# tortoise biting other tortoise



## qwertyshaz (Jul 25, 2011)

hi, please can anyone help with what is the best thing to do. Last week I bought 2 dwarf hermann tortoises, both male and will be 2 in october, bought them privately not from a pet shop. they have always been together.
The problem is one of them is constantly biting the other ones back legs and trying to mount him and if the other one gets away, he follows him and starts biting his legs again. He has not caused a injury (yet). What i need to know is does this mean they should not be kept together. They have moments when they can be together and still. 
I just feel sorry for one who cant just relax without being bothered by the other one but at the same time if I seperate the ' naughty' one will be lonely to. and to seperate would mean selling one as I haven't got the room or the money to buy another house.
Why are they doing this ?
Any advice please?
Thanks
sharon


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## ascott (Jul 25, 2011)

Welcome to the Forum 

Here is what came to mind to me;

Age 2? too young to have been CERTAIN both are males, one may actually be a female and the male is stressing her out by bugging ...after all, we humans have to wait awhile to figure their sex but the torts know what sex they are, well, right away 

you have two males, two males have a greater chance of becoming gladiators towards one another...just usually the way it is...and while they may appear "to get along" sometimes, there is likely a bit of emotional bullying going on...(now I do not house this species, however, "generally" male tortoise have this make up)...

now, in either case there can be serious damage to one or both ...biting can cause serious limb injury...

also, tortoise generally don't get "lonely" in the same sense of the word as humans can....solitary life for the males is pretty normal...

But give a bit and I am sure others will share their opinions with you as well....good luck


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## qwertyshaz (Jul 25, 2011)

Hi, thanks for your answer. I've just been doing some research and I have a feeling I have a male and a female, the male has a lot longer tail and a higher back. Not sure if this is a good thing or not as although it explains the behaviour, I don't know if they should still be kept together as the female is not impressed but at the same time its not all the time, so still don't know what to do for the best?


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## HLogic (Jul 25, 2011)

Hi Sharon & welcome to the forum!

Are you able to put a divider in the enclosure to keep them separated? At 2 years old, there is no chance of the behavior being sexual. Ultimately if not separated, the one being bullied will suffer.


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## Yvonne G (Jul 25, 2011)

Hi Sharon:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know where you are?


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## dmarcus (Jul 25, 2011)

Hello Sharon and welcome to the forum..


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## qwertyshaz (Jul 25, 2011)

hello , I'm in Essex, England.
I was watching them earlier and the one I think is male is getting on females back and making a little noise with his mouth open??????
For the last 5 hours I have run a separation divide down the tortoise table and they have seemed quite happy and been more settled and eating well. Though I am feeling sorry for the male one as he looks a bit lost. It not really practical to keep the divide like this it looks as though i will have to sell one as I cannot afford to keep 2 tables or do not have the space.


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## HLogic (Jul 25, 2011)

From the "sounds" of it, your little male is a 'little' older than 2 years... The posture he is assuming is an attempt to breed. I would not expect that behavior from a 2 year old - but you know how guys are! The little guy will settle down once he forgets about that cute little girl tort. If there is sufficient room for each with the divider in place, you should be OK but you know better what your situation is...


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## qwertyshaz (Jul 25, 2011)

HLogic said:


> From the "sounds" of it, your little male is a 'little' older than 2 years... The posture he is assuming is an attempt to breed. I would not expect that behavior from a 2 year old - but you know how guys are! The little guy will settle down once he forgets about that cute little girl tort. If there is sufficient room for each with the divider in place, you should be OK but you know better what your situation is...



he is not actually 2 until october, I have his certificate. I guess he is learning early!!


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jul 25, 2011)

qwertyshaz said:


> Hi, thanks for your answer. I've just been doing some research and I have a feeling I have a male and a female, the male has a lot longer tail and a higher back. Not sure if this is a good thing or not as although it explains the behaviour, I don't know if they should still be kept together as the female is not impressed but at the same time its not all the time, so still don't know what to do for the best?



If one indeed is a female (and the behavior you've described certainly indicates that this is the case), I'd seperate them until you can get one or two more females, then put 'em all back together...a male w/ a harem won't "over-romance" any one female to death...a single male/single female arrangement can, and often does, turn out this way.

