Yeah he was using the thermometer as a stair so that's been moved a little over and if that fails we're capping the corners. So far no incidents though.
Alright heres my take. They are pretty brilliant, but not necessarily in a smart way... but heck maybe its just RTs I speak for. My Nank is an absolute expert at getting to what he wants even if made impossible. We just built him a new enclosure, there a loft above the built in house that I keep 2 boxes of growing weeds for him... but he decided from the start he wanted to be up there. Caught him right away almost up in the plants, moved the boxes to block his way. Day 2 (yesterday while I was at work) he pushed the boxes off the loft and climbed up, flipping himself in the process. Last night, added the little extension on top to add hight and hopefully stop him... he IMMEDIATELY saw this as a challenge and went for it while my dad was still there (see below picture).
They're super smart when it comes to problem solving, not so smart when it comes to well being, because he ended up almost flipping again... literally for some dirt because no plant is growing yet!
Your posts always inspire me to do MORE. Thanks, Maggie!
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Just this morning she came to me when I called her. She's come to me before, but it wasn't as deliberate as it was today. I completely gushed!! She responded quickly (seriously-just like my dog!), toddled out of her hiding spot, and came over to me quickly and directly, so I could pick her up and take her for a warm soak. I won't deny that she's always on the look out for a snack like members always talk about, but I LOVE that she knows that I am safe and is eager to see what good thing I am going to provide for her.Mine behaves the same way. I Also know about the look of understanding mentioned earlier. Gaia gets this funny look on her face when I talk to her like she knows I'm communicating something but she hasn't a clue what it means, loll... Also as I mentioned in another thread I started on this same subject, torts have been known to cooperate with other species (eg burrow sharing) in the wild, so I reckon a certain amount of socialization is simply natural to them. What they get out of it psychologically is anyone's guess, but I reckon that it depends on the individual tort; some tolerate human companionship while others seem to enjoy it, or even seek it out. ( And why shouldn't they seek it out? As far as a tort can tell, a human owner is a benign and helpful presence. If she seeks you out, it probably means you're doing something right
That's very interesting. Mind you, I don't think that torts hear. Please don't take this personal. After a lot of research, I came to find that scientists and research give us conflicting info. I therefore tried my own way: after calling my tort, making different sounds and so on, I saw no reaction whatsoever.Just this morning she came to me when I called her. She's come to me before, but it wasn't as deliberate as it was today. I completely gushed!! She responded quickly (seriously-just like my dog!), toddled out of her hiding spot, and came over to me quickly and directly, so I could pick her up and take her for a warm soak. I won't deny that she's always on the look out for a snack like members always talk about, but I LOVE that she knows that I am safe and is eager to see what good thing I am going to provide for her.
I loved your comment, Alex! Thanks for sharing this with me
No not at all!
I'm new at this and have not studied reptiles. I've seen debates about tortoise hearing but don't have a clue for myself. She often behaves as if she is HEARING, so I'm very curious about that, but don't know enough to reach any conclusions. If she didn't hear me, she must have sensed I was there somehow and responded to me crouching over. Either way--LOVED IT Nothing makes you smile like having your tortoise toddling into your hands!!!
If a tort reacts as if it is hearing, this does not mean torts do hear-as you put it, they sense. I remember having learnt this at school: reptiles do not hear. Ok...back then there was no technology such as the net etc. We stuck to books and whatever the teachers taught us. But as I said: it seems to be true that they don't hear, they sense.No not at all!
That's not true. They have ears after all and some reptiles have very good hearing (e.g. crocodiles).
This is not mathematics where 1+1=2. Scientists can disagree even here. Why would we keep receiving conflicting info?
I never taught her, she just starting picking things up and bringing them to me. Eventually I started throwing them, and she'd go fetch it. I use a walnut, good way to trim her beak and get exercise. She'll also walk circles around me and if I don't pay attention to her, she'll start to climb up on the side of my leg. So silly. She'll also itch her backside against furniture and my leg. I think she's smart in her own way.
