Why does my tort swim in the air

[Merilyn (Tortoise lover)]

When I pick them up, they swim in the air and try to push my fingers off them...why is this

Also what is shell rot and how can i prevent it

Thanks

 

[Tom]

When I pick them up, they swim in the air and try to push my fingers off them...why is this

Also what is shell rot and how can i prevent it

Thanks

They do this because in the wild other animals eat them, and in their simple, instinct driven minds, YOU are a great big turtle predator. Couple that with the fact that they don't like being lifted off the ground like that, and you are sending them into a panic.

Place a hand under your tortoise when you lift it, or put it into a tub of some sort to carry it. They need to feel the "ground" under their feet to feel secure. Hanging in mid air is a deadly place for a tortoise.

The most commonly referred to form of "shell rot" is a fungal infection of the plastron that comes from a tortoise being too wet too much of the time. Unsanitary conditions tend to make it worse and bring it on sooner. It is more common in red foot tortoises and far less common in Testudo species, sulcatas , leopards, etc…

You can prevent it by keeping your tortoise's enclosure clean and making sure the substrate isn't too wet all the time.

 

[JoesMum]

When I pick them up, they swim in the air and try to push my fingers off them...why is this

Your tortoise is trying to escape. It’s frightened. At this size, the risk of dropping is small but as the they grow it can be hard to hold on.

Always carry your tort in a container. A washing up bowl is ideal as it’s big and your tort cannot climb out of it. Even after 42 years, I still used one for Joe.

 

[Merilyn (Tortoise lover)]

Ok thanks
Also, your tortoise is 42 years old??!!
I'm not surprised by the fact that he's that old it's just I've never heard someone with a pet that's over 5

 

[JoesMum]

Ok thanks
Also, your tortoise is 42 years old??!!
I'm not surprised by the fact that he's that old it's just I've never heard someone with a pet that's over 5

Tortoises can live to be 100+. A tortoise is a pet for life. That’s your life, not theirs. If you have one it will likely become your children’s problem.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Tortoises can live to be 100+. A tortoise is a pet for life. That’s your life, not theirs. If you have one it will likely become your children’s problem.

Problem

 

[Merilyn (Tortoise lover)]

Tortoises can live to be 100+. A tortoise is a pet for life. That’s your life, not theirs. If you have one it will likely become your children’s problem.

@JoesMum
No prob for me I'm still a minor

 

[RosemaryDW]

When I pick them up, they swim in the air and try to push my fingers off them...why is this

Because they belong on the ground.