Also... Odd behavior...

[Tank'sMom]

Ok. So the past week or so, Tank has been acting out of character. Normally he is very shy around anyone but me. Lately he has been more... Outgoing? But it's weird.
We put up a new swing set in the backyard. That's the only thing new. Other than the seasonal/weather changes.
My mom was over, pushing the boys on the swings and he went circling around them. VERY out of character for him. Normally he would never go near my mom!
He's also been coming around the "people" area more often. Normally, he stays in "his yard" on the other side of the backyard. Now he's been coming over whenever we're out back. He almost came inside the house this morning!
This behavior is really weird! Not like him at all. I'm not complaining if he's decided to become more a part of the family, but I feel like something else is going on.
Is it "mating" season? Or some other reason that he could be acting this way all the sudden?

 

[Jodie]

Interesting. I am curious what answers you will get. How old is he? Maybe this is a maturing issue?

 

[Tank'sMom]

He's almost 18 years.

 

[Tank'sMom]

Or, I guess he just tuned 18....

 

[Jodie]

Or, I guess he just tuned 18....

Late for my guess then. Wish we could just ask them what's up?

 

[Tank'sMom]

Maybe the seasonal change?? We just finished our rainy season. I think I remember, could be wrong, that they breed after the rainy season naturally??
And yes! I do wish I could just ask him what's up! Lol.

 

[leopard777]

any video ?

 

[Tank'sMom]

any video ?

I haven't taken any. I could tomorrow, but it just looks like he's a "friendly, curious tort". It's very out of character for him!

 

[Yvonne G]

He's probably trying to figure out if he should try to chase those 'critters' out of his yard. Being as how he's never been aggressive in the past, its a new feeling for him. I'm pretty sure that's what's going on...a territorial thing he's working his courage up to take care of.

 

[Tank'sMom]

He's probably trying to figure out if he should try to chase those 'critters' out of his yard. Being as how he's never been aggressive in the past, its a new feeling for him. I'm pretty sure that's what's going on...a territorial thing he's working his courage up to take care of.

Yvonne, I'm very curious what you mean! The kids?? He's been around them plenty. He's not a huge fan of them.
Do you think it could be the new swing set?? He's behaving this way even when nobody is out there. I just have an "intuition" that something is going on with him. It's just so different. And the change was very quick. Although it did seem to start when we built the playground.
Very interesting to me.

 

[peasinapod]

My tortoise freaks out if we change anything bigger than cutting something back in his enclosure. He will frantically run through his enclosure for hours sometimes, depending in how big the change was. After he has checked everything over, (at least a 100 times) he will calm down. Maybe it is something similar here?

 

[Dizisdalife]

Chuck likes to check out everyone that comes in his yard. He sniffs their shoes until he is okay with them and then moves on. He may return to do it all over again, and again. Chuck is not yet 5 years old. In Fall and Winter I open up a section of patio to his use because it has a great south facing wall for basking. The ground temp may be 70°, but that wall is over 100°. On Thanksgiving we had too many guest to seat in the house so some ate outside on the patio. It was about 90° here that day. Chuck basked on the patio as usual, much to the amusement of our guest, and then he moved over to the table and parked himself between two of our guest. Doing his best "old dog" imitation, he sat for about 45 minutes. Parked between two chairs and 4 feet enjoying the shade of the table and the umbrella above it. As if that was not unusual enough, when he decided to leave, he backed out of that tight spot, not touching a guest or any of the furniture, turned and went out to the grass to graze. Sulcata just don't show that kind of finesse. Chuck has moved most of those chairs around at one time or another. Empty, of course.

While so much of their behavior is routine and predictable they will do something that seems entirely out of character. Or is it part of their character and I just haven't discovered it all yet?