Any ideas on how I can get him to stop doing this?

[tortuga_mel]

Michelangelo is in a glass tank and he recently started ramming his head into the wall, in only one spot of the tank. He has never done this before and I'm not sure what has happened to make him decide to do it now. I understand this can be normal behavior for a tort in a glass enclosure but it's begining to concern me. He has a spot on his nose where he continuely hits the glass.

I just rearranged the set up of his tank, this has never bothered him before. I don't have much of a choice anymore as to how the tank is set up. He has grown out of the smaller hide-logs and has moved on to the XL so it gives me a limitted amount of options when it come to his set up. Although he could use a bigger enclosure, he has not yet out grown this one. I plan on getting something bigger for him once I get the money.

Any ideas on how I can get him to stop doing this?

 

[DesertGrandma]

Have you tried covering the sides of the glass tank with something he can't see through? As long as he sees something on the other side he will try to get out.

 

[tortuga_mel]

Have you tried covering the sides of the glass tank with something he can't see through? As long as he sees something on the other side he will try to get out.

Yes, I put some thick paper around the bottom all the way around the tank. He has stopped momentarily. Hopefully it works.

 

[tortuga_mel]

I think the paper has worked

 

[lynnedit]

Whew. Don't forget to consider a bookcase on its side when you go larger.

 

[lester2011]

Ya mine does the same exact thing. I read they do that because the clear glass confuses them. So they suggested put paper or something around the outside so he doesn't thing he can walk right through the tank lol. It helps. hope he stops.

 

[Turtle Guru]

My guess is that he sees all that space open for him to walk but he can't get over there so he is trying to see try to cover some of the sides up to help him because you don't want your little guy to get hurt or stress

 

[tortuga_mel]

My guess is that he sees all that space open for him to walk but he can't get over there so he is trying to see try to cover some of the sides up to help him because you don't want your little guy to get hurt or stress

i think you're right. i have been letting him free roam the living room a lot lately, and i didn't used to let him free roam unless he was outside. and seeing as how his tank is in the living room he is probably trying to get out and explore some more.

the paper didn't work he keeps climbing the walls and falling over. he even climbed on his little hide-log to see over the paper.

 

[lester2011]

Ya he's goin to climb, mine does that. He sometimes tears up his whole tank and climbs and once he fell on his back and scared us. I think there's actually no way to stop them from doin that. Just decorate around the tank, lie tape paper or a decorative background, my tortoise loves lookin at his decorative background, although he still climbs a little. Just let him out of his tank every now and then n he should get satisfied.

 

[tortuga_mel]

Ya he's goin to climb, mine does that. He sometimes tears up his whole tank and climbs and once he fell on his back and scared us. I think there's actually no way to stop them from doin that. Just decorate around the tank, lie tape paper or a decorative background, my tortoise loves lookin at his decorative background, although he still climbs a little. Just let him out of his tank every now and then n he should get satisfied.

he has always been a climber, no big deal. i think its cute that he likes to climb so much. i have a decorative background on his tank already, he usually doesn't climb that wall. sometimes he stares at it but never really tries to climb it. i take him out as often as i can, and sometimes i take him to my cousins house to play with his tortoise. they have a fenced in backyard there so they have free roam and we dont have to worry. hopefully this wall climbing business is just a silly habit that he will grow out of. the paper i put around the bottom has helped a lot but not completely.