneygirl (Sep 30, 2013)

my tortoise is more active in her daytime outdoor enclosure, in the morning she'll yawn and stretch out, then start walking around til i give her breakfast then she'll eat and roam around a bit when it starts heating up she'll sit in her pool and walk around to the little plants she has and dig holes, she'll take a nap, then i'll give her a soak then take her out to the lawn and she'll go from little weed to little grass nub and graze looking for dandelions or clovers and relax in the shade after that she tucks herself into a hide, and around 9pm i'll put her in her overnight box. its funny i've noticed this with my cat as well, its like they have their little routine and certain times for things. what does your enclosure look like? how big is it?


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## easyreiter (Sep 30, 2013)

He is outside all day, his pin is 10x10 fenced in, grass, dirt, two grape bushes, a pool, dog house, an a flat brick for him to lay on. He's still small, shell about the full size of your hand. I know it's a little late since he's slowing down and will hibernate soon but I wish I knew how to entertain him. Does anyone know how to grow dandelions?


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## rayneygirl (Sep 30, 2013)

i don't know what others do, but i just take a plastic potting cup and a shovel and dig them up from my yard and use soil from my lawn and water it and it grows great, i actually have to do this because i have a gardener and he wacks them all down. once my baby is bigger i won't have a gardener. but the dandelion greens from the farmers market that are so big i have no idea how to grow them! besides possibly buying seeds.


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## Saleama (Oct 1, 2013)

When the seed head turns white, blow them into your enclosure. They will grow like, well, like weeds!  I built a garden and planted a bunch of flowers in it. They are not doing real well but the dandelion seeds that I blew in there are already about 3 inches tall!


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## Jabuticaba (Oct 1, 2013)

My guys are rather active, but they live indoors. I set up their enclosures so that they have places to climb. They seem to enjoy that a lot. I also do cognitive testing on them, so they get to interact with different objects (toys of different colours ad shapes). 


May[TURTLE]
Hermannis: Darwin & Wallace
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket


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## kjr153 (Oct 1, 2013)

I'm glad you asked this question because my Tort does the same thing. After it eats it wonders around a bit then goes sleep. I suppose we are expecting them to play or something.  I don't really know what I expected it to do.


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## fOrKyAnDpRoUd (Oct 1, 2013)

*Re: RE: What does your tortoise do all day?*



Jabuticaba said:


> I also do cognitive testing on them, so they get to interact with different objects (toys of different colours ad shapes)



is this for some kind of research project? Do they enjoy the toys or just ignore them lol 

Would you mind sharing what you have found?


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## Jabuticaba (Oct 3, 2013)

fOrKyAnDpRoUd said:


> Jabuticaba said:
> 
> 
> > I also do cognitive testing on them, so they get to interact with different objects (toys of different colours ad shapes)
> ...



It's personal interest. I'm an animal behaviour enthusiast--work mostly with dogs--and I like to explorer animal emotion and cognition, so I can give them the best possible, enriching environment. If I have time, I'll transcribe my notes. 

Yes, the torts seem to like certain toys, of certain shapes. They tend to ignore flat objects and seem more interested in rounder things. The idea started when someone suggested I put a smooth, round rock in with my male Hermanni. [GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES] I found a real tort toy and he was very "happy," at first, but quickly realised it was a dummy. So far I'm highly impressed with their cognitive abilities. Also, I knew from other studies done with zoo Galaps that torts can be clicker trained, so I'm working on that as well. 


May[TURTLE]
Hermannis: Darwin & Wallace
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket


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## fOrKyAnDpRoUd (Oct 3, 2013)

*Re: RE: What does your tortoise do all day?*



Jabuticaba said:


> Yes, the torts seem to like certain toys, of certain shapes. They tend to ignore flat objects and seem more interested in rounder things. The idea started when someone suggested I put a smooth, round rock in with my male Hermanni. I found a real tort toy and he was very "happy," at first, but quickly realised it was a dummy. So far I'm highly impressed with their cognitive abilities. Also, I knew from other studies done with zoo Galaps that torts can be clicker trained, so I'm working on that as well



It would be cute to see a tort "sit" on command. Think of how much easier taking pictures would be! Lol

How could you tell he was happy? Was he....mounting it?

Weird question: would they be interested in dog or cat toys? Like the ones that squeak or jingle when moved....

Nice job!


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## Jabuticaba (Oct 3, 2013)

fOrKyAnDpRoUd said:


> It would be cute to see a tort "sit" on command. Think of how much easier taking pictures would be! Lol
> 
> How could you tell he was happy? Was he....mounting it?
> 
> ...



A version of sit may be possible. Zoos have had success with training several species of animals to "stay" in order to administer treatment, draw blood, etc. 

Yes, that's what I meant about "happy."  

I don't know about noisy toys. They're not like a dog that will chew on a squeaky toy. They usually approach the new item, circle it a few times, sniff it, taste it, and then go about their business. I think they're just trying to figure out if the items pose a threat. I'm planning to try things that move--items attached to a line--I'll try doing videos. 


May[TURTLE]
Hermannis: Darwin & Wallace
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket


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## fOrKyAnDpRoUd (Oct 3, 2013)

Thats cute and thanks for sharing!
Looking forward to the videos ;p 

Nice job!


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## GotTort (Oct 3, 2013)

I put a round, smooth rock in my tort's enclosure and he ran over and starting biting it. I guess he thought it was another tortoise. I've never seen him move so fast. Did the same thing on 2 occasions so I took it away so as to not stress him. 


Sent from my iPhone using TortoiseForum mobile app


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## nate.mann (Oct 3, 2013)

when i rescued a Leopard tortoise who was very unhealthy, and he got to be more active as he became more and more healthy..i noticed he loved to push a box around. when i moved him to an outdoor enclosure, i put the cardboard box out there with him to see if the activity continued. sure enough, he did it even more out there than he did indoors, likely because there was more room. it was just a plain brown cardboard box, that was slightly larger than him. he didnt make it, for reasons unbeknownst to me.


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## reticguy76 (Oct 5, 2013)

My dt is very active all day and even well into the night from about mid-May when he is fully out of brumation all the until early-mid October when he starts slowing waaaaayyyy down and usually between Halloween and Thanksgiving he is in full nap mode and I dont see him until sometime late March to late April.


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