Behavior Question

[Bethany Jerome]

Hey! I am new here and to the tortoise owning world. I just got my desert tortoise a couple of weeks ago and he has the run of my backyard. He is about 7 inches and best guess 5 years old. The last couple of days I have noticed him doing kind of ducking his head in and out of shell kind of aggressively as he wanders/grazes. He will move his front feet in front of his periodically too, then close his eyes and just kind of chill until he sets off again. I thought maybe he was trying to get an itch? So I checked him for any visible parasites/ants, but I couldn't see anything unusual. I do have ants in the backyard, but I dont think there is an excessive amount of them and I havent really seen them as a bother.

Any ideas?

thank you!

 

[ascott]

Hey! I am new here and to the tortoise owning world. I just got my desert tortoise a couple of weeks ago and he has the run of my backyard. He is about 7 inches and best guess 5 years old. The last couple of days I have noticed him doing kind of ducking his head in and out of shell kind of aggressively as he wanders/grazes. He will move his front feet in front of his periodically too, then close his eyes and just kind of chill until he sets off again. I thought maybe he was trying to get an itch? So I checked him for any visible parasites/ants, but I couldn't see anything unusual. I do have ants in the backyard, but I dont think there is an excessive amount of them and I havent really seen them as a bother.

Any ideas?

thank you!

Does it seem like he takes several bites and then does the thing and t hen goes on again? If yes, likely a mouth full and is simply working the mouthful down..if this is what he is doing..then normal...does he have a reliable source of water to drink and soak in?

 

[FujiBaird]

I don't have a desert tortoise, but I have noticed my tortoise doing that head motion when he is having his run of the yard. From what I've observed, mine seems to do it when there is a plant poking in his face...so I suspect he is ducking out of the way of the plant or trying to move it out of his path. But who knows what's going on in those tiny brains of theirs?

 

[Bethany Jerome]

Could just be a full mouth, he does do it between bites. Thank you! I have a terra plant bottom piece I use for his water. It's big enough for him to sit in. I read somewhere else that he shouldn't have 24/7 access to water, is that true or completely false? He did voluntarily get soaked in the sprinklers today lol

Mo does have some crazy ninja moves too when he thinks something is in his way. Haha I'm surprised by how agile they are.

 

[wellington]

Could just be a full mouth, he does do it between bites. Thank you! I have a terra plant bottom piece I use for his water. It's big enough for him to sit in. I read somewhere else that he shouldn't have 24/7 access to water, is that true or completely false? He did voluntarily get soaked in the sprinklers today lol

Mo does have some crazy ninja moves too when he thinks something is in his way. Haha I'm surprised by how agile they are.

Totally false. Water should be available 24/7. Most other sites just are stuck on old outdated info. You won't get that here. Stick to this forum and you won't go wrong for your tort and we even have lots of fun too bye, hello and welcome

 

[Bethany Jerome]

Totally false. Water should be available 24/7. Most other sites just are stuck on old outdated info. You won't get that here. Stick to this forum and you won't go wrong for your tort and we even have lots of fun too bye, hello and welcome

Ok great, thank you!

 

[Tom]

I read somewhere else that he shouldn't have 24/7 access to water, is that true or completely false?

The internet is full of misinformation about tortoises and especially Desert tortoises. They NEED water, just like any other living thing. You should soak him from time to time during hot weather too. By soak him I mean put him in a tall sided, opaque container with warm water about half way up his shell and leave him for 20-30 minutes. I do mine once a week in winter and two or three times a week in summer.

The head retracting thing could be the start of a problem too. Where are you? How they are housed in San Francisco will differ from how they are housed in Palm Springs. How close to the coast are you and what is your over night low temp.

I house DTs just like my russians:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Here are some food suggestions. I typed this up for sulcatas, so just ignore the emphasis on grass and skip to the suggestions list:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[Bethany Jerome]

The internet is full of misinformation about tortoises and especially Desert tortoises. They NEED water, just like any other living thing. You should soak him from time to time during hot weather too. By soak him I mean put him in a tall sided, opaque container with warm water about half way up his shell and leave him for 20-30 minutes. I do mine once a week in winter and two or three times a week in summer.

I thought that water thing was false, just was double checking. I haven't actually seen him drink anything, but he has had access to water. Thanks for the tips on soaking him! I was told he is supposed to be hibernating soon, you still soak him when you hibernate?

We're in AZ. low is 74 overnight

 

[Tom]

I thought that water thing was false, just was double checking. I haven't actually seen him drink anything, but he has had access to water. Thanks for the tips on soaking him! I was told he is supposed to be hibernating soon, you still soak him when you hibernate?

We're in AZ. low is 74 overnight

Its ESPECIALLY good and important to soak them frequently before hibernation and as they come out of hibernation. Soaking them before helps clear their gut, get them well hydrated and flush their kidneys, and bladder. Soaking them after hibernation helps clear all the waste products of their long slumber and gets them rehydrated after not drinking or eating for months.

 

[Bethany Jerome]

Its ESPECIALLY good and important to soak them frequently before hibernation and as they come out of hibernation. Soaking them before helps clear their gut, get them well hydrated and flush their kidneys, and bladder. Soaking them after hibernation helps clear all the wage products of their long slumber and gets them rehydrated after not drinking or eating for months.

