My Greek Tortoise Hides Its Head Whilst Eating-Please Help.

[Gillian M]

My Greek tortoise does not eat unless I hand-feed it-I don't mind that, I have no problem. However, it has recently been doing something very "weird" if so I may call it, while being hand-fed. It would be eating (even these days when the weather is not that warm), and suddenly it would hide its head in its shell as if someone frightened it. No...not because it has had enough food: it would then pop its head out and go on with its meal. Please allow me to point out that I am more than careful when hand-feeding it.

Apparently something's making my tort doing the above movement, which it has never done before. The matter is worrying me.Therefore I would very much appreciate your help/explanation/advice to the above. Thanks a lot.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, my answer is probably not what you're wanting to hear. Tough love. That tortoise isn't getting enough to eat. There's just no way a human has enough patience to sit there for hours and hand feed enough food for a tortoise to thrive. You need to get him eating on his own, then the head-pulling-in wouldn't be a problem anymore. I think what you're describing is what we call "head shy." It happens when a dog gets hit a lot with a hand, or when a horse is roughed up with a hand, etc. Tortoises, being wild animals, are naturally more head shy than domesticated animals.

Inspect the shell on the underside, where the head pulls in, just to be sure there isn't a sharp edge that's hitting him. If its a smooth area, then there's really nothing, in my opinion, to worry about.

 

[Gillian M]

Well, my answer is probably not what you're wanting to hear. Tough love. That tortoise isn't getting enough to eat. There's just no way a human has enough patience to sit there for hours and hand feed enough food for a tortoise to thrive. You need to get him eating on his own, then the head-pulling-in wouldn't be a problem anymore. I think what you're describing is what we call "head shy." It happens when a dog gets hit a lot with a hand, or when a horse is roughed up with a hand, etc. Tortoises, being wild animals, are naturally more head shy than domesticated animals.

Inspect the shell on the underside, where the head pulls in, just to be sure there isn't a sharp edge that's hitting him. If its a smooth area, then there's really nothing, in my opinion, to worry about.

Thanks your reply.

The trouble is the my tort just will not eat alone! I have tried it time and once again, leaving food and water in its enclosure when I have to leave home for example. Believe me, I'd be out all day long at times and upon returning I'd find my tort not having eaten a crumb!

As for not being fed enough, why would it go on eating once it pulls out its head? Patience? Well, please allow me to say you cannot imagine how patient I am, and I hand-feed my tort with so much of that patience. I would not have chosen a tort as a pet had I been impatient.

I checked the shell as you suggested in your alert, and it's nice and smooth.

Am I to leave it to eat alone, even though that too will worry me if it does not eat? Please help! Thanks very much.

 

[WithLisa]

Just a thought... Have you tried to let it graze by itself? Maybe s/he just don't like to pick loose leaves up from the ground.

 

[Gillian M]

Just a thought... Have you tried to let it graze by itself? Maybe s/he just don't like to pick loose leaves up from the ground.

Yes I have. As I said it jus will not eat alone. I have to hand-feed it. I have no problem but that movement of sticking its head into its shell suddenly, is really worryying me. Thanks your help!