Tortoises, especially males, pace back and forth along the same stretch of wall. They often turn inward, half climbing on the wall and scraping their shells. This is normal behaviour for a tortoise, even if it drives you crazy. Your tortoise is not trying to get out or find a mate. Something is really wrong with them.
Tortoises don’t like change and can take quite a while to adapt. The light levels, temperature, difference in surroundings and even breed types have to be taken into consideration to discover why they’re acting strangely. Just make sure you keep your tortoise hydrated, that’s important. The temperature is a major factor that can affect them and even forces them to escape.
You need to take your tortoise to a vet often and get it checked, a possibility of existing parasites could be bothering your pet and at such times, a faeces check needs to be done.
Check if the temperature in the enclosure is appropriate because if it is too cold the tortoise will want to escape. The temperature needs to be in the high 80’s. The UV light must be working at all times and needs changing every six months. If your tortoise is putting on weight and not eating well, you need to see a vet, it is possible that your tortoise is ill.
Veterinary clinics have the answers to why the tortoise acts strangely, so unless you’ve made sure of the right arrangements for your pet, you should take them to the vet!
