Habitat Rotation

[ch12ag]

Hi guys, i was wondering what your thoughts were on changing things around in the habitat kinda like fung-shue (however u spell it) for tortoises lol. I have been doing this nearly every month for snoopy and when I do it he seems to love it and it keeps him very interested and on his toes. i found that initially when the habitat was the same day in day out for a few months he jus seemed to lose interest in everything and dig himself a little hole and sleep ALL the time. but now I change the location of everything!! every month and introduce new items, removing old items and re-introducing them again later seems to hold his attention and he explores for hours and hours on end climbing everything digging all round again like he's discovered a new place. My little christopher columbus seems to like it, I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience or whether its a bad thing im doing. He seems to be more lively and much more active than if i just left it the same...

Thanks

 

[Meg90]

Doing this every month is probably a large source of stress for him.

He's not playing, or exploring when he's running all over his enclosure, he's trying to find "his" territory--aka the hide spot he used yesterday, the basking spot he used yesterday, the path he used yesterday.

He's only a baby. In the wild, they do not traverse the world on a monthly basis. They are a prey item. He would find a safe area, and stick to it.

Because he is so young, he is supposed to sleep alot. That's normal---to a degree. Some other explanations of his sleepiness would be not being kept hot enough, parasites, or from being underfed. If they can't get energy from a food source, they sleep to conserve what energy they've got.

IMO you are way over anthropomorphisizing that animal. Attaching emotions to it, as if it were a puppy or kitten.

 

[Yvonne G]

I've always felt that it stresses a tortoise to change the "furniture" in his habitat. After all, in the wild, no one moves that boulder or tree to a new spot. They traverse their territory by using the land marks. When someone says that the tortoise is just running all over the place and inspecting the area, I take it to mean that the tortoise is stressed out and trying to find a safe place quickly before he gets eaten.

 

[ch12ag]

kool thanks for ur comments i will no longer be doing that then!! dint realise he'd be under so much stress. He is perfectly healthy though, he literally just got back from his routine appointment at the vets and he's absolutely fine vet actually said sometimes its a good idea but not regularly. lol dont get me wrong he doesnt run about or act as though he's trying to hide otherwise he would surely go for a safe spot or dig as deep as he could. The basking area, food area and water area stay in the exact same place and the hide. i meant everything as in building him a small pile of rocks which lead to the water area changing the basking platform things like that, never mind main thing is he's in perfect health and i wont be changing things round anymore

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Snoopy is a charming name!

Have you posted any photos yet?

I'd love to see the new "stationary" (haha!) enclosure with Snoopy presiding over the realm.

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-5245.html

 

[ch12ag]

Thanks I havent i have photos I want to but but dont know how to do it someone explained it to me before but i forgot . well theres lots of little things for him to climb over, dig under and 'enjoy'. He's a great lil guy very very responsive and not just because he thinks my fingers are food lol which he often does... wanna put some pics up tho - lol just saw the links shows me how to lol thanks

 

[-EJ]

This is an easy one... They do not like change.

When moving a tortoise from one location to another (one home to another) it takes about 2 to 3 years for the tortoise to acclimate unless you know EXACTLY how they were kept and you could duplicate that habitat as closely as possible. I suspect that is why it is so difficult to acclimate wild caught tortoises.