OTOH, if they're both males, one will eventually SERIOUSLY INJURE the other...again, they'll need seperate housing.

How large is tour tortoise table?


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## qwertyshaz (Jul 25, 2011)

Terry Allan Hall said:


> qwertyshaz said:
> 
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> > Hi, thanks for your answer. I've just been doing some research and I have a feeling I have a male and a female, the male has a lot longer tail and a higher back. Not sure if this is a good thing or not as although it explains the behaviour, I don't know if they should still be kept together as the female is not impressed but at the same time its not all the time, so still don't know what to do for the best?
> ...



my tortoise table is 48 inches by 24 inches. They remain seperated. He has given up and gone to bed wondering where his girl is


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jul 25, 2011)

qwertyshaz said:


> Terry Allan Hall said:
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Seeing as you have Westerns (dwarf Hermann's) you could have three in that space as long as you let them go outside on nice days for an hour or more...can you provide them with a movable "corral" of some sort?

Something like this would be easy/inexpensive to build/move around the yard:


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## qwertyshaz (Jul 25, 2011)

Terry Allan Hall said:


> qwertyshaz said:
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I have actually got a run on order from Ebay, 48 x 36" so they can go outside. A bit worried about adding another female in case it doesn't work out and then I have 3 to house.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jul 25, 2011)

qwertyshaz said:


> I have actually got a run on order from Ebay, 48 x 36" so they can go outside.



48" X 36" should work fine, but give some thought to whether you'll be able to build a nice outside home, someday, something like 8"' X 6' or a bit larger...that will be optimum, although some torts live on a tortoise table all their lives.



qwertyshaz said:


> A bit worried about adding another female in case it doesn't work out and then I have 3 to house.



Two females will get along...one male/two females should be fine, as well, as long as you allow them "exercise time".

I have three females and one male and all get along fine...otoh, if I only had 1m/1f, it would most likely be chaotic for the female, so when I decided to get Jennifer some company, I started w/ another female (Ophelia) and get Apollonia and Ptolemy about 3 weeks later...each went 30 days in quarrantine, of course, before they were put together. 

Three females means Ptolemy is distracted from each female most of the time... 

Now they're one happy "herd" in an enclosure of about 7-1/2' X 5', while I build a much larger (about 16' X 8') enclosure.


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## qwertyshaz (Jul 26, 2011)

Terry Allan Hall said:


> qwertyshaz said:
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> > I have actually got a run on order from Ebay, 48 x 36" so they can go outside.
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Thanks 4 all the help. I have now made a new tortoise table so they can both live seperatly . They seem quite happy and their outside run is being delivered on Thursday so for now I'm all set up. So that's put an end to rocky and rusty's love affair though I'm not sure if I should let them meet up sometimes or if they will be happier forgetting each other?





Thanks 4 all the help. I have now made a new tortoise table so they can both live seperatly . They seem quite happy and their outside run is being delivered on Thursday so for now I'm all set up. So that's put an end to rocky and rusty's love affair though I'm not sure if I should let them meet up sometimes or if they will be happier forgetting each other?

[/quote]


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## ascott (Jul 26, 2011)

I think that decision will also be yours....


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## qwertyshaz (Jul 26, 2011)

ascott said:


> I think that decision will also be yours....


yes well I know what rocky would choose


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## October (Jul 26, 2011)

Can't help, but holy crap! They are stinkin' CUTE!


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## ascott (Jul 26, 2011)

LOL


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jul 26, 2011)

qwertyshaz said:


> Terry Allan Hall said:
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[/quote]

Well, you've resolved the situation for the time being, so very cool! 

Later on, if you decide to try your hand at breeding Rocky and Rusty, just add a Ramona P) and best of luck to ya...Hermann's are great tortoises!


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## ina jordan (Jul 30, 2011)

hi everyone i am new to this may be some one can help me i live in scotland and have two redfoot tortoise i seem to have a problem with fruit flys i keep my tortoise in doors and keep there enclosure clean so how i get rid of them i dont want to use a spray as it may harm them .


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jul 30, 2011)

ina jordan said:


> hi everyone i am new to this may be some one can help me i live in scotland and have two redfoot tortoise i seem to have a problem with fruit flys i keep my tortoise in doors and keep there enclosure clean so how i get rid of them i dont want to use a spray as it may harm them .



Adopt one of these:


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