Male Hermanns tortoise biting finger/hand/foot

[Sam the man]

Hey everyone,
we got our little Wilson when he was only a few months old and adorably small as he was back then we tended to occasionally hand-feed him. Fast forward he is now 2 1/2 years and while he would occasionally bite a finger when we were to move a hand in his territory to replenish or clean the water or food tray we always assumed he mistook the gesture for food giving.

However since a few weeks he speeds towards your hands or even feet whenever he catches a glimpse of them and starts snapping. It appears to be more of an aggressive behaviour rather than a food orientated interest.
Should I be getting worried or is this just a phase and in case it is, what has caused it? Puberty?
Wilson got his own box, doesn't share it with any other tortoise and we also built him a bridge so that he can independently climb out of his box and roam around the living room if he feels the need for an adventure. He would bite/attack our hands and feet in his box as well as in the entire living room.

Thanks for any comments.

 

[Tom]

Hey everyone,
we got our little Wilson when he was only a few months old and adorably small as he was back then we tended to occasionally hand-feed him. Fast forward he is now 2 1/2 years and while he would occasionally bite a finger when we were to move a hand in his territory to replenish or clean the water or food tray we always assumed he mistook the gesture for food giving.

However since a few weeks he speeds towards your hands or even feet whenever he catches a glimpse of them and starts snapping. It appears to be more of an aggressive behaviour rather than a food orientated interest.
Should I be getting worried or is this just a phase and in case it is, what has caused it? Puberty?
Wilson got his own box, doesn't share it with any other tortoise and we also built him a bridge so that he can independently climb out of his box and roam around the living room if he feels the need for an adventure. He would bite/attack our hands and feet in his box as well as in the entire living room.

Thanks for any comments.

He doesn't want you in his territory and he's expressing that in the only way he can. This is normal male behavior and will be most prevalent in springtime.

Roaming the floor is a recipe for disaster in one of many ways. It can't be made safe, and it doesn't matter how much you supervise. We see tortoises die, get sick, and ingest all sorts of things on a regular basis here. Keep him in his enclosure and ensure the enclosure is large enough to meet his needs. 4x8 feet minimum.

Most of the tortoise care info online and from pet shops, vets, and breeders is just plain wrong. Here is the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Sam the man]

He doesn't want you in his territory and he's expressing that in the only way he can. This is normal male behavior and will be most prevalent in springtime.

Roaming the floor is a recipe for disaster in one of many ways. It can't be made safe, and it doesn't matter how much you supervise. We see tortoises die, get sick, and ingest all sorts of things on a regular basis here. Keep him in his enclosure and ensure the enclosure is large enough to meet his needs. 4x8 feet minimum.

Most of the tortoise care info online and from pet shops, vets, and breeders is just plain wrong. Here is the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you so much Tom, that really helped.