aggressive horsefield

[delitrav]

Hi, Ive a large group of females Horsefields and they are really lovely and friendly, Ive recently taken a male on from a couple who said she was super friendly and enjoyed a stroke on the head. ( he was given as a female, but hes so a boy).Well the first day i had him, he was very shy, i kept him to as little contact and stress as poss for the couple of days then i decided i'd make friends with him. He ran to the front of his table and looked up at me, so i gave him some dandellions and went to stoke him................he decided that wasnt going to happen and bit me, i left him to feed(which he didnt as he was fed of grapes banana, cucumber and tomatoes before he came here). Now everytime he sees me he runs toward me then bites and rams me. It was so hard to pick him up to take him outside and as soon as i put him on the grass he would chase me and try to bite and ram me. It is funny, i must look an idiot running away from a smallish tortoise but it does hurt when he does catch me.

So heres my question, any ideas on why, how to stop it and also a guide on how to get him eating healthy tort food.

Thanks kate

[shellonia]

With the food try to make a gradual change.I rehomed an ibera who was an office mascot for the first 10 years of his life and all he ate was sandwiches and crisps and fruit.It was a full 6 months before he was eating a good diet.
As for the aggressiveness,can he smell the females?You will obviously have him in quarantine but he may be too close to the females-just a thought.
As for some horsefields they can be quite aggressive-I don't keep them but my daughter does and they can be a handful.

[delitrav]

Originally Posted by shellonia

With the food try to make a gradual change.I rehomed an ibera who was an office mascot for the first 10 years of his life and all he ate was sandwiches and crisps and fruit.It was a full 6 months before he was eating a good diet.
As for the aggressiveness,can he smell the females?You will obviously have him in quarantine but he may be too close to the females-just a thought.
As for some horsefields they can be quite aggressive-I don't keep them but my daughter does and they can be a handful.

Thankyou, im trying everything but he says no, so ill add abit of his favs, maybe cut them up really small so he cant eat them unless he eats some good stuff? He isnt near my girls, they live in the greenhouse in a large table style design with heat lamps, hes indoors on a table, i think your right though i think he's going to be a bugger.lol Nevermind he is very hansome. My girls are so different, they love a chin rub and are really friendly.

Your poor ibera, why do people do that? Its so unfair but atleast he has a great home now. Thanks for all your help.

Kate

[jeannette37]

Hi Kate I have a male Ibera who's over 35yrs who's like this.I have no females but I do think is a dominant & sexual thing,he's always headbutting my foot then goes to mount it and the other day nipped me on the ankle,I have noticed he does it a lot more in the nicer weather,he also does it now but is abit slower,I don't think there's anything you can do it about I'm afraid,except move your hands and feet quicker have you spoke to his previous owners about his behaviour,I think you have a boyfriend

[delitrav]

Originally Posted by jeannette37

Hi Kate I have a male Ibera who's over 35yrs who's like this.I have no females but I do think is a dominant & sexual thing,he's always headbutting my foot then goes to mount it and the other day nipped me on the ankle,I have noticed he does it a lot more in the nicer weather,he also does it now but is abit slower,I don't think there's anything you can do it about I'm afraid,except move your hands and feet quicker have you spoke to his previous owners about his behaviour,I think you have a boyfriend

Hiya i bet that hurts on the ankle, it REALLY hurts on the little toe, He looks so sweet, he has a really cute face and always looks at you, then the evil takes over.lol Ive worked out a plan, i show him one hand while putting his food in with the other, this way im out the way before he has time to get me. He's definatly keeping me fit, i now give him time to run around the front room as its cold outside and im sure he waits until i move off of the sofa, he then gets a real sprint on and we're off, i do find it funny.....until he gets me LOL good, he's alot better looking than the man i have as my partner.ha ha ha ha. Thanks janette.xx

[jeannette37]

Its all a ploy to make you feel safe ha ha horsefields are very cheeky,lets just say i have a lot of footstools in my living room x

[delitrav]

Originally Posted by jeannette37

Its all a ploy to make you feel safe ha ha horsefields are very cheeky,lets just say i have a lot of footstools in my living room x

Ha ha ha ha, i think ill be getting some or just wearing masive platform shoes all the time. He is great, i think hes cheating on me now though, he quite likes the door stop, its in the shape of a dog, but he butts it and tries mounting it, he doesnt care im sitting in here either. The cheek of it! x

[Herpard]

I had a very aggressive male horsfield, it got so bad I couldn't pick him up without him drawing blood on me so I had to re-home him!

I was gutted that I had to but it wasn't fair on him as I couldn't even take him outside and when I did I had to stand in a box so he couldn't get to me and bite lol

[lynnedit]

Originally Posted by delitrav

Ha ha ha ha, i think ill be getting some or just wearing masive platform shoes all the time. He is great, i think hes cheating on me now though, he quite likes the door stop, its in the shape of a dog, but he butts it and tries mounting it, he doesnt care im sitting in here either. The cheek of it! x

They really are very brazen. What characters!

[delitrav]

Originally Posted by Herpard

I had a very aggressive male horsfield, it got so bad I couldn't pick him up without him drawing blood on me so I had to re-home him!

I was gutted that I had to but it wasn't fair on him as I couldn't even take him outside and when I did I had to stand in a box so he couldn't get to me and bite lol

Bless you, i run lol he hasnt worked out yet that i pick him up from behind whist waving my other hand infront of him. When he does im getting an iron glove.lol My girls are so placid, well i suppose its nice to have abit of variety.