# head bobbing?



## james

i was soaking Captain the last night, and he started head bobbing. at first he would dunk his head, and when he lifted it up he would make slurping noises. then he started head bobbing several times over. i took him out and rubbed his neck to make sure he wasn't choking, and he was fine. when i woke up today he was under his bush and he yawned, then head bobbed a few times. what does this mean??? i got a bearded dragon a month ago and they head bob to show dominence, but he hasn't done it yet...


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## egyptiandan

Your Desert tortoise is most likely a male.  They head bob to elicit a response from another Desert tortoise. If the other tortoise head bobs back than it's a male and they fight. If the other tortoise doesn't head bob back it's a female and he tries to mate.

Danny


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## james

do they still do this even if no other tortoise is in the room?


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## Maggie Cummings

james said:


> do they still do this even if no other tortoise is in the room?



They also bob their heads while they are breathing. They breathe like a bellows with the head bobbing and front legs moving up and down.
Could that be the head bobbing with your tortoise?


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## james

maggie3fan said:


> They also bob their heads while they are breathing. They breathe like a bellows with the head bobbing and front legs moving up and down.
> Could that be the head bobbing with your tortoise?



i don't think so? he's never done this before. his legs didn't move when he did it. it was a fast head bob. the first time he did it, he was in a clear tub next to my bearded dragon who was also in a clear tub (not the same one). could he think the dragon is an interesting 'tortoise'? LOL. he's about a year and a half old, is this when they start 'maturing'?


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## egyptiandan

He'll take a while more before he's mature, but they start doing the instinctual things very early on. Yes he thought your Bearded dragon was another tortoise. 

Danny


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## igirl

" They head bob to elicit a response from another Desert tortoise. If the other tortoise head bobs back than it's a male and they fight. If the other tortoise doesn't head bob back it's a female and he tries to mate"

Wow, good way to find out what your other tort is for sure, huh? 

Our guys gets to bobbin his head so much, I feel sorry for him and think his neck's gonna get sore. Poor guy..she still just ignores him.


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