# Tortoise Bites Finger!



## Tortoise Whisperer (Oct 6, 2016)




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## wellington (Oct 6, 2016)

Good eater. Is this your tort?


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## Tom (Oct 6, 2016)

All that sand, and eating on it, is very likely to cause an impaction in your tortoises not too distant future.

And why on earth are you encouraging and allowing him to bite you? I don't understand.


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## Tortoise Whisperer (Oct 6, 2016)

Tom said:


> All that sand, and eating on it, is very likely to cause an impaction in your tortoises not too distant future.
> 
> And why on earth are you encouraging and allowing him to bite you? I don't understand.



He is a gopher tortoise, they naturally burrow into the ground, its their way of shelter. And i agree with what you said about the amount of sand it may be ingesting, but i can assure you that in the wild its not that uncommon, their digestive system has adapted and developed ways to get rid of the excess dirt/sand they take in. The bite was also not encouraged, just me being careless.


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## Tom (Oct 6, 2016)

Tortoise Whisperer said:


> He is a gopher tortoise, they naturally burrow into the ground, its their way of shelter. And i agree with what you said about the amount of sand it may be ingesting, but i can assure you that in the wild its not that uncommon, their digestive system has adapted and developed ways to get rid of the excess dirt/sand they take in. The bite was also not encouraged, just me being careless.



I'm well acquainted with burrowing tortoises. My sulcatas, DTs and russians all do it too. I also like my burrowing species to be able to burrow. That part is very good for them. My issue is with the sand, not the burrow.

The tortoise vets that I know who do sand impaction surgeries on the gopherus tortoises here would disagree with your assessment of their digestive systems ability to get rid of the sand.

And we must all remember that our back yards are not the same as the wild.

My intent is not to argue or upset you, but to make you aware that your tortoise is at risk, before you have to learn the hard way as I and so many others have had to learn at the expense of our own tortoises.


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## leigti (Oct 6, 2016)

Just yesterday my vet showed me x-rays of tortoises with impactions. And almost all of them were because of sand. She has California desert tortoises and she does not keep them on sand. I think you're taking a big risk with your Taurus. At least try to feed him on a surface where the food doesn't get sand all over it.


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## cmacusa3 (Oct 6, 2016)

leigti said:


> Just yesterday my vet showed me x-rays of tortoises with impactions. And almost all of them were because of sand. She has California desert tortoises and she does not keep them on sand. I think you're taking a big risk with your Taurus. At least try to feed him on a surface where the food doesn't get sand all over it.




I agree the other Video posted of the tort eating a banana covered in sand really got me thinking about that.


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## Maggie Cummings (Oct 6, 2016)

All of our experienced tortoise breeders, keepers, and Veterinarians, recommend that we don't keep tortoises on sand. It does cause impaction, and in the wild, they would be pulling a piece of grass out of the ground, breaking it off before the sand gets his mouth. So it is very uncommon for a wild tortoise to eat sand or get impacted. I don't mean any disrespect but don't come on here and tell some of us with over 40 yrs of experience with tortoises that WE are wrong. Maybe in some things, but NOT this one. Your tortoise bites because YOU have fed him by hand, a major mistake, how are you going to feel when your tortoise bites a toddler?????


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## saginawhxc (Oct 6, 2016)

maggie3fan said:


> how are you going to feel when your tortoise bites a toddler?????


Have you ever met a toddler? They probably deserve to be bitten. 

Back on topic though, I do believe he ate a bucket of sand in the video. Other than that it was a cute little video. Well until he bit you. Then it was just kind of funny... because it didn't happen to me.


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## Millerlite (Oct 6, 2016)

One if the big myths are reptiles from deserts are from Sandy areas. When really it's like compact clay with lose dirt on top. But it's pretty much like a dry lake bed type ground. In live In So ca. And go out to the deserts a few times a year. You do have Sandy areas but mostly hard clay. It still amazes me how they can even dig through it to make burrows. Like Tom and others said. Save your self the trouble and lose the sand 

Kyle


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## Maggie Cummings (Oct 7, 2016)

saginawhxc said:


> Have you ever met a toddler? They probably deserve to be bitten.
> 
> 
> I *SO* much wanted to say that myself. I am not only LOL, I'm cracking up, good for you! Great comment!!! I love it.....


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## Maggie Cummings (Oct 7, 2016)

Of course if I had said that, I'da got a 'warning'.......lol


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## leigti (Oct 7, 2016)

maggie3fan said:


> Of course if I had said that, I'da got a 'warning'.......lol


I know more adults I'd rather my tortoise bit.


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## Maggie Cummings (Oct 8, 2016)

Well, heaven knows I have been bit a lot. I am very experienced at it, but remember, we are a 'family' forum and we certainly don't want children to actually know we'd love a 150 pound Sulcata to eat a toddler and bite some adult, HARD!.....lol


Good Saturday!!!! Charlotte tonight, unless Matthew screws me out of this race like it did last night. I "should" have a race tonight and tomorrow.....

AND.......I am dog sitting a 10 week old puppy, just shoot me now, and last night the bed cat coughed up a furball, should say she puked on my bed, evidently, because I found vomit dried on me, AND....a nasty furball complete with dried vomit IN MY HAIR!!!!

Never mind, I'll shoot myself, gross!!!


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## Yvonne G (Oct 8, 2016)

Tortoise Whisperer said:


> He is a gopher tortoise, they naturally burrow into the ground, its their way of shelter. And i agree with what you said about the amount of sand it may be ingesting, but i can assure you that in the wild its not that uncommon, their digestive system has adapted and developed ways to get rid of the excess dirt/sand they take in. The bite was also not encouraged, just me being careless.



No, in the wild they DO NOT eat that much sand. They bite their food off of growing plants that are up off the ground. A blade of grass that's NOT laying on the ground. A piece of a leaf off of a plant that's NOT laying on the ground. And no animal has evolved to be able to get rid of sand impaction. 

That's a beautiful, natural-looking habitat. But I encourage you to feed the animal on some rocks or someplace other than on the sand.


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## Kenno (Oct 8, 2016)

Tortoise place settings may seem extreme, but this little plate helps him get everything I give him. He tips it up by using his gular horn. 
This is a rare treat, usually he just eats the grass and weeds in my yard.


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## Tortoise Whisperer (Oct 13, 2016)

The only way he eats now.


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