Jay Bagley
Well-Known Member
Thankyou for your support. I have to admit I love the little guy.
Sulcata face
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I added a sentence to my post by editing it...check back on it.
Jay Bagley
Well-Known Member
Not sure why and if anybody has any suggestions on this, but when I post a picture or when I try to look at someone else's picture on their post it comes through as a broken picture icon. So if the pictures that I put that you asked for come through like that my apologies.
Jay Bagley
Well-Known Member
Thankyou for your time[emoji3]
I really see nothing that should worry you. Torts often have a dirty, green mouth from the greens they eat. That is no mouth rot.
Try after a long warm soak to rub gently these green color around his mouth away.
But you don`t must do that. It is nothing that harms your tort. It is only food on the skin.
Jay Bagley
Well-Known Member
Thankyou for the advice[emoji4]. I try to clean his face, but he doesn't let me he always retracts his head into his shell and hisses at me LOL. Hope to correct this soon. Side note he started doing something the other day. I finally got him to eat out of my hand, he will come right up eat but when whatever I am feeding him at the time out of my hand is gone, he puts his head in his shell putting charges my hand and pushes it out of the way with his shell. It's kind of cute but I know it's not good.
I know the behavior that you describe. Two of my little ones do the same. The third one is much tamer and let me touch his head and legs without retracting in his shell.
You can try to clean your torts face with a flower sprayer and warm water. When his head is out you spray the warm water gently on his head and face.That`s what I do with my sullies too. They seem to like it.
Jay Bagley
Well-Known Member
That is a wonderfull idea. I will give it a shot. Its kind of cute right now when he charges my hand, but I picture him doing it when he's a hundred plus pounds and that's a little intimidating LOL.
That`s what I thought too ! When a hundred pound tortoise tries to ram you that`ll be not nice and funny at all.
Jay Bagley
Well-Known Member
Ya, two hits...him hitting me..me hitting the floor..ha ha. In the end its all worth it[emoji3]
Hopefully not ! He will be tamer when he is adult ( I hope ). With a yummy treat he should crawl on your lap.
Jay Bagley
Well-Known Member
He does seem to love cactus, and mazuri....Hopefully not ! He will be tamer when he is adult ( I hope ). With a yummy treat he should crawl on your lap.
My little ones love dryed mealworms. I know they should not eat them, but they do all for some little worms. Mazuri and Cactus is much better for them. but in Germany I can`t get the Mazuri and cactus pads are seldom.
Charlie has only seemed like he was going to do it a couple times since he has been that size. I backed up before he got a chance, just in case. Most of the time, he is docile and seems to enjoy the head rubs.
Also, I don't know if it is a good idea to get him used to eating out of your hand because when he is bigger, he might accidentally get a bite of your hand. I like to hand feed Charlie things that have long stems so I can keep my fingers far away.
Jay Bagley
Well-Known Member
You bring up a great point. I have come quite fond of all my digits on my hand. I think I will take you up on your advice and only offer things out of my hand with long stems. Trips to the emergency room take time away from being with my tortoise LOL
Years ago, I read that someone used to pick up her tortoise by slipping her fingers into the gaps where his legs come out of the shell. One time, the tortoise got scared and retracted into the shell, and her fingers were trapped and squished. She wouldn't let the emergency people hurt her tortoise so she just waited until he relaxed, but by that time she had nerve damage.
Jay Bagley
Well-Known Member
Oh my!! I for sure will not try that. Wonder went went through the emergency people's head? They probably think they have seen it all until they come across a lady with her hand stuck in a tortoise shell. I give her a lot of credit for being in that predicament and still being more concerned about her tortoise then her own well-being.
You have a few years before he will be able eating your fingers....
