Exceptionally friendly tort??

[ashers]

Cosgrove has been my little buddy since February (he'll be 1 yr in December). I've heard they usually aren't much for attention/handling, which is why I'm surprised that almost every time I put a hand in his enclosure, he races up to me and sometimes even crawls in my hand to be let up. It's so stinking cute!

At first, I thought it was food-association, but he does this even after I've already fed him and occasionally he even stops eating to come say hi. Is he exceptionally friendly or lonely even? Does anyone else have a friendly tortoise that truly likes petting/handling? I think I'm still in that glowing new- mama phase and want to believe he's exceptional, lol!

 

[Q'sTortie]

now that's an exceptionally AWESOME tortoise!! Mine is shy and ducks in his shell whenever I come near.... wish mine would love me like yours!! sooo jealous!

 

[wellington]

He isn't lonely, most,tortoise rather be by themselves. However, no set law that one can't be overly friendly and comfortable with his/her food bank. My leopard doesn't do what yours does. However, when I go to pick him up, he will tuck in, but as soon as I say his name, he pops out very quickly, head and all four legs. It's funny how fast he will do it. He also doesn't care if I rub or kiss his head or face or if I touch his legs. I wish he would come to me, would be nice, as sometimes trying to find him can be really scary, even though I know he can't get out.

 

[Alan RF]

Awww that's lovely! My red foot is awake in his hide in a morning and when i call his name softly he'll look but he doesn't move, as yet! When I handle him he will come fully out of his shell and seems to like his head being stroked. My brother in laws leopard tortoise, is in his conservatory and as soon as he comes home, Lola comes up to the door to great him!

 

[dexter1323]

Aww, Dexter is not as friendly as your little guy...he will shy away initially but then will sit comfortably in your hands and allow you to pet him, but you can still tell it's not his favorite thing.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Hermann's are often friendly like that, which is why they've been, for decades, a VERY popular pet tortoise (I've read that, from about 1890 until about the mid-60s, they were pretty much THE pet tortoise)...of my 4, Jennifer was that friendly from Day 1 (but, then, I got her from a hobby breeder who's little girl spent a lot of time in their pen, petting and feeding his torts).

Ptolemy and Ophelia, probably "farmed" were both getting just as friendly within 6-8 weeks, possibly emulating Jennifer from seeing the practical advantages of "sucking up" P).

Apollonia, likely also "farmed, is only now (about a year later) becoming friendy/losing her fear...possibly due to the fact that she was noticably younger/smaller than the others. Small tortoises have a crummy spot on the food-chain, so fear of something as large as an adult human is pretty understandable.

Cool that Cosgrove (great name, BTW ) is already that tame.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

 

[NinjaTortoises]

My tortoises hide there heads when my hand comes near and i wished they would be a bit more open too lol but oh well ill let time do its work, at least they come when i call them, all 4 of them, all i do is tap the ground with my fingers and they stare at me with those little faces that make me laugh haha then they start coming to me, works after theyve eating and once they reach me they turn around and leave, as soon as theyre far away again i do it again and they come back haha its cool, they still tuck their heads in though D,: lol

 

[ashers]

Okay, it comforts me that he's not lonely. It inspires me that he may be exceptionally friendly. Thanks, forum folk! I really like having a source of feedback since I am new to keeping tortoises!