Please help . Tortoise is spazzing out

Fluffynator

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Joined
Apr 9, 2021
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Toronto
I’ve had my red footed tortoise for 6 months now . She is three years old and is usually pretty sweet and gentle. I was FaceTiming my friend today and she wanted to see her. I held phone near Fluffy . She went nuts and looked like she was having a sezure. Flapping her feet everywhere and disoriented. I took the phone immediately away . It took her 15 mins to snap out of it . Can tortoises have panic attacks ? Has this happened to anyone

Jessica and fluffy
 

ZenHerper

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Feb 27, 2020
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New Jersey
Seizures in tortoises are extremely rare. Extremely.

They can experience panic in the face of something New and Weird (like a "smart" phone). Especially youngsters, who have very specific environmental and non-social care requirements.

I'm afraid without seeing a recording of what you witnessed there is not really a way to frame or interpret the behavior(s). If you or your friend recorded the incident, you can upload the file to youtube and link it here. People would be more than happy to take a look!

This is the Redfoot subforum - lots of care info and lots of lovely RF lovers:
 

Yossarian

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They flap their legs and head around when they are upside down, in order to try and right themselves, they will do it when held upside down as well.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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I’ve had my red footed tortoise for 6 months now . She is three years old and is usually pretty sweet and gentle. I was FaceTiming my friend today and she wanted to see her. I held phone near Fluffy . She went nuts and looked like she was having a sezure. Flapping her feet everywhere and disoriented. I took the phone immediately away . It took her 15 mins to snap out of it . Can tortoises have panic attacks ? Has this happened to anyone

Jessica and fluffy
Were you holding the tortoise suspended in the air? They don't like that. It might have felt like a predator had grabbed it.
 

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