Ping Pong Ball

[Steve_carter]

Good morning all.

Hope everyone is doing great?

I have seen some pictures around with what looks like a ping pong ball in an enclosure, some torts seem to 'play' with them. I have just come out of a shop which actually are selling these and gave me the thought of getting one for my Norbert.

Any thoughts? I understand that they do not really need toys but it might give him something to do when I am at work.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's a dominance thing.
It looks like another tortoise.
Even though it looks like play, it's probably stressful, but good exercise?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I have a gal-friend that borrowed an incubator from a fellow tortoise lover. It came complete with dishes of medium and all. Having poor eyesight, she looked inside only to find to her astonishment a forgotten egg in there. No bad oder, she knew had not gone bad so she promptly got it up to proper temps and humidity and continued to wait. And wait. And wait. Finally after 12 months she candled it, only to discover she had been incubating a golf ball the whole time. Needless to say she wasn't real happy and I wouldn't be either.
Here in the states with box turtles we have a mushroom type food called a, "puff ball". I've eaten them fresh fried with scrambled eggs and find them wonderful. Sizes from walnut to a grapefruit. All good when fresh. I can easily see a box turtle chasing one around while he tried eating it!

 

[Gillian M]

Good morning all.

Hope everyone is doing great?

I have seen some pictures around with what looks like a ping pong ball in an enclosure, some torts seem to 'play' with them. I have just come out of a shop which actually are selling these and gave me the thought of getting one for my Norbert.

Any thoughts? I understand that they do not really need toys but it might give him something to do when I am at work.

Hi. A couple of months ago I put about three very small bouncing balls into Oli's enclosure. However, he showed no interest. This does to a certain extent confirm that "torts don't need toys," as you put it.

 

[Steve_carter]

It's a dominance thing.
It looks like another tortoise.
Even though it looks like play, it's probably stressful, but good exercise?

I can't understand how ping pong ball looks like another tortoise... Surely smell etc would identitfy to him that is not.

I can understand potentially stressing him but surely good exercise to keep him entertained whilst i am away?

 

[Steve_carter]

Hi. A couple of months ago I put about three very small bouncing balls into Oli's enclosure. However, he showed no interest. This does to a certain extent confirm that "torts don't need toys," as you put it.

Would you say @Gillian Moore that your tort was stressed with the balls or not really? Could be that they dont need anything, it could be in there like an ornament... Not too sure if I should give it a try...

 

[Gillian M]

Would you say @Gillian Moore that your tort was stressed with the balls or not really? Could be that they dont need anything, it could be in there like an ornament... Not too sure if I should give it a try...

No, Oli wasn't at all irritated/stressed by them, although each one was a colour. And one was orange, another one was RED (a colour torts love, I came to learn here at the forum). He just ignored them, if so I may put it.

I think you could give it a try:

a) each tort reacts in his/her way to anything, not just a ball
b) I do not think a ball would harm your tort. If you notice anything then just get rid of it.

 

[Steve_carter]

Yeah I read the colour red was popular with torts. I wore a red t-shirt once and when he went outside for a play he kept on coming to me.... Thought I was loved but probably attracted to the colour! haha!

Yeah I shall give him a go with a ball. If he doesn't like it or seems threatened or stressed, out it comes! Thank you.

 

[Gillian M]

Yeah I read the colour red was popular with torts. I wore a red t-shirt once and when he went outside for a play he kept on coming to me.... Thought I was loved but probably attracted to the colour! haha!

Yeah I shall give him a go with a ball. If he doesn't like it or seems threatened or stressed, out it comes! Thank you.

Yep.....he's in love with the colour, not in love with you! (Only joking).

Give it a try, and keep me updated please. Would like to know your tort's reaction. Thank you.

 

[Steve_carter]

hahaha! I will have to wear more red!

Yeah no problems. I shall try and pass the shop today and get some. I'll take pics of him interacting with it or a cheeky video

 

[Gillian M]

hahaha! I will have to wear more red!

Yeah no problems. I shall try and pass the shop today and get some. I'll take pics of him interacting with it or a cheeky video

Great! Look forward seeing pics/video.

 

[Gillian M]

Any pics yet @Steve_carter ?

You never know, your tort may become a professional ping-pong player! hahaha Oli KAHN on the other hand was a professional football player.

 

[Steve_carter]

Any pics yet @Steve_carter ?

You never know, your tort may become a professional ping-pong player! hahaha Oli KAHN on the other hand was a professional football player.

Haha, You never know @Gillian Moore - He might be able to make his own keep! Not yet, it is 3:30pm here in the UK & I am still at work. I have purchased some ping-pong's mind so I shall test him later this evening on his interest.

 

[Gillian M]

Haha, You never know @Gillian Moore - He might be able to make his own keep! Not yet, it is 3:30pm here in the UK & I am still at work. I have purchased some ping-pong's mind so I shall test him later this evening on his interest.

Am waiting for pics/videos. PLEASE post asap.

Thanks.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My dominant tortoise is a big female Redfoot.
She will push a ball all over her enclosure standing tall and jacked up in the rear like she bullies all other nearby tortoises.
Being only slightly more intelligent than the ball it's self. (In my case, a Wiffle ball) She seems convinced that the ball is intruding on her territory.
I removed it a few days later. It seemed as though she was going after that ball 24/7.

 

[Valerie0426]

@Steve_carter, @Gillian Moore
Didn't Forrest Gump start that way?
"Run, Oli, Run!"

 

[dmmj]

trying to intimidate another tortoise or animal out of their territory is often confused for play. They're not playing they're trying to push it away so it leaves the area like to do with dogs and all that on YouTube that you see in the videos

 

[Steve_carter]

trying to intimidate another tortoise or animal out of their territory is often confused for play. They're not playing they're trying to push it away so it leaves the area like to do with dogs and all that on YouTube that you see in the videos

I was thinking more exercise. Maybes the word 'play' is not the best wording. Just like when people say they are taking there tort for a 'walk' it's not like I'm going to set up a goal and put him in front of it and me rolling it to him. It's just an object which if he wants to interact with it he can. If not then that's okay too. I've just noticed him pushing/'playing' with his cuttlefish bone. I always leave it near his food slate should he want to nibble. I find him moving it around his enclosure for a short while & then he puts it back where he left off. Always chuckled so that's what gave me an idea of a ball for him so he can do the same thing but been a ball the object will have more momentum perhaps giving him more of a challenge.

 

[dmmj]

imagine a 500-foot statue in your house looks like a human and you decided to attack it all day long trying to get it to go away. Is that exercise?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

imagine a 500-foot statue in your house looks like a human and you decided to attack it all day long trying to get it to go away. Is that exercise?

It would be more exercise than I'm getting right now.