Housing diff species?

[andrew71888]

What do yall experts feel about mixing the species of tortoise in one pen. EX: Sulcata baby, Leopard tortoise baby, Red foot baby, Yellow foot baby all in the same tank?

 

[redfoottorts]

i think u can keep the sulcata and the leopard together because they both need a similair habitat and the redfoot and the yellowfoot can also be housed together. but the sulcata and the leopard should be separate from the redfoot and the yellowfoot...

 

[andrew71888]

Thx so much

 

[PeanutbuttER]

Personally, I feel that it's a bit of a judgement call based upon your ability to provide the right microclimates for each species. For instance, you'd need a decent sized area where the redfoot and yellowfoot could get the high humidity levels they need, yet also have less humid areas for the others. You then would need to balance it with having a cool end temperature that would be just right for all of them.

I think it's definitely doable. I actually keep my redfoot yearling with two russians and they are all quite happy with it. I wouldn't have done if I hadn't seen the pet store do it originally. Although they did an awful job of it (they keep her too dry so she would sit in the water all day to try and soak up some water. This then lead to shell rot and she's had a hard little life... ) I then took her home and built a large tort table with a variety of different enclosed micro climes. Warm spots, cool spots, deep spots, rocky spots, plants, a large humid hide, bright spots, dark spots, etc. It has taken a lot of tweaking, but I feel good about the care that she is receiving and don't feel that it has come at the expense of the russians. They each tend to gravitate to the areas of the table that they are best suited for. The redfoot sticks to the more humid/darker sides while the russians are often under their heat/uvb lamp soaking up the rays on some rocks.

I say just watch and make sure that their health isn't compromised. This is the first priority. If you have the patience to do it though, it can work out. That's just my opinion though.

 

[GBtortoises]

Generally it's not a good idea to mix species. I do not. But there are some whose overall requirements are similar that it can be pulled off if you're just talking about a couple of animals. Redfoots-Yellowfoots are an example of that. But keep in mind that while they're requirements may be similar, they are not exactly the same and they're bacterial immunities may not be either.

It's very doubtful that keeping two species such as Redfoots and Russians together whose requirements are nearly opposite in every way will pan out in the long run either.

 

[andrew71888]

So basicly some species can work but most dont?

 

[GBtortoises]

You have to know what your species requirements are. That takes some researching, but well worth the time spent. I suggest to people to first find out as much as possible about where your species is found in the wild. Find out what the climate is there on an annual basis, temperatures, humidity, rainfall, dry seasons, what type of topography they prefer. Find out their preferred food types, do they hibernate in the wild or do they estive, do they do both? And so on and so on. Find out as much as you possibly can. Then find out how your species is being kept in captivity by people who have had good sucess with them as in experienced keepers and breeders. Most will gladly share their experience and information. There are plenty of people on this site with great information! Keep in mind that there is not necessarily just one method. You may get some different answers about the details but the general information will usually be similar. It's then best to use that information to come up with a method that will best work for you with the resources that you have always keeping the animals best interest in mind.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Uh, I don't want to invite a fist-fight here, but from what I've read on this forum, most of our experienced keepers do NOT recommend keeping different species together, due not just to their different housing, lighting and diet requirements, but more importantly, to the high risk of trading microorganisms and parasites resulting in illness or death for the tortoise that does not have natural immunity.

I know NETorts and Tyler Stewart are two exceptions to this view.

 

[terracolson]

In the middle myself

As Stephanie Said there are always exceptions.. I am a person that lives in the middle of that situation. My Mentor, has every one in the back yard together, just separating the water and or box turtles from the others. but the russians, greeks and Leopards all share the complete back yard... With there own special area and a community area.

This site taught me about not mixing and this year, i am going to separate my box turtles completely, even though they hibernated together and spent last year together.... and my Leos will never be mixed....

Uh, I don't want to invite a fist-fight here, but from what I've read on this forum, most of our experienced keepers do NOT recommend keeping different species together, due not just to their different housing, lighting and diet requirements, but more importantly, to the high risk of trading microorganisms and parasites resulting in illness or death for the tortoise that does not have natural immunity.

I know NETorts and Tyler Stewart are two exceptions to this view.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'd really hate to stir this subject up again. We've been arguing about it already and it has gotten pretty heated. Please read these posts for an idea of how we feel about mixing species:

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-11680.html?highlight=mixing+species

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-11379.html?highlight=mixing+species

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-9563.html?highlight=mixing+species

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-8633.html?highlight=mixing+species

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-3412.html?highlight=mixing+species

There are plenty of other threads, but I think that will keep you busy for a while.

In the end, it is totally up to you. All you can do is read about our experiences and either believe it or not.

