'Butting' behaviour - what is this?

Widdly · 27-10-2006, 08:14 AM

Hi All,

I wonder if you could help with telling me what this means, last evening the little tortoise was out for a walk on the carpet when it came across my partners foot, the tortoise pulled his head into his shell and sort of lunged forward and head butted said foot with his shell, this happened a couple of times. I put him back in his cupboard/house and gave him a bit of dandelion which he happily ate. My partner then leant in and held out some clover and the tortoise did the same 'butting' of his shell into my partners hand, only to him and not to me, what does this behaviour mean ? Until then he has not done this to anyone/thing and has happily eaten out of my partners hand etc. Thankyou

piglet · 27-10-2006, 09:21 AM

Butting behaviour is usually a trate done mainly by males , its a sign of dominace and male tortoises will often engage
in butting behaviour either to attain domiance over a rival male or to subdue a female to enable him to mate.
Occasionally adult females will take on the roll of butting again this is usually a sign of dominance or an indication they are gravid(ready to lay).
Captive reared tortoises often show butting signs towards there keepers perhaps its a sign of imprinting meaning your tortoises associates you as another tortoise.

Darren

Dazza · 27-10-2006, 03:05 PM

You just wait till he's older !!!!

I took in a huge Male for Piglet this year, when i went to collect him from the old lady she told me that they haven't been in the garden for the past few summers becuase the tortoise just keeps butting them, he was with me for a couple of months my daughter was scared of him and the cat was'nt too pleased either, now he is with animals of his own kind i understand he has calmed down.....its great entertainment but if they catch you in the wrong place it can hurt !!!

Darren

piglet · 27-10-2006, 03:42 PM

Dazza I'm sure next season when he wakes up fro hibernation and the summer sun is on his back he will terrorise us all here too
Darren

Widdly · 28-10-2006, 08:39 AM

Thankyou Darren and Darren for your replies, so he probably thinks my partner is another tortoise then ha ha that is very funny, I wonder why he does it to him and not to me, he climbs over my feet and has never attempted to but me at all!

piglet · 28-10-2006, 03:00 PM

It might well be a scent he picks up on your partner that you don't carry that triggers off the butting response.

Darren

violet · 29-10-2006, 10:48 AM

Hey, you can see in the pics I posted of my Eric how shell-butting can be damaging. He was bullied for quite some time by a bossy male.

piglet · 29-10-2006, 11:41 AM

Violet your little Oran graeca are very prone to shell damage when housed with more aggressive tortoises such as ibera ,
Oran types are delicate and not so aggressive in there courtship so suffer greatly if mixed in groups containing aggressive speices
Darren

violet · 30-10-2006, 09:17 AM

Thanks Darren, I'm learning loads about Eric all the time! I'm not sure what breed the other tortoise was that was kept with eric but I know he was much bigger and more aggressive.

Faye

27-10-2006, 08:14 AM	#1
Widdly Junior Member Egg Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 11	'Butting' behaviour - what is this? Hi All, I wonder if you could help with telling me what this means, last evening the little tortoise was out for a walk on the carpet when it came across my partners foot, the tortoise pulled his head into his shell and sort of lunged forward and head butted said foot with his shell, this happened a couple of times. I put him back in his cupboard/house and gave him a bit of dandelion which he happily ate. My partner then leant in and held out some clover and the tortoise did the same 'butting' of his shell into my partners hand, only to him and not to me, what does this behaviour mean ? Until then he has not done this to anyone/thing and has happily eaten out of my partners hand etc. Thankyou

27-10-2006, 09:21 AM	#2
piglet Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,976	Butting behaviour is usually a trate done mainly by males , its a sign of dominace and male tortoises will often engage in butting behaviour either to attain domiance over a rival male or to subdue a female to enable him to mate. Occasionally adult females will take on the roll of butting again this is usually a sign of dominance or an indication they are gravid(ready to lay). Captive reared tortoises often show butting signs towards there keepers perhaps its a sign of imprinting meaning your tortoises associates you as another tortoise. Darren __________________ 17 years old 25 years ago

27-10-2006, 03:42 PM	#4
piglet Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,976	Dazza I'm sure next season when he wakes up fro hibernation and the summer sun is on his back he will terrorise us all here too Darren __________________ 17 years old 25 years ago

28-10-2006, 08:39 AM	#5
Widdly Junior Member Egg Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 11	Thankyou Thankyou Darren and Darren for your replies, so he probably thinks my partner is another tortoise then ha ha that is very funny, I wonder why he does it to him and not to me, he climbs over my feet and has never attempted to but me at all!

28-10-2006, 03:00 PM	#6
piglet Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,976	It might well be a scent he picks up on your partner that you don't carry that triggers off the butting response. Darren __________________ 17 years old 25 years ago

27-10-2006, 03:05 PM	#3
Dazza Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 2,486	You just wait till he's older !!!! I took in a huge Male for Piglet this year, when i went to collect him from the old lady she told me that they haven't been in the garden for the past few summers becuase the tortoise just keeps butting them, he was with me for a couple of months my daughter was scared of him and the cat was'nt too pleased either, now he is with animals of his own kind i understand he has calmed down.....its great entertainment but if they catch you in the wrong place it can hurt !!! Darren

29-10-2006, 10:48 AM	#7
violet Member Egg Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 80	Hey, you can see in the pics I posted of my Eric how shell-butting can be damaging. He was bullied for quite some time by a bossy male. __________________ 'If the moon smiled, she would resemble you.' Plath

29-10-2006, 11:41 AM	#8
piglet Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,976	Violet your little Oran graeca are very prone to shell damage when housed with more aggressive tortoises such as ibera , Oran types are delicate and not so aggressive in there courtship so suffer greatly if mixed in groups containing aggressive speices Darren __________________ 17 years old 25 years ago

30-10-2006, 09:17 AM	#9
violet Member Egg Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 80	Thanks Darren, I'm learning loads about Eric all the time! I'm not sure what breed the other tortoise was that was kept with eric but I know he was much bigger and more aggressive. Faye __________________ 'If the moon smiled, she would resemble you.' Plath

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