Tortoise handling

[Archelon]

Hey All-

Simple question- we got a yellow and a redfoot hatchling for my 7- and 10- year old kids to raise and enjoy. Kids are very tactile, mine very much so. I try to encourage them to think of time out of the habitat as "exercise time" where the torts are given space to roam, explore and get exercise. Our torts seem to be unafraid of us and when set on the carpet in an open room they walk straight to us, usually me but I think it's because they see a place to hide under my legs when I sit Indian style.

I am trying to explain to my kids that torts are very much terrestrial critters and feel unsafe and nervous with their legs dangling in the air or their bodies off the ground.

I don't want to be a party pooper and curb the kids enthusiasm or curiosity, but I also don't want to have torts that are over stressed by too much forced contact.

I'm sure there's a balance in there somewhere.

What say you all?

How much handling is appropriate?

As little as possible to do their soaks and maintain their habitat?

Or is I better to handle them a bit to acclimate them to human contact so they don't react defensively?

Just trying to do what's best for the babies.

Archelon

 

[Yvonne G]

1. Wash hands before and after handling
2. place the baby on your palm, supporting the whole body, to give him a secure feeling.
3. Don't swing him around, but hold him peacefully and move slowly
4. Try to time your holding right before some other activity such as feeding or soaking and the tortoise will associate the holding with feeding or soaking or whatever
5. holding occasionally is ok, but be sure to also stroke the tortoise while he's in his habitat. See if you can get him used to having his head and neck stroked. Some of them really love their shell rubbed

 

[dmmj]

I handle as infrequently as possible

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

A bit of a controversial topic. I am in the handle as little as needed camp. Daily baths are a great time to examine your tortoise and also familiarize them with your handling (which is important if medical needs arise). I am not really one who believes in exercise time outside of the enclosure (unless you mean moving them from an indoor enclosure to outdoor enclosure). Ideally, their habitats should provide exercise and stimulation. I am a big supporter of lots of observation time though. Tortoises, to me, are an animal to observe and appreciate, but not to play with.

Some tortoises are clearly stressed by excess handling while others are not. Even very experienced keepers differ on handling. Some tortoises do seem to respond well to physical contact with keepers.

I think with kids, shell and head touching during baths is a good idea.

 

[Yvonne G]

Read some of Maggie3fan's threads about her (recently deceased and very touchy subject) Sulcata, Bob. She gave him lots and lots of attention, and he was just a great little animal. Seemed almost to have a human personality. Very easy to anthropomorphize about.

The more they're handled, the more they're tuned in to you.

Having said that, I'm in David's (dmmj) corner. I don't handle mine at all. My tortoises are wild animals. My enjoyment comes from caring for them, cleaning up after them, and just sitting in a corner of their yard, watching them be tortoises.

 

[naturalman91]

i second dmmj not just red foots either handle all torts as less as possible if you want something you can hold and love on get something with fur

 

[Redstrike]

I try to avoid picking mine up but I do talk to them (they never reply), scratch their heads, and pat their carapi. I think it's important to define what type of handling we're talking about here. They aren't mammalian pets and should not be treated as such but that doesn't mean you cannot interact with them.

 

[wellington]

I believe in lots of contact, at least while raising them up for a few years s. Touching head, neck, legs. When they don't care about you touching these places it will make it much easier for a vet to examine them and even you. My leopard that I raised from a hatchling is in no way stressed. I now am raising another hatchling the same. She doesn't even pull in when I lift her up or kiss her itty bitty face.
The roaming on the floor though, that's a bad idea. Too many things they can hurt themselves on or swallow and we have seen enough of those type accidents already on here. That I would stop doing.

 

[W Shaw]

I'm not an experienced tortoise keeper, but my take on it is the same that it would be with any other captive animal. When an animal is sick or injured is not the time for them to suddenly have to have contact forced on them when they're not accustomed to it. I think it's much better to have a healthy animal subjected to a little stress in the process of gradually becoming accustomed to handling than to have a sick or injured one subjected to major stress by suddenly having to adjust all at once. I don't believe in constantly cuddling and mauling an animal who isn't interested in cuddling, but I do think they should be handled enough so that the handling is not in and of itself stressful. The stress of handling a sick or injured animal who's not accustomed to it can in some cases be the final straw that prevents them from recovering.

 

[Big Charlie]

I pat my tort on the head and shell to keep him used to it, and make sure he knows he has nothing to fear from me. I started by doing it when he was eating a treat I gave him so he would associate it with good things. I always approach him towards his face where he can see me coming. I don't sneak up behind him. I avoided picking him up when he was small enough to do so because that was stressful.

Make sure your children don't put their fingers into any of the shell openings. I read once where someone used to hook her fingers into her tort's shell when she picked him up. Then the tort got scared and her fingers got squished inside the shell.

 

[Tom]

I see merit to both styles of raising tortoises. Either lots of hands on or totally hands off. Either is fine with me as long as the tortoises needs are met.

