I think my tortoise is trying to kill me...

[Mister-Sheep]

Hi everyone

I have had my pet tortoise for over 30 years (he is around 36 years old) and he has always been the perfect pet. He has nutted the side of his den for several years and i didnt really think anything about it. However, recently he has taken to nutting my feet and in sometimes, even biting me! Infact the problem is so bad that you have to be constantly aware of him in the garden and I cannot leave my 2 year old niece with him alone. He has been fed the same healthy diet for his whole life and he has free range of a very large garden.

Does anyone know of a solution to this problem?

many thanks,

Justin Ryan

 

[Jacqui]

Hmmm pardon me for not understanding this. What is "nutting"? Is that along the lines of butting? What kind of tortoise?

 

[Mister-Sheep]

Hmmm pardon me for not understanding this. What is "nutting"? Is that along the lines of butting? What kind of tortoise?

Yes, nutting/butting. I think he is a greek spur thighed.

 

[ryanp15]

meditteranean spur thighed, thats the same as greek spur thighed isn't it? Well I have the same type of tortoise. I've had him 5 years, he's 5 now. Last year he started to do the same thing. Its a sort of terratorial thing, they defend the area that they think is theres, in my case, MY bedroom!

I think it happens when they meet other males they feel threatened by, is your tortoise a male? And, is he out in the garden all the time, has he always been? He may have decided it;s his terratory now!

That's what I've worked out anyway, maybe a more experienced person knows a little more

 

[Mister-Sheep]

meditteranean spur thighed, thats the same as greek spur thighed isn't it? Well I have the same type of tortoise. I've had him 5 years, he's 5 now. Last year he started to do the same thing. Its a sort of terratorial thing, they defend the area that they think is theres, in my case, MY bedroom!

I think it happens when they meet other males they feel threatened by, is your tortoise a male? And, is he out in the garden all the time, has he always been? He may have decided it;s his terratory now!

That's what I've worked out anyway, maybe a more experienced person knows a little more

Im not sure if its the same, id imagine so. Yeah he is a male and he has always lived in the gardern. He is alone though and has never even seen another tortoise. He seems to want to attack some things more than others. e.g. a certain type of shoe.

 

[Redfootedboxturtles]

I recently was attacked by my male sulcata. He pinned my foot against a wall and was just pushing and pushing with his head inside of his shell. It was crazy! Any way I guess hes getting to be a teenager rebling against his dad.

 

[Mister-Sheep]

So does anyone have any suggestions? Is there anything I can do to stop him doing this?

 

[janiedough]

I read that thread on Harpo - the infamous tort - before agreeing to adopt Percy.

Harpo butted his owner and she said it was a sign of affection, but also painful and slightly dangerous.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't think there's anything you can do to make him stop. If you push back, it just makes him fight harder. You'll just have to teach everyone to be on the look-out for him and stay out of his way. He wants to be top dog and its HIS territory that you're invading.

Yvonne

 

[Crazy1]

I agree with Yvonne I don’t think you will get him to stop. However he is now a young man 36yrs (for a tort that’s still pretty young) and perhaps his butting also has something to do with hormones? Especially if it is as you said certain types of shoes. Maybe he is butting to see if you will be receptive to his advances that would also account for the biting behavior. Both are indicative of mating as well as territorial behaviors, neither of which I think you will be able to suppress. You will more than likely be the one who has to change your behavior to work with your tort instead of the other way around. And watch those tiny two year old toes. For I am sure they are tender and tasty to a tort that may be territorial with raging hormones.

I'm afraid the only solution may be to pen your tort up when you have people in your garden so he does not have access to them.

 

[ArkansasKelly]

Or get him a girl friend. (just a thought)

ARKelly

 

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You could try rearranging some things in the garden. It might make him think he has a new habitat to explore, or else he might just get ticked off. You could always get him a girlfriend! hehehe!

jess