Russian Body Language

[RianSeeking]

Is it possible for me to read my Josh's body language and take a general guess at what emotion/reaction she is expressing?

Is there a general tortoise body language cheat sheet?

For instance, other than the obvious pulling back into the shell and the moving of front legs with breathing which I read (somewhere) was a fear reaction, I have noticed two other distinct body movements.

A) the gnashing of beak, generally when she sees either myself or her dinner. ESPECIALLY when she sees carrot shavings.

and

2) the stretching of the neck horizontally above the ground, stiffly lifting said neck up and down in a parallel movement. Generally when she sees her self reflected anywhere. ESPECIALLY when she sees her picture on the cover of Vogue magazine.

Can anyone interpret these signals for me? What other body language should I be looking for during my daily tortoise observations, generally when I should instead be doing laundry, ESPECIALLY when I should instead be cleaning up dog poop.

 

[GBtortoises]

Pulling the just head into the shell rapidly is a reaction to sudden movement, including overhead shadows, within their scope of vision.
Pulling the head and limbs in tightly is a reaction to percieved danger by touch and sometimes sight. As when picked up or prodded. Many newly wild caught tortoises and turtles do this in captivity often and for a long period of time until they become more accustomed to human handling.
Gnashing at the beak can be a food response especially with a female. Some Russian and Mediterranean species, particularly the males, it can be a preliminary warning from a tortoise to other tortoises (especially males) that have entered it's territory.
Outstretching the neck parallel to the ground and bobbing it either up and down, side to side or both is a form of "greeting" with Russian tortoises, both male and female. This is often the "move" that a male Russian tries on a female when he begins courting her. With both males and females the bobbing is usually followed by sniffing each other's neck and front leg area. From this point the reaction is usually very different depending upon the genders: Two females are usually good with each other and will go on about their business; If it's a male and female the male may then continue to court the female to breed; If it's two males it may then lead to biting and ramming in order for the resident male to chase the intruder from his territory.

 

[RianSeeking]

Thank you! I can spend an hour watching my Russian and trying to guess what her reactions mean.

 

[GBtortoises]

That's basically exactly what I have done over the past several years, sit back and observe. It's an excellent way to learn about them and their needs. It can also be very relaxing!

 

[Sweetness_bug]

My russians also have very distinct movements as well. But all tort species do you just have to sit back and watch and eventually you will pick up on what they want need or feel uncomfortable with. Each tort is different. But so fun to watch and learn

 

[RianSeeking]

At the moment I am trying to decide whether rapid tail lashing means:

A) Josh is excited

B) Josh is about to pee

or

C) Josh is about to pee because she's excited!

 

[Laura]

or poop... give them a good soak and see if that helps