Fun new behavior

[Badgemash]

The thread title is sarcastic, it's funny and quirky at this size, but it won't be when she's bigger...

So I was watching the babies trundle around this afternoon (it's amazing how long I can avoid studying by doing this) and Octavia did something odd. She was walking about in the warm end and on a whim I put my hand in front of her to see what she would do. She stopped, stretched her neck out, and sniffed me, touched my fingers with her right foot, then pulled her head all the way into her shell and rammed my hand with her shell like a little torty battering ram! I thought it might be a fluke so I let her wander around for a bit and tried again, and sure enough she did the exact same thing. Has anyone else seen this behavior in their leopards? Do you know what it means (if anything)? I've heard of sulcatas ramming things but I didn't know leopards did it too.

-Devon

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I headstarted a clutch of CDT and they rammed also. It's a protective thing, they didn't want that monster giant in their area...I think it's cute when this teeny thing tries to ram the giant hand...

 

[Neal]

I think it's just a territorial thing. Sometimes I'll be outside working in the yard and my big male will come and ram my foot.

 

[coreyc]

I to noticed one of my Leo's doing something odd. Yesterday I put some flat rocks under the CHE for them to bask on a one to feed them on this morning when I went to feed them Chuck was chewing on the one under the CHE as soon as I put the food down he B lined it to eat guess he was hungry. it's good to keep his beak trimmed

 

[Badgemash]

I think it's just a territorial thing. Sometimes I'll be outside working in the yard and my big male will come and ram my foot.

I guess we're lucky they're not Galops then! Makes me feel better though, at least it's a natural behavior and not something I'm teaching her to do. Although it also makes me wonder if she's a he.

-Devon