Tortoise behaviour changed

[paulak]

Hello
I have four marginated tortoises, one male George and three females
George is in a different enclosure to the girls but this year, he is now 15 the past few weeks he is not eating very much, seems to be in his house more
The enclosures are big and have different parts like grass, topsoil sand etc
When I put him on the lawn he literally races towards anything that moves, he has bitten a plastic tortoise. I feel it is a sexual frustration thing
Can anyone advise ?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hello
I have four marginated tortoises, one male George and three females
George is in a different enclosure to the girls but this year, he is now 15 the past few weeks he is not eating very much, seems to be in his house more
The enclosures are big and have different parts like grass, topsoil sand etc
When I put him on the lawn he literally races towards anything that moves, he has bitten a plastic tortoise. I feel it is a sexual frustration thing
Can anyone advise ?

That's probably exactly what it is.
I've had a few males over the years that I kept away from my females too. And the male still knew they were there. I guess he could smell them.
I always had to rehome them.
(Or leave them all together)

 

[paulak]

That's probably exactly what it is.
I've had a few males over the years that I kept away from my females too. And the male still knew they were there. I guess he could smell them.
I always had to rehome them.
(Or leave them all together)

That's probably exactly what it is.
I've had a few males over the years that I kept away from my females too. And the male still knew they were there. I guess he could smell them.
I always had to rehome them.
(Or leave them all together)

It would be very sad to have to regime him as he was my first. Thank you for your advice

 

[zolasmum]

Hello
I have four marginated tortoises, one male George and three females
George is in a different enclosure to the girls but this year, he is now 15 the past few weeks he is not eating very much, seems to be in his house more
The enclosures are big and have different parts like grass, topsoil sand etc
When I put him on the lawn he literally races towards anything that moves, he has bitten a plastic tortoise. I feel it is a sexual frustration thing
Can anyone advise ?

It does seem like a sexual frustration type of behaviour, though it is surprising that he is 15 and has never shown it before - Our Hermann does this sort of thing too, and he hasn't got any females around to set him off. I don't think separating him more from the females would help, and if you rehomed him on his own, it might well still carry on. I think you just have to grit your teeth and hope it will wear off after a while - Zola's does. You could give him some sort of love object fro wear himself out on - a shoe, a stone model tortoise

 

[paulak]

Thank you for this, he has got a toy tortoise which he bites. Someone suggested he may have worms ?

 

[zolasmum]

Thank you for this, he has got a toy tortoise which he bites. Someone suggested he may have worms ?

How about getting a poo sample and getting it tested ? Do you have a Pets at Home place near you, as I think they could do it quickly - or do you know a local vet? It might be worth checking it out.
If that isn't the problem, then I think it's probably hormones - I suggested a stone tortoise, as you said he bit the plastic one, but you could also put a few objects in his enclosure like large smooth rocks, for example -this sort of thing is very common in male tortoises - they go through phases . If this is the problem, It's just a question of finding him something to take his frustrations out on, and he will be happy. Zola loves shoes especially black ones of mine - a rounded toe ,like a boot or a croc sandal might be good.
Best wishes from Angie (in Devon)

 

[zolasmum]

Personally, I think it would be a great shame if you decided you had to rehome George - he is just behaving like many other male tortoises do, and being away from females won't stop him. If you can tolerate his 'moods', then he will be happier with you, I'm sure
Angie