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This is my first post so apologies if I do this wrong.

I have a Hermann's tortoise which I have had for about 28 years. Recently my dad bought a big stone tortoise for the garden and my tortoise is becoming obsessed with it. He always goes and lies next to it and puts his head on it. Sometimes he tries to climb on it as if he wants to mate.

I'm not sure whether I am being helpful by leaving it in the garden with him or whether it's cruel. What do you guys think?

welcome to TFO, whizz.

from what I've gathered, different species of tortoises should not be housed together.

LOL!! But I think Whizz deserves a serious answer too. I think that the stone tortoise will lose its appeal eventually. Only you can answer your question. If you think your tortoise is suffering stress because of the stone tortoise, then by all means, remove it. But I think he will lose interest eventually. Some tortoises will make love to anything in their pen, and others don't.

Yvonne

Whizz, welcome to the forum. I agree with Yvonne only you can make that call.

Thanks for you replies. I'm gonna leave it for the time being and monitor him. I think he likes it but just spends most of his time lying next to it.

It's quite funny really. I'll have to take a pic.

It could be that being stone it holds the heat longer than surroundings or maybe as Bob Dylan said "everybody must get stoned". LOL

Yes that could be a good explanation. Will have to see how he reacts when the weather starts to change. Whether he stays near it or goes to his den.
Thanks

I see no harm in letting him have a stone tortie friend sitting in his enclosure. Ive seen lots of people's tort setups include all sorts of fake tortoises/turtles in them. Ive also seen torts that regularly have sex with inanimate objects like rocks and logs within their enclosures. No harm no foul.

Thanks for your reply.

Hopefully it will keep him company! Lol