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Can I own another Russian tortoise
2 Russian torts
- Thread starter thetortoiseguy
- Start date
You can own as many as you want. I would not house them together though. Russians can be very aggressive. If you want more than one housed together, you'll need to quarantine any new additions for a few months, to make sure they are healthy and not going to make your current one sick. Then you will need at least two or three females and just one male, and you'll need to make them a very large enclosure, at least 4x8', with lots of sight barriers and hides. Even if you do everything right, they still might not get along, and so you will need a separate enclosure for each tortoise ready to go, in case they don't get along.
If you just of want one more and don't want to get into all of that, just house them separately. Russians should not be kept in pairs.
If you just of want one more and don't want to get into all of that, just house them separately. Russians should not be kept in pairs.
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I agree with the above post. I started out with two russian tortoises. And I eventually had to let go of one. There was a lot of bullying and biting going on. I'm sure your russian will be very happy alone.
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I rescued a little male RT, then I rescued an adult female RT. When they recovered from their near starvation, it became clear that I had to either separate them, rehome one, or get more females. So I couldn't say no when I was offered two huge old females, could I? It's working out well.
i also had two Russians that had to be separated. what's worse is sometimes the bullying isn't really apparent like biting or pushing. one tort could just become more withdrawn and timid and that's not fair.
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You can but you will probably need 2 enclosures unless they are both females in which case there wouldn't over breeding going on. No if they are both males as they will fight alot
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This issue with bullying seems to be a big issue with a lot of owners even abroad. I have 2 males and 4 females and the males were fighting in the beginning and got used to each other. They are now sleeping together and they actually get "straightened out" from the big females. I would give them some adjustment time and a large enclosure. I have them outdoors since 7 years and it makes it easier. They need a lot of hiding places, so that they do not see each other always. (male and females)seems to reduce the stress.
Annette
Annette
Annette,
A group of six, is a whole lot different than a pair, which is what this thread is about. While we are on the subject, I would love to see pics of your outdoor enclosures. I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas. Have you got pics posted somewhere already?
A group of six, is a whole lot different than a pair, which is what this thread is about. While we are on the subject, I would love to see pics of your outdoor enclosures. I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas. Have you got pics posted somewhere already?
Great advice already given. Don't keep 2 together.
I'd like to share my experience with a Russian group. As food for thought should you decide to try a group.
I kept 1 male with 3 females (the "ideal" ratio) in a 120 sq. ft outdoor enclosure here in SoCal. This 20' x 6' pen was very heavily planted with lots of goodies to eat, hides, log sight barriers, rocks and you name it. It was a great set up. The girls came together with my male in March earlier this year. The male had his initial excitement with the girls but after a week or 2 cooled down and the group did fine. For a few months things were great. They all came out to eat, bask and the male made his romantic rotations among the 3 ladies.
After a few months 2 of the girls stopped coming out. They stayed hidden almost all the time. One almost never left the wooden house and the other always hid behind a tree. The 3rd female who stayed active was now subject to all of the male's "attention". She was getting harassed more than I could handle. When the other 2 girls were brought out into the open (by me) they hi-tailed it back and ran from him.
After dealing with that for a while I separated the male. He got his own bachelor pad where he could never rape again and within 2 weeks ALL 3 GIRLS WERE OUT AND ACTIVE!! The 2 who had stayed hiding were out basking, eating and it was awesome to see the difference.
Russians are scrappy. I had a hard time seeing the girls harassed all the time. Maybe if I had given them a double or triple size pen things would have been ok. But maybe not... Even the trio of girls started to give me issues after a while. One dominating the others.
If you (or anyone) wants to try multiple Russians my advice is this:
Be prepared to house each one individually if needed
Give them LOTS of room outside in a very natural environment
Have thick skin to witness the feisty-ness that goes on between them
and
BE PREPARED TO HOUSE EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY IF NEEDED!
Here are the Russian pens so you can see how they were housed:
The pen the group shared:
The male's bachelor pad now:
Hope this helps!
I'd like to share my experience with a Russian group. As food for thought should you decide to try a group.
I kept 1 male with 3 females (the "ideal" ratio) in a 120 sq. ft outdoor enclosure here in SoCal. This 20' x 6' pen was very heavily planted with lots of goodies to eat, hides, log sight barriers, rocks and you name it. It was a great set up. The girls came together with my male in March earlier this year. The male had his initial excitement with the girls but after a week or 2 cooled down and the group did fine. For a few months things were great. They all came out to eat, bask and the male made his romantic rotations among the 3 ladies.
