How do I stop my two tortoises from mating?

[BuckTortoise]

My tortoises Buck and Doris have recently moved into a much bigger home. Once they’d settled in, Buck started showing mating behaviour towards Doris, this was shell banging, biting etc. It took me a while to get a solution to keep them together, but without any of this, so in case someone else needs the advice and is in the same situation, all I had to do was give them less eye contact. It was simple really, it did take up some space, but it had a good outcome.

 

[BuckTortoise]

Oh and I forgot to say that they are 2 years old.

 

[JoesMum]

You don't keep them together.

Tortoises are solitary creatures. They don't get lonely and they don't need or want a friend. In the wild they roam for miles, meet up to mate and move on. Another tortoise is a rival for food and territory and will be chased off.

Mounting is territorial behaviour. It is part of a range of bullying techniques, including mental signals, that are used by a dominant tortoise to tell the other to leave.

For example: Cuddling up to sleep together isn't cute. It is one tortoise trying to make the other go somewhere else to sleep.

Groups of three or more tortoises may succeed in a very large enclosure (minimum 4'x8' per tortoise) with plenty of sight barriers, but there are no guarantees. Kept as a pair there will always be a dominant tort and a subordinate tort. The subordinate one cannot escape harrassment and ultimately will go into decline and become sick.

If you want to breed from them in future then introduce them to mate and then separate them.

 

[Ben02]

Where did you get that slate from, I've been looking for one.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Some species are SO TERRITORIAL that two males or even two females will bite and mount each other.
It's a domination thing. Not an actual attempt at mating.
If it was/is a mating thing then it could possibly be corrected by placing in other females. But your enclosure is far too small for that. Even though its larger than a lot of indoor enclosures.
I have an outdoor enclosure. Currently its 310 square feet. (Changes) It was over 400 SF. (I often take in, bring back to health and then rehome RF.)
I keep Redfoot...A species most will agree is the most social tortoise. If there is such a thing. More tolerant of other tortoises nearby.
BUT I had a Male that I had to rehome because even living with 5 females he would not stop his behavior. I'd find him either mating or flipped over on his back just about any time I went to check up in them. Females hiding everywhere.....
I also had a supremely bossy female once.
The thing is that keeping any if them in pairs is not ideal and not a good idea.
Even with the space and many females per Male. It doesn't always work.
You're going to need to separate them.
Even if you don't see one bleeding or with an eye missing, there is some serious stress going on in that situation.

 

[Tom]

Separate them. Tortoises should never live as a pair.

And the substrate you are using is dangerous.

 

[Yvonne G]

Having quite a few sight barriers in an enclosure does help the female to get out of the male's sight, however, moving her to her own enclosure would be a much better fix.

 

[Ben02]

Terracotta pots work well, cheap and easy to find

 

[tortoisekev]

Where did you get that slate from, I've been looking for one.

I went to a tile store. Got a fantastic ceramic slate type tile that’ll never wear, repel water/urine stains and still help to wear down claws.

(See the big slate on the left)

 

[Ben02]

Thank you, there very useful for naturally filing claws

 

[tortoisenana]

Where did you get that slate from, I've been looking for one.

I don't know where they got their slate but I went to https://www.build.com and asked for a sample of slate and they sent me a good size piece free of charge.

 

[Ben02]

That is a very good idea

 

[Dena]

I went to a tile store. Got a fantastic ceramic slate type tile that’ll never wear, repel water/urine stains and still help to wear down claws.

(See the big slate on the left)

View attachment 255238

Wow! That’s a cozy looking habitat! Great job!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The original OP hasn't been back to this thread.
I hope his/ her animals are alright.

 

[tortoisekev]

Wow! That’s a cozy looking habitat! Great job!

Thanks, I’ve spruced it up a bit now