# Tortoise Enrichment



## 2turtletom (Feb 28, 2020)

I developed a way for my captive tortoises to stretch a little bit in order to eat their food. Have you done something similar? I figure it gives them exercise and helps them use more muscles than just eating from a plate of chopped food. I'll probably do this about twice a week.


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## bouaboua (Feb 28, 2020)

Nice. We also let our tortoise roam the yard to have their excises.


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 28, 2020)

I don't do that with food, but I spent a lot of time with my big Sulcata teaching him how to play soccer with a 5 gallon bucket, I taught him how to follow my wiggling fingers when I take him somewhere which really helps when they are over 100 pounds...I spent my time with him trying to enrich him mentally and to make him use his brain. I think some worked as he was a very smart and very outgoing...


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## 2turtletom (Feb 28, 2020)

maggie18fan said:


> I don't do that with food, but I spent a lot of time with my big Sulcata teaching him how to play soccer with a 5 gallon bucket, I taught him how to follow my wiggling fingers when I take him somewhere which really helps when they are over 100 pounds...I spent my time with him trying to enrich him mentally and to make him use his brain. I think some worked as he was a very smart and very outgoing...


That's awesome Maggie. I would love to see a video of your Sulcata playing soccer with a bucket!


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## 2turtletom (Feb 28, 2020)

bouaboua said:


> Nice. We also let our tortoise roam the yard to have their excises.


My guys are outside for summer, where they get a ton of enrichment, but in the winter, they don't get nearly the exercise, hence this little experiment.


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 28, 2020)

2turtletom said:


> That's awesome Maggie. I would love to see a video of your Sulcata playing soccer with a bucket!


I would like to see a video of him also unfortunately, there is no video...


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## Toddrickfl1 (Feb 29, 2020)

My guy uses a rock, or a bush, or a log to enrich himself


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 29, 2020)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> My guy uses a rock, or a bush, or a log to enrich himself


OMG! lmao...hopefully there is no video...


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## Venetia (Mar 1, 2020)

My 100lb boy “ pretzelgriff” gets quite a bit of enrichment from 2 stacked bags of G&B organic farmyard blend (garden soil ). And n


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## Maggie3fan (Mar 1, 2020)

Venetia said:


> My 100lb boy “ pretzelgriff” gets quite a bit of enrichment from 2 stacked bags of G&B organic farmyard blend (garden soil ). And n


How about some photos of him...? I love seeing bigger tortoises instead of cute hatchlings all the time...my Bob was abt 125 lbs when he died...


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## Venetia (Mar 1, 2020)

Venetia said:


> My 100lb boy “ pretzelgriff” gets quite a bit of enrichment from 2 stacked bags of G&B organic farmyard blend (garden soil ). I like your 5 gallon bucket idea, (much easier to explain to the neighborhood kids if they ever come back again). Thanks for sharing.


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## Venetia (Mar 1, 2020)

If I can figure out how to add pictures using only my I phone I will.


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## Venetia (Mar 1, 2020)




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## Venetia (Mar 1, 2020)

Venetia said:


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## Sa Ga (Mar 1, 2020)

Venetia said:


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He's gorgeous!


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## 2turtletom (Mar 1, 2020)

Venetia said:


> My 100lb boy “ pretzelgriff” gets quite a bit of enrichment from 2 stacked bags of G&B organic farmyard blend (garden soil ). And n



Oh boy, this thread isn't going the way I thought it might! ???


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## Sa Ga (Mar 1, 2020)

Boys will be boys, I guess! Lol


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## TammyJ (Mar 2, 2020)

Venetia said:


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I see that the sulcata certainly has definite ideas of how best to enrich himself. And no unwanted children!!!


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## Maggie3fan (Mar 2, 2020)

Venetia said:


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Love your pictures...he's beautiful...


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## Cathie G (Mar 2, 2020)

Venetia said:


> If I can figure out how to add pictures using only my I phone I will.


I figured out a way on my little phone. Either send a text or email of your pictures. Then download it. When you want to upload a photo on TFO choose documents. It will let you post a photo.


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## Cathie G (Mar 2, 2020)

Cathie G said:


> I figured out a way on my little phone. Either send a text or email of your pictures. Then download it. When you want to upload a photo on TFO choose documents. It will let you post a photo.


Sorry, I didn't see you figured it out. Too cute.


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## Cathie G (Mar 2, 2020)

2turtletom said:


> I developed a way for my captive tortoises to stretch a little bit in order to eat their food. Have you done something similar? I figure it gives them exercise and helps them use more muscles than just eating from a plate of chopped food. I'll probably do this about twice a week.


I've been trying to figure out a vining plant to try something similar for winter. I have a cute planter bought for that. In the meantime I could try that method with a quick hook and see what my little guy thinks.?


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## jsheffield (Mar 2, 2020)

In the green seasons, I cut branches from maples in our yard for my torts... I put leaves and branches in their inside and outside enclosures and they seem to get a kick out of nibbling, exploring, arranging, and rearranging the leaves and branches.

I also put their food in different spots around the enclosures.

When I do the big monthly cleanout of the enclosures (as opposed to daily spot-cleans and weekly muck-outs), I'll normally switch out the plantings in the enclosures, and change the positioning of the plants a bit.

A few times a year I alter the timers controlling their lighting, setting the lights to go off for 1-3 times for 15 minutes at some point in the day.

Not huge things, but I think it stimulates the torts a bit and keeps them on their toes....

Jamie


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## SPILL (Mar 2, 2020)

We got a new store this winter that sells moringa and mulberry leaves on the branch and grape, squash, melon, and sweet potato leaves on the vine. Having the branches stood and the vines strewn about the cage elicits a feeding response that almost borders on aggression.


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## 2turtletom (Mar 2, 2020)

SPILL said:


> We got a new store this winter that sells moringa and mulberry leaves on the branch and grape, squash, melon, and sweet potato leaves on the vine. Having the branches stood and the vines strewn about the cage elicits a feeding response that almost borders on aggression.



Fascinating! Is this store a pet store or does it sell those things for people? Great to see this is triggering a great feeding response. I'd definitely encourage more keepers to come up with creative ways to present food to their tortoises.


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## Sa Ga (Mar 2, 2020)

TammyJ said:


> I see that the sulcata certainly has definite ideas of how best to enrich himself. And no unwanted children!!!


Better bags of soil than the poor family dog!


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## Sa Ga (Mar 2, 2020)

Like a movie poster for "The Strangers: Tortie Time!"


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## SPILL (Mar 3, 2020)

2turtletom said:


> Fascinating! Is this store a pet store or does it sell those things for people? Great to see this is triggering a great feeding response. I'd definitely encourage more keepers to come up with creative ways to present food to their tortoises.


It's for people. I always mix up the name. It's either Asian International or International Asian.


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