# Mirrors for Tortoises



## Kayti (Dec 19, 2009)

I gave Delaware a little mirror a few months ago, and it has become her favorite thing. At first she would try to crawl into the mirror, then she started digging behind the mirror, but now she just gazes into it. 

The most interesting part to me is that she seems much more interested in the mirror when she has something on her face, like calcium dust. 

Anyways I think she enjoys it, and she's obviously interested by it, and I think it's super cool to watch her interact with it. I'd be interested to see if anyone else's torts liked mirrors too. 

Here she is the last time she was studying her calcium powder stache:














She's a wierd one


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## Kymiie (Dec 19, 2009)

Thats mu laugh of the day!
Thanks for a christmas present idea!
I got the idea of tortoises playing football from youtube, so I have bought crush a little cat toy ball
for his christmas so in the sales i will also buy him a mirror and let you know.

BTW its snowing so bad here in UK xx

P.S Love the pics...
Shes like ''HUMMMM whats that?.... What is it?


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## Rhyno47 (Dec 19, 2009)

Be careful, sulcatas ram others as they grow. Cool idea though.


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## Candy (Dec 19, 2009)

She wants another tortoise. She probably thinks it is don't you think?


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## Rhyno47 (Dec 19, 2009)

Could be a he. And "he" might get territorial.


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## ChiKat (Dec 19, 2009)

Adorable pictures!! Delaware is SO cute


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## Kayti (Dec 19, 2009)

Candy said:


> She wants another tortoise. She probably thinks it is don't you think?



Yea, this was the original reason I gave her a mirror- I thought she was lonely. The people that had her before me had two, but the other died.
And whenever I had her out on the lawn at the same time as my russians, she would try to follow them 

But I can't get another Sulcata without knowing if Del is a boy or a girl, plus there are a bunch of other reason that might be a bad idea down the road...


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## Stephanie Logan (Dec 19, 2009)

Brilliant! A definite runner up for photo-of-the-year!

Delaware is demonstrating a human developmental milestone called "self-identity" (I think).

I did this trick with each of my kids as toddlers. I would take some lipstick and make a small mark on their forehead. Then I would set them in front of a mirror. Before self-identity, the toddler will put their hand out to touch the lipstick mark on the mirror. After self-identity, they will reach up and touch their own forehead, thus demonstrating that they now recognize that a mirror is simply a reflection of themselves. It's totally cute to watch, and your baby is just as adorable as any human child. How fun!


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## Candy (Dec 19, 2009)

And whenever I had her out on the lawn at the same time as my russians, she would try to follow them 



Kayti, when I read this in your post I felt so sad for Delaware. It sounds like a child in Kindergarten trying to play with the other kids.


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## Kayti (Dec 19, 2009)

Candy said:


> And whenever I had her out on the lawn at the same time as my russians, she would try to follow them
> 
> 
> 
> Kayti, when I read this in your post I felt so sad for Delaware. It sounds like a child in Kindergarten trying to play with the other kids.



I know! I wish I could let them. But besides the whole different stomach bacteria thing, the russians are pretty rough. Maybe someday she'll get a playmate... when I live on a farm


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## samstar (Dec 20, 2009)

When I had two Stars and let them graze in my lawn, they went all over the place, never followed each other.


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## dmmj (Dec 20, 2009)

I know of no studies done on tortoises that involve self awareness, only monkeys and humans so far have been proven to have it. If anyone knows if some have been done please let me know thanks.


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## samstar (Dec 20, 2009)

dmmj said:


> I know of no studies done on tortoises that involve self awareness, only monkeys and humans so far have been proven to have it. If anyone knows if some have been done please let me know thanks.



I remember watching a documentary on National Geographis of this guys who lives very close with brown bears and he put a huge mirror where they roamed and a few of the bears were aware of themselves when they looked into the mirror.


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## Stephanie Logan (Dec 20, 2009)

dmmj said:


> I know of no studies done on tortoises that involve self awareness, only monkeys and humans so far have been proven to have it. If anyone knows if some have been done please let me know thanks.



I misspoke when I suggested that Delaware is self-aware. What I meant to say is just that her gaze into the mirror reminded me of the expression on my kids' faces when _they_ experienced self-awareness. Sorry!


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## dmmj (Dec 20, 2009)

The main reason I asked was because torts would of course have a harder time with that experiment having no hands so to speak they could not touch the spot on the face or what have you. I remember the monkey tests and they would touch the marks on their face. I am mainly curious what goes thru an animals mind when they see their reflection. Is it "wow I look handsome/pretty today" or is it " hey that other turtle better not steal my food and favorite basking spot, I think I will go ram him/her".


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## sammi (Dec 20, 2009)

dmmj said:


> The main reason I asked was because torts would of course have a harder time with that experiment having no hands so to speak they could not touch the spot on the face or what have you. I remember the monkey tests and they would touch the marks on their face. I am mainly curious what goes thru an animals mind when they see their reflection. Is it "wow I look handsome/pretty today" or is it " hey that other turtle better not steal my food and favorite basking spot, I think I will go ram him/her".



I would guess they think the latter as I would think they would assume its another tort, not a reflection. But then, possibly give them time [weeks or months] with the mirror to "investigate" it a bit farther, and then maybe they'd realize the "other tort" is doing the exact same things they are. Then maybe they'd become self-aware and realize its a reflection? I know its a bit of a stretch, but who knows!


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