Rescued tortoise constantly eating?

[Lyn W]

Thank you very much for the advice, we will see when we can take her to the vet to get her and him tested. We're also planning to spay and/or neuter the male depending on what the vet suggests so that we don't end up with babies every year, we're already expecting our first clutch next year as they've already mated.

My male, Scooter, is actually smaller than our female, Phoenix, and he's a very timid little guy around her and around us. If anything she's the one who would bully him but she pretty much avoids him so I doubt we need to worry.
However, if I do notice signs of aggression besides him defending his food from her insatiable appetite I will seperate them. We already seperate them now during feeding times since we noticed that.

You need to take a fresh sample of poop for them to test.

I've never heard of a tortoise being neutered - sounds pretty drastic and dangerous for him compared to the simplicity of just separating them. Maybe @Tom @Yvonne or @zovick will know more about that.

 

[zovick]

You need to take a fresh sample of poop for them to test.

I've never heard of a tortoise being neutered - sounds pretty drastic and dangerous for him compared to the simplicity of just separating them. Maybe @Tom @Yvonne or @zovick will know more about that.

Spaying or neutering a tortoise is a possibility if performed by a competent vet, but as Lyn W says, it is a lot more of a risk to the animal than simply keeping the two apart.

Additionally, what if you ever decided to part with them? It might be more difficult to find a home for an animal which is unable to reproduce.

Finally, just because you saw the two attempting to mate, it is not a given that you will get babies from the encounter. There are still many things which could militate against getting any eggs laid, much less having fertile eggs laid, and then hatching them.

You might consider this alternative which is employed by a number of zoos: when eggs are laid by species which they do not wish to reproduce, they simply destroy the eggs rather than incubating them.

 

[TortieMoonshade]

You need to take a fresh sample of poop for them to test.

I've never heard of a tortoise being neutered - sounds pretty drastic and dangerous for him compared to the simplicity of just separating them. Maybe @Tom @Yvonne or @zovick will know more about that.

Yeah you might be right, I'm still trying to figure out how to create seperate enclosures or fence them off though.

Thanks will keep in that in mind ^~^

 

[Tom]

I'm in Pretoria, Gauteng. I'm glad you enjoyed your stay, where are you from?

I understand and thank you for your expert advice, as I told Lyn W I will seperate them if I see any other signs of aggression I will completely seperate them and the only reason I'm not at the moment is because he's smaller than her and extremely timid around her and us.
And that's horrible, testosterone filled that one I'm sure 😂

I only keep them inside when it rains heavily and floods parts of our garden, they then each have their own little blanket and towel hides that they stay in

I'm from Southern CA. Lived here my whole life. Ever see the movie "Straight out of Compton"? That is where I was born and raised, and the stuff that happened in that movie really did happen. That scene on the school bus...

Now I live north of that area out in the country. 5 acre ranch, dirt roads, and weeds everywhere. Its wonderful up here.

Having the heated night box solves your problem with rain, cold nights, and protection from predators. Inside is simply not safe and not good for tortoises. Blankets and towels are not suitable for reptiles. Its too cold down there on the floor, and there are too many hazards. We see several tortoises a year die this way.

They need to be separated regardless of signs of aggression. Over hostility is rare and that is not what we are warming you about, even though you've already had that too. Neither of them want to be in the presence of the other one, and the chronic stress is not good for them.

To keep the tortoise away from the pool, I use slumpstone blocks to make tortoise walls. Same as cinder blocks, but nicer looking. Go three blocks high, and use a half block on the second row to offset them for strength. No need to cement or mortar these together. I just stack them, so I can move them or remove them at any time with minimal impact on the area. You can also put posts in the ground and use boards or strips of plywood to make tortoise walls. You only need to go 16 inches high for leopards, so one sheet of plywood will give you 24 feet.

 

[TortieMoonshade]

I'm from Southern CA. Lived here my whole life. Ever see the movie "Straight out of Compton"? That is where I was born and raised, and the stuff that happened in that movie really did happen. That scene on the school bus...

Now I live north of that area out in the country. 5 acre ranch, dirt roads, and weeds everywhere. Its wonderful up here.

Having the heated night box solves your problem with rain, cold nights, and protection from predators. Inside is simply not safe and not good for tortoises. Blankets and towels are not suitable for reptiles. Its too cold down there on the floor, and there are too many hazards. We see several tortoises a year die this way.

They need to be separated regardless of signs of aggression. Over hostility is rare and that is not what we are warming you about, even though you've already had that too. Neither of them want to be in the presence of the other one, and the chronic stress is not good for them.

To keep the tortoise away from the pool, I use slumpstone blocks to make tortoise walls. Same as cinder blocks, but nicer looking. Go three blocks high, and use a half block on the second row to offset them for strength. No need to cement or mortar these together. I just stack them, so I can move them or remove them at any time with minimal impact on the area. You can also put posts in the ground and use boards or strips of plywood to make tortoise walls. You only need to go 16 inches high for leopards, so one sheet of plywood will give you 24 feet.

As I said in one of my previous replies, they refuse to use the hides we've already tried to provide them with. They much prefer the plants and sometimes we can't find them because of it. I've looked for solutions but there was another owner who said his leopards do the same so he just provided more plant cover. Doesn't help we provide hides and then they don't use them.

Yes I'm trying to figure out how to seperate them at the moment, don't worry.

Thanks, I'll look into those ^~^

Also I feel we shouldn't discuss things like movies and personal lives on a tortoise health related thread, could you please rather privately message me? Thanks ^~^

 

[Tom]

As I said in one of my previous replies, they refuse to use the hides we've already tried to provide them with. They much prefer the plants and sometimes we can't find them because of it. I've looked for solutions but there was another owner who said his leopards do the same so he just provided more plant cover. Doesn't help we provide hides and then they don't use them.

Yes I'm trying to figure out how to seperate them at the moment, don't worry.

Thanks, I'll look into those ^~^

Also I feel we shouldn't discuss things like movies and personal lives on a tortoise health related thread, could you please rather privately message me? Thanks ^~^

It matters not whether the tortoises choose to use their hides or heated shelters. You have to put them in every night, and then open the door and give them the opportunity to go out each morning. Contrary to what some people mistakenly believe, the tortoises do NOT know what is best for them in our artificial captive housing situations. They will frequently make choices that will lead to their death. They don't have the capacity for logic that a human has and the instincts they have evolved to live in the wild do not always serve them well in captivity. We have to help them and do what is best for them.

The movie reference was an answer to your question of me in post number #16. You asked me where I was from. I answered.

 

[TortieMoonshade]

It matters not whether the tortoises choose to use their hides or heated shelters. You have to put them in every night, and then open the door and give them the opportunity to go out each morning. Contrary to what some people mistakenly believe, the tortoises do NOT know what is best for them in our artificial captive housing situations. They will frequently make choices that will lead to their death. They don't have the capacity for logic that a human has and the instincts they have evolved to live in the wild do not always serve them well in captivity. We have to help them and do what is best for them.

The movie reference was an answer to your question of me in post number #16. You asked me where I was from. I answered.

Thank you.