Crazy things my Tortoise does...

Hoka's Mom

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Dec 17, 2018
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They climb up and down on rocks and hard surfaces in the wild; that’s why most of the ones we get in the U.S. are so dinged up. My tortoise flipped herself over trying to climb this wall repeatedly last spring; it was unnerving at the beginning but she flips herself back up so fast I almost got used to it. Almost.

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That is a great picture! Right up on tippy-toe. Ninja turtles style.

Geez...I'd swear you had a nanny can watching my sulcata when he was small he would try flying ALL the time...now he just flies on the carpet on his stomach with his front legs stretched out and the rear legs in the pilot approved "L" shape formation. And every time i would clean out his turtle habitat to put fresh coco coir in it and place his house furniture back where it goes...cuz you know...BULLDOZERS...as soon as he went back in EVERYTHING had to be checked out. And smelled again just to make sure it was his. I'm sure he rearranged it exactly like he wanted and there I go...the nerve of me...placing HIS THINGS where I wanted them to be....typical bachelor pad behavior! Aren't they great?!! I'm so in love with my shell baby... going to be 5 this year and its just keeps getting better!
Totally! We are so rude, moving their stuff on them. lol
 

Hoka's Mom

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Everything you said describes my Russian, Pops, behavior. The face flop really makes me cringe but he's an expert at it so I don't worry too much. My other Russian, Diego, is an incredible climber. He climbs boulders in my backyard. It terrifies me but he loves it. I respect their sense of adventure and their drive to do the impossible!
They really are great inspiration, they don't look like they are "made" for rock climbing but they don't know it.
 

Hoka's Mom

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Yesterday Sheldon climbed a rock while outside, didn’t think he would make it to the top but he did, and as I watched him, I swear he not only pushed with his back legs to jump but I think he held out his arms like a swan dive. I was pretty impressed, I then removed the rock.
LOL. He will be so mad that you took that rock away! Now he will only climb when you aren't looking.
 

Hoka's Mom

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Yea and don't forget one single thing your little escape artist shows you (while you're laughing) because it's the only way!...you might be able to outsmart them.
Im making mental notes of all the "weaknesses" in my security. He did, recently, escape because he learned to open the sliding door on the enclosure! I now have velcro tabs on them. He made it two rooms away and was about to go into the house venting system...YIKES! so now I need to get that screwed down.
 

Shuler24

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Apr 24, 2019
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LOL. He will be so mad that you took that rock away! Now he will only climb when you aren't looking.
Haha, for sure. He will simple find another rock to climb. Like everybody else’s RT, they love to climb and face plant for some reason!
 

Cathie G

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Im making mental notes of all the "weaknesses" in my security. He did, recently, escape because he learned to open the sliding door on the enclosure! I now have velcro tabs on them. He made it two rooms away and was about to go into the house venting system...YIKES! so now I need to get that screwed down.
Sorry that I find that funny...but I do. Not that he was about to get hurt but...don't put anything past a Russian. The one thing you can trust them to do is be up to no durn good. I found my little guy hanging by a claw from the hardware cloth on the lid of his indoor enclosure. I'd had him for years and he still managed to get himself in troouuble...I check on him a lot every day. I also have a hardware cloth lid on his outdoor enclosure that has a keyed lock. I'm probably an overprotective mom but... it's no wonder a Russian is a popular and favorite pet tortoise.
 

Lyric

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Our redfoot, Lyric, is quite the climber and escape artist. He has managed to get out of his enclosure by climbing and nudging the screen door open if I forget to close it all the way. Torts are very smart. They monitor everything that we do. How else could they have lived so long!?!
 

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DesertGirl

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My Russian tort has the same type of routine.
My Sonoran DT female does the same things. If she can climb over her rocks (we moved in a truckload just for her backyard) she will always take rocks over simply walking somewhere. On certain rocks, she perches on the edge, stretches her front legs out, then pushes off and flies...straight down. Repeat as desired!
 

Miniman8

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Oct 10, 2018
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Wantage UK
My Russian lightning loves to climb, until recently we had to confine him to quite a small area of our garden, but now he has his onboard tracker we can let him roam free, before this I have seen him standing completely vertical with his back legs straight & also seen him lift himself off the ground in this position like he was doing pull ups, then falling back onto his back, we have always been a bit concerned that he could not right himself properly but he never seems to have any trouble except in his house where he seems to struggle more, if you see one of my other posts you will see why we had to get him a tracker (tile mate) it is fixed to the top of his shell with a small blob of silicone & if we can’t find him just press app on my phone he plays a tune so you can hear him, it doesn’t seem to bother him as if he is asleep it does not wake him up.
As you other Russian owners must know they are always trying to escape & there are quick with it as well, in the sun the other day we watched him almost running down the garden path, your right people don’t tend to believe us when we tell them what he does. He is a totally source of wonder & amusement. When we go on holiday he stays with our grandchildren & they absolutely love him as unlike most Russian he will come up to you when you speak to him & if you are patient he will even take food from your hand. Sorry this post is a bit long.
Tom
 

RosemaryDW

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Mine uses her neck as a fifth limb for climbing. It’s a little disturbing to watch her hang her entire body from her neck while she tries to ballerina kick up to wherever she’d like to go; usually she’s trying to get inside the house.
 

Pangolin123

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May 20, 2018
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UK
Mine is very similar. He has a log with a cavity underneath where he would hide when he was smaller. its much too tiny for him now but if we take it away he just sits where it was scratching the ground and looking sad so we keep it in there. On warm days instead of going in his larger hide he'll stuff his face under the log and try to bury his feet under the bark. The log literally sits on his shell, its so small. Or he'll try and reverse into it. Very dignified.
In the day he uses the top as a slide. its painful to watch him clamber to the top and then zoom over the other side and mash his face into the ground but he seems to love it? We also have a sort of 'bannister' in his house which separates his cooler area from his warmer area. He only needs to go down a very accessible wide ramp RIGHT IN FRONT of his house to avoid it but he'll spend hours trying to climb over it.
He also has a small food bowl which he will flip onto his head, scattering food everywhere, and occasionally he'll try and sleep under it though its half his size!
 
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