New to forum

[thehowards]

Hello I would like to introduce Thor and Shelby. Thor is just over three years old and is 9" long and fat. He lived indoors for the first year of his life going out every once in a while. Shelby is a year younger and is around 5-1/2". They both live in sunny humid Florida outside almost year round. Except like a month I have to really bring them I'm but the still get out during day. I got Shelby when Thor was a year old for a friend. I realize now reading this forum that was a risky idea but they have been together for two years now and now and I haven't had any problems. Hopefully things will stay this way and they can me lifelong friends. The have a deep burrow over 4' deep together and just upgraded their enclosure from 10'x4' to adding a 16'x4' run to the existing enclosure making a L shape. 104 sqft (so far) here some pics.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

Even though you don't realize it yet, having them live as a pair is a problem. They would do better alone.

 

[Careym13]

Welcome to TFO!!

 

[Speedy-1]

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the forum! Beautiful tortoises.

 

[thehowards]

Hello and welcome.

Even though you don't realize it yet, having them live as a pair is a problem. They would do better alone.

I have read this in the forum I was wondering what are the signs I should look for. They always want to be together it seems to me. Has anyone had success at keeping them in a pair? Like I said they have been together two years already since I got Shelby as a baby and have had no trouble what so ever. I have seen some where as long as the enclosure is large enough they could be ok.

 

[Tom]

I have read this in the forum I was wondering what are the signs I should look for. They always want to be together it seems to me. Has anyone had success at keeping them in a pair? Like I said they have been together two years already since I got Shelby a baby and have had no trouble what so ever. I have seen some where as long as the enclosure is large enough they could be ok.

Some signs of a problem:
1. Always wanting to be together. This is called crowding. One is trying to intimidate that other out of its territory.
2. Sitting on top of the food.
3. Following. AKA chasing.
4. Sleeping face to face.
5. Cuddling in rest spots. AKA crowding again.
6. One growing faster than the other.
7. One hiding more than the other.
8. One eating more and more often than the other.
9. Then there are the obvious mounting, shoving and biting behaviors.

Try this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/

 

[thehowards]

Some signs of a problem:
1. Always wanting to be together. This is called crowding. One is trying to intimidate that other out of its territory.
2. Sitting on top of the food.
3. Following. AKA chasing.
4. Sleeping face to face.
5. Cuddling in rest spots. AKA crowding again.
6. One growing faster than the other.
7. One hiding more than the other.
8. One eating more and more often than the other.
9. Then there are the obvious mounting, shoving and biting behaviors.

Try this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/

Thanks for the link read the the whole thing great stuff. So my plans for now is just keep watching them and hope they will do ok for a few more years till I move to a place with some more property. How old are they when they reach maturity typically?

 

[leigti]

Can't you just divide the enclosure? Put up some strong boards so that they can't see each other. Pairs rarely if ever work. And I would be really concerned because one is so much bigger than the other.

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the link read the the whole thing great stuff. So my plans for now is just keep watching them and hope they will do ok for a few more years till I move to a place with some more property. How old are they when they reach maturity typically?

Males reach maturity at 14", but begin the hormone driven territorial behaviors as small as 6" sometimes.

You don't seem to be grasping that this is a problem now. You don't have years to wait to do something about this.

 

[thehowards]

So an update on my two sullies, I have decided to just let Thor roam the back yard during the day and I put him into the enclosure with Shelby to sleep at night. Just so they can have there alone time while they are active. I think it has made Shelby much more happy. Now that she gets the place to her self during the day she seems to be out more. Plus Thor just demolishes all the grass in the enclosure before it has time to grow back now I don't have to add grasses to the enclosure since Shelby doesn't eat as much yet

 

[thehowards]

When I measured the torts it was just eye balling but I flipped Thor to measure him and he is right at 10.25" and weighed 6.2 lbs eventually I'll get an accurate measurement on Shelby.

 

[thehowards]

So I measured the lengths of Shelby and measured Thor again. Shelby is close to 6" and Thor has grown a half inch since my last post less then a month ago. Thor seems to be going threw a growth spurt. Also have a question about Shelby as she has two scutes that seem to not be growing apart correctly. Has anyone seen this before?

 

[Alaskamike]

Do you mean the distance between the scutes is not uniform ?

When I enlarge your photo that's all I can see

 

[thehowards]

Yea that's what I am asking about.