little sulcata is a meanie! advice?

[IRTehDuckie]

so... ive never had this problem before, but my little sulcata is picking on my big one lol

They are both Sulcatas, one is about 15lbs, and the little one is maybe 3-5lbs.. and he chases him around and rams him with his shell while he eats... or even when he just walks around.. why? lol

they have a huge amount of space, and we let the bigger one run around out of the enclosure just because he is huge! haha maybe its just because the little one is jealous? dunno. any advice would be helpful =]

 

[RuthJanice]

It is funny that the smaller one is picking on the larger. But everything you read on this forum re Sulcatas do warn that they should not be kept together due to bullying. Perhaps it is time to permanently separate them before one of them gets hurt.

 

[tiff3grl]

I agree with the above. As cute/funny as it seems now they can do a lot of damage to each other. If one is already showing aggression it is better to separate them now before they get bigger.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

The small one is the more dominant. He isn't jealous, he is trying to tell the big one to get out of his territory.
Separate them immediately. Let them live happily ever after as kings of their own castles!

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[IRTehDuckie]

do you think there is a chance to stop it? will he grow out of it? has anybody else had this before, where the little one is the mean on? i think its hilarious, but still a problem that needs to be dealt with

 

[JoesMum]

Re: RE: little sulcata is a meanie! advice?

do you think there is a chance to stop it? will he grow out of it? has anybody else had this before, where the little one is the mean on? i think its hilarious, but still a problem that needs to be dealt with

Torts don't grow out of it... they usually get worse as they get older. Sorry for the bad news, but they need separating

 

[tiff3grl]

I just went through this, and no it will not resolve. Unfortunately mine were 50 and 60lbs rather than smaller like you are talking about. They got along great until my male started pestering my female. Long story short....a large vet bill, meds, talk of possible leg amputation and heartache. Separate now before damage is done.

 

[srod]

separate them, its the best thing for them

 

[IRTehDuckie]

oh damn, i didnt think they would be that serious, ill have to build another outdoor pen then. thanks for letting me know you guys, i really appriciate it!

sadly i dont have the extra cash to make another one now, but ill definitely keep an eye on those lil buggers haha

 

[Tom]

Understand that what you have right now is the equivalent of two male un-nuetered dogs fighting in your back yard right now. "Keeping an eye on them", is not going to do it. They need to be separated. This is the responsibility you take on when you take in another tortoise. Allowing this to continue would be cruel. Give one away if you have to. If this were a one time thing or a male asserting his dominance over a new female, that would be one thing, but this will be continuous and it will only escalate as they gain size and maturity. One day the big one might turn around and kill the little one for his insolence.

Cinderblocks and plywood are cheap. Just divide up the yard if you want to keep them both.

 

[IRTehDuckie]

tom, i understand, we do have plywood and cinderblocks always available, and thats what i intend to do, sorry i wasnt specific enough i guess. i plan on separating them like that until i have enough cash to make another pen for them! thanks ! =] sorry for not clarifying

 

[LeopardTortLover]

Personally I don't think it's funny, sorry. They are animals that are fighting and should be separated. Neither animal is happy and I wouldn't be happy until I know both my animals are happy.
They need to be separated asap, not kept an eye on. What will that do? JMO.

 

[IRTehDuckie]

woah, i think you guys got me wrong here.. i dont find it hilarious that they are not happy? wtf? thats messed up. i find it funny because 2 rocks basically are fighting, they are both build like a brick house, neither one of them will budge.. its not serious fighting... like nudging.. either way.. dont judge me as some stupid tort owner. I was asking advice, and i intend to take that advice that i was given..

 

[Tom]

I read you loud and clear now. We all look at things a little differently based on our own experiences. For more than 20 years it has been my job all day every day to observe, identify, manage and modify animal behavior. One of my two degrees is in "Animal Behavior Modification". (The other is "Wildlife Education", for anyone who was wondering). This being the case, I really try to tune into and understand tortoise behavior. Its somewhat of a pet peeve of mine when people trivialize, fail to understand, or disregard animal behavior, especially in our tortoises. (Not referring to you, just speaking in general terms).

You are not alone, and you are not weird or anything in your assessment of your two "rocks fighting". I just see it in a totally different light, and take it more seriously. Where you, and most people see humor and something that is kinda funny, I see mortal combat. I have also seen the dead bodies of tortoises killed by other tortoises, so I also take it more seriously because of that history. It may seem like they are indestructible little tanks, but they really can hurt each other. Not picking on you. We are all good. Just elaborating on why I have such a strong stance on this sort of thing.

 

[EchoTheLeoTort]

separate and things will be dandy for you. even if its a cheaply made enclosure for the time being it'll work

 

[IRTehDuckie]

I completely understand why you would take it more seriously I have never witnessed anything like that so I guess that explains why I find more humorous rather than Mortal Kombat as you put it also I'm sorry if I came off as rude I wasn't meaning to

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[Mrturtle527]

Ok to lighten things back up a bit - my youngest son bullies my older one - ideas for separate enclosures . They also share a room.... Seriously I hope all remedies itself with the separation you'll be providing.


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[Tom]

Ok to lighten things back up a bit - my youngest son bullies my older one - ideas for separate enclosures . They also share a room.... Seriously I hope all remedies itself with the separation you'll be providing.


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Ooh... Now primates are a totally different story. I can MAKE them behave.