Russian's not really getting along?

[UMDRunner]

I have had a female russian for about 5-6 months, we just got a new one, we are pretty sure it's another female, but it's hard to tell because it's pretty young. The past couple days our old one, which is probably like 5 years older and quite a bit bigger is bullying the younger one. It keeps trying to bite the legs of the little one. The bite is pretty hard, I've taken one in the finger and it seems like it could do some damage to the little ones legs. Is this common? What should I do?

 

[Jacqui]

First off I personally would have put the new one into isolation for a bit to make sure it was healthy. You skipped over that part.

Okay first off, yes it's often common for a bigger tort to bully one smaller then him. Heck that's pretty much the way it is with all animals. Also ones who have been established in an enclosure by themselves will often bully the new guy.

A little bullying is some what okay and normal. What your seeing may just be "breaking in the new guy". (Yours is sounding maybe a bit pass this stage) However, if the bully starts stressing out the smaller one, or if he gives the little one a serious bite, then it is time to do some separating. It can be a fine line with you having to make some judgment calls here.

If it's not really to that point, make sure you have lots of visual barriers. These are things like hides, rocks, hills of dirt, branches, plants. Things that break up the area of sight, things for the little one to try hiding behind or under.

How big is the enclosure? Is there room for the smaller one to get away from the big one? Do you have at least two hides?

Can you give us a measurement comparison between the two? not over the carapace (top shell) but rather a straight line measurement of the plastron (bottom shell). This can give us a better idea, if the size difference is going to make current compatibility difficult (and possibly dangerous for the smaller one).

Be prepared you may have to have them in two separate enclosures or partition off part of the current one to keep them apart. You may have to do this for a while (like to allow the smaller one to get more size) or it may be they will only be able to have visits, or you may even permanently have to keep them apart.

 

[Yvonne G]

That sounds like breeding behavior to me. The male usually bites the front legs of the female to make her submit. Can we see a bottom shot of your two tortoises? A picture that shows the tails?

Thanks,

Yvonne

 

[agiletorts]

Based on my experience, the one who bullies and bites the other tortoise is a male. This is a normal behavior, like Yvonne and Jacqui mentioned. My male tortoise will try to bite my other tortoises, both male or female. But the biting is more intensive on the adult female tortoise. I think is a way for him to tell the female to stop moving so he could do his "work" .

Depending on the size of your enclosure, you should be careful not to house them together all the time or otherwise your female may be stressed out and even wounded.

 

[UMDRunner]

The enclosure should be big enough for the both of them. I have a 6ft by 4 ft box that is connected by a ramp to a 4ft by 3ft box. They both travel between the two multiple times a day. I don't think that koopa (the small one) is stressed out at all, she even climbs on top of tank every once in a while. She also seems to stick near tank. Tank doesn't always do the bite thing, but a few times a day for sure. I'll post a few pics to let you see the size difference, also to let you take a guess if tank actually is a boy.

 

[UMDRunner]

Here are some of both together:

 

[RTfanatic]

Looks like two females to me.

 

[UMDRunner]

Here are some underneath shots:

Tank

Both: Tank is the bigger one

 

[UMDRunner]

any advice?

 

[Laura]

Seperate them if you are worried about it. Try to re introduce later. Provide more hiding places for them, bigger enclosure, different food. (iceberg lettuce isnt good for them)
Do they ever climb out of thier enclosure? The sides look very low, but hard to tell.
Pic looks like male on the left, fem on the right.

 

[UMDRunner]

thats not iceberg, its the stalky part of romaine, and no, they never climb out. The upper is pretty low, but in their main enclosure the walls are 10 inches high, they're going nowhere haha. They aren't being bullies anymore, maybe tank just had lay down the law and let koopa know who's the boss.

Do you think there's still a chance that tank is a boy?

 

[UMDRunner]

anyone have some thoughts?

 

[UMDRunner]

they are getting along now!

 

[Jacqui]

Glad to hear they have become more comfortable with each other. I know it eases your mind a bunch.