Behavioral Cues for Stress/Contentment

[DoomsdayHeartAttackTort]

I’m a newer caretaker but have been learning about torts for a while before adopting one. I’m very interested in cognition and behavior. With mammals there is so much info about instinctual behaviors/body language and how to fulfill those instinctual needs. I haven’t been able to find as much about tortoises. With transitioning my tortoise to an outdoor enclosure I’ve been thinking a lot about these questions. Trying to determine how he’s feeling.


How can we interpret stress level from our torts behavior?

How do we gauge quality of life?

Is climbing up and diving off rocks a natural behavior that is enjoyable?

How much hiding starts to indicate more serious discomfort?

Do males exhibit changes in behavior during spring even if there is no female? What behaviors and at what age/stage would they start that behavior?

Has anyone else come across their male tortoise digging only their tale into the substrate? Like made a tiny tail hole?

Has anyone made helpful observations for understanding our tortoises better?

Love to hear anyone’s thoughts.

 

[Mikki]

I’m a newer caretaker but have been learning about torts for a while before adopting one. I’m very interested in cognition and behavior. With mammals there is so much info about instinctual behaviors/body language and how to fulfill those instinctual needs. I haven’t been able to find as much about tortoises. With transitioning my tortoise to an outdoor enclosure I’ve been thinking a lot about these questions. Trying to determine how he’s feeling.


How can we interpret stress level from our torts behavior?

How do we gauge quality of life?

Is climbing up and diving off rocks a natural behavior that is enjoyable?

How much hiding starts to indicate more serious discomfort?

Do males exhibit changes in behavior during spring even if there is no female? What behaviors and at what age/stage would they start that behavior?

Has anyone else come across their male tortoise digging only their tale into the substrate? Like made a tiny tail hole?

Has anyone made helpful observations for understanding our tortoises better?

Love to hear anyone’s thoughts.

I have a 3 year old male Sulcata. Yes I know 100% that's Scooter is a male. Last year around this time was when it started that he put me notice. For about a month every morning he let me know he was a male and honestly I thought he just discovered this himself and really didn't know what to do with it. When he went to the bathroom it came out, then he'd hump the ground and I thought of OH GOSH my 2 sons are 34 & 30, now I'm dealing with this! His personality changed just a little bit, but not aggressive or anything. Just more rambunctious i would say. Then it stopped!! I still would see it come out at times when he pooped but he put it right back in and that was that. Here I am now middle of May and he's been doing this for about a week now. There is no female around btw! Hopefully it STOPS again...
Tortoises love to climb, they love to walk their path in their outside area for hours(I call it walking his miles). My Scooter gets stressed when strangers come into his enclosure area. I've had company from PA in April and again this month. Both times he got really pissed, he hid, didn't want to be touched, he would literally turn his back to me if I looked at him for him to come out of hiding. He would not socialize, I tried feeding him. I pulled him out to show him I got food and he wouldn't eat he marched his butt back to his hiding spot. If he hears a voice he doesn't know, or sees a face he doesn't know, he isn't going to be your friend. Scooter will run to me as soon as he sees me coming, he waits by the stairs for me every day at the same time, looks up at the landing deck to see if he can see me and follows me all over his property area. He let's me touch him and rub his neck, chin, etc. He will put his leg on my leg as if he wants to climb up it if he circles me and I ignore rubbing him. However,
if I bring a stranger into his enclosure I'm a nobody to him! If I rearrange or work on things in his area he's ok, he likes to be in the middle of it and walk through what ever you're trying to do. I don't think that's stress, i think its a playful thing cuz he wants center of attention or FOOD. I'm the refrigerator. When I moved back in February he was really stressed. I moved 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the old home and the first 2 weeks he tried to go back home. He B lined it in the direction and I walked with him for a little ways until I realized I had to carry him back lol. He stayed in a big dog cage that had all the heaters etc set up in it and I took him outside during the day. Then I set up a temporary outside day time area for him and he can't in at night. Now his whole area is done. That was the hardest part of the whole move. The grass he had since a hatchling was floratam and the grass at the new home is bahia. He wouldn't eat the grass for 2 months. I was cutting it up in his greens just like I did to get him to eat grass as a baby. I was going to the old home and picking bags full of grass to give him so he would have grass and he ate it so fast like he was starving for it. I planted floratam plugs in his new area. He was eating orchard hay if it had warm water on it. I was freaking stressed out over how he was cuz he HATED the move.. He didn't mind staying in the house tho. Now he's ok and the new place is now home. He eats the grass just fine now too. One last thing is going to the vet. Car ride is good, he's in a tote and that's ok. As soon as a stranger tho(vet tech or vet) wants to look or touch him he's tucking and pissed off! The stethoscope got stuck cuz he tucked and the vet couldn't get it out. If you tickle there feet tho they release and slowly poke their out.
Sorry so long but wanted to tell ya what I've witnessed with my tortoise and my thoughts on this. This is an important subject to me as well