Where I become everyone's party pooper is when I tell you that your are playing russian roulette with your tortoises life by letting it loose on the floor. I know I know… You supervise very closely and you've made it totally safe. Everyone whose tortoise ended up dead, injured or impacted also thought the same thing. Its just not safe any way you look at it. The tortoise needs to be in a dedicated tortoise enclosure either inside during cold night and winter, or outside during nicer weather. You see, I have a lot of vet friends. They know of my tortoise affliction and they share their tortoise cases with me. I've seen all sorts of horrors and tragedy's that would have been so easy to prevent. I try to warn people. Some listen. Some don't.

 

[MPRC]

I am very hands on with all of my pets. I enjoy sitting in their enclosures and having them come over to me. I pick them up and touch their heads, feet, tails, etc. I want them to be used to handling in the event that they are ever injured and in need of treatment.
My large tortoise doesn't see well so I am especially careful to make a lot of noise (I speak to him in a dozen dumb voices telling him how he is so handsome, I'm sure it is ridiculous) and only approach him slowly and from the front. He is I usually happy to have a neck rub, but there are days that he gets huffy and is more jumpy in which case I leave him be.
My smaller tort is less sure of herself and gets less man handling because she doesn't react as psitively so our interactions are more like "Soak, inspect, feed a treat, have a short convo and go back to the pen" in the 7 months that I have had her she has become far more comfortable.

 

[dmmj]

as a man I think I'm offended by the term manhandling. :-(

of course I don't think I would complain very much about some women handling.

 

[W Shaw]

I am very hands on with all of my pets. I enjoy sitting in their enclosures and having them come over to me. I pick them up and touch their heads, feet, tails, etc. I want them to be used to handling in the event that they are ever injured and in need of treatment.
My large tortoise doesn't see well so I am especially careful to make a lot of noise (I speak to him in a dozen dumb voices telling him how he is so handsome, I'm sure it is ridiculous) and only approach him slowly and from the front. He is I usually happy to have a neck rub, but there are days that he gets huffy and is more jumpy in which case I leave him be.
My smaller tort is less sure of herself and gets less man handling because she doesn't react as psitively so our interactions are more like "Soak, inspect, feed a treat, have a short convo and go back to the pen" in the 7 months that I have had her she has become far more comfortable.

LaDUke, it's not ridiculous. I learned many years ago from a bear expert that if confronted by a bear you should talk to the bear, not because he understands English (obviously they don't unless they're raised hearing it) but because we humans are a verbal critter, so when we speak, our nonverbal naturally falls in line with what we're saying. Try smiling gently while ranting angrily and you'll see what I mean. I talk to wild animals all the time when I'm doing photography. It keeps my nonverbal in the right zone so that I can focus on other things. You tortoise likely understands some of what you say if he's heard English his whole life. But speaking to him also lets him keep track of you so you don't startle him, and also keeps your nonverbal calm and nonthreatening. Any critter who's naturally prey understands the nonverbal of predatory species (like humans!), so you're doing exactly the right thing in talking to him.

 

[dmmj]

LaDUke, it's not ridiculous. I learned many years ago from a bear expert that if confronted by a bear you should talk to the bear, not because he understands English (obviously they don't unless they're raised hearing it) but because we humans are a verbal critter, so when we speak, our nonverbal naturally falls in line with what we're saying. Try smiling gently while ranting angrily and you'll see what I mean. I talk to wild animals all the time when I'm doing photography. It keeps my nonverbal in the right zone so that I can focus on other things. You tortoise likely understands some of what you say if he's heard English his whole life. But speaking to him also lets him keep track of you so you don't startle him, and also keeps your nonverbal calm and nonthreatening. Any critter who's naturally prey understands the nonverbal of predatory species (like humans!), so you're doing exactly the right thing in talking to him.

what you mean? I smile all the time I go on my angry rants that's what freaks people out so much

 

[MPRC]

@dmmj - Go right ahead and be offended, I never said man-handling is such a bad thing. There's a time and a place for that sort of fun, ;-)

 

[Archelon]

Awesome answers, all. No more "floor exercise". We will likely fall in the "gentle, not forced" handling camp as the idea of stress free vet interaction makes sense to me.

Thanks everyone!

 

[NoNo]

Hi,
I'm not an experienced tortoise keeper I just discover them mid 2016.
I aggree they should be handled enough so that the handling is not in and of itself stressful.
When we need to move Dino for bath or let him in his outside enclosure (in the garden) we use a "Dino's special transport vehicle".
I suppose he has less stress when traveling in his wicker basket

 

[dmmj]

I also use wicker baskets to move my smaller tortoises

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Of my 7 Redfoot I can say that they all react differently to being handled. Some never seem to mind it and others kick out with toenails and spikes in a serious effort to make you drop them. At their peril.
Redfoot will bond with whomever feeds them.
Are you keeping a Red and Yellowfoot together?
Are you able to make a large outdoors pen?
Sitting outside and watching them in their environment would be far better that bringing them into your environment indoors.
(As was already suggested)