My Tortoise wants to eat me...

[ehopkins12]

Hello! I guess this is kind of odd, or maybe it's normal, i don't know. Anyway, my Russian tortoise I've had since Christmas, has taken an interest in biting my finger. If my hands are in her cage at all she will go up to my finger and try to bite it. She does it slowly, sniffs them and checks them out then starts to bite. I also let her walk around my living room from time to time while I sit on the couch. She will look around, locate my feet and immediately make her way over to try and bite my toes! Whats going on?

 

[GBtortoises]

I'm not suggesting here that you smell but--tortoises find food by site and smell. Their philosophy is: "I it looks like food or smells like food, try it."

Could be you have the odor of food residue on your fingers. Could also be that your tortoise associates you and your fingers with food as I think mine (and most in captivity) do.

I won't get involved with the smell of your feet! No really though, mine try to bite my feet too when I'm barefoot outdoors in their enclosures. In fact, they try to bite anyone's fingers or feet that they can get close enough too.

Just so you know, if you haven't already found out. It hurts ALOT too!

 

[chadk]

She probably associates you with food. There is a chance it is also a dominance thing. Put 2 torts together, and it is likely one will bite the other - sometimes quite aggressively.

I've only tried this with my russian, but I tried talking tort language with it. Don't laugh - I think it worked. Basically if you watch 2 interact, there is some head bobbing, and then the biting may start. Who knows what exactly is being communicated, but it is pretty clear that the aggressor is the one bobbing and it will eventually bite the other to show it whos boss. So I make a fist with my bent index finger acting as a tort head and at first, let it smell it. If the tort tries to bite, I keep it at face level and do some 'head bobbing' with my finger nub - maybe even tap it on the nose lightly a few times. Who knows... I'm probably just crazy... but it worked for my russian. He doesn't try to bite me anymore and I still feed by hand.

 

[ehopkins12]

I tried the finger thing...shes still quite determined to bite my finger haha, and it probably doesn't help that i'm using aloe scented hand soap. and yes...it does hurt!

 

[dmmj]

My russians do not try it but my DT everytime I am out their barefoot, he goes right after my toes.

 

[sammi]

My Russian Ernie used to do that for about the first month that we got him. He'd go after fingers, toes, anything that was green, and anything that was red. He doesn't do it anymore and has learned what is edible, and what isn't

 

[Speedy_Tortoise]

When i first got my Russian tortoise, Speedy, He used to try to bite my fingers too! He stopped after a few months though. I think he learned that fingers are not for eating!

 

[Stephanie Logan]

So I make a fist with my bent index finger acting as a tort head and at first, let it smell it. If the tort tries to bite, I keep it at face level and do some 'head bobbing' with my finger nub - maybe even tap it on the nose lightly a few times. Who knows... I'm probably just crazy... but it worked for my russian. He doesn't try to bite me anymore and I still feed by hand.

I think this is hilarious...in a good way!

Successfully communicating effectively with animals by learning their "language" has been demonstrated many times in research...just look at the Dog Whisperer as a recent prominent example!

 

[chadk]

Great, all I need is for people to start calling me the 'tortoise whisperer'

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Oh, come on! I'll bet you've been called worse things, and considering your recent Sulcata ramming episode...what he must have thought of calling you if he could speak...at least at the time...what with the shoes and the tools and all.

 

[Nay]

I thought it was so cool the way my little ornate Louise would come and take meal worms from my hand.Little did I realize I was creating a monster!!! So my tort biting is definitely from me 'training' her to do it. Many regrets,now I just reach in and she comes running. I have to be quick, that could be a very fat mealworm in her eyes!
My Redfoots will try and get my feet all the time, but I always have a bright color on my toes so that makes sense to me, Red hibiscious, Red toes, what's the difference?? You have to really stay on your'toes' when you clean their outdoor pen!

 

[miss_kristyn]

Mine bites my fingers as well... she has since I have gotten her! And come to find out my little Zsa Zsa is not a girl but a BOY! And I also talked to one of my newly tort friends that have RTs and she says that her male RTs bite more than her female ones... so I dont know maybe your little girl is a boy like mine lol! But yes it hurts really bad when they bite!