New member

[Smallrhino]

I have used the Tortoise Forum for a while as an aid to increase my knowledge on Tortoises. However I have just become a member. I have two 13 year old female Sulcatas, a two month old Sulcata, a three month old Leopard Tortoise, a 13 year old female Desert Tortoise🏜 , and three red earred sliders (one forsure female). Yes, I am a little tiny bit in love with theses little creatures.

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome.
Hopefully you have read the threads about not mixing species, not keeping in pairs, not keeping little ones with bigger ones.
Yes, you did get bit buy the tortoise love bug.

 

[Smallrhino]

Thank you for the welcome. Yes, I have read multiple articles and threads about not mixing species. But I don't understand,... All my tortoises have separate enclosures. I don't know what lead you to believe otherwise. I apologize if you were mislead you some how.

 

[wellington]

Thank you for the welcome. Yes, I have read multiple articles and threads about not mixing species. But I don't understand,... All my tortoises have separate enclosures. I don't know what lead you to believe otherwise. I apologize if you were mislead you some how.

Sorry no, nothing you posted made me think you weren't keeping them seperate, etc
So many newbies, even those that have read our forum for months before joining, still do a lot of things wrong. I don't know if they never found the threads or if they just refuse to take the knowledge of this forum and its members.
I was just making sure you knew about them.

 

[Smallrhino]

Again @wellington thank you. Correction- I do keep my two 13year old females (Sulcatas) together. I have since they were hatchlings. Thier outdoor enclosure is 195sq feet. I built it with multiple options of being divided if necessary. Initially they seem to be bothered because they both chose the same burrow. So I put another one in (for a total of three). The pass two years they have chose to go back to sharing the same burrow. I put in a cold frame and enlarged their heated house. They have plenty of room. However I'm not naive enough to think that two females will get along forever without any glitches. I figure it will be about the time my hatchling Sulcata gets transitions outside and reaches its teenage years. I'm praying it's another female. Otherwise I'll be glued to this forum with male issues. Peace

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

All of your 13 year old animals makes me wonder what happened thirteen years ago in your life that all of a sudden you got turtles and tortoises! LOL!

 

[Tom]

I have used the Tortoise Forum for a while as an aid to increase my knowledge on Tortoises. However I have just become a member. I have two 13 year old female Sulcatas, a two month old Sulcata, a three month old Leopard Tortoise, a 13 year old female Desert Tortoise🏜 , and three red earred sliders (one forsure female). Yes, I am a little tiny bit in love with theses little creatures.

Hello and welcome. That is quite a nice herd!

 

[Tom]

Again @wellington thank you. Correction- I do keep my two 13year old females (Sulcatas) together. I have since they were hatchlings. Thier outdoor enclosure is 195sq feet. I built it with multiple options of being divided if necessary. Initially they seem to be bothered because they both chose the same burrow. So I put another one in (for a total of three). The pass two years they have chose to go back to sharing the same burrow. I put in a cold frame and enlarged their heated house. They have plenty of room. However I'm not naive enough to think that two females will get along forever without any glitches. I figure it will be about the time my hatchling Sulcata gets transitions outside and reaches its teenage years. I'm praying it's another female. Otherwise I'll be glued to this forum with male issues. Peace

What size are your girls?

Have you seen this thread for the baby?

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

195 square feet is a little under 10x20 feet. Does that sound correct? That is too small for adult sulcatas. I use 900-1000 sq ft pens for 8-10 inch juveniles.

Also, pairs are never a good idea. Sharing the burrow doesn't mean they like each other. It means one is trying to crowd the other out.

Not trying to give you a hard time. Just trying to help you maintain optimal health in your herd.

 

[Smallrhino]

Happened. Rescued the Desert Tortoise. She was deformed as a hatchling and was brought into the hospital to be euthanized. The two Sulcatas I purchased from a child (breeder) that was selling them door to door. I thought "I could save them and give them a good life". (The struggle was real at first) The turtles I purchased as hatchlings (quarter size [too cute]) for my son as a birthday gift. That struggle was terribly rough. I knew nothing about how to properly care for turtles. They stunk! Now, we built them a pound outside. I absolutely love those things. A positive addition to my pond and the esthetics of my garden. But by no means am I claiming to be normal. I have way too many mouths to feed. And when I look in the mirror, "My life is perfect!" (Saying in my evil villain laugh. Oohahahaaaa)

 

[wellington]

Again @wellington thank you. Correction- I do keep my two 13year old females (Sulcatas) together. I have since they were hatchlings. Thier outdoor enclosure is 195sq feet. I built it with multiple options of being divided if necessary. Initially they seem to be bothered because they both chose the same burrow. So I put another one in (for a total of three). The pass two years they have chose to go back to sharing the same burrow. I put in a cold frame and enlarged their heated house. They have plenty of room. However I'm not naive enough to think that two females will get along forever without any glitches. I figure it will be about the time my hatchling Sulcata gets transitions outside and reaches its teenage years. I'm praying it's another female. Otherwise I'll be glued to this forum with male issues. Peace

Well see, now you know why I posted what I posted. Many threads on pairs and why it doesn't work.

