Carl the... ruthless murderer?

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Carl has done this three times, and all times were very similar.

The first time, I crushed up some cuttle bone in his soak and put a heat lamp on him so that he could soak for a while. Even though he had always looked at cuttle bone with disgust before, he felt the need to try and eat every single piece of cuttle bone that wasn't quite crushed up enough. I stuck my hand in to try and help him grab a piece, and he went for my hand! I thought he just mistook it for some cuttle bone, but then I moved it and he would chase my hand around his soaking tub.

Second and third time, it's basically the same thing only remove the cuttle bone. The third time was yesterday morning. I stuck my hand in to see if he would crawl up onto it like he does sometimes when he just really doesn't want to soak anymore, and he ran up to it, sniffed it for a bit, then tried to bite me. It doesn't seem aggressive, he just acts like my hands smell REALLY tasty.

It's always when he's soaking, and when the heat lamp is on. Now, sometimes he'll soak with the heat lamp on and he will be his normal, placid self.

Any suggestions on what his deal is?

 

[dmmj]

He is simply defending his territory, nothing more nothing less. It is what the majority of tortoises do. Since he only does it around his water bowl, he has more than likely decided that is his territory and thus he defends it so.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

He's two inches... I didn't know they started that early!

 

[EKLC]

My tort does this when I'm hand feeding him. He'll go: cactus, cactus, thumb. I think he's just caught up in the feeding frenzy

 

[yagyujubei]

He is simply trying to tell you to keep your hands out of his bath water.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Hmm, it really didn't seem territorial to me, especially since he really sniffed at me before hand... but I guess little two inch Carl thinks he can take me on

 

[ascott]

Territorial is a fair opinion. I also think that sometimes they are just curious and love to taste everything...maybe he just thinks it is fun when he does it and gets a reaction....lol...just saying is all...hey, how to we really know what goes through another critters mind....just stay a step ahead whilst playing in the bath with him....

 

[tyler0912]

I agree with the above post
Tietá Does this all the sime i hang my hand in the enclosure and she will come and sit under my hand so my hand is resting on her shell and then she will shake here butt or move forward and make like im stroking her...But bites me if i dont stroke her :')
Tiny Tearaways.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

I agree with the above post
Tietá Does this all the sime i hang my hand in the enclosure and she will come and sit under my hand so my hand is resting on her shell and then she will shake here butt or move forward and make like im stroking her...But bites me if i dont stroke her :')
Tiny Tearaways.

Aww! Carl has bitten me only one other time and that was when I was handfeeding him and the piece got really small Thankfully he's too small right now to cause any real damage but with how much it hurts when he bits me now, I really hope I can get him out of this "phase" before he grows up

 

[CactusVinnie]

No territorial LOL! It is still small for that, and not even as adult, they will not usually perceive you as an intruder- if you are a tortoise, then watch out! And... he just try to eat you! You are tempting him. They don't get out of this phase- if tempted, they will often try to bite even as adults.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Perhaps your fingers smell like food...wash them just before interacting w/ him, see if he still tries to eat you.