How Crazy Is My Russian?

[Oxalis]

...and he'll do that for hours!!! Is my tortoise son OCD?

 

[dmmj]

when you have an animal as stubborn as a tortoise with no sense of time that's what you get

 

[Careym13]

I like your flamingo...I have those scattered about my yard too.

 

[Oxalis]

I like your flamingo...I have those scattered about my yard too.

My fiancée warned me not to add more than one... he's not fun at all! XD

 

[Careym13]

HAHA...I've got like 10. A couple by the mailbox so that it makes it easier for people to find my driveway. All I have to say is "just look for the house with the flamingos!".

 

[leigti]

Put something in his way so we has to go around it. Like a big logs or a big rock etc. so that he can't just run the perimeter.

 

[Oxalis]

HAHA...I've got like 10. A couple by the mailbox so that it makes it easier for people to find my driveway. All I have to say is "just look for the house with the flamingos!".

Very nice!! XD I tell people they've got the right one when they see the tortoise sculpture in the front garden.

 

[leigti]

I know this is cute and all, but actually your tortoise is very stressed. It's one thing if he doesn't a little but if he's really doing this for hours there's a problem.

 

[Oxalis]

I know this is cute and all, but actually your tortoise is very stressed. It's one thing if he doesn't a little but if he's really doing this for hours there's a problem.

Hmm, I have moved him to the other side of the enclosure (which is 96 sq. ft.), and he merely walks all the way back to pace in the same spot again as though I had not moved him at all. I have tried to put some things in his way, but he has either climbed over them to continue on his way, or burrowed into them in an effort to push them out of the way so he can keep going. I am really lost as to what else I could do. There are plenty of plants for him to hide under, and I have seen him do that on other occasions. It's this one behavior that I just can't understand.

 

[Foursteels]

I can't believe how fast he is!! Maybe he's trying to get away from the pink flamingo. lol

 

[Oxalis]

@Tom , do you have any insight on this behavior? Is my tortoise really stressed out?

For the meantime, I put a kiln-dried piece of firewood (since it shouldn't be treated) in the middle of his pacing area to slow him down...

 

[leigti]

Maybe he's looking for a mate.

 

[Oxalis]

Maybe he's looking for a mate.

Seriously! I'm thinking maybe 1 or 2 tunnels over that space; that will at least give him somewhere to hide.

 

[Oxalis]

May take a sec to load, but here he is climbing over the obstacle. Sigh. Russians!

 

[Yvonne G]

Stand the obstacle up on end and secure it in place, making him have to walk around it. or put a big rock in the way.

 

[leigti]

And make it a long obstacle so he has to walk all the way back into the middle of the enclosure.

 

[Oxalis]

OK, I like these ideas!!! I did see a photo of enclosure with a small hill. I liked it. It had a "cave" inside the hill, and grass on top. This might be a cool idea for next year, just so long as he can't reach the top of the fence.

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Haha I feel bad cause this makes me laugh so hard. That is a stubborn tortoise!!! He is so persistent!!!

 

[Oxalis]

Haha I feel bad cause this makes me laugh so hard. That is a stubborn tortoise!!! He is so persistent!!!

He sure is!!!

 

[Nima]

Hi maybe he just thinks about prison break