Tortoises On The Run

@thea09 (18305)

Greece

September 20, 2015 1:20am CST

Yesterday evening I was on the balcony and heard a crashing disturbance coming from the olive grove. Thinking a wild pig had invaded by the clatter I was surprised to see three huge tortoises literally running through the undergrowth. It turned out to be two amorous males in pursuit of one poor female that didn't manage to run fast enough to avoid their less than romantic intentions. In no time at all she was pinned beneath a hefty brute having his wicked way. When he climbed down she ran off out of my sight, hotly pursued by the other chap. The tortoise that had had his way settled down to munch on some post coital sage leaves. It really is a myth that tortoises are slow, quiet creatures.

20 people like this

16 responses

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

20 Sep 15

I was not aware that tortoise rape was legal in Greece.

5 people like this

show previous comments

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

20 Sep 15

@thea09 Just look for 2 tortoises with a big smile on their face.

2 people like this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

I suppose I should have driven her to the police station to report it but they would have been closed until Monday. And it would be difficult identifying the culprit in a line up, they tend to look the same.

2 people like this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

@Asylum They've probably reeled their heads in under their shells in shame.

2 people like this

@allknowing (137553)

• India

20 Sep 15

Wait a minute. Do you know these females tempt these gullible males and hell breaks loose

5 people like this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

Well they are extremely attractive creatures under those glossy shell exteriors

4 people like this

@sacmom (14192)

• United States

20 Sep 15

I guess when they are in hot pursuit, they are more like rabbits!

4 people like this

show previous comments

@sacmom (14192)

• United States

21 Sep 15

@thea09 I've never encountered them on a menu. I've seen plenty of them running around before though!

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

Well rabbits are one thing I never seen running round anywhere, the only place you encounter those is on the menu.

1 person likes this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

@ChesneyM I thought rabbits were huge pests in Aussie, not pets. Didn't they have thousands put down?

Show more comments

@Rollo1 (16679)

• Boston, Massachusetts

20 Sep 15

I cannot envision a tortoise running. Next time, you should take a video. There's good money to be made on YouTube. Who would have thought it could be dangerous to be a female tortoise who is just too darned attractive?

4 people like this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

There's a task for the teen then

2 people like this

@Bluedoll (16773)

• Canada

20 Sep 15

I suppose they are quiet creatures unless youth urges them forward.

I see the little ones out of the eggs too have a lot of energy.

3 people like this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

These creatures are way past the first flush of youth, they look quite ancient and very big.

@Bluedoll (16773)

• Canada

20 Sep 15

@thea09 I know they get very old? Lot of weight there to carry around but they have muscles too. Maybe they felt young?

2 people like this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

@Bluedoll I never thought about how old they get but there's a couple in the grove that have been there for at least 12 years and they have got larger over time.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

@xFiacre (13120)

• Ireland

20 Sep 15

So do you think did she really was that slow or did she just let herself get caught?

4 people like this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

Oh she was running as fast as she could, definitely not playing hard to get.

1 person likes this

@41CombedaleRoad (5952)

• Greece

22 Nov 15

Mating tortoises is not a pretty sight, I felt so sorry for the female one that was on the receiving end in an enclosed area outside a hospital in Athens. We have wild tortoises that come occasionally but they move pretty fast too, the dogs chase them. If we hear the sounds of excited barking we have to rush in and rescue the poor things. The dogs can't get at them but they turn them on their backs.

@sofssu (23662)

•

21 Sep 15

LOL sounds like you really have some wild romance played out for you in real time by these Tortoises. I never knew that they run fast.

1 person likes this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

21 Sep 15

Only in the mating season

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (471969)

• Switzerland

21 Sep 15

I missed your tortoises Katerina. I know it's a myth that tortoises are quiet creatures, they are pretty rude and they are not even slow.

1 person likes this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

21 Sep 15

Hello Anna, I used to think my tortoises were quite polite creatures too, but they way they were speeding after that female showed a brutal side.

1 person likes this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

21 Sep 15

@LadyDuck She was obviously wise to their lecherous ways.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (471969)

• Switzerland

21 Sep 15

@thea09 My cousin had two tortoise and she gave the big male to one of her friends, because it was too rude and she feared for the health of the small female.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

20 Sep 15

This sounds similar to ducks' behaviour (or rather drakes!) I've seen some poor ducks have half a dozen drakes on her, one after the other

2 people like this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

20 Sep 15

Maybe the ducks should gang up on the drakes.

1 person likes this

@simone10 (54187)

• Louisville, Kentucky

21 Sep 15

I had no idea they could move that fast. What an interesting sight that must have been.

1 person likes this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

21 Sep 15

They were like speedy Gonzales

1 person likes this

@simone10 (54187)

• Louisville, Kentucky

24 Sep 15

@thea09 I would have loved to have seen that. I can't imagine them moving that fast.

@CookieMonster46 (13454)

• United States

21 Sep 15

I found one a few years ago in front of my house in the street, put him in the back yard, and he has been there ever since, he grew a bit, but fun having him around. Can't imagine where he would have come from, no one lost turtle.

1 person likes this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

21 Sep 15

He must be a bit lonely there all on his own, maybe you should get him a girlfriend.

1 person likes this

@CookieMonster46 (13454)

• United States

21 Sep 15

@thea09 I sure don't know if it is a boy or girl, he loves have his space, and he eats a lot..

@blitzfrick (2890)

• United States

19 Oct 15

I'm surprised the first fellow didn't fall over and start snoring! Too bad you didn't get a vid of the pursuit, I'm thinking it would've gone viral on YouTube.

ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

16 Nov 15

How large are these guys you have running around in your garden?

1 person likes this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

16 Nov 15

Pretty huge actually, I'm convinced there's a couple that have been hanging around for the last 12 years getting bigger as time goes by.

1 person likes this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

16 Nov 15

@ElizabethWallace Couldn't agree more. Every time the teen asks for a pet I tell him we have tortoises and they don't cost a penny.

1 person likes this

ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

16 Nov 15

@thea09 That's the best kind of pets to have, wild ones. I had a box turtle who lived on my property for several years. I rarely saw him, though. He was most often under the ground cover.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

@Fleura (30539)

• United Kingdom

29 Sep 15

My next door neighbours keeps a selection of reptiles including tortoises and they make quite a racket banging around there!

@TheHorse (220068)

• Walnut Creek, California

19 Oct 15

They just need motivation to move fast.