Do tortoises play?

jaizei

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I didn't see it in the linked article above, but iirc, one of the ways they identified 'play' was by watching the videos sped up. Actions that didn't have significance at 'turtle speed' appeared in a different light, more closely resembling what humans think of as play.
 

Throckmortok

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Yeah!!! The article talks about how they find enjoyment from pushing things like balls around! I noticed this when I had crinckled packing paper on the ground, my buddy loveddd to push it around hahah. Tortoises are so cool! I love watching sped up videos of them - the things we never noticed before because it was so slow come to light 😄
 

SasquatchTortoise

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Most animals seem to ’play’ in some way or another, including Arthropods, reptiles, etc. It isn’t the same type of play that us mammals participate in, however.
Go outside and find a jumping spider. They’re quite inquisitive and they’ll voluntarily jump on you if you move slowly. I suppose this could be classified as a sort of curious play
 

Cathie G

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Well... I figure they do the same type of play a baby human does in some ways. It's just developmental exercise for reptiles though. 😁🐢 Whatever you do don't stop trying to figure out what they'll do next 😜you gotta give them a safe place to play. So watching them will help you and make you think. I think that's what I love about them the most ☺️
 

TammyJ

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Most animals seem to ’play’ in some way or another, including Arthropods, reptiles, etc. It isn’t the same type of play that us mammals participate in, however.
Go outside and find a jumping spider. They’re quite inquisitive and they’ll voluntarily jump on you if you move slowly. I suppose this could be classified as a sort of curious play
This is a behaviour they have evolved to do because of a particular need.
 

Cathie G

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My PB Leopard plays I hide you have heart attack! In the center invisible to the naked eye is my PB Leopard-chrushes and stomps every thing else BUT not the Hostas!!!! Better to play this game with dad!
Me and Sapphire play hide and seek every evening too.😁🤗😁😁😁
 

Maggie3fan

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It sounds like I conceptualize "play" a bit differently than you do in this context :)
My definition of "play" for an animal is quite loose, but at its most basic form I think of "play" as "a behavior an animal does for pleasure" which is inclusive of many behaviors since animals tend to derive pleasure from practicing their natural behaviors, or learning new skills, etc.
For many dogs, chasing a toy (a miming or practice of the life skill of hunting) is definitely playing; for horses running can be a form of play. Since reptiles are capable of pleasure, I would surmise that they are as a whole capable of play.
What makes you think they aren't capable of pleasure?
 

Maggie3fan

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What makes you think they are capable of pleasure?
This is Mary Knobbins...she sure looks like she's feeling pleasure in the sprinkler...100_7676.JPG
But I do believe that playing with the tire gives her the most pleasure.100_0437.JPGthis is actually a video as she is walking along with her tire. I am not an expert, just a pet person but I did have a large Sulcata that I played soccer with. I would throw an empty 5 gallon bucket at him and he would ram and butt it and shove it in my direction. We'd do that daily and he cooperated and acted as if he liked it. I do believe he was more intelligent than most torts.
Mary could get out of the sprinkler if she wanted...
I'm not sure she enjoyed this part of playing with the tire...but I did...lol100_8157.JPG
lolololol100_8156.JPG
Yes, I do believ they have the ability to play and feel pleasure
 

zolasmum

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This is Mary Knobbins...she sure looks like she's feeling pleasure in the sprinkler...View attachment 346530
But I do believe that playing with the tire gives her the most pleasure.View attachment 346531this is actually a video as she is walking along with her tire. I am not an expert, just a pet person but I did have a large Sulcata that I played soccer with. I would throw an empty 5 gallon bucket at him and he would ram and butt it and shove it in my direction. We'd do that daily and he cooperated and acted as if he liked it. I do believe he was more intelligent than most torts.
Mary could get out of the sprinkler if she wanted...
I'm not sure she enjoyed this part of playing with the tire...but I did...lolView attachment 346533
lololololView attachment 346535
Yes, I do believ they have the ability to play and feel pleasure
One can never get tired of seeing photos of Mary Knobbins - and I hope she has as much pleasure in her various occupations as I get from looking at her !
Angie
 

TammyJ

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Most animals seem to ’play’ in some way or another, including Arthropods, reptiles, etc. It isn’t the same type of play that us mammals participate in, however.
Go outside and find a jumping spider. They’re quite inquisitive and they’ll voluntarily jump on you if you move slowly. I suppose this could be classified as a sort of curious play
No it's not playing. They do it for a reason and it's a part of evolution and survival.
 

