Tickle & scratch
 

One of my spur goes under a wooden branch and sticks his bottom in the air and scratches the top of his shell against it from side to side. Today he stretched as far up as possible on his hind legs and did same wiggle under my bicycle peddle . I stroked the top of his shell and he went mad like a dog wagging his tail except his shell / motion was mad from side to side like scratching an itch. I have seen this before but wonder if anyone else has noticed it? Do you think their shells get itchy?
Is he telling me Strictly is nearly on ? Please don't say I am the only one and have a weird tortoise that wiggles when scratched ! CB

Nope you are not the only one both of mine will do it if in the mood for a shell scratch - it is quite difficult though when they are very small as you can very easily just push them around instead:):) I know of a couple of aladabra who dance if you give them a hard shell scratch:)

One of my male hermannis does something very much like it if I gently mist him with a plant misting spray. I discovered this by accident when doing some spraying and he is the only one of them to react in that way.

Both my horsfields do this. I call it the bum waggle!

I'm not sure if they like it or not? But if having a wonder around and something touches their shell in that area, they don't move away they stay there and waggle.

I did think that "Tickle & Scratch" were the names of torts when I saw the title of this thread!!!

They can do this when it rains, or if its hot and you spray a hose pipe over them. I think its a bit like walking through long grass to remove parasites etc from body and shell.

ha they are good names to have ! I have tried with my horfields and they just look bemused. This isn't unusual!

What Sandy says makes sense, but do you think their shell gets itchy though? Papa Un came running over to ram me out the way and then seventh heaven with the tickle and scratch ! Amazing if that is evolution....CB

My marginateds do this to, they do it against there pots or if anything is in there way

I found out my little tort loves a tickle too! I was cleaning her shell with a soft toothbrush and went side to side on her rear and she wiggled her bottom and loved it!
So yours is not the only one. :p