Attack tortoises and horrible story

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Posted by Esther on December 27, 2001 at 08:47:10:

In Reply to: Re: Sulcatas attacking and a PIC from today... posted by Matt J. on December 26, 2001 at 20:58:56:

Although Chanel and Albrecht have never attacked humans or bitten them maliciously, they have real issues with each other now that both of them know the other is male. Chanel tries to dominate Albrecht, and will sneak up on him and mount poor Albrecht, thus humiliating him.

When approached from the front, the two get into ramming fights, and these have in the past left Albrecht's nose bloodied slightly and one horrifying time, I came home to find Chanel had been rammed into the pool.

(That night I looked into real estate and found my house and started moving on the deal; I couldn't have them any longer at my parents house since my mom would feel sorry for them and come home from work around 1pm and let them both out to have some sun. They climbed over their barricades and attacked eachother, resulting in a poolside battle that could easily have proven fatal. . . . thus there is no pool plans in my current yard that they enjoy separately). This incident was the second biggest nightmare ever, other than the time Albrecht ate the many yards of sheet trim. No pools, even when you think they are properly barricaded and safe, are safe from the ever persistant and curious sulcata without CONSTANT chaperones. CONSTANT chaperones, I repeat. This incident happened in October and if Mom hadn't come back home 3 hours later, I'd have a frozen tortsicle that would have made me grieve for years and resent my family. Thankfully, Chanel is of hardy stock and made it through without even a resp. infection. He must have gotten thrown in on the shallow end, since Mom found him on the step with his head lifted above the water line. . . .Mom feels guilty and I still give thanks that he is alright. . . .

I have seen a curious dog get too close to Chanel, and have seen the telltale sign of him doing the 1) staredown, 2) slow pulling of his neck inside his shell; 3) initial slow advance and lifting of his shell slightly on his haunches which is usually followed by a 4) charge and lunge upward, with his sharp, hard, powerful scutes pointed for the nose of the offending party. He only does this when threatened, and if a dog is disinterested, so is Chanel. If another animal acts at all territorial, Chanel lets them know that he can really throw his weight around. The funny thing is that if you don't recognize it in time, the initial behavior (staredown, pulling the head slowly in, etc) could be mistaken for "scaredy-cat" behavior, but it is really Chanel preparing to ram the heck out of somebody. He has no problem with humans, however, and indeed thinks himself to be one of them. The only inanimate object he ever showed animosity towards was an electric toy "Rude Dude" truck, which scared him one day and the next day he had his revenge. (This truck has since been disposed). Albrecht doesn't really ram anything other than Chanel, if he thinks Chanel is being aggressive.

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Good stories, yikes!! np Niki and Ted 12/27/01 (0)

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: Although Chanel and Albrecht have never attacked humans or bitten them maliciously, they have real issues with each other now that both of them know the other is male. Chanel tries to dominate Albrecht, and will sneak up on him and mount poor Albrecht, thus humiliating him. : When approached from the front, the two get into ramming fights, and these have in the past left Albrecht's nose bloodied slightly and one horrifying time, I came home to find Chanel had been rammed into the pool. : (That night I looked into real estate and found my house and started moving on the deal; I couldn't have them any longer at my parents house since my mom would feel sorry for them and come home from work around 1pm and let them both out to have some sun. They climbed over their barricades and attacked eachother, resulting in a poolside battle that could easily have proven fatal. . . . thus there is no pool plans in my current yard that they enjoy separately). This incident was the second biggest nightmare ever, other than the time Albrecht ate the many yards of sheet trim. No pools, even when you think they are properly barricaded and safe, are safe from the ever persistant and curious sulcata without CONSTANT chaperones. CONSTANT chaperones, I repeat. This incident happened in October and if Mom hadn't come back home 3 hours later, I'd have a frozen tortsicle that would have made me grieve for years and resent my family. Thankfully, Chanel is of hardy stock and made it through without even a resp. infection. He must have gotten thrown in on the shallow end, since Mom found him on the step with his head lifted above the water line. . . .Mom feels guilty and I still give thanks that he is alright. . . . : I have seen a curious dog get too close to Chanel, and have seen the telltale sign of him doing the 1) staredown, 2) slow pulling of his neck inside his shell; 3) initial slow advance and lifting of his shell slightly on his haunches which is usually followed by a 4) charge and lunge upward, with his sharp, hard, powerful scutes pointed for the nose of the offending party. He only does this when threatened, and if a dog is disinterested, so is Chanel. If another animal acts at all territorial, Chanel lets them know that he can really throw his weight around. The funny thing is that if you don't recognize it in time, the initial behavior (staredown, pulling the head slowly in, etc) could be mistaken for "scaredy-cat" behavior, but it is really Chanel preparing to ram the heck out of somebody. He has no problem with humans, however, and indeed thinks himself to be one of them. The only inanimate object he ever showed animosity towards was an electric toy "Rude Dude" truck, which scared him one day and the next day he had his revenge. (This truck has since been disposed). Albrecht doesn't really ram anything other than Chanel, if he thinks Chanel is being aggressive.

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