All pets, tortoises included, may do things that seem quite odd to you and you’d understandably wonder why they do this.
This article looks into why your tortoise has its back legs stretched out
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Tortoise back legs stretched out:
A tortoise who has its back legs stretched out may look a little funny and you may be wondering why your pet does this.
Knowing why your tortoise does things will help you understand your pet a bit more.
This is why your tortoise has its legs stretched out:
Looking for warmth:
Reptiles of all types, including tortoises, not only love to be out in the sun, they need to get some sunlight and warmth in order to move, digest food, catch food, and keep their immune systems working as well as they can.
Tortoises may like to tuck their limbs into their shells sometimes but they also need to get some warmth onto their legs. They get warmth by stretching their legs out.
Their shells don’t absorb heat so the animals will extend their legs to get some sun or heat.
The stretching increases the surface area of the animal and this allows it to get more sun.
What to do:
This is quite normal behavior and is something that many tortoises do. It’s normal sunbathing behavior.
If your pet only recently started doing this then go ahead and check your pet’s enclosure making sure that the environment is appropriate.
Your pet will do this if its enclosure is too chilly, stretching will get your pet to soak up more heat.
If your reptile is too chilly then you’ll usually see the turtle stretch under its light.
If you don’t have heat or light in your pets enclosure then make sure to give the pet a heat source and UVB.
Leg stretching:
Another reason why your tortoise may be doing this may be that the reptile is simply stretching and relaxing.
If you know that your pet is getting enough exposure to heat and UVB then your pet may simply be stretching and relaxing.
Your tortoise may not seem like it’s getting much exercise via walking slowly, but it in fact is, and will eventually need to rest.
Your pet will stretch its legs out while relaxing and will appear to do the Superman pose.
This behavior is more common in tortoises who are used to their environment and who are comfortable enough to relax in their environment.
What to do:
You don’t have to worry if your pet does this, it is simply getting comfortable, this is normal behavior.
If anything you should be happy that your pet is comfortable enough to relax around you.
Carrying eggs:
Another reason why your tortoise may be stretching its legs out may be that it is relieving its legs during the egg-making stage
Tortoises lay eggs, they don’t produce live young, a tortoise who is currently making eggs is referred to as gravid.
Your tortoises can produce about 3-8 eggs per clutch and all this egg-carrying can cause muscle spasms in your pet’s legs.
If your gravid tortoise is stretching her legs out then she may simply be relieving her spasms.
What to do:
This is normal behavior and isn’t something to worry about, your pet will do less of this after she has laid her eggs.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other tortoise/turtle related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Sulcata Tortoise Leg Problems, Why Is My Tortoise Limping?, Can Tortoises Break Their Legs?, Tortoise Having Trouble Walking, Tortoise Not Using One Leg, Why Does My Tortoise Bite His Leg?, Why Do Turtles Bite Their Feet?, Why Is My Turtle’s Back Leg Swollen?, Why Does My Turtle Sleep Standing Up?