I know why she is doing it, but it's not polite conversation....!
White flesh
- Thread starter EppsDynasty
- Start date
She purposely keeps all her legs up and just .....Dances. I have driven myself crazy thinking "What the heck is she doing" Now that it's happened so many times I have just started calling it the Dance. I have seen her fling dirt or at least try to and it is different. I must say I could be completely wrong. If a man trying to figure out what a woman is thinking is impossible, this man trying to figure out this female torts thoughts is a constant failure on my part.
She looks fantastic - I really like the way her front legs stretch out at the same time as her back ones - very elegant. I think she just does it because she can, and enjoys the sensation. The supports make it possible - they hold her a bit above the floor, so she can move that much more freely.
I can't help smiling when I look at those photos! It really seems like she is having fun. Zola does several things that I can only explain by saying he does them simply because he enjoys the sensation - I often wear some thin trousers which are rather stretchy, and if I sit in his conservatory, he will spend ages gently pulling at the edge of the hem with his beak, and watching it spring back! I usually wear cloth trainers when I'm in there with him, and he will often stand beside my foot, stroking the shoe repetitively for a long time. He has worked out these activities for himself, rather like Jo Jo and her twirling her legs -I think these movements must give them pleasure - they are playing - which perhaps a human wouldn't expect of a tortoise ! What do you think ?
Angie
Angie
One more thought -when you plan Jo Jo's enclosure, it might be good to have a couple of "dancing" spots, -maybe large smooth flat lids or similar, perhaps on slightly raised bits of ground, that might inspire her to have a bit of a twirl !
Angie
Angie
I can only assume it is "pleasure" that drives this behavior, and others as you have explained. I do not think they are so unintelligent to not remember these activities and repeat them. They have to remember and want to repeat doing certain things.
Thank you for the comment on the shell, she works hard on it.
So it's been rainy for the past week, some days pretty warm though. Jo Jo had a special treat, free roam in the rain. She didn't seem to mind the rain at all, just plotting along eating as she goes. There are a couple bricks in her pen so she can not see the tort in the pen next to her. It has been a never ending process of checking on her, she easily climbs on top but not so good at getting down. 4 - 5 times a day she is laying on her back waiting for her rescuer to flip her over, then try it all again. There seems to be something happening to her bad eye. It started as what looked like a "Mucus Membrane" of some sort, now it's looking alot like an "Eyelid." Yes that's right an eyelid. She is able to move this "Eyelid" back and forth to cover her eye. It is a very promising looking "Thing", It would be such a great thing for her if the eyelid does come back. Such a precious little creature that doesn't need any more suffering in her life, fingers crossed.
That's wonderful news - that's the one thing that you haven't been able to provide for her so far - yet it seems like your constant care of her eye has done the magical trick !!! Wow !!! Is it just a thin film, or does it look solid?
Angie
Angie
Is it coming in from the corner of her eye, the corner closest to the nose? If so, that's the third eyelid, not the eyelid that we blink.
So I am typing this with CAUTION .... The ...."Whatever" it is is coming from the back, moving forward. I have seen the 3rd eyelid and it functions about 40% of the time. It doesn't move all the time so 40% is my best guess. Neither does "this" other thing, it is only visible some of the time. O man ... I really want it to be, but I have to remember my promise to her is no more pain or suffering. As long as it's not causing pain I am ecstatic for her, but anxious. Thank you Yvonne, for being there and the info. Could ya wish up an eyelid for Jo Jo? .... Just a joke ... unless you can do it.
Before I applied the Artificial Tears took this pic. You can (I think ) see the 3rd eyelid in the front. I'm really not sure what is "growing" by the eye, hoping whatever it is brings relief not more pain or suffering. What a precious little Jo Jo.
The weather is warming up and she is flipping over for it. I have to keep a close eye on her, she's a 4x4, rock crawling machine. Occasionally flipping herself over, where she waits patiently for me to help her out.
The weather is warming up and she is flipping over for it. I have to keep a close eye on her, she's a 4x4, rock crawling machine. Occasionally flipping herself over, where she waits patiently for me to help her out.
Here’s JoJo this morning in front of the wood stove, seems very happy.
