Food Aggression

[ladyvalkyrie]

So I noticed by bigger Redfoot is stealing food from the little one's mouth and chasing him (her? Too small to tell) out of the dish. It was witnessed for the first time today- before they seemed to be doing okay. I put a second dish down and it seems to have helped, but what are other recommendations?


I'm a man of many hats but I've never mastered anything.

 

[TortLaw]

I just posted a thread last night in the red foot section which deals with this subject. I don't know how to link things, but the thread is called "The start of a tortoise herd (and living harmoniously together). Check it out. But basically, in sum, I feed them separately in rubbermaid bins outside of the enclosure and never feed them in the enclosure to avoid aggression in the enclosure. I would also recommend redoing the enclosure so that it doesn't seem like the old one where they know where the food goes which might incite some aggression.

 

[ascott]

Most species of tortoise do not do well in a situation where there is a "pair". It is not a natural setting...males generally will harm one another due to the male thing...females are a little more tolerant but can also become down right vicious with one another....if there is food hoarding and stealing straight from the mouth ...then there is underlying bullying likely going on as well.

Tortoise in a pair situation will often require one to be dominant and one to be forced into submission....then there seems to be a tendency for the dominant tort to then harass the submissive one it what appears to be an attempt to rid the choice spot of the secondary tortoise...this is when bullying can become something much worse....one tort will often appear outgoing, spunky and "fun" to the human...while the other will begin to be withdrawn, stop eating, not basking properly (all situations forced on by the aggressor)..the submissive tort can literally dwindle away and die....there is literally nothing personal so to speak...but a tortoise finds no reason to share the best basking spot, feeding spot, drinking spot, sleeping spot...

I would set up two individual enclosures and let the bullied one recoup ...and come to terms with the fact you may now have two tortoise spaces...some folks will suggest 1 male to 2 females and the like...but I would wait to do this until the torts are proper size so that the sex of each can be determined....which is generally no less than 6 inches or so....it would be bad if you went out and started a collection of young torts to only later find out you have an undesirable mix of males and females....

This is just my opinion .....

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

What she said hahaha

 

[ladyvalkyrie]

Yeah, I really want separation to be my last resort because the person I adopted them from had them as a pair, and the person he got them from had them as a pair. But he also said there was bullying. I noticed once I moved them to their outside enclosure the bullying stopped, so redecoration will be my next step and hopefully that helps.


I'm a man of many hats but I've never mastered anything.

 

[ascott]

Yeah, I really want separation to be my last resort

Please understand...that sometimes what "we" want can be a bit selfish if it causes the animal, forced to be captive, to become weak and ill...

because the person I adopted them from had them as a pair,

This should not dictate your husbandry practice...especially with the food stealing/hoarding you speak of...this is an obvious bullying signal...likely there are more that you can not clearly see..

he also said there was bullying

I wish your torts well....and I hope you come to grips with the potential outcome you have here on your hands, especially if you avoid making the changes the "torts" will benefit from.

 

[ladyvalkyrie]

I rehomed the big one. It was tough to see him go but it's best for both of them.


My love is alive way down in my heart although we are miles apart.