RiDaGeckoGuy
Member
Any links to good greenhouses
Small tortoises?
- Thread starter RiDaGeckoGuy
- Start date
Look at post number 17 from Wellington.
Those same predators are all over the country. We certainly have them here. Everyone grapples with the local wildlife. Constant issues. Fire ants, rats, raccoons, coyotes, hawks and ravens, etc... Pet dogs are even worse. Next to dehydration, domestic dogs are the number one killer of tortoises. Way more than the wild predators that everyone worries about.
You can't reliably sex them until they get to at least 14 inches, and sometime 16 or 17 inches, BUT they would probably be fine as juveniles in a trio or more. If you end up with a male down the road, you might have to separate all of them into individual enclosures.
Given that their enclosure is already too small and you are currently "broke as **** ", it might not be a good idea to add more. That is your call. It would eliminate the pair problem, but add on some new problems.
If you only had one male now and one female and then got more females and had a really big yard,then you could possibly keep them together. But this can't be done in an enclosure, in the house.
The greenhouse I posted a picture of is good for one of the ones you have now. You would need two of them to house them separately. The one I posted is 9 feet long by 3 feet wide and 3 feet high. The lights and heat can hang from the frame. I have used it myself. It would last you a year maybe two depending on how long it took them to catch up to the size they should be. At that point you would need a couple large fenced or cinder block walled off outside enclosures. The greenhouses could be used within the outdoor enclosure as a hotter area for them to go in and out of as they wanted.
The greenhouse I posted a picture of is good for one of the ones you have now. You would need two of them to house them separately. The one I posted is 9 feet long by 3 feet wide and 3 feet high. The lights and heat can hang from the frame. I have used it myself. It would last you a year maybe two depending on how long it took them to catch up to the size they should be. At that point you would need a couple large fenced or cinder block walled off outside enclosures. The greenhouses could be used within the outdoor enclosure as a hotter area for them to go in and out of as they wanted.
No. Sex doesn't matter. Two females also don't want to live in pairs.
RiDaGeckoGuy
Member
I only think male and female because one has mounted stuff before, has larger spikes on his neck, concaved plastron, plus the butt spurs are different and one has male shaped spurs and the other has female shaped spurs
RiDaGeckoGuy
Member
I upped the humidity and took them outside more and wow they have grown at least 3 inches in length and 1 1/2 in width I get snow here so that’s going to stop I am still figuring out the housing but they are growing fast
Well...if you knew how to care for them correctly they would not be sick now. Tortoises are solitary animals. They are not herd animals. I will guarentee that they are stressed being kept like they are and getting the wrong diet...They have a very subtle aggression to each other. One keeping another in the corner, or one eating more of the food, or one pushing the other out of the hide...you most likely can't seee that, we have years of Sulcata experience here, why don't you do those poor tortoises a favor and pay attention to the advice given from experts. FYI They are too small even if they were healthy.
oops I didn't notice the date...I'm outta here
RiDaGeckoGuy
Member
You know you can go to hell I am trying my best I gave them way better care than the person before I had them in a 5 foot by 4 foot cage before and they were sick when I got them they started getting healthy when I bought them. They were in a 10 gallon tank when I bought them and then I went on to get them a giant tortoise table and fed them stuff other than strawberries and cabbage when I got them I stuck them to a diet of romaine, cactus, hay, and Missouri tortoise diet. They got misted daily and soaked daily I took them outside twice a week and then I had to move. That’s when I made this post I’ve been trying to find the money to build them a big outdoor greenhouse and a 6x6 indoor winter home they are small yes but it’s not my fault. I don’t understand how every pet community is so nice and then I come here and “maybe they would be healthy if you listened to the experts
” and I ******* did I even stated it and still I’m getting hate
RiDaGeckoGuy
Member
Oh and about the living in pairs I’m thinking of getting another to even them out
Why should I care about them...you don't
RiDaGeckoGuy
Member
I do care it’s money I don’t have you rich bastards dont understand so yeah go **** yourself you tortoise people are the most toxic you understand I do my best so yeah go to hell
Hello!
Sorry, that this thread ends like that, with accusions and aggression. You are right, there is some toxicity, but it has its reasons:
many people who operated rescues or just have been around tortoises and this forum for years have seen too many cases of bad care, neglection, have seen too many people who was reluctant to follow proper care advice and their tortoises died or suffered.
From this thread I see, that you indeed do the best you can and did your own research on care. Following the advice given here (like separating tortoises or setting a closed chamber) is not about throwing money at the problem, but about caring about tortoise needs. Sometimes you have to cut corners and make less optimal decisions: like not buying a fancy enclosure but building your own out of scrapyard furniture. And that's fine if it serves the purpose.
Now, to the topic:
Getting a third tortoise won't magicaly solve the space problem. Even if you get 2 females and one male, they still need lots of space to get away from each other. With a small indoors enclosure and growing tortoises things can get even worse.
Also, you will need some quarantine space: when adding a new tortoise to a group or later to isolate a sick or injured one.
And "running costs" for another tortoise are not zero (food, vet, heated outdoor shelter and such).
For me it seems that making separate enclosures for your tortoises is easier, cheaper and more beneficial. If you have any concerns like lack of room space, no money for a second equipment set and so - let's try to work around them.
Hey, whoa there. Don't paint us all with the same brush because one person came in and said some stuff you don't like. All of the rest of us have been trying to help.
He's talking about me Tom... I simply was trying to make a point. I did not say anything that wasn't true. Maybe it wasn't so nice...
he's all talking about how much he knows about tort keeping. I merely said ..."if he knew so much about correct tort keeping those torts wouldn't be sick now." I thought if I said something like that he might start paying attention...tha's all. Right away he comes out with 4 letter woords and insults...
Tammy. Butt out of this thread with your inane platitudes.
I know Maggie. I phrased my statement there very carefully. You and I are both guilty of putting people off with our strong wording and feelings on these matters from time to time. I just don't want a person whose tortoises are in need of help to leave because one person on a forum made up of tens of thousands of people all over the world said some things that they didn't like.
You know how frustrating it is for people when they want to do what is best and what is right, but they've gotten all the usual bad info from out in the world. We can't help tortoises if we offend the people that are caring for them. This doesn't mean I don't love you or understand where you are coming from. I do.
RiDaGeckoGuy
Member
Yeah lots of you are trying to help and caring for two tortoises that were just unexpectedly threw into my care is hard compared to unexpected chickens and leopard geckos I am kinda reading this with thinking of a hateful voice reading it but I think that’s because I joined a chicken community and they are all kind and very understanding and will give me makeshift solutions that are easy so I am sorry maggie but you did seem to come off hateful so that’s why I did that I do care about their needs and did as many things stated as soon as possible but I will need time, money and good predator proof ideas for this spring and I will need to figure something out for my -20 Fahrenheit winters