It has been probably the cold, coldest it's been this winter and will be for another week. Not any outside time other than looking out the living room windows. The work on her permanent outdoor pen will begin soon, (about 2 weeks) most likely it will be 24'x24' (8x8 meters). At her size I think this will allow enough room to walk enough. It will have bird netting over it to prevent these Pterodactyl Ravens from getting to her. It will not be long and she will not be housed indoors anymore, it will be warm enough to stay outside. I'm sure she'll get one of my shirts in her house though, ya know so she knows she's still with us just outside free to explore (in her pen). I am kinda like a tort in that I don't like the cold either, give me 100 degrees everyday.
It has been probably the cold, coldest it's been this winter and will be for another week. Not any outside time other than looking out the living room windows. The work on her permanent outdoor pen will begin soon, (about 2 weeks) most likely it will be 24'x24' (8x8 meters). At her size I think this will allow enough room to walk enough. It will have bird netting over it to prevent these Pterodactyl Ravens from getting to her. It will not be long and she will not be housed indoors anymore, it will be warm enough to stay outside. I'm sure she'll get one of my shirts in her house though, ya know so she knows she's still with us just outside free to explore (in her pen). I am kinda like a tort in that I don't like the cold either, give me 100 degrees everyday.
You'd never know from looking at her shell the hard life she's had. That's a beautiful tortoise!
Jo Jo looks so relaxed and comfortable - no more pain or fear for her ever again - and a lovely outdoor enclosure all of her own- and even a special shirt she can lie on or under ! She looks wonderful. !!!
Have you seen any progress with her eyelid?
Angie
Have you seen any progress with her eyelid?
Angie
Here’s pictures from today…
So it's pretty easy to make out the 3rd eyelid but if you notice the size of the circle that is her eye it's way smaller in the mornings. As soon as she gets her artificial tears that circle of black gets at least 50% larger. She will also have that same "White" area under her eye, what looks like the beginnings of an eyelid, maybe. I'm not sure what exactly is happening but hold on to the hope it's an eyelid of sorts. I will try to get a pic this afternoon after it's opened up a bit more.
So it's pretty easy to make out the 3rd eyelid but if you notice the size of the circle that is her eye it's way smaller in the mornings. As soon as she gets her artificial tears that circle of black gets at least 50% larger. She will also have that same "White" area under her eye, what looks like the beginnings of an eyelid, maybe. I'm not sure what exactly is happening but hold on to the hope it's an eyelid of sorts. I will try to get a pic this afternoon after it's opened up a bit more.
Introducing 4x4 Tortoise ... 
There is a pen next to her but even if there is not she loves to climb through it.
Every time you see her eye without an eyelid you can not help but feel for her. She is a handful to say the least, a careful eye we must keep on her.
There is a pen next to her but even if there is not she loves to climb through it.
Every time you see her eye without an eyelid you can not help but feel for her. She is a handful to say the least, a careful eye we must keep on her.
It is amazing what a brave and enterprising little girl she is ! After all she has been through, one might expect her to just want to rest in the sun and to eat ! She obviously can't be suffering any pain now - or not enough to bother her much - you must be so proud of her !
Angie
Angie
The feelings I get when I see her moving where, how she wants is pretty emotional. I find myself thinking of "What if ...." a lot, what if she wasn't found ... What if someone did find her but did not do what needed to be done ... What if no one found her and she had to suffer till death ... What if she was found but forced to live in pain... Then I snap back to reality and see her climbing through a brick. I truly feel blessed for her to be in our lives, she gives far more to us than we give to her.
You mention she could be slower, more reserved from the past experiences she had to go through. This is EXACTLY how Sally is (White Shell), perfectly fine sitting in the house, moves without any importance and basically is more reserved. Pain, suffering and mistrust affected the way she lives her life and changed her. I hope that the experience Jo Jo had to go through was just that "An Experience" not a live defining time. I hope that the suffering she had to go through was just a blip in her life and she has more "Nice" experiences to recall. It is an easy thing for me to say without any hesitation ...... I love Jo Jo.
I think it would be impossible not to love her, and to admire her - after all she has been through, to come out as a lively playful responsive and friendly little tortoise is amazing.
I said "playful" just now, because it seems to me that she is doing quite a lot of things for fun -her exploring the brick, her twirling round in the water, her waving her legs about in the air, her climbing - to me they seem like a sort of playing - which again would be amazing, after her previous experience !
Angie
I said "playful" just now, because it seems to me that she is doing quite a lot of things for fun -her exploring the brick, her twirling round in the water, her waving her legs about in the air, her climbing - to me they seem like a sort of playing - which again would be amazing, after her previous experience !
Angie
Indeed. She is a very playful tort, lots of energy and curiosity.
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