Hi all,
I've had my rescue redfoot for a little over 2 years now and I've recently noticed he has a bit of an obsession with his shadow. At first I thought it was just pacing, a habit seen a lot in torts but after some time I've realized he's looking for his shadow. I do supervised indoor free roams for about an hour a day in colder months and he's outdoors in the summer in a large enclosure. Any place that casts a shadow he will constantly chase it and nudge it. The only time He doesn't exhibit this behavior is inside his indoor enclosure. I have heard of this happening with dogs from laser pointers but never in tortoises ( I have never used a laser pointer for my tort but he previously lived in a school courtyard for about 10 years before being dumped at a rescue center). Food doesn't seem to stop the behavior either. Has anyone else ever experienced this? I am unsure if it causes him stress.
I've had my rescue redfoot for a little over 2 years now and I've recently noticed he has a bit of an obsession with his shadow. At first I thought it was just pacing, a habit seen a lot in torts but after some time I've realized he's looking for his shadow. I do supervised indoor free roams for about an hour a day in colder months and he's outdoors in the summer in a large enclosure. Any place that casts a shadow he will constantly chase it and nudge it. The only time He doesn't exhibit this behavior is inside his indoor enclosure. I have heard of this happening with dogs from laser pointers but never in tortoises ( I have never used a laser pointer for my tort but he previously lived in a school courtyard for about 10 years before being dumped at a rescue center). Food doesn't seem to stop the behavior either. Has anyone else ever experienced this? I am unsure if it causes him stress.