Hermanns male colour change

Hi,

I recently purchased a male Hermanns tortoise as we hope to try and breed from our female at some point in the future. The male is 6 years old and after being introduced to the female is obviously very taken with her! I won't be breeding anytime soon but the reason for this topic is to ask if the males tend to go a pinkish colour on the underside of the shell when "excited" by a female? He's not normally pink so I have no concerns about anything like shell rot but this morning after following her about a bit he is very pink just on the underside near his head. I'll be watching to see if it calms down but just wondered if this was normal? I'm asuming it's just due to increased blood supply.

Thanks for your help!

[Laraine]

Hi Tam, Welcome to Shelled Warriors,
just a few questions if you don't mind, so we can have a better picture and can help you

1. Can you post photographs showing the area concerned?
2. when did you purchase this one?
3. have you had 6 months quarrantine before putting your tortoises together?
4. How did you get you new boy, from someone you already know, a private sale, or petshop/dealer?

Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me. The tortoises had been apart for about seven months and they were both from different members of my family so I know their history.

After posting the message I went out to check on them and found him to be pretty muddy so brought him in for a wash. Much to my embarrassment, once cleaned the mysterious pink colour had vanished. After close inspection outside it seems as though he'd found a way into the strawberry patch and had half eaten our lone (so far) strawberry there! Needless to say the patch is now tortoise proof and the pink colour has been explained!! I think the pink is nowe on me for not having thought that could have been where it was from!!

[sandy]

Lol at least its sorted, crafty little devils arent they.

[Laraine]

Just goes to show you can't turn your backs for one minute with tortoises! They are much faster and craftier than people think!

[lilacgeorge]

OMG!!!! This really made me laugh!! I started of reading the post thinking 'oh no, septicemia' then saw your reply about the strawberry patch!!!! PMSL!!!! Little monkey! At least it was that, what an excellent ending!

[linda]

glad you have solved the mystery

They are naughty, he spent most of the rest of the day trying to get back in with the strawberries. That's the last time they make me panic though I think!! I'd just never seen anything like it before!

My parents tortoise (also a Hermanns) gave us a scare once as mum had a winter jasmine growing against the wall which was quite thick as the tortoise liked hiding underneath it. One day we were all eating and to our surprise Hebe (the tortoise) was walking along the top which was a good 4-5 foot at a guess! Dad had to then cut the bottom of the bush so she couldn't scale it again. My parents are both in their 60's now and have passed the adventurous girl onto another family member who has more energy to deal with her! She was in her 20's when I remember getting her as a child and is now in her 50's but these two of ours are obviously much younger and more adventurous it seems. In the meantime my husband was quite disappointed to come home and find the lone strawberry chewed...

[jms]

Originally Posted by *tam*

Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me. The tortoises had been apart for about seven months and they were both from different members of my family so I know their history.

After posting the message I went out to check on them and found him to be pretty muddy so brought him in for a wash. Much to my embarrassment, once cleaned the mysterious pink colour had vanished. After close inspection outside it seems as though he'd found a way into the strawberry patch and had half eaten our lone (so far) strawberry there! Needless to say the patch is now tortoise proof and the pink colour has been explained!! I think the pink is nowe on me for not having thought th
at could have been where it was from!!

Obviously a severe case of strawberrycaemia which luckily does not prove fatal to the tortoise but can cause severe chest pains and palpitations in the owner.

[DAISY]

This has made me laugh