New Enclosure, Weird Behavior

chipperchip

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Mar 25, 2015
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Hi Everyone!

I have a redfoot named Chip, approximately 7-10 yrs old, over 10 lbs, and probably around 10-12" long.

I finally got most of Chip's new enclosure done. It is approximately 10' x 4'. Just needs some finishing touches. I bought some plants to add, but Chip likes to steamroll and destroy everything I put in there, so I have to figure out a way to secure them a little better. I have some plexiglass covers that are helping to keep humidity in, at around 70%.

My problem is that Chip doesn't seem to like his new digs. His old enclosure was roughly 6' x 3', and he seemed very cramped. He has room to move around in this one, but seems to always stay in one area of the enclosure. He has a hide in his new enclosure but doesn't use it. He still goes into the far corner where his hide was in his old enclosure. He used to move that hide all over the box. His new one is stationary.

I put a cute ceramic tortoise in with him just for decoration. Plus he likes to move things around, so I thought he could keep himself amused with it. Well, he definitely amused himself. I walked in to turn his lights off and he was clucking away. At first I thought he was choking, but upon closer observation, he had mounted the little ceramic tortoise. What transpired underneath him, I am not certain, but I can only guess. I suppose it was the tortoise version of an inflatable doll.

This was funny at first, but then I started to feel very bad for him. I feel like he is a lonely soul that needs companionship. I really do not have room to add another redfoot to his enclosure, or to build a bigger enclosure. Plus I have read that two males will fight and he will consistently mate with a female until he injures her, so a new addition doesn't sound like a good idea.

Any ideas on what to do to enrich Chip's life until he is able to go outside this summer? Hiding treats in his enclosure doesn't work. They tend to get smelly and moldy, so I quit trying that one. Even the mazuri pellets are still there after a few days.

Since his transition to his new box, he was active at first, but now seems to just sit and do nothing. His behavior is very different now. He does like to sit in his water bowl, and he still has a good appetite, but I am not seeing poop anywhere. Can he be eating his poop before I get there to clean it up? He does tend to feast on dog or deer poop when he is outside in the summer, so is it normal for him to eat his own poop? He also still tries to escape when possible. When I do let him out (in that room only), he spends his time chasing my feet around the room, biting at my shoes and ramming my feet.

I feel his behavior has definitely changed and I am feeling bad because I am not enjoying him as much as I used to because of it.

I am open for any suggestions that might help Chip's behavior.

Who wudda thought a tortoise can have behavior problems??????

I will take some photos of his new box and post them soon.

Thank you in advance for any insights on his weird behavior, as well as ideas on what to do to enrich his life.
 

Toddrickfl1

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Hi Everyone!

I have a redfoot named Chip, approximately 7-10 yrs old, over 10 lbs, and probably around 10-12" long.

I finally got most of Chip's new enclosure done. It is approximately 10' x 4'. Just needs some finishing touches. I bought some plants to add, but Chip likes to steamroll and destroy everything I put in there, so I have to figure out a way to secure them a little better. I have some plexiglass covers that are helping to keep humidity in, at around 70%.

My problem is that Chip doesn't seem to like his new digs. His old enclosure was roughly 6' x 3', and he seemed very cramped. He has room to move around in this one, but seems to always stay in one area of the enclosure. He has a hide in his new enclosure but doesn't use it. He still goes into the far corner where his hide was in his old enclosure. He used to move that hide all over the box. His new one is stationary.

I put a cute ceramic tortoise in with him just for decoration. Plus he likes to move things around, so I thought he could keep himself amused with it. Well, he definitely amused himself. I walked in to turn his lights off and he was clucking away. At first I thought he was choking, but upon closer observation, he had mounted the little ceramic tortoise. What transpired underneath him, I am not certain, but I can only guess. I suppose it was the tortoise version of an inflatable doll.

This was funny at first, but then I started to feel very bad for him. I feel like he is a lonely soul that needs companionship. I really do not have room to add another redfoot to his enclosure, or to build a bigger enclosure. Plus I have read that two males will fight and he will consistently mate with a female until he injures her, so a new addition doesn't sound like a good idea.

Any ideas on what to do to enrich Chip's life until he is able to go outside this summer? Hiding treats in his enclosure doesn't work. They tend to get smelly and moldy, so I quit trying that one. Even the mazuri pellets are still there after a few days.

Since his transition to his new box, he was active at first, but now seems to just sit and do nothing. His behavior is very different now. He does like to sit in his water bowl, and he still has a good appetite, but I am not seeing poop anywhere. Can he be eating his poop before I get there to clean it up? He does tend to feast on dog or deer poop when he is outside in the summer, so is it normal for him to eat his own poop? He also still tries to escape when possible. When I do let him out (in that room only), he spends his time chasing my feet around the room, biting at my shoes and ramming my feet.

I feel his behavior has definitely changed and I am feeling bad because I am not enjoying him as much as I used to because of it.

I am open for any suggestions that might help Chip's behavior.

Who wudda thought a tortoise can have behavior problems??????

I will take some photos of his new box and post them soon.

Thank you in advance for any insights on his weird behavior, as well as ideas on what to do to enrich his life.
How long has it been since the move? Tortoises don't like change and they will pout. When I moved my redfoot into a larger enclosure he went on a hunger strike for a week.
 

