What species is best for me?

Spanish herman's

New Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2021
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
Spain
Hi all!

First and foremost, sorry for my bad english. As you can tell by my name, I'm from Spain (in Europe) and I love tortoises. As my father liked them too, they've accompanied me since I was a wee kid. A couple of testudo hermanni hermanni was joined by a testudo graeca (all of them bought legally). They live toguether (one male and two females) outdoors, in a big planted gardens with fruits they eat like apples and figs (although we feed them and make sure they drink enough). We've even managed to breed them a couple of times (hermanni hermanni).
It's quite sad as one of the females that accompanied us since I was 6 or 7 years old (around 2004) was stolen last year. They couldn't scape and someone took them... I have some suspects, but no hope of getting her back. At the moment, as I said, I have one male and two females.
Last month at a reptile expo we bought a baby marginata, which is also comfortable in this climate, although I'll keep it in a terrarium till it's old enough.

The thing is I've seen sulcatas and I like them, the garden is big enough for them to roam free. The two inconveniences I've found are the following:
-If I do get a pair, and they grow as much as they have to grow, will they get agressive towards other torts?
-Having them during summer season is easy, but when they grow, what would be the best alternative to house them during winter? I've heard some dog house with a ceramic heater.

Dividing the garden into different enclousures it's not a solution, so maybe I should go for another species... We live in the south of Spain, Andalusia.

Thanks in advance and sorry if the post was too long. Thanks.
 

NorCal tortoise guy

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
Messages
1,224
Location (City and/or State)
Northern California
If you can’t provide a sulcata with it’s own enclosure don’t get one. They should not be kept with other species. They don’t even do well with one of there own species it takes a group and lots of room to make more then one sulcata work. They are very aggressive towards other tortoises
 

Spanish herman's

New Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2021
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
Spain
If you can’t provide a sulcata with it’s own enclosure don’t get one. They should go be kept with other species. They don’t even do well with one of there own species it takes a group and lots of room to make more then one sulcata work. They are very aggressive towards other tortoises
Ok. Is there any other species you recommend to bring to the garden? I thought about the many inconveniences regarding the ownership of a sulcata in a climate like mine.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,549
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
If you can't divide the garden then you can only keep one species. The marginata you bought also can not be housed with the Hermann's. One species per enclosure.
You also said you had two female Hermanns and one Male. Then one female got stolen. If you only have one female and one male Hermanns then even they need to be separated unless they have the whole garden to themselves with multiple sight barriers, hides, water and feeding stations. The male will try to breed the one female too death or illness.
 

Spanish herman's

New Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2021
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
Spain
If you can't divide the garden then you can only keep one species. The marginata you bought also can not be housed with the Hermann's. One species per enclosure.
You also said you had two female Hermanns and one Male. Then one female got stolen. If you only have one female and one male Hermanns then even they need to be separated unless they have the whole garden to themselves with multiple sight barriers, hides, water and feeding stations. The male will try to breed the one female too death or illness.

Our garden is rather large. Arounf 193 square meters for them to roam free. They have plenty of space to scape or hide.
Guess if no other tortoise is advisable I'll stick to the ones I have, and maybe get another marginata when the hatchling gets bigger. Of course keeping the separated it's a must.
 

Spanish herman's

New Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2021
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
Spain
If you can't divide the garden then you can only keep one species. The marginata you bought also can not be housed with the Hermann's. One species per enclosure.
You also said you had two female Hermanns and one Male. Then one female got stolen. If you only have one female and one male Hermanns then even they need to be separated unless they have the whole garden to themselves with multiple sight barriers, hides, water and feeding stations. The male will try to breed the one female too death or illness.

Our garden is rather large. Arounf 193 square meters for them to roam free. They have plenty of space to scape or hide.
Guess if no other tortoise is advisable I'll stick to the ones I have, and maybe get another marginata when the hatchling gets bigger. Of course keeping the separated it's a must.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,218
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Species should NEVER be mixed. Your graeca should not have access to, or be sharing space with, the hermanni. Each species needs its own separate enclosure. The marginated will need its own separate space too.

Sulcatas get very large and very destructive. They are a wonderful tortoise species is you live on a big dirt ranch and don't care if they destroy everything in their pen. They are the wrong species for most people.

Any tropical species will need a heated night box. Dog houses do not work for tortoises, and CHE's should not be used over larger tortoises because they will slow burn the top of the carapace. If you get some other species that needs supplemental heat, you'll need to heat it and house it correctly.
 

Jacqui

Wanna be raiser of Lemon Drop tortoises
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
39,941
Location (City and/or State)
A Land Far Away...
Sad though it is, you have been given good advise. Stick with the species you have. If you really must have sulcata, get rid of all the other tortoises and the garden aspect of the enclosure.
 

Spoonerjr

New Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2021
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
BC, Canada
Species should NEVER be mixed. Your graeca should not have access to, or be sharing space with, the hermanni. Each species needs its own separate enclosure. The marginated will need its own separate space too.

Sulcatas get very large and very destructive. They are a wonderful tortoise species is you live on a big dirt ranch and don't care if they destroy everything in their pen. They are the wrong species for most people.

Any tropical species will need a heated night box. Dog houses do not work for tortoises, and CHE's should not be used over larger tortoises because they will slow burn the top of the carapace. If you get some other species that needs supplemental heat, you'll need to heat it and house it correctly.
Just curious, i know species cant be kept together. I was just wondering why? Is it agression issues
 

Spanish herman's

New Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2021
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
Spain
1. Disease.
2. Social incompatibility.
3. Dietary incompatibility.
4. Environmental incompatibility.
I've been noticing some attacks from the Hermanni towards the Graeca, so I'll sepparate them inmediately. As for the marginated tortoise, I plan on building a separate enclousure for her in the garden. I won't get a sulcata if that means that he or she will attack my other herman's tortoises... I'm not scared about the garden as there's plenty of grass and even though I've seen what they are capable of I doubt they could destroy it all. Guess I'll probably stick to hermann's and marginated tortoises.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,218
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I've been noticing some attacks from the Hermanni towards the Graeca, so I'll sepparate them inmediately. As for the marginated tortoise, I plan on building a separate enclousure for her in the garden. I won't get a sulcata if that means that he or she will attack my other herman's tortoises... I'm not scared about the garden as there's plenty of grass and even though I've seen what they are capable of I doubt they could destroy it all. Guess I'll probably stick to hermann's and marginated tortoises.
It doesn't matter who might attack who. The point is that species should never be mixed, so there should be no opportunity for any tortoise to attack any other tortoise of a different species. Sometimes separation is required even for the same species.
 

New Posts

Top