Tortoises are unique animals who exhibit quite unique behaviors that will sometimes leave you as an owner quite puzzled and confused.
One puzzling and confusing behavior that your tortoise may exhibit is the animal shaking its head.
This article looks at why your tortoise is shaking its head.
Table of Contents
Tortoise shaking head side to side:
Shaking of the head may seem peculiar to you as a tortoise owner and this is understandable, but understanding the context of why your tortoise may be shaking its head will help you figure out what steps to take when you see this behavior
Here is why your tortoise is shaking its head from side to side:
It is excited:
One reason why your pet may be shaking its head side to side may be that it is excited to see you.
Different tortoises will do different things when they see their owner or friends, head shaking may simply be one thing that your pet tortoise does
What to do:
The head shaking from side to side isn’t a sign that there is something wrong with your pet so your pet will be fine.
You can simply let the animal continue the action of shaking its head happily when it sees you
However, keep an eye on your pet to see if the head shaking comes with signs of illness or distress, illness or distress in your pet are signs that your tortoise needs to be seen by a vet
Territorial disputes:
Your tortoise may be domesticated but it still has some of the traits and instincts that wild tortoises have, and defending their territory is one of them.
These animals are known to be antisocial animals who hate having another tortoise around them and hate sharing their environments
If your tortoise shakes its head side to side when another tortoise is around, then the first tortoise may be communicating that this is its territory. The head shaking it’s a way of asserting its dominance over its territory.
A tortoise who does this senses a rival in the other tortoise and shows signs of aggression.
What to do:
Your tortoises won’t need to fight for space if each has enough space for themselves.
The best case scenario is to give each tortoise the largest enclosure possible, unfortunately, this isn’t always possible so you would have to work with what you can.
Each tortoise will need an enclosure that is 6 times as long and wide as it. You can choose an enclosure that is big enough for both of them or you can give each of them an enclosure that they can comfortably fit in.
Sizing up:
If you have a female turtle and a male turtle who are shaking their head side to side at each other then this may mean that the animals are sizing each other up to determine if they are compatible to mate.
The male will look at the coloration of the female’s body and the female will look at the markings of the male’s body
What to do:
This is also normal behavior and is nothing to be worried or concerned about, it is likely mating season and the animals are simply sizing each other up.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Tortoise Shaking?, Tortoise Making Croaking Noise, Baby Tortoise Rocking Back And Forth, Tortoise Rocking Back And Forth, Tortoise Throwing Up White Foam, Tortoise Throwing Up Blood, How To Bond With Your Tortoise, Turtle Vomiting White, How To Discipline A Tortoise