Hey, so I need some advice. So I rescued a 2 year old Sulcata tortoise whose owners couldn’t take care of her anymore. She is very shy and timid and I don’t think she’s had a lot of interaction or affection. I would like some suggestions on how to bound with her and make her comfortable around me. I have patience and I’m not trying to make her warm up to me at the drop of a hat but, I would like to start helping her at least trust me. And advice would be appreciated! Thank you
Shy tortoise
- Thread starter Erose11
- Start date
Be patient, most sulcatas don't like change but in time will they will trust you and feel more comfortable with the surroundings. The bigger they get the more confident they get with you being around. Don't force yourself on her, wait for her to come to you.
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- Nov 17, 2013
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As Len said, tortoises do not like change and are often quite shy when moved to a new environment (sometimes for several weeks). Once the tortoise begins to associate you with food, the battle is half over.
Don't force the issue. Just soak the tortoise daily for 20-30 minutes in lukewarm water and then place it in front of its food dish. I recommend doing this in the morning every day so that the tortoise gets used to a routine. Other than that, do not bother it or pick it up for the remainder of the day. Eventually the tortoise will begin walking about in its enclosure and being less fearful. That is a good time to begin giving it some favorite food items from your hand to get it used to seeing you without fear. They like raspberries, strawberries, cherries, tomatoes, apples, and other colorful fruits and vegetables.
Note here that unlike some of our forum members, I am a believer that it is perfectly all right to feed tortoises all manner of fruit as long as the tortoise is able to get itself warm enough to digest it properly and it is done with moderation as part of a good and nutritional diet.
Hello Erose, It Might feel bullied rather than shy, I would Limit contact and even Sight until it's Comfy with it's Surroundings and do what Zovick suggested and it should do Great.. Best of Luck..
You'd be better off not giving all that fruit Zovick recommended. I'm sure you can find other better foods you can feed them risking screwing up his gut!
Most tortoises love romaine lettuce, you could use that as a treat daily. Also hibiscus flower and leaf, rose of Sharon flower and leaf, mulberry leaf, all kinds of stuff that doesn't mess up the gut.
Most tortoises love romaine lettuce, you could use that as a treat daily. Also hibiscus flower and leaf, rose of Sharon flower and leaf, mulberry leaf, all kinds of stuff that doesn't mess up the gut.
Its been a few days. Are you still here?
They are all shy until about 3-4 years old. I wouldn't worry about it or try to hard to change it right now. Just go about your business and the tortoise will desensitize. In a couple of years, you will be tripping over the tortoise because it will be following you around the one like a puppy.
Also, there is no way to tell the sex at two years old. They have to be around 14 inches for males and 17 inches for females before you can tell. They all look female as juveniles.
Check this out and look for the sulcata care sheet at the bottom:
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
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My Sulcata, Leo, was very shy and skittish when he joined our family. He joined us in late October, 2021, when he was around 5” long. I would occasionally feed him by hand, in hopes he’d get used to me and associate me with food. He remained skittish all through that winter, spring, and summer, and finally started to warm up to me a little after he’d been with us a year.
When the weather started to get too cool at night for him to stay outside, I blocked off the rosemary plant (his favorite place to hide during summer) and the burrow he’d started, and resumed bringing him inside for the night. He really started warming up to me after that. Now, he’s just started staying out 24/7 again (will stay out until fall) and he comes right up to me when I go outside to check on him.
All this to say that I didn’t think Leo would ever really warm up to me, but he did… big time. He’s also really grown since he’s been with us, and seems to be in the midst of a big growth spurt right now. I’m sure your sully will warm up to you in time, too. It feels so incredible when it happens.
When the weather started to get too cool at night for him to stay outside, I blocked off the rosemary plant (his favorite place to hide during summer) and the burrow he’d started, and resumed bringing him inside for the night. He really started warming up to me after that. Now, he’s just started staying out 24/7 again (will stay out until fall) and he comes right up to me when I go outside to check on him.
All this to say that I didn’t think Leo would ever really warm up to me, but he did… big time. He’s also really grown since he’s been with us, and seems to be in the midst of a big growth spurt right now. I’m sure your sully will warm up to you in time, too. It feels so incredible when it happens.
