Among the breeds or species of toroises,which are the most active and outgoing?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Active Tortoises
- Thread starter Nobody
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2009
- Messages
- 3,617
- Location (City and/or State)
- The Catskill Mountains of New York State
You're going to get a dozen or more different opinions with this question for sure! Eveyone has their favorites!
I say it's Eastern Hermann's Testudo hermanni boettgeri, Dalmatian Hermann's Testudo hermanni hercegovinensis or Russians Testudo horsfieldi. But those are some of the species I keep so I'm biased!
I have to say though I have one 6" Burmese Brown Manouria emys phayrei that I've raised from a hatchling and as each day goes by "he" is really beginning to win me over! He runs (literally) right up to people to see if he's getting a tasty morsel, is always interested in what's going on around him, loves his neck rubbed and is not shy about anything.
Redfoots Geochelone carbonaria are also generally very active and outgoing. They've always been one of my favorites.
I say it's Eastern Hermann's Testudo hermanni boettgeri, Dalmatian Hermann's Testudo hermanni hercegovinensis or Russians Testudo horsfieldi. But those are some of the species I keep so I'm biased!
I have to say though I have one 6" Burmese Brown Manouria emys phayrei that I've raised from a hatchling and as each day goes by "he" is really beginning to win me over! He runs (literally) right up to people to see if he's getting a tasty morsel, is always interested in what's going on around him, loves his neck rubbed and is not shy about anything.
Redfoots Geochelone carbonaria are also generally very active and outgoing. They've always been one of my favorites.
I have heard on this forum that Sulcata are loved for their larger-than-life personalities, which is what offsets the larger-than-other-tortoises amount of work involved in keeping one! 
As much as I love my Taco Bean Petersi, I would not say she's very outgoing and curious, though that may be due to her harsh nurture experience rather than innate traits. I did see, on my Turtle Conservancy dvd about Chaco's, that the scentists involved in the research claimed that the Patagonian variety of Chaco is larger and more outgoing than the Gran Chaco/Paraguayan version (which is my Taco).
It doesn't make any difference in my strategy to socialize my Princess into a more trusting and relaxed tortoise. It seems to be working, though slowly.
As much as I love my Taco Bean Petersi, I would not say she's very outgoing and curious, though that may be due to her harsh nurture experience rather than innate traits. I did see, on my Turtle Conservancy dvd about Chaco's, that the scentists involved in the research claimed that the Patagonian variety of Chaco is larger and more outgoing than the Gran Chaco/Paraguayan version (which is my Taco).
It doesn't make any difference in my strategy to socialize my Princess into a more trusting and relaxed tortoise. It seems to be working, though slowly.
I only have a Red Foot and know nothing about any other tortoise. When he was a baby, all he did was eat and sleep, like any other baby. Now that he is over two years old, he is so much more personable. If I am working in his pen he will follow me around to see what I'm doing. If I sit and read, he will just sit by my foot for the longest time. Now that he's inside for the winter, when he hears me in the room, he will come right out and watch everything I do and wait for a treat. He is very sweet, but as for personality, he can't compare with my boxies.
We only have one Russian so we are very biased-- Charlie has his own personality. He is very curious, active and stubborn. As long as the room is warm he loves to roam (supervised) and check things out. He hangs out on the couch with us a lot. Crawling and climbing on everything and when he tuckers himself out, digs into the corner or up against our buts to take a snooze.
In my experience:
Galapagos, Radiateds, Sulcatas, Russians, Redfoots, and Desert Tortoises are pretty personable and active. My personal favorites being Galapagos, Radiateds, and Redfoots in that order. Though there were two Aldabra males (400 and 650 lbs.) that would come up to me when I sat down and would lay down next to me like a big dog! I believe there are always exceptions to any generalizations.
Galapagos (if you have the space, experience [CBW permit], and money) are more personable and active than Aldabras.
Radiateds (if you have the experience [CBW permit] and money) are more personable and active than indian stars.
Sulcatas are more personable and active than leopards.
I haven't worked with any other tortoises so I cannot speak for them.
Everytime I go to reptile shows, it seems like the pancake tortoises are always the most active but maybe because they are always looking for shelter to hide under (which many sellers at reptile shows do not provide a shelter [the only seller I have seen provide a shelter for pancake tortoises is Tyler from BlueBeastReptiles]).
Galapagos, Radiateds, Sulcatas, Russians, Redfoots, and Desert Tortoises are pretty personable and active. My personal favorites being Galapagos, Radiateds, and Redfoots in that order. Though there were two Aldabra males (400 and 650 lbs.) that would come up to me when I sat down and would lay down next to me like a big dog! I believe there are always exceptions to any generalizations.
