Weird Tortoise Behavior

[Charlet_2007]

Ok my friend (he dont have a computer) just picked up a baby sulcatta tortoise.. However she's what he calls bouncing? She sit there and pump her legs up and down. She's pushing her front legs down and poking her head out. Is that normal?

 

[Yvonne G]

When a baby tortoise breathes you can notice the front legs moving slightly with each breath. I wouldn't call it "bouncing" though. Its a slight movement, sort of like a small pumping action.

Yvonne

 

[Charlet_2007]

he said it looks almost like a small seizure.. He got her from a guy that didn't want her anymore and wanted 50.00 he talked him down to 20.00 so i wonder if something is wrong with her and he didn't want her dieing on him?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

There really isn't any way for us to know if something is wrong with her. I would suggest tho,that you soak the little tort in some warm water about right up to the edge of her carapace. Does he have her set up under UVB lights and all that stuff? Has she eaten? Is she warm enough? Can you post a picture of her and the habitat she's living in???

 

[egyptiandan]

Tortoises only breath that heavily when they are stressed.

Danny

 

[krissy2288]

its probably because she/he is scared or stressed or uncomfortiable, my tortoise does it when she is soaking in her water bowl, but stops when i put her in her pen.

 

[hypnoticstorms]

OK, I'm the friend she was referring to.

No pics at this time--camera needs new batteries.

The sulcata is in a 29L aquarium. The ambient room temp is about 75 degrees, so I don't use heat at night. During the day for a basking lamp she has a 100watt UVB bulb. Temps in the hot side of the tank range 100-110 during the day, and 80-85 on the cool side. She has a deep tupperware lid for a water dish and has defecated/soaked daily since I got her. Appx. 1/3 of the tank is covered for a hide.

For substrate right now (got her the day before Christmas, all the pet stores in my area are closed (small town) until Monday the 29th) I'm using a piece of astroturf-type cage liner.

Thus far she's only ate a single piece of romaine lettuce, about the size of her shell. I realize this isn't the best food for her, but again, stores are closed.

Her shell appears completely normal, no "pyramiding" at all, no discoloration or softening. Her skin, eyes, mouth, etc, etc, all look normal.

The odd behavior in question (Natalie described it pretty accurately) is that she'll stand there and pump her front legs up and down, and poke her head out slightly. I never said it looked like a seizure (guess that was her take on it). She's also making a clicking sound with her jaw, something like smacking her lips. There's no clicking, gurgling, etc when she breathes, just when manipulating her jaw. Other than the leg pumping, she is very exploratory and active.

The guy I got her from said that she'd been trying to eat carrots and ate Kale regularly. Didn't eat tortoise pellets well. He got her in trade from a breeder... She's appx. 4" and 6 months old, so I'm told.

 

[NoSup4U]

Not sure what is normal, but my sulcata is over 2 years old and is barely 4" long, (really its not even 4" I don't think) so yours might be older than you think.

Mark

 

[tortoisenerd]

My baby russian tortoise makes the same motion when breathing...it's more apparent when he may be scared, but it's definitely noticeable even when he can't see me or doesn't have a reason to be scared. He's also rather loud with his mouth while eating.

 

[Kristina]

Not sure what is normal, but my sulcata is over 2 years old and is barely 4" long, (really its not even 4" I don't think) so yours might be older than you think.

Mark

Growth can very VASTLY. I know for a fact that an aquaintence of mine has a Sulcata that will be 4 years old in March, and he is 14" long. Yup, that is not a typo

It is almost impossible to tell age from size. There are so many contributing factors to growth...

Okay, first things first... Please visit www.sulcata-station.org and www.africantortoise.com for more information on diet and husbandry. The tank is a bad idea. She needs something that will allow for more airflow, and covering it halfway does not double for a hide. Even a cardboard box with a hole cut in it is a better idea than covering part of the tank.

Tortoises do not grasp the concept of glass, and she will think that she can get into the room that she sees outside of her enclosure. Constantly trying to get there will cause a LOT of stress. Not good for a baby.

I don't think that the bobbing is something to be worried about. My smaller Sulcata will sometimes rock back and forth when she is impatient about getting food. It doesn't sound alarming to me.

I would be a little more worried about getting her to eat, but do not panic yet. Moves are very stressful on torts and it can take some time for her to settle in and get comfortable enough to eat. The first thing you need to do is get her housing squared away... That glass tank is only going to add to her stress and make keeping her healthy that much harder.

Also your temps are a bit on the high side. It is very easy for a young tort to become dehydrated, which can lead to kidney failure and death. Temps that high are likely to dry her out. The highest should be about 95 farenheit.

Good luck with your baby! If you didn't notice, there is a section of this forum devoted totally to Sulcatas. Check it out, read some threads and if you have any questions there are plenty of us here to help!

Kristina

 

[hypnoticstorms]

I meant the tank is covered by a cardboard box for a hide. Sorry I wasn't clear on that.

In any event, over the past couple days she seems to be doing a lot better. The arm pumping has diminished quite a bit. I think it's something she's doing to look scary when I come around, honestly. An act of warding off, or intimidation, perhaps? Something akin to a snake hissing.

She's been eating much better. She's taking what I had around the house (spinach and romaine) and now that the stores are open I'm going shopping just for her--for better foods and substrate.

What's everyone opinion as to tortoise pellet diet vs. strictly vegetables with vitamin supplements?

 

[Kristina]

Neither diet is appropriate for a Sulcata. They need a high fiber, low protein diet based on grass hay and broadleafed weeds. The veggies should only make up 10-20% of the total diet max.

Tortosie pellets contain soy meal, wheat middlings and other fillers that tortoises do not just stumble along in the wild. While I am not saying that pellets should never be fed, at the most they should only make up a small portion of the overall diet.

It is probably going to difficult to get your baby to eat hay in the beggining, but do not get discouraged. Do not use alfalfa hay, it is too high in protein. Use timothy, orchard grass, or meadow grass hay, and grind it to a powder in a coffee grinder. Sprinkle it over the greens. Vegetables should be kept to a minimum, although greens such as kale, mustard greens, dandelion, collard and coriander are appropriate, and have proper Ca: P ratios and low oxalic acid content (both phosphorus and oxalic acid block calcium absorption.) As long as you have a good UV light, I would not give supplements containing vitamin D3. Pure calcium carbonate or cuttlebone works fine as a calcium supplement. If you wish to give a vitamin supplement, I prefer Enfamil Poly-Vi-Sol for human infants. Avoid pure vitamins such as A and D, as it is very easy to overdose and can lead to death.

There are care sheets on both of the links that I provided for you that offer the proper diet for Sulcatas. Read them before you go shopping.

Kristina

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I don't believe in feeding pellets to small tortoises. grasses and weeds are what they should eat.But it's hard to get grass and weeds in the middle of winter so I feed packaged Spring Mix because it has a variety of greens all mixed together. Then I add the other greens as available from the store. I sprinkle chopped salad type hay that I get from...http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php

it's already chopped up and easy for the tortoise to eat and it adds the needed fiber...I sprinkle that hay over the Spring Mix
The baby needs a hide for protection and security. That means they need something small that they can sleep in inside the aquarium. It makes them feel secure and they adjust better and sleep better. You can use a cardboard box or a plant pot tipped upside down with a hole cut for a door, but they need something small like that to sleep in.