Two hatchlings living together?

Brit G

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2016
Messages
127
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
These are the two ivory sulcatas I believe I will be getting on Thursday. Still communicating so not exactly set in stone. One is from Richard fife, other from William Corwin.

I read that two hatchlings can live together, so long as there are multiple saucers for food. I'm not necessarily planning to breed them; gender is not known. In that case, would it be stressful to the little guys to have the same 4ft x 4 ft enclosure for about a month? At most, one year?

Also, each breeders assured me that their hatchling is healthy. I've read a few articles about what to look out for in unhealthy hatchlings, and can't see any obvious issues. I'd be devastated if I were wrong, though. If anyone sees anything obviously wrong, let me know please?

Neither are quite ready to be shipped. The first tortoise still has 2-3 weeks of growing to do, and the second (from fife) has a few more days at least. I'll be paying Thursday, though.

Some things I noticed about the Corwin tortoise; green stuff between toes, and looks like scrapes on the top of its shell?? It is a very young young hatchling so maybe it's just something newly hatched ones have. I was assured it is very healthy and the guys seemed INCREDIBLY knowledgable, like I'd look up what he told me and it would be stuff you guys might mention here or there in different forum topics, too.

IMG_1475.JPG IMG_3064.JPG
IMG_8605.JPG

Ivory picture 3.jpg
Ivory picture 2.jpg Ivory picture 1.jpg
 

Brit G

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2016
Messages
127
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
Corwin even answered my question about the black pigmentation on fife'sfife's hatchlihatching; he'd seen the black area stay super small, or grow into a thin line and showed one of his tortoises for example; seems like a really informed guy. He only mentioned the ivories he had because I asked; he wasn't trying to pitch me his sales out of nowhere/steal the sell, I feel like it' imprtant to say...Screenshot_2018-07-26-17-14-44.png
 

Brit G

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2016
Messages
127
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
Any input at all appreciated, though I know I jumped around. At work for short break so noticed some spelling errors but can't fix rn. Sorry. Hope all you tortoise guys can get excited with me about my future babies or lend some advice, thanks !
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
It's my not popular opinion that babies, I mean very young babies, do better with more than one in the same enclosure. This makes competition for the food. BUT you must be VERY observant and at the first sign of crowding, pushing, sitting on the food, sleeping in the same space, it will be time to separate them. If you have an "oh-how-cute" moment between the two of them, that just may be bullying, and NOT cuteness. If one seems to grow bigger, faster than the other, it's time to separate them.

Don't worry about the green stuff between the toes. It's just something he's walked through, probably green stain from his food. And I don't see the scrape you're looking at.

And yes, I'm super excited for you. I love those type sulcatas. We lose so many of our newer members as they grow and lose interest in the Forum, but I hope you stay with us for the long run, because I very much want to watch these two beauties grow!
 
Last edited:

TechnoCheese

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
I definitely would not house them together. If you really want two, separate the enclosure into two 4x2 sides.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
It doesn't matter what the breeders told you about them being healthy, of course they are going to say that.
You need to quarantine them from each other. They are from two totally different places. Build them each their own enclosure and house them separate. This will insure if one is sick the other won't catch it and you won't have too worry about bullying.
Competition for food won't matter as they won't be able to be housed together for long anyway.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Tortoises should never live as pairs. Groups of juveniles usually work, but not pairs.

4x4' is good for a hatchling or three, but be sure it is a closed humid chamber and stays warm and humid day and night.

Of course they are both going to tell you their babies are healthy. Would you buy one if not? You should still quarantine. I didn't and I ended up having to euthanize about a dozen babies, throw away thousands of dollars of caging and supplies, and shut down my reptile room for over a year. And that was from one of the two you are buying from. I don't say that lightly. I have the necropsy report to prove it. There is a reason I don't have ivories, and its not because I don't like them.
 

MPRC

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
3,102
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
I wouldn't mix 2 hatchlings from different breeders without a quarantine and if you're going to set up a quarantine you might as well just set up two enclosures.
 

Brit G

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2016
Messages
127
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
Oh man, forgot you said that in a previous convo @Tom
You guys have been super helpful and I'll be sure to follow the advice... will separate the 4x4 or build a new enclosure. Either way, will not interact together. Now I'm reall worried and tentative... think I'll just purchase one and see how that goes, lol
 

MPRC

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
3,102
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
Oh man, forgot you said that in a previous convo @Tom
You guys have been super helpful and I'll be sure to follow the advice... will separate the 4x4 or build a new enclosure. Either way, will not interact together. Now I'm reall worried and tentative... think I'll just purchase one and see how that goes, lol

I couldn't imagine dealing with one full grown sully, let alone two! (says the girl with 7 redfoots and a yellow.)
 

SheLLife

New Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2018
Messages
22
Location (City and/or State)
Kentucky
I'm so very excited for you!!! Have been for a while. I made the mistake of writing about my excitement to you on the classifieds site so it was deleted. I felt pretty dumb lol. I just read a crazy funny story. Idk how everybody will perceive this but I assure you I'm not trying to talk you out of those two beauties! It's called, "My First Year with Harpo" I laughed n cried n had to pick my jaw up several times. This is definitely not how it will go since you are getting babies but it truly opened my eyes. I enjoyed it very much.
 

Brit G

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2016
Messages
127
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
Thank you so much for your kind words! [emoji177][emoji177] my excitement is just overflowing!!
I'm so very excited for you!!! Have been for a while. I made the mistake of writing about my excitement to you on the classifieds site so it was deleted. I felt pretty dumb lol. I just read a crazy funny story. Idk how everybody will perceive this but I assure you I'm not trying to talk you out of those two beauties! It's called, "My First Year with Harpo" I laughed n cried n had to pick my jaw up several times. This is definitely not how it will go since you are getting babies but it truly opened my eyes. I enjoyed it very much.
 
Top