new tortoise no info!!

[rebeccam19]

Can someone help i have 2 russian tortoises already they are called pick and mix and they are a yearold and ive had them since feburary. they are fantastic really sociably, happy and content. one of my collegues has a 2 yearold tortoise dont know what speices yet but i recently got her she is in a bo of her own with lights and food and everthing i think she needs. Before i got her she has never had proper lights, proper enclosure or proper care as she has never had time for her. I got her yestarday and i havent experienced things like this before i dont want to mix her with pick and mix if she is a diffrent species someone help??

 

[tortadise]

Welcome!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome Russian tortoises do much better living alone. They can bit very territorial and will bully the other to illness or death. The pic of the two together makes me think that bullying is going on. The single pic is blurry, but looks like a Russian to me. Keep them all separate, unless you have a very large enclosure, like a yard and lots of sight barriers, hides, feeding spots and water dishes.

 

[GBtortoises]

Can someone help i have 2 russian tortoises already they are called pick and mix and they are a yearold and ive had them since feburary. they are fantastic really sociably, happy and content. one of my collegues has a 2 yearold tortoise dont know what speices yet but i recently got her she is in a bo of her own with lights and food and everthing i think she needs. Before i got her she has never had proper lights, proper enclosure or proper care as she has never had time for her. I got her yestarday and i havent experienced things like this before i dont want to mix her with pick and mix if she is a diffrent species someone help??

If you're referring to the tortoise in the photo on the left, it too is a Russian tortoise, Testudo horsfieldi. Any new tortoise, regardless of species should not be immediately placed with existing, established tortoises for the health safety of both the new acquire and the existing tortoises. A new tortoises will often have a diminished immunity system caused by the stress of being removed from a familiar environment, poor care, newly wild caught, etc... It is very susceptible to parasites fluorishing out of control in it's digestive tract, respiratory problems and more. A tortoise in this state can often be physically harmed by healthy more aggressive tortoises that already have an established pecking order within their environment. In addition to that there is always the concern that a newly acquired tortoise may exposed existing tortoises to bacteria and parasites that they may not have immunities too.
Any and every newly acquired tortoise should be quarantined for at least 90 days. This is the minimum and only if after that time the tortoise is absolutely healthy and active. Even then, it should only be introduced to an existing group if all the members of the group have also been healthy and active during that same period of time. If there is any question whatsoever on the part of the new tortoise or the existing tortoises the quarantine period should be longer, as long as necessary. Once the time comes that they are introduced all tortoises within the group should be monitored closely for any possible problems, physical and psycological issues. These could be change in activity, diet, feces consistency, prolonged hiding and so on.

 

[rebeccam19]

Thanks for all your advise Matilda is now on her own and pick and mix have always been together even when I got them I got them together never been apart a and they don't really fuss about each other. I will keep my eye on her. She was kept in a shoe box before I got her. I will persevere with her as well I can thanks

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