Handling a boisterous tort

[Skelly]

Hi everyone, so I have little foot my Eastern Hermanns baby nearly 3 weeks now, he’s starting to get used to me and is accepting food from my hand and he even lets me scratch his head sometimes, but the past couple of days when I have my hand in his viv while cleaning or feeding he keeps laughing himself at me what I mean by that is he tucks his front legs and head in and the jumps forward trying to bite me, is this normal behavior? From the start when ever I approach him he would always shy away a little and make a little his but only for a second and then he would be okay and just go about his business, he also will walk up to the glass on his viv and sticks his head up and be looking at me as I have him in my room but as soon as I look he’ll look away by putting his head down so I can’t see him then look again to see if I’m still looking, very funny but now I’m wondering is there a reason for this and is there something I should be doing? Maybe handling him more? Any advice is appreciated

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Protecting his territory.. hes getting comfortable. Mine does it whenever im messing with his food. I just turn him around and he usually gets the hint

 

[Skelly]

Protecting his territory.. hes getting comfortable. Mine does it whenever im messing with his food. I just turn him around and he usually gets the hint

That makes sense thank you I’m happy to know he’s feeling comfortable

 

[KronksMom]

BTW, I love the name. Little Foot

 

[Skelly]

BTW, I love the name. Little Foot

Thank you my favorite movie when I was little was “The land before time” that’s where I got it from

 

[KronksMom]

I am wearing land before time scrubs right now. They're one of my favorite pairs of scrubs and people comment on them all the time.

 

[KronksMom]

Thank you my favorite movie when I was little was “The land before time” that’s where I got it from

The pocket of my lab coat. These scrubs are close to 20 years old, but there was a gap in there of 6 years where I didn't work. Even still, they're getting a bit tired. I've had to reinforce the pockets a couple times. But I just don't want to let them go.

 

[Tom]

What you are seeing is normal tortoise behavior. In the wild, everything wants to eat a baby tortoise, so their instincts tell them to be careful and defensive. Your tortoise sees you as another giant predator. In time they desensitize and begin to see us in a more neutral light, and sometimes they gain a positive association with us as the giver of food.

Just go about your business and do what you need to do.

 

[Skelly]

The pocket of my lab coat. These scrubs are close to 20 years old, but there was a gap in there of 6 years where I didn't work. Even still, they're getting a bit tired. I've had to reinforce the pockets a couple times. But I just don't want to let them go.View attachment 297760

There so cool, if they ever get to the point you can’t wear them anymore you should turn them into a cushion