what should i do?

[JasperFossils]

Hello guys,

I have 3 THB and 1 russian living toghether. I know that you all said earlier it wasnt smart to do it. Now, because i know that i have 1 male THB and my russian is female, my parents allowed me to not put them together anymore. I do have some questions:

Should i put my male alone or my russian?
Can russians live solitary? Or is this diffrent for each individual?


gr. Jasper

 

[zovick]

Hello guys,

I have 3 THB and 1 russian living toghether. I know that you all said earlier it wasnt smart to do it. Now, because i know that i have 1 male THB and my russian is female, my parents allowed me to not put them together anymore. I do have some questions:

Should i put my male alone or my russian?
Can russians live solitary? Or is this diffrent for each individual?


gr. Jasper

All tortoises would prefer to live separately.

That being said, I would recommend separating your female Russian from the three THB so that you do not accidentally produce hybrid tortoises. The THB trio can be left together (theoretically), but if the male starts really pestering the females, you may need to separate him from them which will leave you with another undesirable situation: namely keeping just the two females together. When only two tortoises are kept together, one inevitably becomes dominant and stresses and bullies the other one.

Check this post to see an example of what happens when two tortoises are kept together: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-pairs.154056/

 

[JasperFossils]

All tortoises would prefer to live separately.

That being said, I would recommend separating your female Russian from the three THB so that you do not accidentally produce hybrid tortoises. The THB trio can be left together (theoretically), but if the male starts really pestering the females, you may need to separate him from them which will leave you with another undesirable situation: namely keeping just the two females together. When only two tortoises are kept together, one inevitably becomes dominant and stresses and bullies the other one.

Check this post to see an example of what happens when two tortoises are kept together: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-pairs.154056/

i found a guy, he said that until around may, he keeps the russians and the THB seperated, and after that, he puts the females together, and puts the male in solitary.

 

[Tom]

i found a guy, he said that until around may, he keeps the russians and the THB seperated, and after that, he puts the females together, and puts the male in solitary.

You can find lots of people doing all sorts of things that are wrong. Don't take that as a reason to do what they are doing. Species should NEVER be mixed. The Russian needs its own housing separate and away from the others.

 

[TammyJ]

What's a THB? Anyway. My idea is for you to give away one of the THBs. Then you will have 2 separate and happy tortoises.

 

[TammyJ]

What's a THB? Anyway. My idea is for you to give away one of the THBs. Then you will have 2 separate and happy tortoises.

Tammy!!! It's 3 THBs! Try again.

 

[TammyJ]

Right. Just let the Russian have its own separate enclosure.

 

[zovick]

What's a THB? Anyway. My idea is for you to give away one of the THBs. Then you will have 2 separate and happy tortoises.

THB is short for Testudo hermanni boettgeri, the Eastern Hermann's Tortoise.