Can we live together??

[B_west08]

I live in Sacramento CA. I have a 1 year old leopard tortoise and just bought a baby cherryhead red foot. I was told they can be in the same terrarium. I talked to another reptile store and they said they cant be housed together. I need to know if I should return the red foot and get another leopard or if the red foot will be okay.

Thank you

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I was always taught not to mix species. Some species carry disease that doesn't affect them, but might sicken or kill another species. Someone else might have a different opinion, but that's what I was taught a long time ago....
Also Leo's and Redfoots don't need the same care. Leo's come from a bright hot place, Redfoots live on a dim forest floor, many other differences too. But I don't have either species, so I'm just going on what I've learned.....

 

[wellington]

No, they should not and requir different diets. Species should never be mixed.

 

[Rue]

From what I have been reading...you shouldn't have pairs either.

 

[dmmj]

From what I have been reading...you shouldn't have pairs either.

100% agree

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

If you want the redfooted tortoise, just buy a duplicate of everything and set up a separate habitat. Everything said above is true - different care, different habitat requirements, different lighting, etc. etc. etc.

...and your leopard isn't lonely. You don't have to buy him a companion. They are solitary animals, preferring to be alone.

 

[Tom]

I live in Sacramento CA. I have a 1 year old leopard tortoise and just bought a baby cherryhead red foot. I was told they can be in the same terrarium. I talked to another reptile store and they said they cant be housed together. I need to know if I should return the red foot and get another leopard or if the red foot will be okay.

Thank you

They cannot live together. They have completely different temperature, heating and lighting requirements, and different diets as well.

Species should never be mixed.

Tortoises should not be kept in pairs.

Check these out:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[B_west08]

So I returned my red foot. I don't want either the leopard or red foot to be harmed in anyway. I have read that 3 of the same species is ok. Is it ok to have 3 leopards?

 

[dmmj]

As long as you have enough room

 

[JoesMum]

So I returned my red foot. I don't want either the leopard or red foot to be harmed in anyway. I have read that 3 of the same species is ok. Is it ok to have 3 leopards?

Tortoises are loners in the wild. A group of 3 or more MAY succeed in a very large enclosure with plenty of sight barriers.

However, there are no guarantees and frequently people end up splitting them up to live separately.

Another tortoise is competition for food and territory, not a friend. Torts don't do friends.

If you get another tort it must be kept entirely separately in quarantine for a good 6 months to make sure that neither makes the other sick.

Leopards grow to be pretty big and have large individual space requirements. If you don't have room for more than one enclosure, stick to one tortoise.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I keep several species of tortoise and box turtles. With the exception of my T. ornata colony, all my animals live alone , in the house each has it's own tort table, outside, each has his own pen. They each develop their own routines. Always when I am late to feed I have a bunch of box turtles and tortoises sitting on their slate tables. They bask at the same time daily, they graze at the same time (when it's not pouring) they nap at the same time daily, and I mean individually, not together. One tortoise looks upon the other tortoise as competition for the food, or the best sleeping spot, or the best basking spot etc.If you put 2 Russians in a too small area you got biting. Keeping your tortoises separate is really the best thing to do. You can still have 2, just set them up according to their species requirements....it's not as hard as it sounds....