Dragon

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I’m curious to hear what you think! I’m brand new to owning a tortoise, like only five days into it. Do tortoises play? If so, what does that play look like? Does it cart from different tortoise types? I’ve got a Russian tortoise if that helps. Does your turtles play, if it does play, involve you?
i have a russian myself...only had her
I’m curious to hear what you think! I’m brand new to owning a tortoise, like only five days into it. Do tortoises play? If so, what does that play look like? Does it cart from different tortoise types? I’ve got a Russian tortoise if that helps. Does your turtles play, if it does play, involve you?
i also have an adult russian.... im still pretty new as a tort mom....iv only had sissy humm maybe 6 months now, id have to look at her receit to be sure lol This is a great group and they will help you every step of the way!! although torts dont play you can give them an interesting life.....like plants in there house.....sissy dosnt have one yet but im trying to figure out which plant would grow best in her inside house.... im thinking of getting a tree branch in with with her to see if she might like climbing on it. I mightalso try to put another flat rock in her house now that shes being more active.....one thing i do is i got a plastic cat toy ball with holes in it and i stick some of her food ( leaf like stuff)) in the holes with a bit of it sticking out....she simply loves that!! i dont do it every day as i dont want her to get board with it....but its a sort of treat for both of us.... others have proubly told you but just in case not when i soak sissy i use a soft tooth brush to gently stroke her shelland now that shes used to that im gently stroking her head with it and now that shes more used to me i can stroke her head with my finger...oh one thing about the cat toy....i usuly take it out after she eats the food i dont think it could hurt her but im not taking any chances. lol i say usuly because the other day i put some of her food in it and when i went to take it out i couldnt find it!! i still havent found it.....lol im sure shes burried it in there somewhere....lol iv also mae her a little tort cover....like a sweater for over her shell...dont know how shefeels about wearing it though lol the one i made is a st pattys day cover. iv been planning on making a sadle like cover for her and putting a little knob in it.... but so far just havent gotten to....lol ahh speaking of little miss sissy shes sitting on her food dish staring at me through the windo which i think means i want some attention!! so id best get her soaking tub out lol so far we havent gotten her an outside house built but i have taken her out a few times and put her in theold kiddy pool with food in it and more room to walk around....she loves that too!! i think i haveall the stuff i need to make it but so far havent had the time and now im waiting for my hand to get better lol its not ready for holding things while im hammering lol
 

Cathie G

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i have a russian myself...only had her

i also have an adult russian.... im still pretty new as a tort mom....iv only had sissy humm maybe 6 months now, id have to look at her receit to be sure lol This is a great group and they will help you every step of the way!! although torts dont play you can give them an interesting life.....like plants in there house.....sissy dosnt have one yet but im trying to figure out which plant would grow best in her inside house.... im thinking of getting a tree branch in with with her to see if she might like climbing on it. I mightalso try to put another flat rock in her house now that shes being more active.....one thing i do is i got a plastic cat toy ball with holes in it and i stick some of her food ( leaf like stuff)) in the holes with a bit of it sticking out....she simply loves that!! i dont do it every day as i dont want her to get board with it....but its a sort of treat for both of us.... others have proubly told you but just in case not when i soak sissy i use a soft tooth brush to gently stroke her shelland now that shes used to that im gently stroking her head with it and now that shes more used to me i can stroke her head with my finger...oh one thing about the cat toy....i usuly take it out after she eats the food i dont think it could hurt her but im not taking any chances. lol i say usuly because the other day i put some of her food in it and when i went to take it out i couldnt find it!! i still havent found it.....lol im sure shes burried it in there somewhere....lol iv also mae her a little tort cover....like a sweater for over her shell...dont know how shefeels about wearing it though lol the one i made is a st pattys day cover. iv been planning on making a sadle like cover for her and putting a little knob in it.... but so far just havent gotten to....lol ahh speaking of little miss sissy shes sitting on her food dish staring at me through the windo which i think means i want some attention!! so id best get her soaking tub out lol so far we havent gotten her an outside house built but i have taken her out a few times and put her in theold kiddy pool with food in it and more room to walk around....she loves that too!! i think i haveall the stuff i need to make it but so far havent had the time and now im waiting for my hand to get better lol its not ready for holding things while im hammering lol
It's funny that you mention a saddle lol 😂 Sapphire reminds me of a little cowboy 😊 when he walks.
 

Dragon

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lol yes they can be quite fun....butthen again i think all my animal children play and have fun in some way or another....we took sissy to the vet today, she has ovesly been to vets before...lol it didnt bother her a bit except for the fact that then little tub we put her in was smaller then she liked. lol sot a clean bill of health...the vets said she was a little under weight and suggest we give her a little more to eat...iv been giving her just the leafly grass like stuff from out side and shesuggested we get some of the stuff we bought for her to eat before it got warm enough for the outside stuff to start growing again....but all in all sissy is doing great! so when we got home i refilled her food dish and she ate pretty much all ofthat...poor little lady with a mom who dosent know everything...lol right now im charting out moose dishrag so i can start crocheting that, and i recently got a bunch of plastic canvas and plasic canvas magizines so iv got some of that out ready to graph out and then i'll see if i can find her shell cover patten and start onthat too well sheba is having a fit!! its supper time if i dont mind so id best gofeed here lol
 

Cathie G

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lol yes they can be quite fun....butthen again i think all my animal children play and have fun in some way or another....we took sissy to the vet today, she has ovesly been to vets before...lol it didnt bother her a bit except for the fact that then little tub we put her in was smaller then she liked. lol sot a clean bill of health...the vets said she was a little under weight and suggest we give her a little more to eat...iv been giving her just the leafly grass like stuff from out side and shesuggested we get some of the stuff we bought for her to eat before it got warm enough for the outside stuff to start growing again....but all in all sissy is doing great! so when we got home i refilled her food dish and she ate pretty much all ofthat...poor little lady with a mom who dosent know everything...lol right now im charting out moose dishrag so i can start crocheting that, and i recently got a bunch of plastic canvas and plasic canvas magizines so iv got some of that out ready to graph out and then i'll see if i can find her shell cover patten and start onthat too well sheba is having a fit!! its supper time if i dont mind so id best gofeed here lol
Whatever 😝 moose scubbys!🤔😂 I'll have to see a pic 😊
 

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