I currently have a very large outdoor enclosure for my one sulcata. A friend of mine has four redfoots and she needed a babysitter for them for a while. I’m not sure if a while is going to be a few weeks or a few years. I know both species come from very different climates and have very different diets. I love my sulcata very much, but I am definitely enjoying having these redfoots as well. Can these guys be successful living together? Anybody have any advice? Thank you!
You should not mix the 2 species. Different species carry different "bugs" that are not harmful to themselves, but can be very harmful to other species. Plus, the sulcatas and redfoots require different environments and diets. The are both great torts but I would not risk having them together.
My friend that gave them to me (which knows more about different species than me - I just know about my sulcata) said she had them checked out by a vet and that they didnt have any parasites at all. I would feel bad saying I couldn't watch them, but of course don't want anything to happen to my little girl.
When we speak of "bugs", we are speaking of intestional bacteria. One specie may have bacteria in it's "gut" that are essential for it's digestion but is debilitateing or even fatal to the other specie. This is much the same case as the spinach recall of some years ago where a bacteria normal to cattle proved to cause sickness in people. I would suggest getting seperate housing for each specie. A cement mixing tub from a home improvement store is an inexpensive alternative.
You should not mix the 2 species. Different species carry different "bugs" that are not harmful to themselves, but can be very harmful to other species. Plus, the sulcatas and redfoots require different environments and diets. The are both great torts but I would not risk having them together.
I agree with this 100%
Sue