Another obsevation of Butt wiggling and why?

ZEROPILOT

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Most of us have seen or heard of tortoise wiggling their rear ends when water or a hand or a soft brush touches the rear area of the shell and there has been talk about it being an enjoyable reaction or something else....
This is not a scientific test. Just an interesting observation: Recently, my ill Redfoot female slipped into a state that looked like she was dead and remained there for most of the day. Limp limbs. Head limp. Eyes open and glazed over. There was no movement or even reaction to touching her feet, etc. I even touched her eyeball with my finger. Nothing. She had pooped all over herself,so I decided to wash her and get her ready for burial the next day and I was surprised to notice that when I washed her "butt" area, she wiggled her rear back and forth.
This from an animal that was for all the world dead.
She has since made a very slow recovery and continues to live, but it got me convinced that this reaction is a reflex and not a conscious pleasure reaction. Since an unconscious tortoise did it.
My big male gets his water changed every day and he walks to the hose and every day I spray him with water and he wiggles. Now, I'm thinking is it something he likes or maybe I've been annoying him every day.
Maybe it's far more difficult than I imagined to get into the mind of a tortoise.
 

spud's_mum

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If it is a reflex, shouldn't all tortoises get it?
Spud doesn't do it.

I love it when they butt wiggle though; it's so cute!
 

ZEROPILOT

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Also I've heard about tortoises going up to bushes etc and wiggling their butt on it voluntarily.
Surely it's a nice feeling o_O
I have brushes mounted in my pens that I have seen them brushing up against. They are there for that purpose.
Could it feel so good that even a tortoise in severe distress could like it that much?
 

johnandjade

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every once in a while our guy will do 'the wiggle' or 'twerking' as we call it when he walks under his plastic plant.. we thought it was him just having a scaratch?

found a funny vid on you tube of a turtle doing it under a tap, i'll try post a link
 

ZEROPILOT

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Or maybe it tickles.
That would explain why some just don't.
And idk about you, but if I get tickled I can't help but move!

I just tried ticking spuds butt.
He just stretched his head out and looked at me like "wtf are you doing?"
Tickling could be an involuntary reaction I think.
 

johnandjade

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i've read that males will do it as a way of sayin 'hey i aint female! get away from there' lol. good post though, really curious about this behaviour as well.
 

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i've read that males will do it as a way of sayin 'hey i aint female! get away from there' lol. good post though, really curious about this behaviour as well.
My male is the best wiggler I've ever seen. He goes completely sideways!
 

Gillian M

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Oli does it every now and then. The first thing that crossed my mind was that he was scratching.
 

Gillian M

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Tidgy's Dad

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Tidgy did this a few times a couple of years ago, but only after she had been eating Shepherd's Purse.
The little pointy stems got stuck when she tried to pass them.
Other than this , never.
 

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