Walking your Tortoise

[WalterSulcata]

Hello,

I am curious if anyone walks their Torts. I know its funny, but I have been walking my baby sulcata Walter. He loves to walk and he follows me. I walk him on a compact clay dirt road when the sun is around 5 pm, after the road has been well heated all day long. Its full sun but not too intense. He literally walks a brisk ( tortoise style brisk, lol ) pace and when I change directions he turns around and changes with me. I throw down a treat here and there on the road once in awhile and he finds it and wags his little stumper. Every day I have been going longer and longer, he seams to really like it. Yesterday I did a half mile. Of course you need to dedicate about 2 hours for that walk.. lol...

 

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Frankie and I go on walks all the time. He also follows me around his yard.

 

[wellington]

Sounds really cute. I would love to see a vid. I can't imagine walking too far, with how slow they are.

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Yes, video!!!


Sandy in Oregon
.....................................................
Schlomo the rescue Sulcata
Dexter and Lola (Basenjis)
Sent from my iPad using TortForum mobile app

 

[LolaMyLove]

There's a guy in Burbank (L.A.) that walks his sully like 1-2 miles every day. I think he has a YouTube video too.

 

[WalterSulcata]

I think the video would be pretty boring, lol.. I’d have to edit it up with a advanced time lapse. It’s just a private non usage road, so I walk ahead of him and then sit down and wait for him. Now I finally found somebody that my english mastiff can keep up with. I thought he couldn’t be any slower, but Walter and the mastiff would be a tight race..

 

[Laura]

I don't have the time or patience for that.. they have a very large enclosure to walk and eat all they want...
If you have the time, and you don't tend to wander off yourself or get distracted.. and can assure safety.. then its ok...
I prefer a safe enclosed secure pen to allow them to walk and get excersise...

 

[AnnV]

I saw a you tube video of someone walking a tortoise in NYC. He was attracting the attention of some folks. Others couldn't care less. Gotta love the Big Apple! lol

Ann from CT

 

[NickWag]

I saw a you tube video of someone walking a tortoise in NYC. He was attracting the attention of some folks. Others couldn't care less. Gotta love the Big Apple! lol

Ann from CT

I saw that one, too. How can you NOT stop whatever you're doing to see what's going on?! It's a freakin' TORTOISE...walking the streets of NYC! LoL

 

[lynnedit]

I think the video would be pretty boring, lol.. I’d have to edit it up with a advanced time lapse. It’s just a private non usage road, so I walk ahead of him and then sit down and wait for him. Now I finally found somebody that my english mastiff can keep up with. I thought he couldn’t be any slower, but Walter and the mastiff would be a tight race..

True, normal people wouldn't be interested. But I think we would be fascinated, lol.

 

[Beck]

My friend snapped a picture of someone walking their sulcata in a downtown city. I thought he'd be stressed but he looked quite happy.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

 

[jeffstort]

I also have a tortoise named Walter but his attention span is way to small for him to walk in a straight line or on a road for a half mile

 

[Wewt]

I take my tort out for walks every other day, sometimes more. During the summer this is the only time he gets to eat, so I stay out with him anywhere from 1-4 hours, depending on the heat.

Yesterday he binged quite a bit on clover and I didn't want him to eat too much today, so I set him down on the sidewalk by my house and we walked for a block, picking off dandelions as we went. Cars pull over constantly to ask me questions when I do this, haha! Eventually he found his way to the field where I usually take him. I picked him up and carried him away from the clover areas, though.

I was going to post a video but it was taking FOREVER to upload. Here's a cute pic instead.

 

[ascott]

I didn't want him to eat too much

Fantastic picture and beautiful tort...however, I would let him devour as much clover in that field as he can possible consume---no harm and is beneficial Each and ever day is desirable...that is a great field to let him chow down...

 

[WalterSulcata]

I also have a tortoise named Walter but his attention span is way to small for him to walk in a straight line or on a road for a half mile

That’s cool. I am surprised mine does, but who knows he may one day decide enough of this...

 

[Wewt]

I didn't want him to eat too much

Fantastic picture and beautiful tort...however, I would let him devour as much clover in that field as he can possible consume---no harm and is beneficial Each and ever day is desirable...that is a great field to let him chow down...

Perhaps you are right. It's hard to sort out bad information from a long time ago from good, recent information. I remember reading that it is important to not over-feed your tortoise.

*shrug*

Tonight I'll let him eat all he wants!

 

[Tom]

...so I set him down on the sidewalk by my house and we walked for a block, picking off dandelions as we went.

How are you 100% sure that NONE of your neighbors have recently sprayed any pesticides, weed killers or anything else?

And do you really have 4 hours a day to sit and watch your tortoise eat? If yes, I envy you.

 

[Baoh]

I didn't want him to eat too much

Fantastic picture and beautiful tort...however, I would let him devour as much clover in that field as he can possible consume---no harm and is beneficial Each and ever day is desirable...that is a great field to let him chow down...

Perhaps you are right. It's hard to sort out bad information from a long time ago from good, recent information. I remember reading that it is important to not over-feed your tortoise.

*shrug*

Tonight I'll let him eat all he wants!

You do not have to take my suggestion, but my suggestion is to give him unlimited access to varied foods.

At the least, all day access to grass or mixed high quality hay supplemented with fresh vegetable matter once to twice a day. Water, too, of course, kept away from the hay.

 

[LeopardTortLover]

As soon as I move out and possibly have no garden I'll be taking my leopard for walks in the park might even make a harness.... somehow.

 

[Wewt]

...so I set him down on the sidewalk by my house and we walked for a block, picking off dandelions as we went.

How are you 100% sure that NONE of your neighbors have recently sprayed any pesticides, weed killers or anything else?

And do you really have 4 hours a day to sit and watch your tortoise eat? If yes, I envy you.

Yep, BC is really particular about that sort of thing. I know that they spray the areas around the buildings, so we don't go over there. Trust me, there is more dandelion, thistle, and clover than grass. Once a month they basically just take a tractor to it. I do, however, have to watch that he doesn't try to eat any garbage.

I do right now since I just moved and am unemployed, haha! My schedule as a server is usually pretty good to allow me lots of time to chill with my tort. On the days that I spend 4 hours out there it is with a good book, my laptop, some lemonade, and a lawn chair... or a frisbee and a friend. And usually the neighbour kids badgering me.

You do not have to take my suggestion, but my suggestion is to give him unlimited access to varied foods.

At the least, all day access to grass or mixed high quality hay supplemented with fresh vegetable matter once to twice a day. Water, too, of course, kept away from the hay.

I can't give him completely unlimited access, since he is an indoor tortoise who wanders my townhouse. Usually I have hay for him in near-unlimited amounts, but I've been taking him outside so often that I'm not too worried.