Do Tortoises Like Being Touched?

The most noticeable feature of a tortoise is its massive shell. But what happens if you touch it? Caretakers at Smithsonian's National Zoo fill us in.

#tortoise #zoo

From: WILD INSIDE THE NATIONAL ZOO: Reptile Rejuvenation

[bowlcut]

im pretty sure animals all think we're weird as fuck

[Lieutenant_Dude]

I love how tortoises always look like old men who lost their dentures.

[loszhor]

I had no idea they could feel through their shells. It's fun to learn.

[cmilla]

I think in general, the harder it is for a animal to scratch a certain spot, the more it it's gonna appreciate when someone else does. I bet if you slowly scratch his neck upwards he would purr like a kitten.

[manuelschiopu]

I think your dog is a bit dehydrated..

[anxietywave]

I love how Tortoises look old their entire life.

[hasangarmarudi]

Almost all animals like humans to pet them by nature. Such a mysterious interaction between us and them.

[serialcarpens]

There was a Galapagos Tortoise named Harriet in Australia that died at the age of 175 in 2006. It was said she was collected by Charles Darwin himself in 1835. That is wild.

[wheelie]

If he doesn’t like being touched you will know very quickly.

[JackSon-fkve]

do tortoises like being touched
the guy : idk we just touch them...

[kenmayfield]

They are truly amazing creatures. I have my late mother’s tortoise, (I think Greek but not sure, ) called Rover . He could be 50 years of age. He’s highly intelligent, loves visitors, is a fussy eater, dead lazy, but most of all, his party trick is to push my wheeled garden seat around the lawn until it reaches an obstruction; he then gets underneath it and scratches his shell. He is yet to find a way to turn the seat around, but I’m sure he’s working on it .

[honkytonk]

The giant tortoise have always looked so wise, and gentle to me. I wonder if there's great giant tortoise philosophers we don't know about

[dogsvibes]

Guy: "Oh he like being touched"

**Pets tortoise**

Tortoise: •____•

[alefesilva]

"Today I'll sleep earlier" *3AM* "Do Tortoises Like Being Touched?"

[kslolohoku]

There's a video of a smaller terrapin or tortoise getting its shell brushed with a toothbrush and he is clearly loving it!! Wiggling back and forth. If you liked this video, try searching turtle toothbrush or something similar and I hope you share my smiles!

[carrier]

I like how this video answers the question by basically saying “he makes a face like he enjoys it”

[meepmorp]

Tortoise when they see a human approaching them: *"Hmmmm, monkey"*

[joiion]

Crazy how the tortoise in this video will still be alive when everyone in the comment section is dead

[TortureAsylum]

Man.. I wish my job was “interacting with a tortoise on a daily basis”

[victorkunchev]

When you tap on on their back like that and they get startled, do they experience shellshock?