mixing tortoises

[animal lover]

i really love the big tortoises. But unfourtanately i don't have the room for one . So i began to look at smaller species. i like the hermans. Can i keep different species of tortoises together ?????

 

[chadk]

Maybe... Some things to consider:

1) Temp, humidity, substrate, UVB, and other major or minor differences depending on the types of torts
2) Room - more torts, more space needed or they could get aggressive
3) feeding - some eat bugs and meat and fruit - others shoud NOT eat those things. You don't want to mix torts with differing dietary needs
4) Parasite and disease - the more animals sharing space, the more risk of exposure. Be sure to use good quarantine practices...

 

[animal lover]

okay so considering that i was able to provide all of that i could do that...

 

[egyptiandan]

If you have the room, it's just as easy to set-up each species seperate. Each species usually needs different requirements and you would usually have to compromise to keep two species together, which isn't fair to the animals.
The only exception would be Redfoots and Yellowfoots. These 2 species can be kept together.

Danny

 

[Maggie Cummings]

i really love the big tortoises. But unfourtanately i don't have the room for one . So i began to look at smaller species. i like the hermans. Can i keep different species of tortoises together ?????

Each species carries pathogens specific to itself. When you mix species you run the risk of those pathogens making the other species sicken or dead. Best not to mix species...

 

[Crazy1]

I agree with Danny, I would keep species seperate for the best care of each.

 

[Yvonne G]

I agree with Danny, I would keep species seperate for the best care of each.

I agree with Maggie. I get tortoises all the time that folks have kept with other specie of tortoise and they're given to me because they're sick and the people don't want to spend the money to get them well.

Yvonne

 

[animal lover]

okay i wont mix species.... it makes me sad to see a sick animal... and i don't need that here

 

[Ozric]

Everyone has replied on the mixing and I would agree with them. So my reply is on the 'bigness' . Yes Hermanns are not all that big, but I've found that as the tortoise slowly grows he does 'get big' in his own way. The one I've had for longest seems really quite big to me now, especially as I have some smaller ones as well, but in truth he's still a small tortoise.

I know I would never have enough space to feel I could offer a decent quality of life to one of the larger species. With the Hermanns they really are in the big outside world when they are in the outdoors enclosure, and they know it.