Long story short, (probably still long) our family had been wanting a tortoise for a small time now and me being the researcher I am had been putting it off until I had proper time to learn what breed would be most suited for our family and lifestyle and what all it consisted of etc. Fast forward to two days ago when we attended a local event and a breeder happened to be set up selling sulcata hatchlings (I assume) and raising money for a rescue. As much as I'd like to blame the whole hasty purchase on my kids (and husband) I will admit I fell in love with their little bald heads and feisty attitudes and I Was sold. Problem is when i went back to pick up my new baby only one other tort hadn't been spoken for yet and, I will fully pass the blame buck on this part, granddaddy decided that our single turtle would be lonely and bought the remaining one for us to pair ours with (how sweet right?) now this is where my lack of proper research came into play, as I would have never allowed this had I known they don't thrive in pairs BUT alas, here we are. Thankfully mamaw has agreed to take the second one in so they won't be together forever. My question is, how long CAN they be together? My mother in law can only keep the second once it is big enough to live outside and not be picked off by a bird so basically we will need to house both until then. I've read as much as I could on the issue and see that as long as they aren't presenting with aggressive or bully behavior that , while one may be mildly stressed at best, it's not always a death scentence. Obviously if they start acting up I'll separate them but having just spent a small fortune on one indoor habitat "big enough" for two tortoises i'd love to be able to ride it out as long as they won't be terribly unhappy. Thanks in advance for any tips and advice- please spare the lectures on being unprepared and ignorant I'm well aware- it's not my style I swear but it happened and I'm just trying to do my best to fix the situation.
HOw long to keep a pair
- Thread starter breekoch
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For now make as big a space as you can and offer two feeding spots and two hides. Hopefully they can take it for a while.
Oftentimes babies are more tolerant. Look for them following each other around. Sleeping together or one of them sitting on top of the food. If you see any of this, it has begun.
Oftentimes babies are more tolerant. Look for them following each other around. Sleeping together or one of them sitting on top of the food. If you see any of this, it has begun.
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Awesome, ok. They are still quite little. Maybe 1.5 to 2 inches at most. I haven't noticed any following, for the most part they seem to want nothing to do with each other. They don't eat or sleep together. I will provide another hide though. I'm actually going to contact the breeder today and see if they would like one back before unloading it on mamaw. I know for most reputable dog breeders at least, if it doesn't work out they prefer to have the animal back to them vs pawned off on someone else.
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If you just want one for the long haul. Observe them until you have a favorite and then sell the other. It sounds like a case of so far, so good.
Sulcatas generally sell easily. Though I don't know why
Well good news. I contacted the breeder and he has assured me that should any problems arise he will gladly take back the other no problem. He advised that I keep an eye on them and keep him updated and if I had any questions or issues. So that's a relief!
What does it mean if they sleep together?
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It looks cozy, but it's usually the dominant tortoise pushing and crowding for the best spot.
I have an adult female that does this.