 

[Smallrhino]

@wellington. No. I don't know why you posted what you posted. Why doesn't it work?

 

[Maddoggy]

Hello and welcome to the forum!!!! You are kinda in the spot I was six months ago when I found out how much room that sulcatas really need to thrive.

 

[Smallrhino]

What size are your girls?

Have you seen this thread for the baby?

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

195 square feet is a little under 10x20 feet. Does that sound correct? That is too small for adult sulcatas. I use 900-1000 sq ft pens for 8-10 inch juveniles.

Also, pairs are never a good idea. Sharing the burrow doesn't mean they like each other. It means one is trying to crowd the other out.

Not trying to give you a hard time. Just trying to help you maintain optimal health in your herd.

Oh. Maybe I did bad math. Their enclosure is 36feet by 30feet. I don't count the burrows, heated house, cold frame or plant area as part of they're space due to it not being usable as far as roaming space. I apologize. My Dad gets me when I say that too. Very possible that one is trying to unsuccessfully crowd the other out. Although there are other options. I've seen no aggression so far. Hold please. Maybe it's coming. I do have room to expand if needed. I have taken no offense by your input. I joined the form for opinion gathering. My creep has been great. Again I'm not so delusional to think it will always be that way.

 

[Smallrhino]

Hello and welcome to the forum!!!! You are kinda in the spot I was six months ago when I found out how much room that sulcatas really need to thrive.

Hello and welcome to the forum!!!! You are kinda in the spot I was six months ago when I found out how much room that sulcatas really need to thrive.

@Maddoggy. I am in your spot how so? Enlighten me. Are you saying that I should expand their enclosure out further? They're already struggling to keep up with the Bermuda grass, mixed greens and Oats that is growing in there enclosure now. More space and I'll have to mow their yard too. Like I mentioned before, if I see they desire more, I'll give them more.

 

[Maddoggy]

So sorry if I offended you . The only point i wanna make is that I have learned so much from the tortoise forum. And I have made so many positive changes to my torts and their enclosures I can only hope you have that same experience in a positive way . Welcome

 

[Smallrhino]

So sorry if I offended you . The only point i wanna make is that I have learned so much from the tortoise forum. And I have made so many positive changes to my torts and their enclosures I can only hope you have that same experience in a positive way . Welcome

@Maddoggy. Stop it. No offense taken or applied. When you said that we were "kindof" in the same spot I thought you meant something more precise. I didn't know that you were speaking as an "in general". I sincerely love my entire creep. Their care and maintenance brings me joy. As YvonneG politely suggested, they are a positive refresher to my everyday life. (I have owned Desert Tortoises for over forty years now. African Tortoises have a different approach to care.) I walk their (Sulcatas) enclosure twice a day (sometimes three times, especially in the spring and fall) to ensure there is no dangerous material or escape routes. This is tideous considering the size of their space, amount if grassland and their cleverness. So far I haven't been out started. So far,... Reading other people's experiences helps give me a heads up on what may come about.

 

[wellington]

@wellington. No. I don't know why you posted what you posted. Why doesn't it work?

If you have read the forum for some time now then you must have come across some of the many threads about why tortoises should not be kept in pairs. You already seen bullying yet you say you have not seen any bullying. Living in denial of the truth that is happening in front of you will be dangerous for your torts. You are exactly the type of member I was speaking to in my first post. Read the forum but dont take the advice/knowledge from years of experience on this forum. Can two females live together, maybe. In acreage and lots of sight barriers, hides, water and food stations. Have you seen bullying yes, using the same hide. Was there bullying in the 13 years you raised them together, yes, you just don't know what to look for. Is one bigger than the other? Likely due to bullying and or stress caused by bullying/having someone in their space.
Yes there likely is bullying going on.

 

[Smallrhino]

If you have read the forum for some time now then you must have come across some of the many threads about why tortoises should not be kept in pairs. You already seen bullying yet you say you have not seen any bullying. Living in denial of the truth that is happening in front of you will be dangerous for your torts. You are exactly the type of member I was speaking to in my first post. Read the forum but dont take the advice/knowledge from years of experience on this forum. Can two females live together, maybe. In acreage and lots of sight barriers, hides, water and food stations. Have you seen bullying yes, using the same hide. Was there bullying in the 13 years you raised them together, yes, you just don't know what to look for. Is one bigger than the other? Likely due to bullying and or stress caused by bullying/having someone in their space.
Yes there likely is bullying going on.

@wellington. My girls are the same size with in ounces of one another. Thank you for all your positive energy and expertise on aiding me with my creep. Your kindness has gone a long way.

 

[wellington]

@wellington. My girls are the same size with in ounces of one another. Thank you for all your positive energy and expertise on aiding me with my creep. Your kindness has gone a long way.

Maybe you are the one in a million that can have two together with no bullying. Except for what has already taken place. As long as you have the room, as I believe you said you have, then you can keep fixing any problems that comes up. Just keep an eye out always for it.
Good luck