Ha ha ha...My tiny sulcata just RAMMED ME! :D

[Prairie Mom]

She's mad, because rather than get intimidated...I just giggled and giggled

​

I've been paying attention to signs of ramming ever since I read @[email protected] 's video blog: http://frankietortoisetails.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-mythical-ram_23.html. I've noticed that Mavis has done a few "jerky" movements that make me think she's been working on her ramming.

In the short time she's been with us, her appetite is getting bigger and bigger and so is her feces. --Yeah, I guessed you wanted to know that! I soak her every day and this morning I had a bunch of errands and didn't get to her before she made a big mess in her enclosure. She was crusty and GROSS . She didn't just need to be soaked she needed to be CLEANED. I had to rub her down under running water and admit that I had to really work on "her nether regions." -Needless to say, she - WAS- -NOT- -PLEASED-.

When I sat her down in the clean water to enjoy her soak, without barely a second's time...BOOM! I still can't believe I managed to move my hand away fast enough. She nearly pounded my hand between her shell and the Tupperware wall! She had impressive speed and force for such a little thing!!

​

I'm curious if anyone has every been rammed by their adult sulcata?
How often do they do this?
Any tips on keeping my young kids safe from our beloved little chelonian character?

 

[tortadise]

Hah. It's not bad when they're that size. Just wait until they tip well over 100 pounds.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Hah. It's not bad when they're that size. Just wait until they tip well over 100 pounds.

That's EXACTLY what I'm worried about

 

[tortadise]

That's EXACTLY what I'm worried about

Eh. It's inevitable though.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Eh. It's inevitable though.

I'd LOVE to hear instances when you or other people have been rammed

 

[tortadise]

All the time. Saturday I was blowing leaves with the leaf blower into a pile, so I can put them in with the forest tortoises. And pops was just following me around and finally nudged me. He doesn't really ram, but more so portrays a very curious aspects to things.

 

[Yvonne G]

Dudley rammed me once. He's always been very tolerant of people in his yard, but this one day I was sitting on the ground pulling weeds in his yard and I guess he didn't feel like sharing with me. He came up alongside of me and rammed me tipping me over onto my side. He kept coming at me, and at 76 years of age, I don't move real fast or easy. It took a couple more rams before I was able to get away from him. One reason, beside my age, that I had such a hard time getting up, was i was laughing so hard.

 

[Prairie Mom]

One reason, beside my age, that I had such a hard time getting up, was i was laughing so hard.

Ha ha ha!! You were laughing too hard. THAT'S SO FUNNY! Way to hurt Dudley's EGO, Yvonne!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Are there things that I can warn my kids to look out for? Or is this just going to be an individual "live and learn" type thing? Our little sulcata seems to have a lot of personality. She can be very affectionate and I honestly kind of like that she's turning out to be a bit feisty

 

[peasinapod]

Are there things that I can warn my kids to look out for? Or is this just going to be an individual "live and learn" type thing? Our little sulcata seems to have a lot of personality. She can be very affectionate and I honestly kind of like that she's turning out to be a bit feisty

Your kids are growing with her. Teach them the signs of an impending ram, so they can judge eventual situations. Peter also tried to ram me a very few times, but when it is a 1kg hermann's tortoise it is just plain funny.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Miss sulcata has rammed me twice, but it wasn't terrible, since I'm sure she misjudged the distance, so it was more of a 'tap' !
Both times she kind of 'waddled' up! I think she needs to prefect her technique!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Your kids are growing with her. Teach them the signs of an impending ram, so they can judge eventual situations. Peter also tried to ram me a very few times, but when it is a 1kg hermann's tortoise it is just plain funny.

I think I'm still trying to figure out the signs myself

 

[Prairie Mom]

Miss sulcata has rammed me twice, but it wasn't terrible, since I'm sure she misjudged the distance, so it was more of a 'tap' !
Both times she kind of 'waddled' up! I think she needs to prefect her technique!

Hilarious Were you doing anything in particular to deserve such sulcata brutality? Step on her favorite flower? Eat her strawberry?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Hilarious Were you doing anything in particular to deserve such sulcata brutality? Step on her favorite flower? Eat her strawberry?

Real crimes!!
Not really. First time I was shooting out her kiddie pool, and the second I pulling yucky weeds. I guess she's touchy

 

[Livingstone]

Livingstone rammed me while I was raking his pen this summer.
It was humorous, he came up along side me and then rammed the outside of my right foot. Once he made contact he kept exerting more pressure against my foot, I decided to keep my right foot still and pivot my left foot out of the way.
Then I just lifted my right foot straight up and he went scuttling off. The best part is afterwards he looked at me like I had performed some serious magic.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Livingstone rammed me while I was raking his pen this summer.
It was humorous, he came up along side me and then rammed the outside of my right foot. Once he made contact he kept exerting more pressure against my foot, I decided to keep my right foot still and pivot my left foot out of the way.
Then I just lifted my right foot straight up and he went scuttling off. The best part is afterwards he looked at me like I had performed some serious magic.

That's really funny! You blew his mind with your disappearing feet.

 

[Prairie Mom]

hmmm...I'm noticing a common theme of weeding and yard work. I wonder if our sulcata's are feeling like we're intruding on their territory? They need to keep us in check and show us whose boss from time to time!
.

 

[ascott]

Your kids are growing with her. Teach them the signs of an impending ram, so they can judge eventual situations. Peter also tried to ram me a very few times, but when it is a 1kg hermann's tortoise it is just plain funny.

Teach them that EVERY visit in the tortoise space can end up in a run by ramming or a sneak ram....that these are animals and they will always act as such...as should be.....

 

[Tom]

Tell the kids to stay out from in front of the tortoise. Normally they walk up to whatever they want to shove, get up against it with their head pulled in, and then shove it. They can't ram something beside or behind them. If the tortoise approaches you and just keeps walking instead of stopping short, you can assume its going to try and push you. They don't walk into "walls" unless they intend to push on them.

This is really not a problem in most instances. My little girl has been walking amongst all of my tortoises her whole life and none of them have ever tried to ram her.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Teach them that EVERY visit in the tortoise space can end up in a run by ramming or a sneak ram....that these are animals and they will always act as such...as should be.....

Yup, you're right...reminding the kids that they are unpredictable "wild" animals is good advice.