tortoiseforum.org
tortoiseforum.org
tortoiseforum.org
I'm no expert but from what I've gathered on this website is that, a pair shouldn't be kept together. It is possible for two females to live together BUT, one tortoise can become dominant and bullying the other over resources which can lead to the other tortoise to have slowed growth. I think both become stressed from having to share and the one bullied even more so from not being able to leave the territory.
Some links I've received from the people here.
Number 9.
Beginner Mistakes
To comment on Tom's article, go here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-split-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1tG8s05M5 Over the years many of us, myself included, have made many of these mistakes, and we have certainly seen them made many times by others. With springtime upon us and many new...
Signs of bullying in young tortoises
'Following' is a form of "mad dogging". Cuddling and sleeping in the same area is a form of trying to crowd the other out of the territory. Does one or both sit on the food? That's another one. Outward, obvious hostility like biting, ramming, or flipping seldom happens with juveniles. The...
Why not to keep 2 tortoises together - a lesson learned the hard way
This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a...
I'm no expert but from what I've gathered on this website is that, a pair shouldn't be kept together. It is possible for two females to live together BUT, one tortoise can become dominant and bullying the other over resources which can lead to the other tortoise to have slowed growth. I think both become stressed from having to share and the one bullied even more so from not being able to leave the territory.
Some links I've received from the people here.
Number 9.
Beginner Mistakes
To comment on Tom's article, go here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-split-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1tG8s05M5 Over the years many of us, myself included, have made many of these mistakes, and we have certainly seen them made many times by others. With springtime upon us and many new...
Signs of bullying in young tortoises
'Following' is a form of "mad dogging". Cuddling and sleeping in the same area is a form of trying to crowd the other out of the territory. Does one or both sit on the food? That's another one. Outward, obvious hostility like biting, ramming, or flipping seldom happens with juveniles. The...
Why not to keep 2 tortoises together - a lesson learned the hard way
This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a...
Thanks!! I've been trying to do more research since I have rescued some babies and am rehoming them. I will read thoseI'm no expert but from what I've gathered on this website is that, a pair shouldn't be kept together. It is possible for two females to live together BUT, one tortoise can become dominant and bullying the other over resources which can lead to the other tortoise to have slowed growth. I think both become stressed from having to share and the one bullied even more so from not being able to leave the territory.
Some links I've received from the people here.
Number 9.
Beginner Mistakes
To comment on Tom's article, go here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-split-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1tG8s05M5 Over the years many of us, myself included, have made many of these mistakes, and we have certainly seen them made many times by others. With springtime upon us and many new...
Signs of bullying in young tortoises
'Following' is a form of "mad dogging". Cuddling and sleeping in the same area is a form of trying to crowd the other out of the territory. Does one or both sit on the food? That's another one. Outward, obvious hostility like biting, ramming, or flipping seldom happens with juveniles. The...
Why not to keep 2 tortoises together - a lesson learned the hard way
This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a...
How old are they? babies look female until they mature. What you call “inseparable” could be bullying, just like with dogs you have to “learn” their behavior language to know what it means. You can’t assume that something you see with dogs or cats (being inseparable) means the same thing in torts…
I agree with everyone else's assessment here.
tortoiseforum.org
They are desert tortoises. So at the moment, I have 4 hatchlings in the same enclosure. They are about a week old. They sleep by eachother, they wake up together, they are always in the same area together. However, I definitely see that I am associating these more like dog behaviors rather than tortoise.
Hello, thank you for the reply..
Thank you for the reply! I appreciate all the help and tips. I realize that I have assessed their behaviors wrong and will correct that! I was associating it more with dog or cat behavior but I see how I was wrong. I have been doing those things for them. My vet had told me that they should not be outdoors if it is above 95 degrees for their first 3 years. I plan on only having them outside for natural sunlight when temperatures are sufficient. I also built a large outdoor enclosure for my tortoise when it is outdoors and have a separate side for the babies that I will join with the original one after they have been rehomed.I agree with everyone else's assessment here.
1. You can't sex babies, and all of them look female until the adult hormones get flowing and the secondary sexual characteristics begin showing up.
2. They do not want or need company. Other tortoises are not seen as friends or companions. They are seen as competitors for limited resources, intruders, and invaders.
3. The behavior you describe is tortoise aggression. One tortoise trying to crowd and intimidate the other tortoise out of its territory. The chronic stress is bad for both of them.
You posted this in the Gopherus section and I see you are in CA, so these are desert tortoises? If yes, please realize that almost all of the care info you find for them is wrong and will lead to their death eventually. Here is the correct care info:
The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...
You should be soaking daily, and the main foods should be weeds, leaves and flowers of the right types. They should be getting soaked daily. They also need a safe damp substrate and a humid hide box. No soil and no sand. They should be housed mostly indoors, as outside all day is NOT good for babies. Outside full time is GREAT for adults and larger juveniles, but not babies.
Questions are welcome.
thank you for the response. I realize that I assessed their behaviors wrong and will correct it.
Sometimes the carrot baby for soaks do give a "boost" to a small tortoise that isn't doing so well. Its worth a try, and will do no harm.
Okay thank you for the advice! I will do the underground retreat for mine as well. I looked through your other post that you linked and I was happy to see that I have been doing a lot of that and my outdoor enclosure looks very similar. Anything extra I saw on your post I will be utilizing as well. Thank you for your help
Hello,
You would have to keep one of the babies for about 3 to 5 years to know for sure if it's a female. Letting them roam your house is very bad and dangerous for them, don't do that. Set up a proper enclosure for any inside time one for each if you can't give them a room in your house.
What is dangerous about letting one roam my living room? We do not use any chemicals or pesticides on the floor. I also make sure the temperature in my house is adequate at that time. My fridge, stove, etc are all blocked off underneath so they cannot crawl under. My tortoise has been tested for parasites, giardia, and salmonella. She is negative for anything that could harm a human. I do not have any other pets or children. They have proper separate enclosures. They will each have one indoor and one outdoor. My tortoise loves to roam around whether it's inside or outside. I honestly cannot think of a reason why letting them walk around in my living room would be dangerous if I take the proper precautions.
Take a search of the forum. Accidents happen and they have been killed unintentionally by the same person that says they watch them 100%.
Thank you for the feedback and for the personal experience! I appreciate it
I don't agree that this is not a problem or that they get along just fine. This is a very territorial species, and they don't like sharing space. They have no choice but to deal with it, and their survival is not an indicator that it is okay. Both would be better off in separate enclosures, and recommending this practice to others is not good tortoise advice.
Everyone thinks that this is safe, right up to the moment when they finally realize it isn't, and then it is too late. I've seen many things in my personal life, and we've had dozens of examples here on the forum over the years. We've seen X-rays with little metal charms, coins, 2 inch sewing needles, pebbles, and there have been lots of things that don't show up on x ray like hair, dust bunnies, plastic bags, etc... We've seen tortoise heads squished on the hinge side of a door, stepped on or kicked tortoises with broken legs, and escapees because someone left a door open. One of these went out the front door, parked under the car tire in the driveway and got run over. Its also too cold on the floor, and slick floor cause them to have played leg syndrome, with carpeted floors can cause fibers to wrap around their legs and slowly cut the circulation off. Fumes and residues from cleaning products... The list is endless. We try really hard to warn everyone so people don't have to learn this lesson the hard way. It just isn't safe and can't be made safe. Tortoises belong in tortoise enclosures. Never loose on the floor.