Blackdog1714

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Imagine if you were kidnapped from from Ohio and dropped off in Indiana! It can be upsetting for most so be patient. Offer some of the better treats to see how stubborn they are
 

chipperchip

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Wow, I thought he'd be ecstatic to be in such a nice large and comfortable home.

Why is he so aggressive lately?

And what about his ceramic tortoise episode?

I also caught him staring, then clucking at a golf ball I put in there for him to push around.

His behavior is totally different. He's not the lap tortoise he used to be lol.
 

ZEROPILOT

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I'll give you a few helpful hints:
Let the tortoise decide where the plants go. Observe his trail around the new enclosure and place the plants elsewhere.
Start by keeping them in small pots so that you can move them.
Also, anything that looks like a tortoise in his territory will cause stress. Place that figurine elsewhere where he can't see it.
It sounds like he is now sexually mature. He's going to eventually settle down. It's new to him. Too.
I don't see a location listed on your profile. Do you live anywhere that keeping him outdoors part time is a possibility. Because even your new, larger enclosure is quite small for him. But I completely understand that very large indoors enclosures can be very difficult
Tortoises don't care about aesthetics.
In fact, they're downright unappreciative!
 
Last edited:

ZenHerper

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Well, all of these behaviors are completely normal. (Good news <-> bad news, right?)

Your little boy is growing up. =))

Tortoises are very territorial...I'm guessing he's pretty homesick, even though the new digs are "better". Right now he just knows it's not Home. If you can give him his old hide back, that might really help him adjust more quickly.

His interest in the ceramic tortoise is exactly how he would behave with another tortoise that he wants to mate with or chase off of the territory he finds himself living in. He's not lonely. You can experiment with removing the decoration to see how his appetite responds, but his dominance behaviors vis-a-vis shoes will probably remain (males in general display more aggressive territorial dominance than females).

Plants can be put in pots partially dug down into the substrate or hung from the habitat ceiling/walls to help keep them intact. Tortoises are not critters that go around an impediment. Try placing pots at the inside of the floor so that there is a walking track around the perimeter for him to patrol.
 

chipperchip

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Messages
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I'll give you a few helpful hints:
Let the tortoise decide where the plants go. Observe his trail around the new enclosure and place the plants elsewhere.
Start by keeping them in small pots so that you can move them.
Also, anything that looks like a tortoise in his territory will cause stress. Place that figurine elsewhere where he can't see it.
It sounds like he is now sexually mature. He's going to eventually settle down. It's new to him. Too.
I don't see a location listed on your profile. Do you live anywhere that keeping him outdoors part time is a possibility. Because even your new, larger enclosure is quite small for him. But I completely understand that very large indoors enclosures can be very difficult
Tortoises don't care about aesthetics.
In fact, they're downright unappreciative!


I live in northeast Ohio....long cold winters. This past year, we had 70+ degree weather in late October early November, so he actually had a couple of outside days late in the year. But our weather can go up or down 60 degrees in a day. He goes outside regularly from mid/late May until roughly late September. That is roughly 8 months in a box and I feel terrible doing that to him.

He does have an outdoor enclosure that I only keep him in when I am home because with all the precautions I take, he is still an escape artist. We've had many a family backyard barbeque interrupted looking for Chip for countless hours. I also bring him in at night because I have a lot of wildlife cruising through my yard. I'm sure they would appreciate a fat tortoise leg for a tasty treat. Even if he were in a completely fenced in enclosure, from top to bottom, if a critter wanted to get in, or he wanted to get out, they would find a way. So he goes out around noon and stays till dusk. This coming year I was going to increase the size of his outdoor area, but now I am having second thoughts.
 

chipperchip

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Mar 25, 2015
Messages
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Well, all of these behaviors are completely normal. (Good news <-> bad news, right?)

Your little boy is growing up. =))

Tortoises are very territorial...I'm guessing he's pretty homesick, even though the new digs are "better". Right now he just knows it's not Home. If you can give him his old hide back, that might really help him adjust more quickly.

His interest in the ceramic tortoise is exactly how he would behave with another tortoise that he wants to mate with or chase off of the territory he finds himself living in. He's not lonely. You can experiment with removing the decoration to see how his appetite responds, but his dominance behaviors vis-a-vis shoes will probably remain (males in general display more aggressive territorial dominance than females).

Plants can be put in pots partially dug down into the substrate or hung from the habitat ceiling/walls to help keep them intact. Tortoises are not critters that go around an impediment. Try placing pots at the inside of the floor so that there is a walking track around the perimeter for him to patrol.


I have tried the small pots, only to have spent $30 on plants to come home and find everything trampled. This time I bought heavy pots but haven't added them in yet. Well at least the $30 gave him some brief entertainment trampling plants!
 

ZenHerper

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I have tried the small pots, only to have spent $30 on plants to come home and find everything trampled. This time I bought heavy pots but haven't added them in yet. Well at least the $30 gave him some brief entertainment trampling plants!

Yep. They just don't worry about how things look or how their behavior relates to renewable resources. (Sound like another species you know? *wink*)

This is a strong species, so your experience is not unusual. A lot of people resort to hanging baskets and plastic decor so that they can provide shade but limit the ongoing expense.
 

Lyn W

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He's not lonely and doesn't need company.
He's trying to push the ball and ornament out of his space so to stop him getting stressed by them remove them and he may settle down then.
We all love to see pics of enclosures if you can post them.
 

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