# How often will tort display "fanning"?



## sylviasmum (Apr 17, 2012)

Traumatised after experiencing tortoise fanning yesterday and realising my torter (tortoise daughter) is a boy :'(

I'm away from her/him at the minute but apparently (s)he has done it again today.

Sylvia (my tortoise) is only 2 and a half, do you think he is going to be fanning regularly while he is sort of 'discovering' it, or do they tend to do it a lot anyway? (I hope not because it is disgusting!)

Would really appreciate your help, advanced thanks.


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## dmmj (Apr 17, 2012)

I don't think you will like my answer. Some stop after awhile, others continue to do so forever. No way to tell, you could always avert your eyes when he does it.


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## sylviasmum (Apr 17, 2012)

If they continue to do it forever though, do they do it often or just occassionally? I used to cuddle up with her all the time and now I won't be able to in case he does that :'(


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## dmarcus (Apr 17, 2012)

They tend to start acting a certain way when it happens, once you figure out those actions then you can just look away. Like was said some will stop and others won't.

O yeah, welcome to the forum...


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## dmmj (Apr 17, 2012)

Usually occasionally, but like I said no real way to tell. He is male and he has discovered himself, so he has got a lot of free time on his hands (so to speak)


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## ascott (Apr 17, 2012)

> (I hope not because it is disgusting!)



HAHAHAHHAHHA....LMAOfff here, rolling on the ground...baaaahhhaaaahaaa....I don't know why this strikes me as so damn funny.....

Ah ok, come on now----if you think about it, it is kinda a fricken weird and yet awesome "flower" kinda thing going on???? No, didn't work thinking about it that way??

Well, then maybe as Captain says....just look away....oh but wait, I have to ask---has he started making the moaning and groaning and grunting noises yet?? Perhaps if you place a smooth rounded rock in his enclosure he can handle his business from time to time and perhaps won't be like hanging out all the time???? Plus, if you give him the rock you will know when not too look because you will his his little grunting noise....kinda like this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQBMVFNaYLs


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## dmarcus (Apr 17, 2012)

My wife is mentally traumatized everytime our Sulcata does it, lol. You will hear strange sounds and when you look at him, you get a shock...


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## ascott (Apr 17, 2012)

> I used to cuddle up with her all the time and now I won't be able to in case he does that :'(



*rolling on the ground here, feeling terrible that I can not stop* 

Ah, love em anyways ....he truly can not help himself....he is young, there is a breeze---ah that feels good and oooopss there it goes....be patient and understanding with him....lol


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## MarcaineArt (Apr 17, 2012)

I had not yet heard the term "fanning" so this post caught my attention. I too found it funny though I know that wasn't the intent. 

Maybe if you got him/her a "partner" it would alleviate some of the "tension"


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## dmmj (Apr 17, 2012)

A partner might stop him from flashing, but he would want to be mating 24/7


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## Yvonne G (Apr 17, 2012)

Hi Sylviasmom:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

and may we know appx. where in the world you are?

What kind of tortoise is Sylvia?

The males usually display when the realize they have that equipment...when they start to become sexually mature. Once they "get it," they usually don't do it anymore.


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## sylviasmum (Apr 17, 2012)

we are in the UK and Sylvia is a russian tort. Thanks for all your advice.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 17, 2012)

Welcome.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Apr 20, 2012)

He's trying to tell you that he's NOT a female and resents you treating him as such, so I'd start by renaming him something a bit more macho...


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## dmmj (Apr 20, 2012)

Terry Allan Hall said:


> He's trying to tell you that he's NOT a female and resents you treating him as such, so I'd start by renaming him something a bit more macho...


You know whenever I do that, it always ends badly, and often times with screams.


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## wellington (Apr 20, 2012)

dmmj said:


> Usually occasionally, but like I said no real way to tell. He is male and he has discovered himself, so he has got a lot of free time on his hands (so to speak)



OMG LOL, TOO FUNNY, sorry it cracked me up 



ascott said:


> > I used to cuddle up with her all the time and now I won't be able to in case he does that :'(
> 
> 
> 
> ...



