Brand New Enclosure...Still Trying To Escape!

[McKayla]

Hello All,

I’m new to this whole forum business so take it easy on me please, Hehe!

So I have a 12 year old (7inch) Hermanns tortoise names Marvin, I’ve had him for about 9 years and he’s always been pretty active. We jokingly call him the “Houdini the ASBO tortoise” because he loves destroying stuff and once managed to scale a 2ft brick wall.

For the last 8+ years Marvin has spent his summer days in a large guinea pig run (4ftx6ft) in my parents back garden, we have always been conscious of adding in enrichment items for him but he would still spend 80% of his time marching the perimeter of the run and trying to climb the walls.

I recently bought my own place and the first job was building a purpose built run for the tortoise. It’s 5ft by 15ft (approximately 75sqft) so much larger than his previous gaff, he has an indoor hide, skate area, long grass, short grass, soil, strawberry plants, hostas, dandelions, nettles, a bamboo tunnel, a climbing platform, a sea grass ball, a wooden enrichment food ball, a water pool and dividing walls to break it all up. He has a regular diet of greens, weeds and the odd treat of a tomatoe or cucumber slice, and we do also use tortoise pellets and calcium powder sometime to keep his nutrition correct. And STILL he just walks the perimeter, headbuts the walls and attempts to climb the walls and corners!!!

I don’t know what else I can do for him! It’s upsetting to think that he is unhappy (he has even cut his neck from one of his falling escapades) and frustrating because I don’t know what else I can do.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you guys so much in advance.

McKayla
Proud owner of Marvin (AKA Houdini the ASBO tortoise)

 

[Yvonne G]

You've really made a very nice place for Marvin. Hopefully he'll settle down once he realizes this is his territory. Because tortoises are territorial, he may be trying to escape so he can find his way back to his previous territory. Who knows what goes on inside their little pea brain.

I don't see a waterer. Get a plant saucer bigger than he is and dig it down into the ground so the lip is flush with the ground.

Here's hoping Marvin settles down in a couple weeks.

 

[JoesMum]

I agree that you have done an excellent job.

Right now, Marvin is probably making absolutely certain that there’s nobody else in this new large home. One as good as this is worth defending from all-comers. And of course there might be a girl hiding somewhere that wants his undivided attention (Don’t think of getting him a girl - it WILL make matters worse, I promise you)

Hopefully he will settle down once he has decided that there definitely isn’t any risk of another tort attempting to invade his new pad.

It’s also the time of year... the hormone levels are a little higher now making his urge to defend worse.

 

[Tom]

You have done an excellent job, both with the enclosure and with this forum stuff!

You have a male tortoise and its springtime. In the wild they would wander for miles searching for a female. His behavior is totally normal. In time he will likely settle down a bit and not be so crazy about it. 5x15' is a nice size for a single hermanni. If you made it 50x50', he would still pace the perimeter. Sulcatas are famous for this too. You can give them 10 acres, and they will still pace the fence and make little "wagon tracks" with their feet over time. @Yvonne G once showed a pic of the furrows along the wall in her Dudley's large enclosure.

 

[JoesMum]

You have done an excellent job, both with the enclosure and with this forum stuff!

You have a male tortoise and its springtime. In the wild they would wander for miles searching for a female. His behavior is totally normal. In time he will likely settle down a bit and not be so crazy about it. 5x15' is a nice size for a single hermanni. If you made it 50x50', he would still pace the perimeter. Sulcatas are famous for this too. You can give them 10 acres, and they will still pace the fence and make little "wagon tracks" with their feet over time. @Yvonne G once showed a pic of the furrows along the wall in her Dudley's large enclosure.

It’s 14 months since Joe died and the trampled edges of my garden still show! After so many years (around 20 at this house) it’s going to take a while for the plants to recover!

 

[Jay Bagley]

I really like the enclosure you have built. Nice job. Animal Planet should start a show called Tortoise Cribs.

 

[McKayla]

You've really made a very nice place for Marvin. Hopefully he'll settle down once he realizes this is his territory. Because tortoises are territorial, he may be trying to escape so he can find his way back to his previous territory. Who knows what goes on inside their little pea brain.

I don't see a waterer. Get a plant saucer bigger than he is and dig it down into the ground so the lip is flush with the ground.

Here's hoping Marvin settles down in a couple weeks.

There is a water dish, I think its just a bit hidden in the photos, we have used a 12in plant water dish and dug it into the ground. Its located in the curve of the little wooden fence part (can you tell I'm pants at describing locations, i hope no one ever asks me for directions haha). And I cut up his old run to create the indoor hide/shelter part (in the slate area) to try and bring his scent with him. Fingers crossed he settles soon. He's been in about 2 weeks now.

 

[JoesMum]

There is a water dish, I think its just a bit hidden in the photos, we have used a 12in plant water dish and dug it into the ground. Its located in the curve of the little wooden fence part (can you tell I'm pants at describing locations, i hope no one ever asks me for directions haha). And I cut up his old run to create the indoor hide/shelter part (in the slate area) to try and bring his scent with him. Fingers crossed he settles soon. He's been in about 2 weeks now.

We had our male Greek, Joe, for well over 40 years before he succumbed to a tumour last spring. He was always pretty awful at this time of year, especially if the weather was warm as it is now in the UK. You may have another month of this to deal with.

PS Joe probably had a PhD in ASBO behaviour. It comes with the territory of owning make Testudo, unfortunately. But you can’t help loving their character even if they are sex-obsessed males!

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I really like the enclosure you have built. Nice job. Animal Planet should start a show called Tortoise Cribs.

Hahahaha

 

[McKayla]

We had our male Greek, Joe, for well over 40 years before he succumbed to a tumour last spring. He was always pretty awful at this time of year, especially if the weather was warm as it is now in the UK. You may have another month of this to deal with.

PS Joe probably had a PhD in ASBO behaviour. It comes with the territory of owning make Testudo, unfortunately. But you can’t help loving their character even if they are sex-obsessed males!

Boys, eh? They're drama whatever the species! Im so sorry for your loss, it sounds like you have a wealth of wisdom to share with us Tort owning dummies.