# Never thought to ask this but, do they bite?????



## jmhoesch (Feb 12, 2013)

We've had our torti for almost 2 weeks now and I've never thought about it or to even ask. Do they bite? If so, how bad does it hurt? Our little guy seem so friendly and personable, I can't imagine him snapping at us.......I thought I'd ask. lol


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## wellington (Feb 12, 2013)

They can bite and from what I have heard, it does hurt. Most accidentally bite when hand feeding. That is actually why hand feeding is not recommended, every though most of us do it now and then. They have strong jaws and the bigger they get the more it will hurt.


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## LLLReptile (Feb 12, 2013)

They can bite, but you have to be sitting there waiting for it, pretty much. In general, as wellington noted, bites happen when hand feeding. 

I was bitten by a box turtle a few years ago and it is still to this day one of the most painful bites I've ever experienced - everything else bites you and realizes they can't eat you (or just bites to scare you away), and they let go, but turtles and tortoises do NOT let go. They expect to swallow what they just bit down on, and they just keep biting harder and harder, looking more and more confused as time goes on and your hand does not behave as it was expected to.

I highly recommend extreme caution if hand feeding, and/or to avoid it entirely (which is my current stance). 

-Jen


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## Nixxy (Feb 13, 2013)

They rarely bite out of aggression. If they bite, they are either trying to eat something you are handing them, or confuse your finger with food. I wouldn't say it's all that hard, but then again I've been bit by full grown alligator snappers, so I suppose a red foot doesn't hurt too bad comparatively. 

If I wiggle my finger around my dear Toby looks up at it, and gives it a little nibble. Doesn't hurt though.


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## cherylim (Feb 13, 2013)

I wouldn't want to find out how much it hurts. Emrys once bit off a piece of cuttlebone that looked huge, back when I was relatively new to keeping him. I panicked thinking he'd choke on it, and went over to try and get it out of his mouth. The force he clamped down with was absolutely incredible (but then, I supposed it needs to be to have gone through the cuttlebone in the first place). Quickly told me that I didn't want my finger to be in that place!


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## N2TORTS (Feb 13, 2013)

Yes they bite ......Larger torts have a pretty good nip to them ...just feed them a carrot by hand and imagine thatâ€™s your finger!~( it will take it clean off) 
I have been zapped by some adult RF's , and they too have a pretty good bite....enough to break the skin , no problem .
Now ...do they bite humans out of aggression ? ...Very unlikely or if being provoked the greater the risk.
JD~


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## CtTortoiseMom (Feb 13, 2013)

I you hand feed you increase your chances of being bitten. I love to hand feed so this is a risk I chose to take. I have never been bitten but had some close calls while not paying attention.


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## N2TORTS (Feb 13, 2013)

CtTortoiseMom said:


> I you hand feed you increase your chances of being bitten. I love to hand feed so this is a risk I chose to take. I have never been bitten but had some close calls while not paying attention.



you " dare devil you " ......


I enjoy hand feeding the torts too.....


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## jmhoesch (Feb 13, 2013)

Good to know! Mr. Pickles just seems so laid back and calm. I have hand fed him, just a few leaves and I'm very careful. He's so cute watching his little pink tongue come out to grab the food. I've scratched underneath his chin and you'd swear, he was loving it by the way he tilted his head, like a cat. lol


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## IowaGuy28 (Feb 13, 2013)

Torts are more dangerous than wolverines! *giggle*


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## Eloise's mommy (Feb 13, 2013)

Eloise bit me a couple weeks ago!! I posted the story and it sort of hurt but not too bad...she is however only 4 inches long!!


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## redfoot7 (Feb 13, 2013)

I came across a YouTube video of a guy hand feeding a big sulcata zucchini. He was holding a full size zucchini long ways and the tortoise was biting big chunks off effortlessly. I imagine it could of done some damage if a finger got caught up in there.


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## Talka (Feb 13, 2013)

I was stupidly distracted while hand feeding Sheldon, who is only 4" long, and the little stinker made me bleed! Learned my lesson quick.


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## Dizisdalife (Feb 14, 2013)

I would rather be bitten by a big angry parrot than my 3 year old sulcata. It has been a while since he last got a hold of my finger, but I still remember how much it hurt. I still feed him by hand because I enjoy it. Now he seems to know it is my fingers and is not so agressive when he gets close to them. Sometimes he stops chomping as if to say that it's too close to my fingers for him to grab. I have also gotten pretty good at positioning my fingers so they don't go into his mouth. Still, I have to focus on feeding and not get distracted or I could be bitten.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Feb 15, 2013)

IowaGuy28 said:


> Torts are more dangerous than wolverines! *giggle*



Nothing more terrifying that an attack-trained sulcata! 




Dizisdalife said:


> I would rather be bitten by a big angry parrot than my 3 year old sulcata. It has been a while since he last got a hold of my finger, but I still remember how much it hurt. I still feed him by hand because I enjoy it. Now he seems to know it is my fingers and is not so agressive when he gets close to them. Sometimes he stops chomping as if to say that it's too close to my fingers for him to grab. I have also gotten pretty good at positioning my fingers so they don't go into his mouth. Still, I have to focus on feeding and not get distracted or I could be bitten.



Worst I've ever been bitten, by a bird, was my 12-grade girlfriend's dad's parakeet...that little sucker amazed me at how hard he could clamp down! Never had a full size parrot's bite ever hurt that bad!


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