After a few months 2 of the girls stopped coming out. They stayed hidden almost all the time. One almost never left the wooden house and the other always hid behind a tree. The 3rd female who stayed active was now subject to all of the male's "attention". She was getting harassed more than I could handle. When the other 2 girls were brought out into the open (by me) they hi-tailed it back and ran from him.
After dealing with that for a while I separated the male. He got his own bachelor pad where he could never rape again and within 2 weeks ALL 3 GIRLS WERE OUT AND ACTIVE!! The 2 who had stayed hiding were out basking, eating and it was awesome to see the difference.
Russians are scrappy. I had a hard time seeing the girls harassed all the time. Maybe if I had given them a double or triple size pen things would have been ok. But maybe not... Even the trio of girls started to give me issues after a while. One dominating the others.
If you (or anyone) wants to try multiple Russians my advice is this:
Be prepared to house each one individually if needed
Give them LOTS of room outside in a very natural environment
Have thick skin to witness the feisty-ness that goes on between them
and
BE PREPARED TO HOUSE EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY IF NEEDED!
Here are the Russian pens so you can see how they were housed:
The pen the group shared:
The male's bachelor pad now:
Hope this helps!
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I had a male and a female but when I read about bullying I got another female. They pretty much ignore each other but at least two females for every male!
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- Mar 23, 2013
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I hav two of different genders and they don't have any problems
JJ_BOY said:
At least none that you are able to discern. Whether you realize it or not, this is very stressful for them. Lets see what happens in your enclosure in spring.
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It is no longer working. I have to subdivide the habitat now.
Ouch. What happened? (well, bullying, but after how long?)
Females and males separate, right? (that's what you mean?)
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Relentless sexual harassment after several years. The oldest biggest female doesn't want to come out to bask or eat. Even when I remove the male, she only eats a little, basks a short while, then returns to her cave.
The smallest female is fine. She's the one I originally wanted to protect by getting more females. He doesn't pester her much at all.
The middle old female was the target of bullying before. She died this summer just after my mother died. That, and returning indoors, changed the dynamics.
I'm not sure if Olga needs to live alone or Vanya does. I may have to try it both ways.
The smallest female is fine. She's the one I originally wanted to protect by getting more females. He doesn't pester her much at all.
The middle old female was the target of bullying before. She died this summer just after my mother died. That, and returning indoors, changed the dynamics.
I'm not sure if Olga needs to live alone or Vanya does. I may have to try it both ways.
Wow, that got really serious for them! I'm sorry about your girls and your mother
Gosh, male torts are so mean! Do you know if she died from the harassment? I hope Olga gets better! - Joined
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She did a very slow fade. She was always the odd one out, having to be found and fed. I should not have had her living with her big sister at all, even tho' I adopted them together. The size difference should have been a clue.
I did an unusual amount of traveling this summer, and that can't have helped. My tortoise sitter was a newbie. Then I had to go to mom's bedside, arrange the funeral, all that. I hope that if I hadn't been so distracted that I would have brought her indoors away from the group. She was clearly not all right the day before she died, but I had an endless flow of people trying to console me and did not get outside to check them before bed.
Still beating myself up over it. Considering rehoming the RTs...
I did an unusual amount of traveling this summer, and that can't have helped. My tortoise sitter was a newbie. Then I had to go to mom's bedside, arrange the funeral, all that. I hope that if I hadn't been so distracted that I would have brought her indoors away from the group. She was clearly not all right the day before she died, but I had an endless flow of people trying to console me and did not get outside to check them before bed.
Still beating myself up over it. Considering rehoming the RTs...
Thanks for your honesty.
People need to read more of this stuff to accurately weigh the costs of housing multiple torts/Russians.
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Today it is snowing. Don't know if the reflected light is a factor.
Today Olga took herself out of her cave and lined up beside the other two. When I dropped their food in, all three of them advanced on it and began eating side by side.
It's too early to tell if this is a real turn around. Usually Vanya quits his randy behavior in the winter, although he finds sunny days inspiring.
Today Olga took herself out of her cave and lined up beside the other two. When I dropped their food in, all three of them advanced on it and began eating side by side.
It's too early to tell if this is a real turn around. Usually Vanya quits his randy behavior in the winter, although he finds sunny days inspiring.