 

[DoomsdayHeartAttackTort]

I have a 3 year old male Sulcata. Yes I know 100% that's Scooter is a male. Last year around this time was when it started that he put me notice. For about a month every morning he let me know he was a male and honestly I thought he just discovered this himself and really didn't know what to do with it. When he went to the bathroom it came out, then he'd hump the ground and I thought of OH GOSH my 2 sons are 34 & 30, now I'm dealing with this! His personality changed just a little bit, but not aggressive or anything. Just more rambunctious i would say. Then it stopped!! I still would see it come out at times when he pooped but he put it right back in and that was that. Here I am now middle of May and he's been doing this for about a week now. There is no female around btw! Hopefully it STOPS again...
Tortoises love to climb, they love to walk their path in their outside area for hours(I call it walking his miles). My Scooter gets stressed when strangers come into his enclosure area. I've had company from PA in April and again this month. Both times he got really pissed, he hid, didn't want to be touched, he would literally turn his back to me if I looked at him for him to come out of hiding. He would not socialize, I tried feeding him. I pulled him out to show him I got food and he wouldn't eat he marched his butt back to his hiding spot. If he hears a voice he doesn't know, or sees a face he doesn't know, he isn't going to be your friend. Scooter will run to me as soon as he sees me coming, he waits by the stairs for me every day at the same time, looks up at the landing deck to see if he can see me and follows me all over his property area. He let's me touch him and rub his neck, chin, etc. He will put his leg on my leg as if he wants to climb up it if he circles me and I ignore rubbing him. However,
if I bring a stranger into his enclosure I'm a nobody to him! If I rearrange or work on things in his area he's ok, he likes to be in the middle of it and walk through what ever you're trying to do. I don't think that's stress, i think its a playful thing cuz he wants center of attention or FOOD. I'm the refrigerator. When I moved back in February he was really stressed. I moved 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the old home and the first 2 weeks he tried to go back home. He B lined it in the direction and I walked with him for a little ways until I realized I had to carry him back lol. He stayed in a big dog cage that had all the heaters etc set up in it and I took him outside during the day. Then I set up a temporary outside day time area for him and he can't in at night. Now his whole area is done. That was the hardest part of the whole move. The grass he had since a hatchling was floratam and the grass at the new home is bahia. He wouldn't eat the grass for 2 months. I was cutting it up in his greens just like I did to get him to eat grass as a baby. I was going to the old home and picking bags full of grass to give him so he would have grass and he ate it so fast like he was starving for it. I planted floratam plugs in his new area. He was eating orchard hay if it had warm water on it. I was freaking stressed out over how he was cuz he HATED the move.. He didn't mind staying in the house tho. Now he's ok and the new place is now home. He eats the grass just fine now too. One last thing is going to the vet. Car ride is good, he's in a tote and that's ok. As soon as a stranger tho(vet tech or vet) wants to look or touch him he's tucking and pissed off! The stethoscope got stuck cuz he tucked and the vet couldn't get it out. If you tickle there feet tho they release and slowly poke their out.
Sorry so long but wanted to tell ya what I've witnessed with my tortoise and my thoughts on this. This is an important subject to me as well

Thank you for the long reply! It’s good to have stories about changes in behavior other people notice. I’ve also noticed the 2 major moods being curious or shut down/grumpy.
Either he’s interested and in an exploring mood or he wants nothing to do with anyone/anything

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Russian tortoises are amongst the most active. And get a reputation for being on the curious and even grumpy side.
They are climbing and escape artists and are often fiercely territorial.
They are very smart.
However, I do not keep Russian. And my entire experience. Though memorable was based on about a 5 week span when I was attempting to babysit one.

If Redfoot are the most calm.....I think that Russian are the most active.

 

[SinLA]

Russian tortoises are amongst the most active. And get a reputation for being on the curious and even grumpy side.
They are climbing and escape artists and are often fiercely territorial.
They are very smart.
However, I do not keep Russian. And my entire experience. Though memorable was based on about a 5 week span when I was attempting to babysit one.

If Redfoot are the most calm.....I think that Russian are the most active.

From my sample size of one, i can definitely say not all of them. My Russian is beyond boring compared to the stereotype. he doesn't climb, he doesn't wander, he doesn't pace, he doesn't even move from point A to point B a huge amount at all. He has given me scares by hunkering down to where I can't find him, but doesn't seem that interesting in escaping per se. He's kind of a "bump on a log" sort of tortoise...