Galapagos (if you have the space, experience [CBW permit], and money) are more personable and active than Aldabras.
Radiateds (if you have the experience [CBW permit] and money) are more personable and active than indian stars.
Sulcatas are more personable and active than leopards.
I haven't worked with any other tortoises so I cannot speak for them.
Everytime I go to reptile shows, it seems like the pancake tortoises are always the most active but maybe because they are always looking for shelter to hide under (which many sellers at reptile shows do not provide a shelter [the only seller I have seen provide a shelter for pancake tortoises is Tyler from BlueBeastReptiles]).
I've kept or had friends keeping all of these species at one time or another. Nothing even comes close to Sulcatas. They are by far the most active, out-going and personable. The size of their work load and housing requirements is also above and beyond all of the other species too. Its easier to clean up after my 2000 pound camel than it is my three Sulcatas. (Not really, but close.)
A CAMEL??
Did he/she come to you through your work? What kind of camel? What is its habitat at your home? Does it spit on you?
Photos, please!
Did he/she come to you through your work? What kind of camel? What is its habitat at your home? Does it spit on you?
Photos, please!
Stephanie Logan said:A CAMEL??
Did he/she come to you through your work? What kind of camel? What is its habitat at your home? Does it spit on you?
Photos, please!
Lily is owned by my boss, but I raised and trained her from 9 months old. She'll be 15 this year. She's a Dromedary(one humper) and she lives in a big pipe corral pen on our 5 acre ranch.
The biggest myth I've ever heard in the whole world is the camel spitting thing. CAMELS DON'T SPIT! Llamas do, camels don't. Camels sometimes regurgitate into their mouths if they are extremely stressed, but there is nothing projectile about it.
Roachman26 said:
Well, I'd say that's gross enough.
How do you know llamas really spit? Are you a llama keeper too?
Found it! I remember now.
http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-11657.html
Stephanie Logan said:Roachman26 said:
Well, I'd say that's gross enough.
How do you know llamas really spit? Are you a llama keeper too?
Found it! I remember now.
http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-11657.html
I don't have any Llamas at my ranch, but some of my colleagues do. I've worked with them a bunch over the years and unless someone has spent a lot of time taming them down, they spit. Very accurately. For a lot longer distance than you'd think. Some of them are just meaner than others too.
Not me. I ducked behind the guy who did get spit on. I was observant enough to see it coming.Chris Isom said:
I've only personally worked with a few Llamas and I saw a lot of spitting. I've worked with a whole bunch of camels over many years in multiple countries and never seen a one spit.
I know of someone here in the Philippines who has a mini zoo that have llamas as one of their animals for exhibit to the publc.In regards to them spitting,I agree with Roachman26.They really do spit.They sometimes spit at their caretakers which I kinda find a bit funny.Once in a while they also spit at other people who get too close to them.
Spit Happens....!!!!!!!!
gummybearpoop said:
That's exactly right - they're running for cover. When setup properly, pancakes will hide a huge majority of the day (when given the option). That's just the way they are. We keep ours outdoors most of the year with large piles of stacked, flat rocks that have 1.5-2" tall cracks all over the place. We rarely see them, even with multiple in one enclosure, we may see one or two once a day during the summer (less when it's cooler). They have a small patch of food plants planted near their main hiding areas and will come out to eat for a few minutes at a time, but run for cover immediately when they see you. You can drop a large leaf near the opening to a crack, and they'll come out and grab the food, and pull it back into the dark with them. It's actually pretty amusing. They're my wife's favorite species. I prefer something a little more interactive.
They are very good escape artists also.... I know you read that everywhere, but I've had them escape from enclosures that I figured were mathmatically impossible to escape from.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2009
- Messages
- 3,617
- Location (City and/or State)
- The Catskill Mountains of New York State
Tyler perfectly descrived typical Pancakes tortoises in captivity! They absolutely require proper hiding places to thrive and will become highly panicked and stressed when trapped out in the open and no way to seek cover.
Strangely, I have one wild caught female that is out all the time, is not the least bit shy and actually comes running to my hand looking for food while her captive born and raised cage mates watch from under their rock crevices until I'm gone! They never come out if they know someone is nearby. Most of the time my Pancake enclosure looks more like an empty sandbox than a tortoise enclosure.
Strangely, I have one wild caught female that is out all the time, is not the least bit shy and actually comes running to my hand looking for food while her captive born and raised cage mates watch from under their rock crevices until I'm gone! They never come out if they know someone is nearby. Most of the time my Pancake enclosure looks more like an empty sandbox than a tortoise enclosure.
- Status
