GREEK TORTOISE HEAD BOBBING!

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Vitality

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I just got my greek tortoise yesterday at 4 pm so I figured it ate already as there was no food in its pen so when it got home it just slept all night. I gave it some organic spring mix from Costco this morning before I left for work and when I came home it doesn't look like any of it was eaten. but the weird part was he was sitting infront of his half log when I got home with his head and legs bobbing out of its shell. I got worried so I soaked him in a little water and offered up a new dish or spring mix. and nothing. he just went back into the half log, buried into the repti bark and went to sleep.

what do I do :( is it sick?? or is it still adapting to new surroundings and just keep offering food..
 

theelectraco

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He is probably just stressed from a new environment. Give him a few days to adjust. The head bobbing and leg pumping is also normal. I notice my tortoise doing it also when I'm bugging him when he's trying to be a tortoise and relax.
 

Vitality

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Should i not even touch it while it gets used to its new place? I have to a little to give it a bath every day and its not getting sunlight cause it never leaves its half log
 

mattgrizzlybear

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It's very normal for him to hide. He's put in a strange new environment and might be scared. Just let him be and still offer his food to him. He'll eventually get hungry and eat.
 

GBtortoises

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The mild head bobbing and leg pumping is part of a tortoises normal breathing pattern. True head bobbing as it applies too two tortoises signaling each other either during introduction or when a male is courting a female is very much more exaggerated and a very swift, jerky motion.
Tortoises when introduced to a new environment need time to acclimate and feel secure enough to venture out of hiding to seek water, food and familarize themselves with their new surroundings. If at all possible it's best to just observe and have as little contact with them as possible during this time. I would not be too concerned about soaking your tortoise but have drinking water available at all times. If the enclosure is dry, spray it once or twice daily. There is some mis-guided belief that tortoises are going to dehydrate if they don't get soaked. This is absolutely not true. As long as they have easy access to drinking water, the ambient humidity is within the suitable range and their enclosure is not kept excessively hot and dry they are not going to dehydrate. Soaking is just added insurance and it should not be used in place of any of the above conditions, but in addition to them. No tortoise is going to allow itself to dehydrate as long as it is self mobile and has the means within it's environment to stay hydrated.
 

Vitality

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Ok i moved its half log around so it doesnt face me. Its next to my desk. Should i put something in front of the front glass that i look in from? Cause i have wallpaper all the way around but the front glass wall.
 

Vitality

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ImageUploadedByTortForum1368400821.514676.jpg. I got this app so i could monitor my little buddy with my laptop and he still hasn't left his little home. Except for yesterday he was roaming around till i got home and he went back to hiding. Poor little guy needs to eat. Guess he still thinks im gonna eat him haha
 
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