Ramming - Normal ?

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aka2tal

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We have a 3-4 year old Sulcata, 6 year old Sulcata and roughly a 8-9 year old Sulcata. The 6 year old male is getting rammed by the 8-9 year old female. Is this something we need to be worried about? Unknown if the 3-4 year Sulcata is a male or female yet. If it is a male, we will part with it since i know the males will fight with the female present. Why would the male be getting rammed by the female? Friend suggests it is a girl control thing.
 

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drgnfly2265

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I wish that I could tell you why but I just wanted to say that I love the picture!!! The three are sooo... cute together.
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1 Sulcata (Bowser)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise
 

Yvonne G

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aka2tal said:
We have a 3-4 year old Sulcata, 6 year old Sulcata and roughly a 8-9 year old Sulcata. The 6 year old male is getting rammed by the 8-9 year old female. Is this something we need to be worried about? Unknown if the 3-4 year Sulcata is a male or female yet. If it is a male, we will part with it since i know the males will fight with the female present. Why would the male be getting rammed by the female? Friend suggests it is a girl control thing.

Sometimes Sulcatas can live together peacefully with no animosity towards each other regardless of sex (two males...two females...a male/female), and then every so often you get that bully that just plain wants the other torts out of its enclosure. In the real world, tortoises are solitary creatures, only coming together to breed. They don't like to have to share the best hiding place or share the food. Your 8-9 year old tortoise wants to be alone. It really doesn't matter what sex the younger one is, the older one wants the younger one out of there.

Yvonne
 

JimKoz

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aka2tal said:
We have a 3-4 year old Sulcata, 6 year old Sulcata and roughly a 8-9 year old Sulcata. The 6 year old male is getting rammed by the 8-9 year old female. Is this something we need to be worried about? Unknown if the 3-4 year Sulcata is a male or female yet. If it is a male, we will part with it since i know the males will fight with the female present. Why would the male be getting rammed by the female? Friend suggests it is a girl control thing.

Sometimes Sulcatas can live together peacefully with no animosity towards each other regardless of sex (two males...two females...a male/female), and then every so often you get that bully that just plain wants the other torts out of its enclosure. In the real world, tortoises are solitary creatures, only coming together to breed. They don't like to have to share the best hiding place or share the food. Your 8-9 year old tortoise wants to be alone. It really doesn't matter what sex the younger one is, the older one wants the younger one out of there.

Yvonne



I have a 8-9 year old (55lbs) sulcata that is generally relaxed but he will ram one particular chair in the living room. He's an outdoor pet who likes to come inside from time to time. There are several chairs he will see(?) when he walks in but he always rams the same one. (I have NOT tried to change the location with another chair to see if it's the chair or it's location).
Has anyone noticed similar behavior?

Jim
 

jasso2

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dont get rid of the other one if its a male, im sure they can b civil. super nice pic.
 

aka2tal

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I am really getting concerned. The ramming has increased, and she is now even ramming the 4 year old. We have a female that is just very bossy. We have witnessed her ramming the male repeatedly. Is this a courtship thing? I would hate to see the male get injured. We have a old fire hydrant in the corner of the yard. The male got rammed into the corner and ended up on his side between the wall and the fire hydrant. We watched as he freed himself, however we are concerned if he gets flipped over when we are not home or it happens to the smaller one.

After witnessing the ramming, I have taken the female aside, and I have even flipped her over to give a taste of her own treatment, but she contniues to keep ramming.

We have a fairly good size yard. It would be difficult to seperate them, but the best answer may to get rid of the problem child.

Any suggestions how I can get this large female to play nice and be friendly??
 

egyptiandan

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Are you sure it's a female?

I think your just going to have to keep her on her own, at least until everyone is about the same size.

Danny
 

Yvonne G

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It doesn't matter if your "rammer" is male or female. It wants the other tortoises out of its territory. Plain and simple.

Yvonne
 

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I agree it is instinctual and a territory thing. I had the same problem with one of my three 7 year old torts. One was just a bully and she continually bullied the smaller of the three torts. I called everyone from the St. Louis zoo to the St. Louis Herp association to find answers as to what to do, and all pointed to separating them for the good of the smaller one. I had six acres at the time so separating them was no problem, but in your case it sounds a little difficult. The bigger and heavier these torts are the more dangerous it is for them to be turned over. You may want to consider your options in order to protect your smaller tort.

Good Luck and God Bless

Keli
Missouri
 

JustAnja

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If you would post pics of everyone's undersides including tails we can try to verify the sexes for you but Sulcatas can be tricky to sex before they are about 14-16 inches long straight line carapace length. I would suggest separating them ASAP for the smaller tort's health and well being.
 

aka2tal

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I will get some photos taken and post them
 

aka2tal

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Update - The male was found this weekend on top of the female. The ramming may have been a courtship thingof playing hard to get. My 5 year old daughter came into the house saying that "Russell" is on top of "Macy", and my 7 year old wanted to know what he was doing on top. Talk about explaining the birds, bees and tortoises to them..............We have love in air in the backyard.

David
 
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