Gend

[hatti]

Hi, i have two tortoises - since hatchling i was told (as best as they could tell so young) that the larger one (left in the pucture) was a boy and the smaller one a girl. They live together happily, and have done so for about 14 years.

But, I'm beginning to think it's incorrect. The small one never has its tail out, so pics are hard, the larger one does so I got pics.

Any help would be appreciated

Ignore how dirty they are they've been playing outside.

 

[Tom]

Both appear to be male.

Tortises should never live in pairs. Groups can sometimes wok, but never pairs. They need to be separated into their own enclosures.

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[hatti]

Hi,

I have two tortoises - had them since hatchlings - i was told (as best as they could tell so young) that the larger one (left in the picture) is a boy and the smaller one is a girl. They live together happily, and have done so for about 14 years.

But, I'm beginning to think it's incorrect. The small one never has it's tail out, so pics are hard, the larger one does so I managed to get some pics:



Any help would be appreciated.

Ignore how dirty they are they've been playing outside.

Many thanks

 

[Tom]

Both appear to be male.

Tortises should never live in pairs. Groups can sometimes wok, but never pairs. They need to be separated into their own enclosures.

More here:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[hatti]

Eeek...this is what I was worried about. At the moment they get along so well, but the intention was never to have two males due to territorial behaviour...no bullying at all and they love to sleep close together, eat together, they literally stick together a lot...but I'll have to separate them. Thank you.

 

[Tom]

Eeek...this is what I was worried about. At the moment they get along so well, but the intention was never to have two males due to territorial behaviour...no bullying at all and they love to sleep close together, eat together, they literally stick together a lot...but I'll have to separate them. Thank you.

They do NOT get along well. All of what you describe is territorial behavior with one trying to crowd and intimidate the other rout of the territory. All of that is bullying behavior. Most people are looking for overt hostility like biting and ramming. Those things are seen sometimes, but more often what is seen is exactly what you describe. I call it "mad dogging". Imagine how inimtidated and threatened you'd feel is some stranger came into your house and started following you around non-stop never letting you get more than a couple of feet away. Imagine they slept in your bed with you with their face right near yours. Imagine they loomed right in and started eating off of your plate every time you have a meal... Paints a different mental picture doesn't it? Imagine some alien watching that from their space ship and going, "Look. They are always together so they are getting along great."

 

[hatti]

I think you have misinterpreted my reply, there's nothing as what you outline above, no mad dogging in my opinion. I've researched what to look out for before, which is why i never thought they were 2 males. They do actually get along, there's no crowding they have space, they take space. But, they also like to be together at times. Everything you describe is literally what my kids do to me, they must be 'mad dogging' me, I'll let them know! But, i will separate them before anything aggressive starts. They're two very happy and healthy torts.