Hyperactive tortoise

[Jo77]

Hi

For the last week my 9 year old Hermann tortoise has seemed quite manic. She's darting around her table, trailing food everywhere (which she hasn't shown much interest in). It's not normal behaviour for her as she usually tucks into her food and sleeps most of the day. She was outside most of yesterday and was still quite hyper out there although she did have a good munch at the lawn. I've given her a general check over and can't physically see anything wrong. Her set up and diet haven't changed. Is this normal behaviour for a tortoise once in while? We've had her for 5 years and she hasn't been like this before.

 

[jockma]

Sometimes this happens if the tort isn't happy with some aspect of the husbandry. If the enclosure is too hot for example she'll desperately run around looking for relief. If she's thirsty and has no water she'll run around looking for water. Hungry, run around looking for food. Bored, run around looking for enrichment and so on.

 

[Gillian M]

A warm welcome to the forum.

With all my respect to the vet, I agree with @jockma: there is definitely something wrong.

 

[keepergale]

Maybe your she is a he and thinks it's breeding season.

 

[BrianWI]

At that age, she may have reached sexual maturity. That can cause behavioral changes.

 

[JoesMum]

Hi

I suggest you post pictures of your tort's enclosure. We may be able to suggest some changes to help your tort calm down.

How big is your tort? And how big is the enclosure?

 

[Markw84]

At that age, she may have reached sexual maturity. That can cause behavioral changes.

And, maybe gravid and looking for a place to lay eggs. Females get very active when its time to look for a nesting site. She could have infertile eggs??

 

[Jo77]

This is her set up. We made the new table after Christmas as she'd outgrown her previous one, she now takes up half of our spare room! She's always had woodchips and has never had a problem with them. 100w lamp, rocks to eat from and a little wicker ball that I stick leaves in so she can reach for them. She has a mix of living salad, weeds (dandelions mainly, although the las couple of months I have started growing my own from seeds I buy from Shelled Warriors - fast growing weeds and mediteranean mix). I grow a tray and then I put them in with her and it lasts two days). She also has some tortoise pellets but only a pinch. She is in a warm room but it has been warmer than it is and she never reacted like this. I try to give her baths every so often but she really doesn't last long in them before she's scrabbling around trying to get out. Pretty sure the temperature of the water is right as well.

 

[Gillian M]

This is her set up. We made the new table after Christmas as she'd outgrown her previous one, she now takes up half of our spare room! She's always had woodchips and has never had a problem with them. 100w lamp, rocks to eat from and a little wicker ball that I stick leaves in so she can reach for them. She has a mix of living salad, weeds (dandelions mainly, although the las couple of months I have started growing my own from seeds I buy from Shelled Warriors - fast growing weeds and mediteranean mix). I grow a tray and then I put them in with her and it lasts two days). She also has some tortoise pellets but only a pinch. She is in a warm room but it has been warmer than it is and she never reacted like this. I try to give her baths every so often but she really doesn't last long in them before she's scrabbling around trying to get out. Pretty sure the temperature of the water is right as well.View attachment 180793

A lovely big enclosure. Mind you I have a feeling it isn't high enough. Maybe your tort can see outside the enclosure. This would make her want to get out.

 

[JoesMum]

I always recommend baths first thing in the morning before a tort has warmed up. You are far more likely to have success then.

You could really do with getting some plants in there, sink pots into the substrate, to break up sight lines. You need to make that enclosure seem bigger than it actually is. There's nothing to distract your tort. Start thinking like a garden makeover program where they introduce obstructions and paths to fool the eye.

Your tort is of a size where it really could do with being outside now, especially in the current weather. Is an enclosure in the garden out of the question?

 

[Gillian M]

I always recommend baths first thing in the morning before a tort has warmed up. You are far more likely to have success then.

You could really do with getting some plants in there, sink pots into the substrate, to break up sight lines. You need to make that enclosure seem bigger than it actually is. There's nothing to distract your tort. Start thinking like a garden makeover program where they introduce obstructions and paths to fool the eye.

Your tort is of a size where it really could do with being outside now, especially in the current weather. Is an enclosure in the garden out of the question?

Di you think its height is ideal?

 

[JoesMum]

Di you think its height is ideal?

The sides do seem low compared with the size of the tort. It would certainly be aware there's a wider world out there and there is an escape risk.

 

[Gillian M]

The sides do seem low compared with the size of the tort. It would certainly be aware there's a wider world out there and there is an escape risk.

Thanks your reply.

I know that an enclosure quite high; so that the tort knows his/her borders. In such a case he/she would not start trying to get out.

 

[lauren and harry]

hi great size table,my tort is only 2 so his is smaller at the moment,but two days on the run my tort was behaving like that,he simply just wanted a run around outside the box (being nosy) ha then hes fine when I put him back him.its like he knows when I'm in the room and just wants some attention.(not like he doesn't get enough already) ha.

 

[Jo77]

Thank you for your advice. We did clean her out last week and put in more wood chips than usual so I will take some of them out which may restrict her view a bit more. I'll also see if I can find a few more interesting bits to put in her table with her, maybe an upturned flower pot?
She does have an outdoor enclosure but she is getting a bit too big for it now. Her only problem when she is outside she always goes into the shed part and stays there all day so gets no benefit from all the lovely natural UV light! I have grand plans for a proper outdoor enclosure rather than a hutch and a run, I just need to save up to get a gardener and a builder in to do it. Nearly there!

 

[JoesMum]

In your enclosure use some big pot plants that are safe to eat like spider plants. Spider plants are great as you can have one on the windowsill growing an endless supply of replacements.

Outdoors you simply need a fence - nothing fancy and something to shelter under. The bushes in your garden can be fenced in to provide that.

 

[Gillian M]

Hi, how's your tor today?

 

[jockma]

Thank you for your advice. We did clean her out last week and put in more wood chips than usual so I will take some of them out which may restrict her view a bit more. I'll also see if I can find a few more interesting bits to put in her table with her, maybe an upturned flower pot?
She does have an outdoor enclosure but she is getting a bit too big for it now. Her only problem when she is outside she always goes into the shed part and stays there all day so gets no benefit from all the lovely natural UV light! I have grand plans for a proper outdoor enclosure rather than a hutch and a run, I just need to save up to get a gardener and a builder in to do it. Nearly there!

They do that in the wild too, hide in the shade I don't know if any of them really spend all that much time in direct sunlight.

Maybe you can incorporate more natural shade like trees, bushes etc. So she has more shady areas to walk around in. I'd trust that she knows how much sunlight she needs.

 

[Gillian M]

They do that in the wild too, hide in the shade I don't know if any of them really spend all that much time in direct sunlight.

Maybe you can incorporate more natural shade like trees, bushes etc. So she has more shady areas to walk around in. I'd trust that she knows how much sunlight she needs.

Oh yes: I've noticed Oli sitting in the sun as if sunbathing. When he gets enough which does not take much time with the HOT sun we have here, he moves to the shade.

 

[jockma]

Hahaha mine is an anomaly, before I found this forum I thought torts didn't like the shade because mine is always in the sun. He'll walk in the shade to cool off but all the interesting stuff is in the sunny parts of the yard, he gets bored easily