# DT in same habitat



## Rachael88 (Jan 25, 2014)

Can I house them like this?


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## Tom (Jan 25, 2014)

Opinions will vary. I prefer not to house them in pairs. Singles are good, and groups usually are fine until adolescence when males must be separated out, but pairs are usually a problem.


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## Rachael88 (Jan 25, 2014)

I believe there both males but I m not positive


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## Team Gomberg (Jan 25, 2014)

At that small size it is impossible to determine gender.

I am one who is not a fan of housing pairs. Alone or in a group is how I do it. Take some time (not too long) learning about the proper care for your new Torts then work on 2 separate enclosures. A set for inside and a set for outside.


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## Yvonne G (Jan 26, 2014)

Your babies are awfully dry. Desert tortoises hatch out in the wild after it rains, and then they usually stay hidden underground where it's moist and humid. I see that you have them on dirt, but you also need maybe some sphagnum moss in their hiding place. You can keep the moss moist. But make sure they stay warm. If you have a moist substrate and let the temp in the habit cool down below 75F degrees the babies will get sick.

I adopt out baby desert tortoises in pairs because they eat better when there's competition for the food. They usually get along ok until they become sexually mature. But when you keep them in pairs you have to be attentive to bullying. If you see one pestering the other one all the time, they are not getting along and need to be separated.


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## Tom (Jan 26, 2014)

Rachael88 said:


> I believe there both males but I m not positive



You won't be able to tell that for a few years.


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## sweeneylee88 (Jan 26, 2014)

Would it be ok to have them on soil (potting soil) the pet store could not tell me what we needed


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## Yvonne G (Jan 26, 2014)

Potting soil would be ok, however, be sure to buy the kind that doesn't have any additives like fertilizers or pesticides, and for sure NO perlite. 

My favorite substrate is orchid bark. If you have an Orchard Supply Hardware in your town, they sell orchid bark in small bags for about $4 and large bags for about $10. If you buy orchid bark, buy the one that says "small" not medium or large bits.

What you want is something that you can keep moist.

Pet stores also sell a product called Bed-A-Beast. It is a square brick of compressed and dehydrated coconut coir. You put it in a bucket of water and it swells up and falls apart. Then you squeeze out the excess water and add it to your habitat. You can mix it in with that dirt you're using now. Mix it up good, then pat it down with your palm.


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## sweeneylee88 (Jan 26, 2014)

Okay so I just came from the pet store I got bedding can I just spray it with water and keep it moist? The tortoise is climbing up on the the log and falling what do I do I'm worried that he will fall on his back when I'm not home


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## Yvonne G (Jan 26, 2014)

Hatchling desert tortoises seem to have a death wish. This seems to be something they all go through. Try to fix it so he can't climb up on the half log.

What kind of bedding (substrate) did you get?


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## reticguy76 (Jan 26, 2014)

I would agree with the ones that say dont house them together. I am a firm believer that they like their independence and solitude from the beginning of life.


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## sweeneylee88 (Jan 26, 2014)

100% natural cypress mulch


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## Team Gomberg (Jan 26, 2014)

You can mound the substrate over the half log. It creates a tunnel they can walk through and a bridge to walk over. Use a lot of the dirt so they can easily walk up and over. Then they can't fall off.
Even better is if you add some plants around it. They will like to hide in the cover of the plants and it will provide footing to right themselves should they flip.


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## ascott (Jan 30, 2014)

> Your babies are awfully dry.



Do you offer warm water soaks for the torts? I would suggest this become part of their day...


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