Enclosure change lead to pacing. Stress or curiosity?

[thatrebecca]

We changed the substrate for the outdoor enclosure where our two new juvenile CDTs live today and they went a little bonkers. On the advice of folks here on the forum, we swapped out sand for regular dirt. Nothing else changed -- the water and food dishes, plants, rocks and hide are all where they were, just covered with a different substrate.

Anyway, the torts paced the enclosure for hours, and the little one, Morticia, flipped herself twice trying to get out, something she's never done in the month she was living in the exact same layout.

They both ate and drank more than normal, and stayed out later than usual but eventually went to bed in their hide. So, were they stressed out by the change or just curious? I couldn't figure it out. One theory I have is that the added dirt raised the level of the enclosure so they can now see over the wall, which is perhaps inspiring them to stage a prison break.

Anyway, I've attached a picture of their enclosure. On the top right you can see Morticia on the march. Gomez is chowing down at his dish.

Holler if you see anything problematic about the setup.

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Oh, and I forgot to mention there's a stone tortoise outside the enclosure -- a gift a friend dropped off. Anyway, don't be thrown. He's not real. Just the cuties inside are.

 

[wellington]

Only guessing as I don't know what they were really thinking LOL, but I would guess a little bit of both curious and wanting what they could now see on the other side. That might be something you may need to keep an eye on and change if the flipping and pacing to look over keeps happening and they don't settle in.

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Almost forgot, the enclosure looks great, love the new guy on the outside too.

 

[ascott]

I would change the pee gravel to a couple pieces of slate and if the height is now an issue...them compress the dirt down with your hands and or/remove some until the level drops back down...

 

[thatrebecca]

Thanks guys! Regarding the gravel, is that cause they'll try to eat it?

 

[ascott]

Regarding the gravel, is that cause they'll try to eat it?

Yes

 

[WillTort2]

I'm guessing curiosity.

I find my Russians to be intensely curious. I've change the way I modify their spaces. When changing substrate or putting in a new item I let the Russian watch the modification. Of course, if I dig trench to put in a new wall they want to climb into the trench. So a 20 minute change often can take over an hour. But it does seem to make the tortoise's adjustment to the change much easier.

Having multiple Russians with a separate tort table for each it does seem as if I'm changing something every couple of weeks.

Being great diggers themselves; it seems as if they want to understand how that little scoop can remove that much dirt.

 

[thatrebecca]

I'm guessing curiosity.

I find my Russians to be intensely curious. I've change the way I modify their spaces. When changing substrate or putting in a new item I let the Russian watch the modification. Of course, if I dig trench to put in a new wall they want to climb into the trench. So a 20 minute change often can take over an hour. But it does seem to make the tortoise's adjustment to the change much easier.

Having multiple Russians with a separate tort table for each it does seem as if I'm changing something every couple of weeks.

Being great diggers themselves; it seems as if they want to understand how that little scoop can remove that much dirt.

That's pretty cute about your Russians! We let our torts watch the redecorating of their enclosure, too, and they were fascinated -- they followed my husband around like he was a rock star with a trowel.