Is he saying hello or flipping me off?

[W Shaw]

New(ish) behavior from my rescued Russian. If he's already awake when I get up, he's often lying half in and half out of his burrow, stretched out and basking. He doesn't change his relaxed posture when I approach, but when I call him by name he does a quick little head lift. Looks pretty much exactly like a chimp greeting bob -- not a series of exaggerated head bobs as I've seen in threat and courtship displays, but a single, kind of subtle one. After doing it he may scramble out of the burrow and come to beg for breakfast or just stay sprawled where he is. I'm trying to decide whether he's saying "Hello" or "Ah, **** off!" The behavior surrounding it, and his overall body language make it look like greeting behavior, but I'm not sure that it's not a mild territorial threat. Anyone know?

 

[dmmj]

it's not territorial it's not a greeting it's probably a reaction to the sound. That's my best guess.

 

[W Shaw]

Little additional note... I've been soaking way more frequently than he likes lately, as a temporary humidity solution until I get his new substrate, so he would have reason to give me "back off" messages. Also, he was very timid and unsettled when I got him, and he's finally settling down and showing some self-confidence, so it would not surprise me to see him showing more territorial behavior.

 

[W Shaw]

it's not territorial it's not a greeting it's probably a reaction to the sound. That's my best guess.

Interesting! Thanks!

 

[cecely]

I interpret it as a startle response-to sound or maybe sight. My tortoise does that too but usually it's when he doesn't notice I've been hovering over him for the past ten minutes staring while he was eating a dandelion. The head bob is kind of like "...AAH! Oh, it's just you." Then, "Got anything else for me to eat?"

Interestingly, cats actually do the cool hey, what's up head bob as a greeting.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

I interpret the head lift as a territorial display. My elongata will give me a few 'warning' head gestures before he gets up to chase/ram me. I don't know if a non social animal would have a reason for a non-mating display were it not a reminder of territory.