Gender differences?

[Italianlnm]

Do males or Females tend to be more pushy or more of a bully? I have heard both, so I was thinking it depends on the species?

And what are the sex combos you can house together? I know someone on here said don't house males and females together unless they were maters. But then someone else said just don't house the same sex together?

What if you don't know the sex of your tortoises? Best to keep them separate until you do know? ( I am not thinking about putting mine together.. I am just curiouse.. During the day, a lot of questions come up..).

 

[Yvonne G]

There are quite a few variables here. The question can't be answered in general terms. It depends upon the kind of tortoise, sometimes on the sex, sometimes on the differing sizes. I can give you a couple of instances:

Once upon a time a few years ago, a group of wild caught sulcatas broke out of their back yard fence and the SPCA asked if I would house them until the owner could claim them. These were 8 full grown animals of both sexes, with males outnumbering the females. I said they were full grown, but that doesn't mean they were exceptionally sized. I think they were all in the 100lb range. I kept them all in my back yard...about 1300 square feet....a pretty small yard for that many tortoises. They lived peacefully for several weeks in my care with no fighting or bullying.

The other instance concerns desert tortoises. I frequently have several clutchmates in the same pen. Last summer a lady gave me 4 five year old desert tortoises that she hatched and kept together all their lives. I had them for a couple months, together, while I found homes for them. They lived together peacefully during their stay here.

That same year a guy gave me two four year old desert tortoises that he had raised from hatchlings. He didn't want to keep them anymore because all they did was fight all day long. I set them up outside in a large pen. First thing they did was run to each other with fire in their eyes, trying to kill each other. I had to separate them.

I have several Russians together in a large outdoor pen and the only aggression I see is males to females during breeding activity.

I had two male and 4 female leopards together in the same outdoor pen for a couple years and there was NEVER any fighting.

So, this is a question that can't be answered. You just have to try it to find out if it will work. But you have to be prepared to have a separate habitat if it doesn't work.

Yvonne

 

[Italianlnm]

Okay. I was just curious about it.. It is something I had been thinking about. I have two sulcatas.. Which I am sure you know, as I have posted asking about them.

I already have plans made for my outdoor enclosures even though, they are too small to be kept outside full time right now.

Thanks for the answer, and it did settle my thoughts a little!

 

[Yvonne G]

I should also say that Dudley, an only sulcata child, weighing in at around 100lbs, will not stand for another sulcata to be within smelling range of his pen. If he can smell another sulcata, he gets very agitated and tries to knock down the fence to get to the other sulcata.

Yvonne

 

[Italianlnm]

Is he trying to knock it down, to Bully or just to check it out?

Is this with all Sullies or because he hasn't really even been around any other ones so is very territorial?

 

[Yvonne G]

I got Dudley and a female sulcata together. They were a breeding pair and had had several clutches of eggs prior to me getting them. I kept them together for a couple weeks, then separated them. Dudley got used to breaking down the fence to get to the female for breeding, and I eventually had to find a new home for her. Since that time, I have never gotten in another female, so I always assumed he was trying to get to the other tortoise for killing purposes. But I never allowed it to go that far, so I don't really know.

Yvonne

 

[Italianlnm]

Will a tortoise actually kill another tortoise? As in, how can they do that?

 

[katesgoey]

My Tank is hellbent on ramming the you-know-what out of Bump whenever, if ever, he gets an opportunity. I am very grateful I have always caught him in the act, because he is unmerciful about it. (Which is another reason I expanded their pens and recently had to change out the retaining wall divider for telephone poles to keep Tank on his side).

 

[Italianlnm]

What exactly is the ramming? Territorial or what?

 

[katesgoey]

It can be territorial. In my Tank's case, I'm pretty sure it is territorial since he had the whole place to himself before Bump showed up and there are no female torts around them The week after expanding their pens, I discovered Tank had climbed over the retaining wall bricks (2 high), he had Bump up against a board and was ramming him. He pulls back and then jets forward hitting Bump as hard as he can. He backed off when he saw him heading toward him, but he wouldn't leave - sitting there breathing heavy at Bump - so I picked him up and put him back on his side, soaked Bump to soothe him then searched the property for replacement of the bricks...saw the telephone poles and added another "honey-do" to hubby's list for the weekend. Since then Tank hasn't been able to get near Bump.