Great! I will soak him tomorrow. I knew he needed to be soaked, but couldn't find good information on how to do it so I have been hesitant. And I worded my question wrong. When they are hibernating, I was told they will pop out every now and then for water, or some sun, then go back into hibernation. Do I need to soak him or any other treatment if he does pop out, or not until the spring when he should be done?

And what kind of problems does retracting precede??

 

[Tom]

Soaking them after hibernation helps clear all the wage products of their long slumber and gets them rehydrated after not drinking or eating for months.

WASTE products, not wage… sheesh...

 

[Tom]

Great! I will soak him tomorrow. I knew he needed to be soaked, but couldn't find good information on how to do it so I have been hesitant. And I worded my question wrong. When they are hibernating, I was told they will pop out every now and then for water, or some sun, then go back into hibernation. Do I need to soak him or any other treatment if he does pop out, or not until the spring when he should be done?

This won't happen if you are hibernating them correctly at the correct temperatures. They should not be hibernated above ground outside. The extreme temperature variation is not good for them and its too cold on the really cold winter nights and too warm during the warm sunny winter days.

Mine go down and stay down. They do not come up, walk around, eat, drink or need any attention at all other than monitoring temps.

 

[Tom]

And what kind of problems does retracting precede??

The way you described it, with the long pause and all reminded me of the start of a respiratory infection. This is probably not your issue given your location.

 

[Bethany Jerome]

This won't happen if you are hibernating them correctly at the correct temperatures. They should not be hibernated above ground outside. The extreme temperature variation is not good for them and its too cold on the really cold winter nights and too warm during the warm sunny winter days.

Mine go down and stay down. They do not come up, walk around, eat, drink or need any attention at all other than monitoring temps.

Ok. The burrow I made him is under the dog house in my avatar. So far he has shown little interest and I find him in shallow digs in various places- mostly in the open. He should be fine in there and can dig plenty deep.. any suggestion on encouraging him to use it? I moved the tile piece and placed it in front so the opening isn't so big. Inside it declines a little towards the back. it has dirt piled up on the sides and back pretty thick. I have another shelter that isn't sheltered/insulated as much that I find him in, but I keep hoping he will finally accept the one I actually made for him.

Sorry my questions are getting so far off the original question! I appreciate the information though! And I will look out for other symptoms for a respiratory infection just in case.

 

[ascott]

Ok. The burrow I made him is under the dog house in my avatar. So far he has shown little interest and I find him in shallow digs in various places- mostly in the open. He should be fine in there and can dig plenty deep.. any suggestion on encouraging him to use it? I moved the tile piece and placed it in front so the opening isn't so big. Inside it declines a little towards the back. it has dirt piled up on the sides and back pretty thick. I have another shelter that isn't sheltered/insulated as much that I find him in, but I keep hoping he will finally accept the one I actually made for him.

Sorry my questions are getting so far off the original question! I appreciate the information though! And I will look out for other symptoms for a respiratory infection just in case.

If you have had this tortoise for the short time you mentioned..I would not brumate this tortoise this year. You have not had this tortoise long enough to be familiar with its normal behavior..this is very important so that you can key in quickly if the behavior changes..you also mentioned something about a water dish in the space being required or not..the tortoise requires hydration, so you can leave a large water dish in the enclosure full time..some folks will choose to soak a tort daily once or twice and not leave a large dish in the space to avoid flipping hazard Iin which a tort may flip and land upside down in the water and not be able to flip back right side and eventually drowns...so there are a variety of reasons people choose to do what they feel is right for the tortoise in their care..also, not all "old" ways are bad..regardless of what some may promote.

 

[ascott]

Great! I will soak him tomorrow. I knew he needed to be soaked, but couldn't find good information on how to do it so I have been hesitant. And I worded my question wrong. When they are hibernating, I was told they will pop out every now and then for water, or some sun, then go back into hibernation. Do I need to soak him or any other treatment if he does pop out, or not until the spring when he should be done?

And what kind of problems does retracting precede??

Yes, brumation is a tad different than true hibernation. CDTs absolutely will rouse some during brumation if the situation is right..now, if the tort is being brumated indoors they act a bit different than when they brumate outdoors..whilst indoors their environment is so much more controlled, so you will likely only have a tort that moves a leg or slight position within their hibernacle vs outdoors there are so many variables that if in a more natural climate you will find a tort out on mild days as well as you may spot one out after a long rain drinking a bit and then disappear back in their burrow...I have observed them also resting at the apron of their burrow on a mild winter day..so completely depends on if in a box or in a burrow...I personally have a preference for them brumating in the box when a forced captive tortoise..even though I get the same weather here as they do in the wild..my property is not their wild...here in the desert riverways and flash flood waterways can form in less than a half hour when the rain feels like it...so I find , in my personal hands on experience, indoors is safer and also less stressful on the human host (me)..I have had my share of flooding property working water away from burrows with brumating torts inside...I have slopped rushing mud out of and away from burrow entrances with flooding and stuck tortoise...Arizona is largely a place that can also work in 5he like manner..so please plan over the nedt year the best location for a successful hibernacle...also, we get below freezing periods as well..you really do not want a tort to freeze in a outdoor manmade hide..lots to conside4 when hosting amspecies that brumates...but once you educate yourself..it is a system than can readily be set up..