How often will tort display "fanning"?

[sylviasmum]

Traumatised after experiencing tortoise fanning yesterday and realising my torter (tortoise daughter) is a boy :'(

I'm away from her/him at the minute but apparently (s)he has done it again today.

Sylvia (my tortoise) is only 2 and a half, do you think he is going to be fanning regularly while he is sort of 'discovering' it, or do they tend to do it a lot anyway? (I hope not because it is disgusting!)

Would really appreciate your help, advanced thanks.

 

[dmmj]

I don't think you will like my answer. Some stop after awhile, others continue to do so forever. No way to tell, you could always avert your eyes when he does it.

 

[sylviasmum]

If they continue to do it forever though, do they do it often or just occassionally? I used to cuddle up with her all the time and now I won't be able to in case he does that :'(

 

[dmarcus]

They tend to start acting a certain way when it happens, once you figure out those actions then you can just look away. Like was said some will stop and others won't.

O yeah, welcome to the forum...

 

[dmmj]

Usually occasionally, but like I said no real way to tell. He is male and he has discovered himself, so he has got a lot of free time on his hands (so to speak)

 

[ascott]

(I hope not because it is disgusting!)

HAHAHAHHAHHA....LMAOfff here, rolling on the ground...baaaahhhaaaahaaa....I don't know why this strikes me as so damn funny.....

Ah ok, come on now----if you think about it, it is kinda a fricken weird and yet awesome "flower" kinda thing going on???? No, didn't work thinking about it that way??

Well, then maybe as Captain says....just look away....oh but wait, I have to ask---has he started making the moaning and groaning and grunting noises yet?? Perhaps if you place a smooth rounded rock in his enclosure he can handle his business from time to time and perhaps won't be like hanging out all the time???? Plus, if you give him the rock you will know when not too look because you will his his little grunting noise....kinda like this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQBMVFNaYLs

 

[dmarcus]

My wife is mentally traumatized everytime our Sulcata does it, lol. You will hear strange sounds and when you look at him, you get a shock...

 

[ascott]

I used to cuddle up with her all the time and now I won't be able to in case he does that :'(

*rolling on the ground here, feeling terrible that I can not stop*

Ah, love em anyways ....he truly can not help himself....he is young, there is a breeze---ah that feels good and oooopss there it goes....be patient and understanding with him....lol

 

[MarcaineArt]

I had not yet heard the term "fanning" so this post caught my attention. I too found it funny though I know that wasn't the intent.

Maybe if you got him/her a "partner" it would alleviate some of the "tension"

 

[dmmj]

A partner might stop him from flashing, but he would want to be mating 24/7

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Sylviasmom:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

and may we know appx. where in the world you are?

What kind of tortoise is Sylvia?

The males usually display when the realize they have that equipment...when they start to become sexually mature. Once they "get it," they usually don't do it anymore.

 

[sylviasmum]

we are in the UK and Sylvia is a russian tort. Thanks for all your advice.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

He's trying to tell you that he's NOT a female and resents you treating him as such, so I'd start by renaming him something a bit more macho...

 

[dmmj]

He's trying to tell you that he's NOT a female and resents you treating him as such, so I'd start by renaming him something a bit more macho...

You know whenever I do that, it always ends badly, and often times with screams.

 

[wellington]

Usually occasionally, but like I said no real way to tell. He is male and he has discovered himself, so he has got a lot of free time on his hands (so to speak)

OMG LOL, TOO FUNNY, sorry it cracked me up

---

I used to cuddle up with her all the time and now I won't be able to in case he does that :'(

*rolling on the ground here, feeling terrible that I can not stop*

Ah, love em anyways ....he truly can not help himself....he is young, there is a breeze---ah that feels good and oooopss there it goes....be patient and understanding with him....lol

STOP IT, I am almost in tears cracking up.every time this subject comes up, oops, lol, lol, no pun intended, lol hahahaha. Now can't stop and the pictures in my mind are going to haunt me. Lol, lol

 

[Oogway]

what exactly does fanning mean, and can you upload photo?

 

[JoesMum]

RE: How often will tort display "fanning"?

what exactly does fanning mean, and can you upload photo?

She means her male tort is displaying his penis, more commonly known as flashing

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

He's trying to tell you that he's NOT a female and resents you treating him as such, so I'd start by renaming him something a bit more macho...

You know whenever I do that, it always ends badly, and often times with screams.

I feel your pain, Captain...not everyone recognizes the gifts we offer them...

 

[sylviasmum]

The name stays. It's fine. As one of my friends pointed out, it's a good way to smash gender boundaries haha. And for years the dream was to have a tortoise named after my favourite poet (sylvia plath) and sit under trees together and read..ok so sylvia doesn't read and we don't sit under trees so I've gotta cling on to the only remaining part of that dream