Scratching feels soooooo goooood

Reptilian Feline

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The first time I noticed it, Tank Girl was leaving the hide and rubbed the left back side of her shell a couple of times against the side of the opening. I thought it looked funny, but didn't think that much about, except that maybe she wanted to move the hide.

Then a few days ago, on her evening out-and-about indoors (superviced) she did the same against a cupboard.

I decided to give her a good scratch with my fingernails. Oh my! She loved it! First she wriggled against my fingers and then stood stock still and just let me scratch her. When I went over to one side, she leaned into it so much the other back foot left the floor!

Yesterday she got another nice scratch and this time she just stood there, her eyes getting small, and then I changed over to stroking her like a cat, and she seemed to truly enjoy that as well.

She was very shy when I first got her home, but she is now very forward, calling our attention in the evening to get her out-and-about and some food. She will still protect her head, but other than that, and hating the soaks, she is really warming up to us. I think we have created a monster!

Embers likes to be scratched as well, but he is so much smaller and more human friendly anyway, and likes his soaks and the occational swim, so he isn't into the scratching as much as Tank Girl is.

I say he and she... but time will tell what I really have. They are too small to sex, even if Tank Girl has a 20 cm shell.
 

TechnoCheese

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I know I read somewhere that male turtles do this to tell other males that they are males and do not want to breed when the other turtle tries. Could this be the case? (Or it’s completely false and I have no idea what I’m talking about lol)
 

ZEROPILOT

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Interesting
I screwed push broom heads to the bottom of my enclosure because for a while, my tortoises enjoyed scratching against them.
Oddly enough a few months later, this behavior stopped.
I haven't seen anyone "self scratch" now in months.
 

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ZEROPILOT

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There are dozens of tortoise butt scratching videos on youtube.
Also water hose on the butt tortoise wiggling videos.
Much debate has been started as to if this is an enjoyable thing for a tortoise. I say that it IS.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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It may be a sexual response, or not.
But there is no doubt that my Tidgy, who is a mature female, and my SPLAT! who is an indeterminate sex youngster both react in a positive way to a shell rub, particularly near to the rear end
many other torts i have contacct with have the same response, but a couple don't like it and shoot away when this is done to them ( one male, one female and one I don't know.)
 

Reptilian Feline

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I have a theory why Tank Girl likes it... she is growing, and the shell itches as it grows :). Embers does it sometimes when he walkes under the low wooden stool where he will juuuuuuust about fit between the legs.
 

Bee62

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It may be a sexual response, or not.
But there is no doubt that my Tidgy, who is a mature female, and my SPLAT! who is an indeterminate sex youngster both react in a positive way to a shell rub, particularly near to the rear end
many other torts i have contacct with have the same response, but a couple don't like it and shoot away when this is done to them ( one male, one female and one I don't know.)
Interesting ! I have 3 sulcatas 16 months old. I am pretty sure that one is a male and the two others are female. My "male" never wiggles with the butt when I scratch him, but the two "female" do. Can`t wait to see if my theorie are true with their sex.
 

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