STOP IT, I am almost in tears cracking up.every time this subject comes up, oops, lol, lol, no pun intended, lol hahahaha. Now can't stop and the pictures in my mind are going to haunt me. Lol, lol


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## Oogway (Apr 20, 2012)

what exactly does fanning mean, and can you upload photo?


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## JoesMum (Apr 20, 2012)

*RE: How often will tort display "fanning"?*



Oogway said:


> what exactly does fanning mean, and can you upload photo?



She means her male tort is displaying his penis, more commonly known as flashing


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## Terry Allan Hall (Apr 20, 2012)

dmmj said:


> Terry Allan Hall said:
> 
> 
> > He's trying to tell you that he's NOT a female and resents you treating him as such, so I'd start by renaming him something a bit more macho...
> ...



I feel your pain, Captain...not everyone recognizes the gifts we offer them...


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## sylviasmum (Apr 21, 2012)

The name stays. It's fine. As one of my friends pointed out, it's a good way to smash gender boundaries  haha. And for years the dream was to have a tortoise named after my favourite poet (sylvia plath) and sit under trees together and read..ok so sylvia doesn't read and we don't sit under trees so I've gotta cling on to the only remaining part of that dream


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## Oogway (Apr 21, 2012)

hahahaa  i just googled "tortoise penis" and i now understand why its a problem for you


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## sylviasmum (Apr 22, 2012)

Haha. It ain't pretty is it! apparently he's toned it down a bit now. did it for the first three days and has kept it under wraps since. so fingers crossed he keeps it that way most of the time.


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## leopard777 (May 22, 2012)

sylviasmum said:


> Haha. It ain't pretty is it! apparently he's toned it down a bit now. did it for the first three days and has kept it under wraps since. so fingers crossed he keeps it that way most of the time.



any pics of it fanning ?


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## bigred (May 22, 2012)

leopard777 said:


> sylviasmum said:
> 
> 
> > Haha. It ain't pretty is it! apparently he's toned it down a bit now. did it for the first three days and has kept it under wraps since. so fingers crossed he keeps it that way most of the time.
> ...



You asked for it. This is henry the horny tort


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## tyrs4u (May 22, 2012)

*RE: How often will tort display "fanning"?*

Wow! It lifts him... I want him to be a stud for y hear ;-)


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## dmmj (May 22, 2012)

Well I don't know it looks painful to me.


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## clare n (May 23, 2012)

*RE: How often will tort display "fanning"?*

Holy ****! That thing is half his body size?! I feel a bit queasy... That's not pretty. Not pretty at all lol

Damn you morbid fascination, I just looked again. That is grim I know it's nature etc but I've never seen anything like that in my life lol that's enough, no more lol


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## JoesMum (May 23, 2012)

Once seen, never forgotten.  It's when you see it that you know you definitely have a male 

To be fair, as they grow out of the hormonal teenager stage you see it less often. Joe 'only' has his out when he's mating... with the watering can/slug pub/flower pot/trainer/drain cover/...


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## Baoh (May 23, 2012)

After my males do this for the first time, they tend not to do it again or do it on a very infrequent basis.


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## kurmaraja12 (May 23, 2012)

*RE: How often will tort display "fanning"?*



bigred said:


> You asked for it. This is henry the horny tort



I'm scarred  haha wow


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## bigred (May 23, 2012)

JoesMum said:


> Once seen, never forgotten.  It's when you see it that you know you definitely have a male
> 
> To be fair, as they grow out of the hormonal teenager stage you see it less often. Joe 'only' has his out when he's mating... with the watering can/slug pub/flower pot/trainer/drain cover/...



Henry does this quite a bit, Im sure all males are different as far as how often this happens


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## tyrs4u (May 23, 2012)

*RE: How often will tort display "fanning"?*

Im excited to see my 1st Sulcata one... I now that sounds gross; but ill Know which is the lad


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## bigred (May 23, 2012)

*RE: How often will tort display "fanning"?*



tyrs4u said:


> Im excited to see my 1st Sulcata one... I now that sounds gross; but ill Know which is the lad



That one sure way of knowing, just gotta keep an eye on them


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## tyrs4u (May 23, 2012)

*RE: How often will tort display "fanning"?*

Im probably going to freak when i see it... Tiny ones sure... But full red foots or sulcatas yikes...


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