My greek tort is about five months old and has started to attack me. Every time i put food in his/or hers tank, he goes straight for my fingers and tries to bit them. I pulled him/or her out recently and went staright for the fingers. I let him take a bite so he wouuld taste and never do it again, but he still does. When i feed him/her, he/her comes out of his/her home and most of the time begins eating, some other times he/goes to the glass and tries to bite my fingers through the glass. Is this a problem? He's or She is just a baby so i dont know why it's attacking.[/font]
Behavior Issues?
- Thread starter PowersSax911
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- Mar 19, 2009
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Not sure really. My russian relates my hands to food. I cured it though pretty easily.
He still comes up to me when he sees me, begging for food, and will pass over the same exact stuff I set on the ground, prefering to be hand fed. But he's getting better about the fingers. With kids around, I want him to not just bit at any old finger he sees...
So what I did was give him a taste of his own medicine, in his own laguage. After watching him with Thunder, and all the head bobbing to show dominance, I decided my hand would have to establish dominance with Timmy.
So I put my hand in with no food. I bend my finger over and let him smell the mid-knuckle. If he opens his mouth, I start bobbing the kunckle up and down and lift it up just higher than his head and kinda tap his nose (not hard, just kinda bobbin like he would). It is the same move he gives Thunder as he gets up in his face and makes him back down or get bit. If he behaves, I give him a treat. If he bites at me, I do the 'head bobbing' trick and he stops right away.
Might give it a try?? Just be careful that he doesn't get ahold of you finger. With just the knuckle, there isn't much for a small tort to grab. I learned a similar trick with parots and other birds when I worked in a vet hospital while I was in college.
He still comes up to me when he sees me, begging for food, and will pass over the same exact stuff I set on the ground, prefering to be hand fed. But he's getting better about the fingers. With kids around, I want him to not just bit at any old finger he sees...
So what I did was give him a taste of his own medicine, in his own laguage. After watching him with Thunder, and all the head bobbing to show dominance, I decided my hand would have to establish dominance with Timmy.
So I put my hand in with no food. I bend my finger over and let him smell the mid-knuckle. If he opens his mouth, I start bobbing the kunckle up and down and lift it up just higher than his head and kinda tap his nose (not hard, just kinda bobbin like he would). It is the same move he gives Thunder as he gets up in his face and makes him back down or get bit. If he behaves, I give him a treat. If he bites at me, I do the 'head bobbing' trick and he stops right away.
Might give it a try?? Just be careful that he doesn't get ahold of you finger. With just the knuckle, there isn't much for a small tort to grab. I learned a similar trick with parots and other birds when I worked in a vet hospital while I was in college.
My tortoise does that too 
He does that because I hand feed him since I got him. It is not an attack, it is because he thinks you have food between your fingers.
My opinion is it is not a problem, I like when Hermy does that, I think it is really cute.
Have you ever gave him food with your hands?
He does that because I hand feed him since I got him. It is not an attack, it is because he thinks you have food between your fingers
.My opinion is it is not a problem, I like when Hermy does that, I think it is really cute.
Have you ever gave him food with your hands?
Do you have painted fingernails?
Tallula also goes for my fingers some days - never paint my nails, (never have tiiiiime!) - but Chad thanks for that, I'm going to try that trick....I hope she doesn't grab hold of my knuckle though haha, we'll see
Most of my Greeks do not go for the fingers, unless I would offer my fingers to them as food (not going to happen), every one except Goldie who is about a year old now. She will go out of her way to bite, like your little Greek, Goldie will pass up food just to go after my fingers taking large almost stomping steps as she quickly approaches my hand, I will try your technique with her and hopefully that will do the trick, as her bite gives a pretty good pinch now (I let her smell them and she did bite LOL). I can only imagine what it will be like when she is all grown up. Thanks for the tip. Oh and I have never fed her by hand so that is not it. Perhaps it is just that she sees me place food in her enclosure, or the aggressive bite with the stomping feet is her way of telling me that it is her territory-get out! Who knows?
BUMP~
Waldo started bobbing his head about 2 weeks ago.. Not trying to bite or anything.. And never charges after my fingers when I am feeding him on his slate. (never from my fingers) He reminds me of those little doggies that people use to have in their back car windows.. His eyes and nose are clear.. Just his normal self with the added head bob..
Question is~ will this pass? as the season ends? is he wanting a lady friend? am I gonna have to paint a rock to look like a lady tort? if he had a female would he breed all the time? Will this stop once the temps drop in the fall? Remember Waldo is outside on the screen porch so he is getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine (of course with half tort table in the shade with his house/cave) ..
???
TIA
Waldo started bobbing his head about 2 weeks ago.. Not trying to bite or anything.. And never charges after my fingers when I am feeding him on his slate. (never from my fingers) He reminds me of those little doggies that people use to have in their back car windows.. His eyes and nose are clear.. Just his normal self with the added head bob..
Question is~ will this pass? as the season ends? is he wanting a lady friend? am I gonna have to paint a rock to look like a lady tort? if he had a female would he breed all the time? Will this stop once the temps drop in the fall? Remember Waldo is outside on the screen porch so he is getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine (of course with half tort table in the shade with his house/cave) ..
???
TIA
Tia unless you want little ones don't get a mate for Waldo. I have males and yes that is the only thing on their mind when they are with the girls. Crashing shells and lots of mating. I seperated them in their outside pen only to come home yesterday to find him in with the two girls, I thought I had built the wall high enough. But he was determined and got overthere anyway. Mine often head bob I think it is just something they do.
lol Robyn, I was using TIA for Thanks in advance.. lol.. I read your post and kept thinking who in the world is TIA... LOL....
oh lord no... no lady for waldo.. no eggs no lady friend.. I was just asking if IF he had one would he stop doing the head bob, or would he still do it.. I was told Waldo is 9 years old, so I guess he is pretty mature and is looking for a lady.. Hmm I think I will buy him one made of cement.. lol.. Gosh I can't believe he got through the wall to the females..
dmmj, OUCH.. I wouldn't want Waldo to bite down on one of my toes.. I mean he isn't as big as most torts but my little piggy toes wouldn't have a chance against his beak..
oh lord no... no lady for waldo.. no eggs no lady friend.. I was just asking if IF he had one would he stop doing the head bob, or would he still do it.. I was told Waldo is 9 years old, so I guess he is pretty mature and is looking for a lady.. Hmm I think I will buy him one made of cement.. lol.. Gosh I can't believe he got through the wall to the females..
dmmj, OUCH.. I wouldn't want Waldo to bite down on one of my toes.. I mean he isn't as big as most torts but my little piggy toes wouldn't have a chance against his beak..
My hatchling even bobs his head, especially when slightly scared.
I think as said above having a mate would make his behavior worse...
I think as said above having a mate would make his behavior worse...
I tried the finger bobbing thing like Chad said we should try....Tallula is very stubborn, she looked at my finger and thought "this aint gonna work" and kept biting my knuckle LOL. Will keep trying!
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