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

No no no no no, pathogens, dietary differences, climate differences, substrate differences, light differences, almost everything is different... Just don't do it. The only pair that would work are Reds and Yellows together, but you'd need a big enclosure for that IMO

 

[dreadyA]

d make sure that their health isn't compromised. This is the first priority. If you have the patience to do it though, it can work out.

I decor Steph and doccosmo
if the health of my tortoise is valuable, then I would not mix species.

---

I Second*

 

[chadk]

It boils down to risk reduction. The simplest thing to do, to keep risk at the lowest, is to just not mix. That said, you can make educated choices about mixing and still keep the risk low. Red + Yellowfoots for example. Or, as with my box turtles, I put eastern with three-toed boxies.

Wild caught torts will have higher risk of foreign pathogens that can be spread.

For a temporary situation, I have a small sullie that is currently sharing a home with 2 Russian torts as he was not thriving in the home I had him in as well as I liked (out in my garage). He is the same size as the russians and their food is the same, temps are close enough, humidity, substrate, etc. They have a big enough space, and I might put them all in the same big outdoor pen come spring. But I've had all of them for over 6mo and know their history and health status. Not recommending this - so don't get me wrong. Point is, do some homework, have space, quarantine, and do what you can to reduce risk to a point you are OK with.

 

[andrew71888]

ok thx yall

 

[dmmj]

Someone's poking the bear.

 

[-EJ]

While you are correct in that many experienced keepers on this forum don't recommend the keeping of different species together... not all practice what they preach.

In the day when there were many wild caught animals the prospect of cross contamination and different species having different tolerances to disease was a real one. The only reason different species had different tolerances was because of their exposure. This may have lead to different immune systems... I don't know how you could prove such a thing.

Today... there is no reason one tortoise could not be kept with another if they are captive raised and have not been exposed to wild caught animals.

As to requirements... they all have the same basic requirements. You can easily keep a leopard the same as you could a Redfoot provided they both have a humid retreat... the yellowfoot is another story. It is one of the few exceptions where it actually does seem to need a more humid environment but this could also probably be covered with a humid retreat.

I've kept many different species together over the years. The only time I ran into a problem is introducing a new individual of the same species to a group... on more than one occasion.

As to the majority of the keepers... if you take a poll of all the turtle and tortoise keepers, I'd be very surprised if the majority did not keep different species together at one time or another.

Uh, I don't want to invite a fist-fight here, but from what I've read on this forum, most of our experienced keepers do NOT recommend keeping different species together, due not just to their different housing, lighting and diet requirements, but more importantly, to the high risk of trading microorganisms and parasites resulting in illness or death for the tortoise that does not have natural immunity.

I know NETorts and Tyler Stewart are two exceptions to this view.

 

[terryo]

I have kept different species of water turtles together for well over 25 years in an outdoor pond. I never had a sick one.
Right now I have a 9 yr. old RES that was kept all summer outside with my three year old Three Toed in a small enclosure with a little pond. This summer they'll be moving to a much bigger enclosure with a pond. They will stay together and also hibernate outside.
My Cherry Head came to me at 1 month old and so did a Three Toed. They were kept together for two years in the same indoor enclosure and also kept outside all summer in their enclosure. I've posted many pictures of Izzy and Pio together. If anyone at any time became agressive, they would have been separated.
I can't see why two species that were both CB and got at the same time, and both needed the same requirements can't be kept together. I do understand if they were WC, and different ages, and needed different requirements that they shouldn't be kept together.
I know many keepers who have different water turtles in the same pond for years, with no problem. I also know people who have boxies with tortoises that are kept outside together in the summer.

 

[fifthdawn]

I've always kept turtles together and not a problem.

In fact, in my years of forum reading, I've never heard of any turtle getting a sick because of another because of the difference in species.

 

[Yvonne G]

I've always kept turtles together and not a problem.

In fact, in my years of forum reading, I've never heard of any turtle getting a sick because of another because of the difference in species.

That's because when a tortoise gets sick and dies, there was no flag that jumped out and said the reason I'm dying is because you kept me with that other species tortoise. The symptoms are similar to any sickness that tortoises get, like respiratory infection, etc.

 

[-EJ]

You're going to tell me that you've never lost a tortoise from a group of the same species?

If you've never kept different species together how do you know that one species will cause anothers demise?

You do realise that what your say doesn't make a great deal of sense. Again... we are talking captive animals. You're going to tell me that tortoises are born with species specific pathogens... hummm... interesting.

I've always kept turtles together and not a problem.

In fact, in my years of forum reading, I've never heard of any turtle getting a sick because of another because of the difference in species.

That's because when a tortoise gets sick and dies, there was no flag that jumped out and said the reason I'm dying is because you kept me with that other species tortoise. The symptoms are similar to any sickness that tortoises get, like respiratory infection, etc.