Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here are some pics of the new baby eating with the bigger torts. It is definitely strawberry season, they got a little for a treat today. The baby is only let out to eat with the others under supervision. The baby keeps head bobbing/sideswipping at the other torts. Tallulah is the only one who does the same to him, what does it mean? Carl guessed that the baby is a girl, the vet a boy, both gave the caveat that he/she is too small to know for sure. Is this something that pushes the sex one way or the other? It really doesn't matter since we have two girls and a boy already. Thanks.

Allegra

Oh yeah, he is healthy, already checked by the vet and no signs of any respitory or dehydrating issues. Is he/she a fast flirt? Thanks again.

Allegra

Nice looking torts. I had a redfoot for 24 years and the only time I saw him head bob was when I hand fed him something and I accidently held it too high. He would stop eating and bob his head up and down and if I lowered it he would resume eating. He lived alone so I never got to see if he did it with other tortoises. I now have two juvenile redfoots and one does the same thing and again I have only seen him/her do it when I am holding food. Head bobbing stops when I lower the food down closer to the ground. Tom

I don't know redfoots, but in most tort species, head-bobbing is a healthy behavioral response to other tortoises - it can be social, or it can be antagonistic, depending on the species.